lyZ FISHES — SILUEID^. 



Amiurus vulgaris, Nelson (1876), Bull. Ills. Mus. Nat. Hist., 50. — Jordan and Copeland 



(1876), Check List, 159.— Jordan (1877), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus , x, 85; (1678) Man. 



Vert., ed. 2d., 33. 

 Pimelodus ailurus, Girard (1858), U. S. Pao. R E. Surv., Fishes, 210. 

 Amiurus ailurus, Gill (1862), Proo. Bost. Soo. Nat. Hist , 44. 

 Amiurus celurus, Cope (1870), Proo. Am. Philos. Soc, 485 — Jordan (1876), Man. Vert., 



302. — Jordan and Copeland (1877), Check List, 159. 

 Pimelodus dekayi Girard (1859), Proc. Acad. Nat, Soi., Phila., 160. 

 Amiurus dekayi. Gill (1862), Proc. Bost. Soo. Nat. Hist., 44. — Cope (1870), Proc. Am. 



PhUos. Soc, 485.— Jordan (1876), Man. Vert., 302. 



Description. — Body moderately elongate; head longer than broad, rather narrowed 

 forward; profile rather steep, pretty evenly convex; dorsal region more or less ele- 

 vated; month wide, the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper; barbels long; anal 

 fin moderate, of about 20 rays ; caudal fin truncate ; color blackish, belly pale ; head 

 3i to 4 in length ; depth 4^ to 5 ; D. I, C ; A. 20. Length 1 to li feet. 



Habitat, Great Lake Region and Mississippi Valley to Manitoba. Not uncommon. 



Diagnosis. — This is the only species of Amiurus in which the lower jaw 

 is the longer. From PelodicMhye olivaris it may be known by the longer 

 anal fin, as well aa by the very different form and coloration. 



Habits. — This species is not very common in Ohio. It is taken in Lake 

 Erie with Amiurus catus, and occasionally in the Ohio River. It is sold 

 as a food fish with the ordinary " Bull-head." 



18. Amiuktjs mabmoratus (Holbrook) Jordan. 



Marbled Catfish. 



Pimelodus marmoratus, Holbrook (1855), Jonrn. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila., 54. 

 Amiurus marmoraius, Jordan (1877), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 89; (1878) Man. Vert., ed 

 2d., 332, 407. 



Description. — Body rather stout and chubby; head moderately broad, with a nearly 

 even slope from the elevated base of the dorsal to the snout ; mouth rather wide ; jaws 

 aboutequal ; barbels long, branchiostegals 10 ; dorsal spine high, more than half the length 

 of head, inserted nearer the adipose fin than the snout ; adipose fin very large ; caudal 

 fin truncate ; coloration usually variegated, the ground color dark, sharply mottled with 

 brown, greenish, and whitish, the coloration sometimes nearly plain ; head 3J in length; 

 depth 4 ; D. I, 6 ; A. 20. Length li feet. 



Habitat, Southern Illinois to Florida, chiefly in lowland streams. 



Diagnosis. — The color of this species is usually suflSciently distinctive ; 

 when this is obliterated it cannot be readily separated from A. melas. 



Habits. — This species occurs in the Lower Ohio, but it has not yet been 

 noticed in the limits of the State. Nothing distinctive is known con- 

 cerning its habits, except that it is a species of the bayous, and its range 

 is chiefly southward. 



