BULL-HEAD — HORNPOUT. 793 



19. Amiurus melas (Rafinesque) Jardan and Copeland. 



Small Black Catfish. 



Silurus melas, Eafinesque (1820), Qaact. Journ. Soi. Lit. and Arts, Lond., 51. 



Pimelodus melas, Rafinesque (1820), loh. Oh,, 66. 



Amiurus melas, Jokdan and Copeland (1876), Check List, 195. — Jokdan (1877), Bull. U. 



B. Nat. Mos., X, 89; (1578) Man. Vert., Ed. 2d, 332. 

 Pimelodus catulus, Gikard (1839), U. S. Pao. E. R. Sarv., 208. 

 Pimelodus confinis, Girakd (1859), Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 159. 

 Amiurus ohesus, Gill (1862), Pjoo. Bost. Soo. Nat. Hist., 45. — Gill (1876), Ich., Capt. 



Simpson's Expd., 420. 



Description — Body yery stout, short and deep ; head moderate, somewhat contracted 

 forwards, the front steeply elevated, the body thick across the shoulders, rather rapidly 

 narrowed behind; jaws nearly equal ; dorsal fin inserted nearer adipose fin than snout ; 

 anal basis nearly 5 in length of body, the fin short and deep ; color very dark or blackish ; 

 membrane of anal fin almost always distinctly black, contrasting with the paler rays ; 

 head 3J; depth 3i to 4; anal 18 to 20. Length 1 foot. 



Habitat, Mississippi Valley and Great Lake region. 



Diagnosis. — The short, chubby form and short and deep anal fin usually 

 readily distinguish this species from the closely related A. catus. 



Habits. — This small species is rather common in the Ohio River. It is 

 confounded by the fishermen with A. xanthocephalvs and A. catus. 



20. Amiukus catds Gill. 



Bull-head; Hornpout; Catfish. 



Silurus catus, Linn^us (1758), Syst. Nat., x, p. 305; (1766) xii, p. 504.— Bloch. Schn. 



(1801), 387.— Mitchill (1818), Journal Lit. and Philos. Soo. N. Y., i, 433. 

 Pimelodus catus, Cuv. and Val. (1840), xv, 124.— DeKat (1842), Pishes N. Y., 182.— Storbr 



(1846), Synopsis, 402, 

 Amiurus catus, Gill (1862), Proc. Bost. See. Nat. Hist., 44.— Gunthek(1864), Cat. Fishes, 



V, 99 (exol. syn. pars). — TJhler andLuGGEK (1876), Fishes of Maryland, 152. — Jordan 



(1877), Bnll, U, S. Nat. Mus., x, 90; Man. Vert. E. U. S., 332. 

 Pimelodus nebulosus, LkSuetjr (1819), Mem. du Museum, v, 149,— Stoker (1838), Rept. 



- Fishes Mass,, 102. 

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



Philos. Soo,, 485. 



Pimelodus alrarius, DeKay (1842), Fishes N. Y., 185.— Storer (1846), Synopsis, 404 ; 

 (1855) Fishes, of Mass., 279. 



Amiurus atrarius, Gill (1862), Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 44.— Jordan (1876), Man. 

 Vert., 30.— Nelson (1876), Bull. Ills, Mus. Nat. Hist., 50.— Jordan and Copeland 

 (1876), Check List, 159.- Jordan (1877), Proc. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila., 46. 



Pimelodus felis, Aoassiz (1850), Lake Superior, 261. 



Amiurus felis, Gill (1862), Proc. Bost. Soo. Nat. Hist., 44. 



Pimelodus hoyi, Gieakd (1859), Proc. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila,, 159. 



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



