798 FISHES — SILURID^. 



Glanis limoms, Eafinesque (1818), Am. Monthly Mag., iii, 447, and iv, 107 (name only), 



Pilodictis limoaus, Rafinesque (1819), Joorn. de Physiqae, 422. 



PyleAictis limoaus, Rafinesque (1820), loh. Ohiensis, 67. 



Siluiiu nebvloaus, Rafinesque (1820), Qaait. Jonrn. Sci. Lit. and Arts, London, 50. 



Pimelodus nebuloaus, Rafinesque (1820), leh. Oh., 64. 



Silurus vtscosus, Rafinesque (1820), Qaait. Jonrn. Sci. Lit and Arts, 50. 



Pimelodna vieeosus, Rafinesque (1820), Ich. Oh., 66. 



Silurus lituosus, Rafinesque (1820), Qnart. Jonrn. Lit. and Arts, 51. 



Pimelodm limoaus, Rafinesque (1820), Ich. Oh., 67. — Kirtland (1846), Boat. Jonrn. Nat. 



Hist., iv, 335.— Storbr (1846), Synopsis, 404. 

 Pimelodus punotulatm, Cuv, and Val. (1840), xv, 134.— DbKay (1842), Fishes, N. T., 187. 



— Storer (1846), Synopsis, 403,— Gumther (1864), Cat. Fishes, v, — . 

 Pimelodus mneua, Cuv. and Val. (1810), xv, 135.— DeKat (1842), 1. o.— Stoker (1846), 



1. c, 403. 



Deaeription. — Body very long and slender, depressed forwards, closely compressed 

 behind ; head extremely flat, the lower jaw the longer ; barbels short ; dorsal spine 

 small, half the height of the fin, enreloped in thick skin ; pectoral spine very strong, 

 flattened, serrate behind ; candal fin somewhat emarginate ; anal fin short, its base 

 abont 7 in body ; coloration mottled biown and yellowish, whitish below ; head, 3^ in 

 length ; depth, Sj^ ; D., I, 7 ; A., 15. Length, 2 to 3 feet. 



Habitat, Ohio Valley to Iowa and southward, abundant in the larger streams. 



Diagnosis. — The flat head and strongly projecting jaw distinguish this 

 species at once from our other Catfishes. 



Habits. — This species abounds in the Ohio River and its larger tribu- 

 taries. It reaches a larger size than any other except Amiurus nigricans 

 and is used for food, although its unattractive exterior causes it to be less 

 valued than the other large species, As its name indicates, it is pre- 

 eminently a mud loving species. 



Genus 13. N0TUHU3. Rafinesque. 

 Noturus, Rafinesque (1818), Am. Monthly Mag., iv, 41. 



Schilbeodes, Bleeebr (1858), IchthyologisB Arohipelagi Indici Prodromns, vol. i, Silnri 

 (Acta Sooletarum Indo-Nederlandicse, vol. iv), 258, (S. gyrinus, Mit ). 

 Etymology, notos, back ; owra, tail (means tail over back, Baf.). 

 Type, Noturus flavua, Raf. 



Body more or less elongate, anteriorly snbcylindrical, thence more or less compressed ; 

 head above ovate and depressed, with a slight longitudinal furrow, branching into a 

 transverse depression on the nape ; skin very thick, entirely concealing the bones ; 

 Supraoccipital entirely free from the head of the second interspinal ; eyes small or of 

 moderate size ; month anterior, rather large, and transverse ; npper jaw usually more 

 or less projecting beyond the lower ; teeth subulate, closely set in a broad band in each 

 jaw, the lower one interrupted, the upper continuous ; branchiostegals nine; dorsal fin 

 •ituated over the posterior half of the interval between the pectoral and ventral fins, 

 with a sharp, short, entire spine, and seven branched rays ; adipose fin long and low, 

 keel-like, its posterior lower margin being adnate to the tail, and usually connected 

 with the caudal fin ; caudal fin obliquely truncated or ronnded, inserted on an 



