CHUBBY STONE CAT. 801 



Diagnosis. — From the other Ohio Cat fishes, this species may be known 

 by the large, saw-like pectoral spine, and by the variegated coloration. 



Habits. — This pretty little fish abounds in most of the small streams 

 of Ohio, especially southward. It is found under stones and logs. It 

 is an attractive species for the aquarium. 



26. NoTDKCs siALis Jordan. 



Chubby Stone Cat. 



Nolurue eialis, Jordan. (1877), Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 102 ; Man. Verb., 2cl. Ed., 1878, 

 337. 



Deecription. — Body short and thick, oompreaaed behind ; head very large and broad, 

 less depressed than in the othera : spines stout and rather long, those of the pectoral 

 fins straight, about half the length of the head, '2i in the distance to the dorsal fin ; 

 smooth externally, grooved within ; dorsal higher than long, its insertion nearer anal fin 

 than snout; adipose fin high and continuous, not at all notched; barbels short, the 

 lower darker; color nearly uniform yellowish brown, withoiit dark bars or blotches; a 

 oonspicuous narrow black lateral streak and sometimes two dorsal streaks; head, 3i to 

 4 ; depth 4 to 5 ; distance from snoot to dorsal 2J ; width of head 3f Length, 3 or 4 

 inches. 



Habitat, Mississippi Valley to Red Elver of the North. 



Diagnosis. — This species may be known by its chubby form, its plain, 

 pale coloration, and by the absence of serrations on the pectoval spine. 



Habits.- — The habits of this species are similar to those of N. miurus. 

 The two species reach about the same size ; they are usually found 

 together and are about equally abundant in Ohio. 



ORDER 8. TELEOCEPHALI. THE TYPICAL 



FISHES. 



This order comprises the vast majority of recent fishes, and is characterized rather 

 negatively as wanting the peonliarities of the other orders, than as having any positive 

 feraits of its own. In general, the maxillaries are normally developed, and distinct 

 from the premaxillaries, not forming the base of a long barbel. The gills are of the 

 ordinary pattern, and the gill openings are in front of the pectorals and not usually very 

 narrow ; the opercle, subopercle, preopercle, and interopercle are all developed. This 

 gronp includes the various soft-rayed fishes, with the ventrals abdominal, the scales 

 generally cycloid and the air-bladder connected by a duct with the alimentary canal, 

 the Malacepteri or Physostomi of authors, and the spinous rayed fishes, with the ventrals 

 thoracic, the scales usually ctenoid and tho air bladder without duct, the Acanthopteri 

 or PKyaochysti of authors, as well as a large number of torms variously intermediate or 

 aberrant {teleoB, perfect ; kephale, head ; the skull having all its parts developed), 



51 



