PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM by the SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM Vol. 94 Washington: 1944 Nc 3172 THE CATFISHES OF VENEZUELA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THIRTY-EIGHT NEW FORMS By Leonard P. Schultz In the winter of 1942, at the invitation of Dr. Guillermo Zuloaga, assistant cbief of explorations, Standard Oil Co. of Venezuela, Caracas, I undertook to study and make collections of fishes in the Maracaibo Basin of Venezuela. I proceeded to Venezuela under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Department of State and was a guest there of the Standard OH Co. of Venezuela and of the Lago Petroleum Corporation, Lago Maracaibo. To the offi-cials of these companies I must express my deep appreciation, for it was a great pleasure to accept this wonderful opportunity. This report on the catfishes of Venezuela is based on collections made by me in the Maracaibo Basin and in other localities of the country, totaling 9,920 specimens, as well as on additional specimens in the collections of the United States National Museum. It is planned to report later on the other groups of fishes represented in the collections made during this trip. I wish especially to thank the following for their aid and hospitality during the course of my work: Hon. Frank P. Corrigan, United States Ambassador, Caracas, Renwick S. McNiece, American Consul, Maracaibo, and Thomas Maleady, second secretary, American Em-bassy, Caracas, for their fuUest cooperation in helping me obtain the necessary papers connected with my extensive travels in Venezuela and making my visit to that country so pleasant; Dr. Walter Du-pouy, director of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Caracas, who 533749—43 1 173
BioStor
