246 Dr. Hancock on some species of Fishes and Reptiles 



collect together. By what means this is effected, seems rather mysteri- 

 ous, as the species are destitute of cutting teeth. It may possibly be by 

 the use of their serrated arms, which form the first ray of the pectoral fins. 



A third species is the JVatawata, or Watwata, of the Creoles. This 

 is found on the sea-shores. It may be a new species of Loricaria of 

 Bloch, or of Hypostomus of Lacep. 



Hypostomus Watwata. 

 Hyp, cinereo-griseus, pinnce dor salts \~m<B radiis 8. 

 D. 1, 1. P. 4-. V. X. A. A. C. 16. 

 The length is generally eight inches ; the body is completely mailed 

 with angular strong rough scales ; the head rough, depressed, sloping ; 

 mouth sucker-like, round, retractile, with one cirrus on each side. Gill 

 membrane five-rayed ; aperture of gills very small, and close to each 

 pectoral fin. There is a strong collar-bone under the throat, behind this 

 the thorax and belly are not mailed. The body is ash-gTey, lighter under 

 the belly. It sometimes grows to a foot in length. The body is some- 

 what octagonal, tapering to the tail, and flattened at the belly and breast. 

 Tail forked. The stomach is oblong, ending in an intestine, which in a 

 specimen that I examined myself, measured twenty-four feet in length ; 

 this intestine was most accurately coiled like a rope in a great number of 

 convolutions, with the liver disposed in the centre of the coil. Nothing 

 but mud was found within. 



The fourth species which I shall particularise, is a new species of Hy- 

 postomus, Lac^p, differing from that just described chiefly by the num- 

 ber of the rays of its first dorsal fin, which amounts to fourteen instead 



of eight. 



Hypostomus multiradiatus. 



Hyp. ferrugineo-griseus, pinncs dorsalis \-mm radiis 14. 



D. ^v, 1. P- 1. V. i. A. i. C. 16. 



Tab. Sup. xxxii, fig. 2. 



The colour is somewhat of a ferruginous gray. The scales are very 



strong, disposed in eight longitudinal series, with as many rows of sharp 



points along the body, directed backwards. The species is called by the 



Spaniards Corroncho, by the Warrow Indians, Guasiquitu. It fi*equents 



