DEC. 28, 1916. FISHES OF PANAMA MEEK AND HILDEBRAND. 267 



without free orbital margin, about n to 14 in head; interorbital 3.5 to 

 4.2; mouth rather wide, its width nearly as great as length of snout; 

 upper jaw projecting; the longest maxillary barbel reaching to or a 

 little past gill-opening; teeth in the jaws in villiform bands; dorsal fin 

 with convex margin, its origin about midway between gill-opening and 

 tip of caudal; caudal fin with a straight or slightly convex margin; anal 

 fin small, its origin under or behind base of last ray of anal; ventral fins 

 inserted considerably in advance of origin of dorsal, reaching vent; 

 pectoral fins inserted under margin of opercle, without a definite spine, 

 i to 1.33 in head. 



Color light olive; a dark band from upper angle of gill-opening to 

 base of caudal. In some individuals there is anteriorly a dark band 

 above this one and one below it. These bands in most specimens are 

 broken up into small round spots which are not much larger than eye. 

 The back with small black spots; in large examples these are also 

 sometimes present on lower part of sides. 



Of this species 32 specimens were obtained, ranging in length from 

 40 to 90 mm. These are all from a small creek at Cana in the upper 

 Rio Tuyra Basin. This creek was very rocky, and the bottom was 

 covered with a reddish sediment. 



The species of this genus are difficult to determine and the entire 

 genus stands in need of revision. Our fish is closely related to P. 

 bogatense Eigenmann and also to P. chapmani Eigenmann. From both 

 it differs in color and in the slightly more anterior position of the dorsal 

 fin. 



Order II. Plectospondyli. 



THE CARP-LIKE FISHES. 



Body scaly; dorsal fin single; fins without true spines. Parietals 

 broad, distinct; the four anterior vertebrae joined together; opercular 

 bones all present. 



Family VI. Characidae. 



Body variously shaped, covered with scales which usually are 

 cycloid; head naked; upper jaw mesially formed by the premaxillaries, 

 laterally by the maxillaries; teeth various; dorsal fin small, without 

 spines; adipose fin usually present. Adipose fin wanting in the genera, 

 Hoplias and Phanagoniates, which come within the scope of the present 

 work. 



