104 FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ZOOLOGY, VOL. VII. 



Phila., 1877, 190, Lake Nicaragua; Rio San Juan. 

 This species is reported to be very abundant in the lower end of 

 Lake Nicaragua, and in the San Juan River, its outlet. It is reported 

 to be very ferocious, and many incidents are mentioned of persons 

 attacked by it. Either this or some other species is very abundant 

 on the bar of the Colorado River, one of the outlets of the Rio San 

 Juan. I did not secure any specimens of this species. 



Family Pristidse. 

 Genus Pristis Latham. 



Body elongate; snout produced into a long, thin, flat blade with a 

 series of strong teeth on each edge; mouth inferior; teeth small, 

 spiracle present; a fold along each side of tail. 



Pristis antiquorum Latham. 



Pristis antiquorum Giinther, Cat., vm, 438, 1870; Gill & Bransford, 



Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1877. 190, Granada. 

 In Granada I saw several saws of this shark, but was unable to 

 secure any specimens. The identification of this species is doubtful. 



Family Lepisosteidse. 



Genus Lepisosteus Lac6pede. 



Body elongate, covered with hard rhombic scales; jaws long, 

 beak-like, armed with pointed teeth ; an accessory gill on inner side of 

 the opercle; tail heterocercal. 



Lepisosteus tropicus (Gill). 



Atractosteus tropicus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1863, 172, 

 Streams near Panama. 



Head 3.1; depth 7.0 to 8.0; D. 8; A. 8; scales 52. Body elon- 

 gate, snout short, broad, its length 1.7 to 1.8 in head; width of pos- 

 terior end of snout 4.8 to 5.2; eye 9.0 to 14.0; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 4.3 to 4.9 ; upper jaw with two series of enlarged teeth, the 

 lower with one. 



This species occurs in both lakes. It is reported to grow to a 

 length of 6 feet or more. The largest specimen collected by me is 

 800 mm. The jaws of a much larger specimen were found on the 



