eigenmann: the FRESHWATER FISHES OF BRITISH GUIANA 435 



Body compressed and elongate, slightly sub-cylindrical towards the head; 

 head conical and a little produced; width of the head 1.75-2, depth of the head in 

 the occipital region 1.3-1.5 in the greatest depth; dorsal profile of the head slightly 

 sloping, but of the body almost straight; ventral profile of the head and body 

 somewhat convex. 



Snout conical, a little truncate at the tip; mouth medium; gape small and 

 short; upper jaw barely projecting; eyes small; cheeks round and full. 



Caudal peduncle 3-3.5 in the total length; pectorals 1.75-2 in the head; 

 origin of the anal about on the vertical from the tip of the pectorals. 



Ground-color light buff to straw-yellow; dorsal parts and the caudal peduncle 

 crossed by several bands of rather bright brown, which fade out near the middle 

 of each side; ventral parts almost without markings, or with numerous blotches 

 of pale brown; top of the head dark brown; sides of the head and mental region 

 speckled with brown; fins hyaline, rays more or less brown. 



Rhamphichthys Muller and Troschel. 

 Rhamphichthys Muller and Troschel, Horse Ichth., Ill, 1849, 15 (rostratus). 



Type, Gymnotus rostratus Linnaeus. 



No caudal fin; snout long and tubular, teeth wanting, body much compressed, 

 anus in front of the vertical from the eye. 



A single species was taken in British Guiana. 



278. Rhamphichthys rostratus (Linnaeus). 

 — Seba, Locupl. Rer. Nat. Thes. Ace. Descr., II, 1748, pi. 69, fig. 3; III, 1748, 

 99, pi. 32, fig. 5. 



Gymnotus Gronow, Mus. Ichth., 1754, No. 73. 



Gymnotus rostratus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, I, 1766, 428. 



Carapus rostratus Cuvier, Regne Animal, II, 1817, 237. 



Rhamphichthys rostratus Muller and Troschel, in Schomburgk, Reisen, III, 

 1848, 640 (Demerara); Horse Ichth., Ill, 1849, 15 (Guiana).— Gunther, Cata- 

 logue, VIII, 1870, 5 (Surinam; British Guiana). — Eigenmann and Ward, 

 Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., VII, 1905, 168. — Eigenmann, Repts. Princeton Univ. 

 Exp. Patagonia, III, 1910, 449. 



Gymnotus longirostratus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 1800, 178. 



Rhamphichthys schomburgkii Kaup, Cat. Apod. Fish, 1856, 135, fig. 10. 



Rhamphichthys schneideri Kaup, Cat. Apod. Fish, 1856, 136, fig. 11 (Cayenne). 

 Three specimens, 580-900 mm. Wismar. (C. M. Cat. No. 1761a; I. U. 



Cat. No. 12612.) 



