CII.IM'.liT AND STARRS — FISHES OK I'ANAMA liAY 27 



merely du.sky in otlieis. Tlie vomerine patches vary soniewiiat in .size and .--liaije. A 

 very narrow groove ma}' be deLected, separating tlicm in ail of tlie i-peciniens, and 

 tliey do not seem to he wholly confluent with the palatine patches even in achilts. 

 rhr pterygoid liaiids nmy he wholly ahscnt, or represented hy a linear group ot 

 small patches, or fully developed as an elliptical patch of large size, 

 ^sinc specimens were preserved. 



41. Netuma insculpta (Jordan li- Gilbert). 



ililhcrto known only from the type (an adult male) and two young co-types, 

 all from Tanama. To these, the 2)resent collection lias aildeil an atlull female, 27 

 cm. long. 



The species is very close to N. planicepa, hut differs in its wider head, more 

 numerous ami coarser granulations, wider occipital process, longer iiarbcls, and 

 shorter higher adipose fin. The occipital process is less sharply keeled, and the 

 palatine teeth are in larger patches. In our specimen, the vomerine patches are 

 large, the apposetl magriiis rounded, meeting in the middle hut not confluent; 

 evitlent furrows mark them ofl from the palatine patches. The latter are very 

 large, with straight parallel inner edges, as in N. platijpogon. 



Jn the following measurements the specimen varies somewhaL from the ty[)e 

 description: 



Head 85 in length, luterocular width 2,', in head; snout 2?; width of mouth 

 (external measurement) 2; maxillary barbel reaching to end of second fifth of the 

 length of the pectoral spine; outer mental barbel to little past gill-opening. Occip- 

 ital process a little wider at base than its length on the median line. Length of 

 predorsal plate on the median line one-third the length of one of its sides. The base 

 of the adipose fin is contained 2:; times in the head, its height I4 in its length. The 

 ventrals overlap the rudimentary anal rays. The anal has 14 developed ray.s, o rudi- 

 ments. The posterior face of the pectorals is black, the other fins dusky. The 

 maxillary barbel is silvery white, with a black upper margin. 



42. Netuma planiceps (Steindachner) . 



Of frequent occurrence. This proves to be an extremely variable species, the 

 variations not being dependent on age or sex. and not correlated. The occipital 

 process may be very much narrower than figured by Steindachner (1870 b, PI. 

 IV), more tapering posteriorly; or it may be broader than there represented and 

 more expanded at the base, so that the lateral margins are more concave and the 

 greatest width and length of the plate are about ((pial. There is usually a wide 

 shallow groove extending backward from the fontanel to within about a pupil's diam- 

 eter of the occipital i)rocess. This is often obscured posteriorly by granules or 

 granulated ridges, and may even be obliterated by the latter, as shown in the 

 figure already cited. The carina on the occipital process is usually sharp, rarely 



