200 CYCIILA ATABAPENSIS. 



particuHeres ? Ces m ernes questions de physiologie 

 se presentent lorsqii'on examine les taclies a bandes 

 concentriques formees par la poil de quelques mam- 

 miferes carnivores, et par le bosses de plumes des 

 oiseaux, surtout du Phasianus argus^ du P. pictus, 

 et des oiseaux de proie nocturnes." 



The Baron adds, that he had frequently eaten 

 this fish on the banks of the Oronoco and Rio Negro : 

 and that it proved an agreeable food. It was named 

 by the Caridaquere Indians " Saupa." The tem- 

 perature of the Rio Negro was at this time 24° of 

 the Centigrade thermometer. 



Other two species are slightly described, from the 

 rivers in the same districts, and names were at the 

 time imposed upon them in reference to the parts 

 where they were much sought after by the indi- 

 genous Indians as an agreeable food. 



CAtabapensis, Povondu Bio Atahasso, is found 

 in those parts of the Oronoco where the waters are 

 not thick or muddy ; but the varieties having the 

 finest flavour are those of the river Atabasso, where 

 the waters are dark and chrystalline. It is of the 

 same form with the last ; but, instead of the four 

 spots, has four very large transverse bands, of a 

 bluish black, bordered with golden. — It is added in 

 a note that M. Valenciennes supposes with propriety 

 that the C. atabapensis is the C. ocellaris of Schnei- 

 der. The comparison of our copy of Schneider's 

 plate with the above short descriptive characters, 

 may help this decision. The other species is, 



