204 CURIMA.TUS AMAZONUM. 



a depressed head, and the muzzle, as it were, in the 

 shape of an angle, and by haying five rays to the 

 gill membrane ; the body is compressed and covered 

 with rather large scales, which occur also on the head 

 and opercula, which are without either spines or den- 

 ticulations ; and several of the species are knowTi to 

 be viviparous. Humboldt has named his species 

 P. Bogotensis^ from three to four inches long, of a 

 yellowish green, with a longitudinal silvery stripe 

 running nearly along the centre of the body ; the 

 tail bifid ; swimming-bladder double. In addition, 

 Valenciennes mentions another species from the 

 fresh waters of Brazil, about two inches in length, 

 of a dull green, yellowish beneath, and marked on 

 each side with a black spot, anterior to the dorsal 

 fin. 



A single species of the genus Fundulus, Lacep., 

 is considered to inhabit the fresh waters of Brazil, 

 F. Braziliensis, Yalenc. In this genus the dorsal 

 and anal fins are opposite ; the teeth, many on each 

 lip, setaceous ; gill-membrane with four rays. By 

 some it has been placed among the Esoces. The 

 genus is chiefly North American, the type Cohitit 

 heteroclita, Linn. 



A fine species, Curimatus Amazonum, Le Bo- 

 quichico de VAmazone^ was taken in the High Ma- 

 ragnon, opposite the cataract of Eeetema, at an 

 , elevation of 200 toises. This species Valenciennes 

 considers very nearly allied to the Sahno edentulus^ 

 Bloch., which he places in the same genus. Hum- 

 boldt's fish is of a greenish white, silvery; with large, 



