210 UNARMED EREMOPHILUS. 



under, and is furnished with six fleshy barbules, of 

 which the exterior are longest; two others, short 

 and partly tubular, are placed above the nostrils ; 

 the extremity of the lips furnished with hair-like 

 teeth; the eyes very small, and covered with a 

 semi-transparent membrane, as in the Gymnoti and 

 Murenw. The length of this fish is from ten to 

 twelve inches. It forms an agreeable aliment, and 

 is eaten by the inhabitants of the capital of Santa- 

 Fe during Lent. M. Valenciennes adds, regarding 

 its internal structure, which appeared not to be 

 easily made out from the state of his specimens, that 

 the intestinal canal was simple, long, folded four 

 times upon itself, and having numerous bands be- 

 tween each fold ; the oesophagus and stomach firm, 

 a long tube which occupies three-fourths of abdo- 

 minal cavity. There is no swimming-bladder. The 

 formula of the fins is, 



D. 4/1 1— P. 9— A. 3— C. 1 1/13/12— Br. 6. 



Another fish, very nearly allied, has been procured 

 by Valenciennes from the vicinity of Rio Janeiro. 



A very curious fish was also discovered in the 

 little river Palace, near to Passayan, to which M. 

 Humboldt has given the name of AstroUepus grix- 

 alvii ; Valenciennes, though he had not seen addi- 

 tional specimens, considered that it also belongs to the 

 Silurian family : a very short description is given of 

 this species. The length of Humboldt's specimen is 

 about fourteen inches ; the colour is blackish olive, 

 the form, particularly that of the head, rather broad 



