DORAS. 1G7 



armed ^vith a coat of mail, — a species of Doras, or 

 one of the Callychthidse. It was adorned -svith 

 beautiful bright yellow and scarlet colours, and ele- 

 gantly spotted with black. Such a display of colours 

 is rarely found in the mailed fishes ; they are usually 

 of a brown or dingy grey colour. 



" This fish is not only furnished with the usual 

 appendages for swimming, but by means of the 

 strong supports which form the anterior spines of 

 its pectoral and abdominal fins, it is enabled to 

 walk upon the stony bottoms of the rivers, nay 

 even, I believe, to pass the falls by walking alo;^g 

 the shore ; for it appears, like the Ilassar, to be in 

 some measure amphibious. Although it had re- 

 ceived a severe blow on the head from the man 

 who caught it, yet it lived, exposed to the sun's 

 rays, for many hours afterwards. It made several 

 attempts to jump out of the boat, but ineffectually. 

 The Caribs called it Acdaru, the spinose fish, others 

 the four-legged fish. The Arowaks were not ac- 

 quainted with it, but said it resembled the Wata- 

 wata in form. It was about ten inches in length ; 

 its head depressed, upper jaw shorter and moveable. 

 It had no teeth, but short crooked spines in the 

 lips. The pectoral and abdominal fins had each six 

 rays, besides the strong ambulatory one, or rather 

 spine, in each. Anal fin six rays, dorsal nine, with 

 a sharp and strong anterior spine. It was armed, 

 in addition, on each side, with four longitudinal 

 rows of strong spines, curved backwards. The whole 

 body, except the thorax, was guarded with a coat 



