242 T. LATUS. 



long, with the head small in proportion, and the 

 outline, were it not for the tail, almost round; it 

 " inhabits all the rivers of Guiana, and is much 

 esteemed for the table. Its flesh is good and not 

 bony, and it grows to fifteen or eighteen inches in 

 length. The body is much compressed, ending in a 

 keel on the belly, with a serrated spinous process of 

 a silvery blue, yellowish as it nears the vent ; the 

 head and fins greenish ; scaling very small, smooth- 

 edged, adhesive ; lateral line undulating ; head small 

 in proportion to its size ; eye large, yellow, and sil- 

 very ; nostrils double, cup-shaped, between the snout 

 and the eye ; tongue fleshy ; lips ditto ; teeth tri- 

 angular, sharp, — seven in the lower jaw in single 

 row, in the inter-maxillary double, six outward, 

 and on inner row seven ; vent situate about one- 

 third of the length from the tail ; gill-covers smooth- 

 edged, opening semilunar; feeds on various kinds 

 of fruit, and lives half an hour after being taken 

 from the water. The body is elliptical ; tail almost 

 forked, and undulating. It is taken with the hook, 

 but more frequently shot with the arrow, and, like 

 the pirai, it is very voracious." 



D. 22— P. 16— V. 8— A. 37— C. 27— Br. 2_Vert. 36. 



