EIGENMANN: the PYGIDIID^, a family of south AMERICAN CATFISHES. 359 



There are two generic types contained in the genus as here understood. One 

 of the two genera has teeth on the mandibles and is represented by V. sanguinea 

 at least; the other genus lacks teeth in the mandible, and plazai and hasemani at 

 least belong to this genus. I do not know whether the type of VandeUia belongs 

 to the one or the other of the genera. The new one may be named Urinophilus. 

 The type is to be selected after the structure of the mandible in VandeUia cirrhosa, 

 the type of VandeUia, has been examined. 



The dentition of the VandeUiirm is very peculiar. There are one or two series 

 or a patch of pointed teeth in the center of the upper jaw. They are immediately 

 below the center of the ethmoid at its anterior end, in other words, in the region 

 occupied by the premaxillary in related forms. The bones are so thin and the fish so 

 small, that it is difficult to determine all of the outhnes of the bones, or to determine 

 the identity of all of the bones. The bone on which these teeth are inserted is, in 

 all probability, the premaxillary. The lateral points of the ethmoid are forked, and 

 dovetail into the forked ends of maxillaries somewhat after the fashion of the two 

 hands locked into each other between the thumbs and fingers. On the distal half 

 of the maxillary of VandeUia there are from two to four comparatively large and 

 very peculiar "claw-teeth," arranged hke overlapping shingles, the outermost one 

 being next the bone, the second from the end overlapping this and so on to the 

 proximal one. The individual teeth consist of a flat, oval disk, from the upper 

 proximal corner of which the tooth proper points toward the end of the bone. The 

 bone touches the palatines proximally and the maxillary barbel is joined rather 

 firmly to the end of it, all of which indicates that this bone is the maxillary. In 

 Branchioica only one or two teeth of this sort are present, but between them and 

 the ethmoid there is a series of slender, pointed teeth, similar to those on the pre- 

 maxillary. 



Catfishes with teeth on the maxillaries are very unusual. Outside of the 

 Vandelliinm, teeth are only found on the maxillary in Diplomysfe of the Diplomy- 

 stidea of Chile. 



Covering the end of the maxillary and joined to the dorsal surface of the base 

 of the barbel is a thin, comma-shaped bone, which may be the nasal. 



Teeth, such as those described on the maxillary, have so far been noticed in 

 VandeUia hasemani, sanguinea, and plazai. V. cirrhosa and V. wieneri have not 

 been examined in this respect. Teeth hke these are found in another member of 

 the family, Pareiodon (compare figures 21 and 34-35). 



In ParavandeUia and Branchioica the "claw-teeth" of the proximal part of 

 the maxillary are replaced by slender, pointed teeth, and there arc more than one 



