I 



92. CALLICHTHYS. 229 



azygos shields ; a series of about seven azygos shields before the adi- 

 pose lin. Infraorbital bone very narrow, much narrower than the 

 orbit. The barbels extend beyond the root of the ventral. Caudal 

 fin rounded. The soft portions of the lower side with rounded deep- 

 bi'own spots ; dorsal and caudal fins with small black spots, the latter 

 with a whitish band across its base and with a dark one across the 

 middle. 



Brazil ; Guianas. 



a-c. Fine specimens. British Guiana. 



d. Adult. Surinam. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



e,f. Half-growTi. River Cupai (Amazons). Purchaj>ed of Mr. Stevens. 



f/, h. Adult and half- grown. 



* * Head depressed ; sides of the head with bristles. 



8. Callichthys barbatus. 



Quoi/ (5r Gaijn. Voy. Uran. Zool. p. 234 ; Cuv. ^- Vnl. xv. p. 322. 

 D. i-|l. A. 7. P. 1/10. V. 6. 



No osseous shields between the pectoral fins ; sides of the head, be- 

 tween the prffioperciiliun and the end of the snout, with stiff" bristles ; 

 mouth very small, protractile ; maxillary barbels reaching to the 

 middle of the operculiun ; caudal forked. Twenty-five lateral shields 

 in the upper series, and twenty-four in the lower ; the shields behind 

 the dorsal fin join with the corresponding ones of the other side ; a 

 scries of five azygos shields before the adipose fin. Dorsal and anal 

 fins with blackish spots. 



Rio Janeiro. 



*** Head compressed : caudal deeply forked. 



9. Callichthys punctatus. 



Cataphractus punctatus, Bl taf. 377. fig. 2 ; Bl. Schn. p. 108. 

 C'orvdoras geottrojd, Lacep. v. pp. 1-45, 14(3. 



Callichthys punctatus, d Orh. \ oij. Amer. Merid. Atl. Ivhth. pi. 5. 

 fig. 1 ; 'Cuv. ii- Val xv. p. 318. 



D.y|l. A. 8. P. 1/9. V. 6. 



Head compressed, as high as long, with its upper profile slightly 

 curved. Maxillary barbels reaching to the gill-opening. Twenty- 

 one or twenty-two lateral shields in the upper series, and twenty or 

 twenty-one in the lower : tliere are tliree or four azj-gos shields be- 

 fore the achpose fin. Caudal fin forked. (Dorsal and anid fins with 

 a broad black band ; caudal with four black cross-bands, and with a 

 black spot at its base.) 



Surinam ; Montevideo. 



a-h. Young. Essoquibo. From Mr. Elu'hardt's Collection. — Those 

 specimens dift'cr somewhat in coloration : nearly the entire dmsal 

 fin is black, and this colour also extends over some of the shields 



