3. LEBIASINA. 285 



4. Erythrinus longipinnis. 



D. 11. A. la. V. 8. L. lat. 34. 



The band of palatine teeth is half as broad as the widest part of 

 the maxillary ; pterygoid teeth none. The height of the body is two- 

 ninths of the total length (without caudal), the length of the head 

 one-fourth. The length of the naked part of the caudal fin is a 

 little more than the depth of the free portion of the tail, which is 

 three-fifths of the length of the head. The dorsal rays rapidly 

 increase in length towards behind, the hinder part of the fin being 

 produced and somewhat longer than the head ; anal fin rather low ; 

 the pectoral extends beyond the middle of the distance of its base 

 from that of the ventral ; ventral much longer than pectoral, reaching 

 far beyond the origin of the anal. Upper parts and all the fins 

 blackish, the lower yellowish. Crown of the head with black dots ; 

 dorsal and caudal with smaU dark spots more or less confluent into 

 stripes ; operculum with a blotch, the upper part of which is pearl- 

 coloured, the lower black. 



Essequibo River. 



a. Fine male specimen, 6| inches long. From Mr. Ehrhardt's Col- 

 lection. 



5. Erythrinus brevicauda. 



D. 11. A. 11-12. V. 8. L. lat. 33. 



The band of palatine teeth is very narrow ; pterygoid teeth none. 

 The height of the body equals the length of the head, Avhich is a 

 little less than one-fourth of the total (without caudal). The naked 

 portion of the caudal fin is very short, its length being considerably 

 less than the depth of the free portion of the tail, which is two-thirds 

 of the length of the head. The dorsal rays increase in length 

 to the eighth, which is as high as the tail ; anal fin low ; pectoral 

 short, not extending backwards to the middle of the distance of its 

 base from that of the ventral. Ventral fin extending to, or nearly 

 to, the vent. A pearl-coloured crescent with a black spot in its 

 posterior concavity, on the opcrcidum ; another black and silvery spot 

 on the commencement of the lateral line. Two scries of bro\vn dots 

 along the lower side of the tail, each dot occupying the base of a 

 scale. Vertical fins with small light spots. 



Hah. ? 



a-h. Six inches long. Presented by the Royal College of Surgeons. 



3. LEBIASINA. 

 Lebiasina, Cuv. <§• Vnl. xix. p. 531. 

 Dorsal fin placed nearly in the middle of the length of the body ; 

 adii)0se fin none ; anal rather short ; ventrals below the dorsal. Body 

 oblong, covered with large scales ; lateral line none. Head of mode- 

 rate size, cleft of the moiith of moderate width. Cheeks covered with 

 the enlarged infraorbital bones. The intermaxiUarv and mandibulary 



