15. LEPORINUS. 307 



Incisors obtuse, truncated. Three blackish spots along the lateral 

 line, like L. frederici. 

 Buenos Ayres ; Brazil. 



3. Leporinas megalepis. 



Gilnth. Ann. i^- Mag. Nat. Hist. 1863, xii. p. 443. 

 D. 12. A. 11 (-12). V. 9. L. lat. 33-36. L. transv. ^. 



This species differs from L. frederici only in having larger scales. 



Young specimens (from the Essequibo) have sometimes large blackish 



spots on the back, arranged in two or three irregular series, besides 



the three black spots on the lateral line. 



a-c. Adidt and young. Essequibo River. From Mr. Ehrhardt's 

 Collection. — Types of the species. 



d. Adult. British Guiana. Presented by Sir E,. Schomburgk. 



e-f. Half-grown. Surinam. From the Stuttgart Museum. 



_r/. Yoimg. River Cupai. Purchased of Mr. Stevens. 



h, i-l. Adult and hall-grown. Bahia. From Dr. 0. Wucherer's 

 Collection. 



m. Half-grown. South America. From the Collection of the Zoo- 

 logical Society. 



n-o. Adult: skins. Rio Janeiro. Purchased of Mr. Gardiner. 



4. Leporinus leschenaultii. 



? Leporinus leschenaultii, Cm?;. 8,- Val. xxii. p. 30. pi. 635. 

 D. 12-13. A. 11-12. L. lat. 37-39. L. transv. 5=^. 



The height of the body is somewhat more than the length of the 

 head, w^hich is contained thrice and a half or thrice and two-thirds 

 in the total length (without caudal). The upper profile, above the 

 occiput, is a little concave ; the eye is nearer to the extremity of the 

 snout than to the giU-opening. Incisors with the apex truncated, 

 only the lower ones are somewhat pointed. The pectoral iin termi- 

 nates at a short distance from the ventral. Three large rounded 

 black spots along the lateral line : the first below the hinder liaK of 

 the dorsal, and the third, which is veiy indistinct, at the root of the 

 caudal ; sometimes traces of another blackish spot on the gill-opening. 



Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador. 

 a. Several specimens. Andes of Western Ecuador. From Mr. 



Eraser's Collection. 

 h-c. Young. River Capin. Purchased of Mr. Stevens. 

 d. Adult: skin. 



We have but little doubt that oiu- specimens belong to L. lesche- 

 naidfli, although they agree better with the description than with 

 the figin-e quoted. But the latter itself is not quite in accordance 

 with the description, for the illustration of which it is given, as it 

 does not express the character of the shortness of the body, by which 

 the species is said to be distinguished. 



x2 



