280 GYMNOnONTKS. 



transvorsp row. Snout and tail naked. The spines are rather 

 widel}' apart on the back, but are more numerous and have longer 

 points on the nbdomen. Length of the snout more than the width 

 of the intcrorbital space. The markings are a scries of pale or 

 whitish narrow loops extending obliquely forwards on the sides and 

 cheeks, the areas being dark. On the posterior part of the sides and 

 on the tail the loops arc crenulated or beaded and interrupted, with 

 the interstices flecked by short bars. On the middle of the back 

 there is a series of concentric narrow and acute longitudinal elliiiscs. 

 The lines on the face are also longitudinal ; but on the sides of lli(> 

 tail the pale lines form reticulations insulating some roundish 

 blotches. {Eichards.) 

 Southern Polynesia. 



23. Tetrodon psittacus. 



Tetrodou psittacus, Bl. Sc/m. p. 505, tab. 95. 



Chelichthys psittacus, Milll. ^- Trosch. in Schomhircik, Brit. Guimia, 



iii. p. 041 ; Sfcindachner, Verh. zocK-bot. Gc^. Trw*. 18G1, p. 141, 



taf. 4. fig. 2. 

 asellus. Mull, i^- Trosch. I. c. 



Body covered with small, two-poted spines, except on the snout, 

 round the pectoral fin, aild caudal peduncle ; only in very old ex- 

 amples are there any spines on the back behind the dorsal fin. All 

 the spines on the sides have their points turned upwards towards the 

 back. Snout very obtuse, one-third of the length of the head, aijd 

 somewhat less than the width of the interorbital space, which is 

 convex. Eye small, about one-third of the length of the snout, and 

 in large examples ce mparatively even still smaller. Length of the 

 caudal fin more than its distance from the dorsal fin. Brownish, 

 with six dark-brown bands across the back ; the two bands between 

 the pectoral and dorsal fins sometimes confluent into one. 



Vert. 8/11. 



Fresh waters of the Guy anas and Brazil. 



a, b. Half-grown. Essequibo River. From Hr. Ehrhardt's Col- 

 . lection. 



c,d,e-f,g-Ji. Half-grown and young.. British Guyana. 



i, Tc, l-n. Adult and half-grow]i. Surinam. 



0. Adult (13 inches) : stuffed. Surinam. From the Collection of 

 Dr. van Lidth do Jeude. 



p, q. Half-grown. River Capin, Pard. From Mr. Bates's Col- 

 lection. 



r. Half-grown. Jamaica (??). Purchased. 



s, t. Adult and young. 



u. Adult: skeleton. Surinam. From the Collection of Dr. van 

 Lidth de Jeude. 



