92. CALLICHTHYS. 229 



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

 pose fin. 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- 

 brown 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-grown. Biver Cupai (Amazons). Purchased of Mr. Stevens. 



g, h. Adult and half-grown. 



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



8. Callichthys barbatus. 



Quoy $ Gaim. Voy. Uran. Zool. p. 234 ; Cuv. 8f Val. xv. p. 322. 

 D.jll. A. 7. P. 1/10. V. 6. 



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

 tween the praeoperculum and the end of the snout, with stiff bristles ; 

 mouth very small, protractile ; maxillary barbels reaching to the 

 middle of the operculum ; 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 

 series 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. 

 Corydoras geofiroyi, Lacep. v. pp. 145, 146. 



Callichthys punctatus, cF Orb. Voy. Amer. Merid. Atl. Ichth. pi. 5. 

 fig. 1; Otiv. Sf Val. xv. p. 318. 



D.yll. 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 : there are three or four azygos shields be- 

 fore the adipose fin. Caudal fin; forked. (Dorsal and anal fins with 

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

 black spot at its base.) 



Surinam; Montevideo. 



a-b. Young. Essequibo. From Mr. Ehrhardt's Collection. — These 

 specimens differ somewhat in coloration : nearly the entire dorsal 

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



