DR. GUXTHER OX THE FISHES OF CENTRAL AJIEEICA. 459 



form or with the back Wack, which colour sometimes forms irregular blotches on the 

 vertical fins. 



Three specimens, two males and one female, from 7 to 8 inches long, were collected 

 by Capt. Dow in the Lake of Nicaragua. 



Description. — Head as high as long; snout rather elevated, the cleft of the mouth 

 almost horizontal, the lower jaw scarcely prominent. Teeth in narrow bands, those of 

 the outer series enlarged, with brown tips. The maxillary does not reach the vertical 

 from the front margin of the eye. Prajorbital wider than the orbit. The eye is 

 situated close to the upper profile, and a little nearer to the end of the snout than to 

 the opercular margin; its diameter is one-fourth of the length of the head. Inter- 

 orbital space flattish, twice the width of the orbit. Opercles scaly, the scales being 

 larger than those on the cheeks ; suboperculum with two series of scales. Soft anal 

 and dorsal fins slightly scaly at the base. The points of the soft dorsal and anal con- 

 siderably produced, and extending beyond the middle of the caudal fin, sometimes to 

 its extremity. Caudal rounded, its length being contained four times and a half in the 

 total. Pectoral long and rounded, extending to the fifth anal spine. Outer ventral 

 ray produced. The distance between the vent and the root of the ventral is nearly one- 

 third of the length of the head. 



173. Herds altifrons. 



Kner & Steindachner, Sitzgsber. bayer. Akad. 18G3, p. 223; and Abhaudl. bayer. Akad. x. p. 11, 

 Taf. 2. fig. 1. 



^- TV ^- 8=9- 



The lower lip is dilated into a lobe on each side, which is broadest behind. Scales 

 on the cheek in four or five series. The height of the body is contained twice and two- 

 fifths in the total length (without caudal), the length of the head twice and four-fifths. 

 Snout rather high, the width of the pra;orbital being more than that of the orbit. Jaws 

 equal in length. Eye considerably nearer to the end of the operculum than to that of 

 the snout. Dorsal spines of moderate length and strength. Body with four or five dark 

 vertical bands', each band with a darker blotch. Scattered pearl-coloured dots all over 

 the body ; a dark spot on the middle of the root of the caudal fin. 



Southern (Pacific) rivers of the district Chiriqui (Western Veragua). 



174. Herds friedrkiistiialii. 



Heckel, Fhissfische Brasil. p. 381. Giinth. Fish. iv. p. 294. 



D. fj^. A. g. L. lat. 31. L. transv. 4/12. 

 The fold of the lower lip continuous in the middle. Scales on the check in seven 

 series. Antero-inferior margin of praeorbital concave, the greatest width of this bone 

 ' The authors describe them as " tcfnice," instead of "fasciae." 



3 K 2 



