4:4 Sy7iopsis of the Fresh Water Fishes, 



line to the caudal ; the greatest height is rather less than a fifth 

 of the total length, inclusive of the caudal, and is two and a 

 half times greater than the height at the end of the tail. The 

 head, from the muzzle to the margin of the operculum, is con- 

 tained three and two fifth times in the length from the muzzle 

 to the base of the caudal, and five times in the entire length, 

 including the caudal fin. The eyes are about two-ninths of the 

 length of the head, and are distant more than two diameters 

 from each other, and still further from the muzzle. 



The first dorsal commences at a distance from the snout, 

 exceeding one and two thirds of the head's length ; its base 

 equals three diameters of the eye, and the distance between its 

 last ray, and the spine of the adipose fin, is less than four 

 diameters, 



D. I. 7—1. A. 1. 6. C. I. 6, 6, 1. Y. 6. P. I. 7. 



The head and dorso-lateral plates are of a deep bronze color ; 

 the ventral plates yellowish. All of the fins are immaculate. 

 The operculum, and the humeral and nuchal plates are of an 

 iridescent blue color. 



This species is very closely allied to the Hoplosoma palea- 

 tum (Callichthys paleatus, Jenyns), but it diff'ers from that 

 species by the proportionally longer head, and the greater dis- 

 tance between the first and second dorsals, as well as by the 

 unspotted dorsal and caudal fins. 



This fish is very abundant in the clear streams of the island 

 of Trinidad, and lives in numbers of twenty or thirty, or even 

 more. It attains a length of from two and a half to three, and 

 sometimes even four inches, while the H. paleatum is said to 

 be less than two inches lone-. 



