THE AMERICAN TETRAGONOPTERINAE. 287 



Head 4.25-4.2; depth 2.5-3; D. 10; A. 23-27 1; scales 6 or 7-34 to 38^-5 

 or 6; eye 2.75-3 in the head, a Uttle less than or equal to the interorbital. 



Compressed, dorsal and ventral profiles equally arched. Snout blunt, 

 profile slightly depressed over the eye. Preventral area rounded, without a 

 regular median series of scales; postventral area narrowly rounded. Predorsal 

 area inconspicuously keeled, with a median series of about ten scales. 



Occipital process bordered by three scales on each side, one sixth of the 

 distance from its base to the dorsal. Interorbital convex. Frontal fontanel 

 much shorter than the posterior without the groove. Second suborbital leaving 

 a naked area about one third as wide as the bone. Maxillary equal to the snout 

 in length, its margin very convex. Premaxillary with three teeth in the front 

 series, five 5-pointed teeth in the second. Maxillary with two teeth. Den- 

 tary with seven or eight graduated teeth. 



Gill-rakers 8 + 14. 



Scales regularly imbricate, no interpolated rows. Anal sheath of a few 

 scales along the base of the anterior rays. Lateral line complete ; each scale . 

 with several radial striae. 



Origin of dorsal midway between tip of snout and base of upper caudal rays. 

 Origin of anal below or behind the base of the last dorsal ray. Dorsal pointed, 

 the highest ray 3.5-4 in the length. Anal emarginate. Caudal about 3.5 in 

 the length. Origin of ventrals in front of the vertical from the origin of the 

 dorsal. Ventrals not reaching anal. Pectorals not to ventrals. 



Humeral spot large, on about six scales above the 3d-5th scales of the 

 lateral Une and with an extension toward the scapular process. Caudal spot 

 large and well defined, covering the entire width of the caudal peduncle ; bases 

 of middle caudal rays included in the spot which does not extend to the ends of 

 these rays. The specimens collected December 8th at Xiririca are much fighter, 

 the markings less well defined. 



This species is closely alfied to A. mutator and A. inter medius. 



42. AsTYANAX METAE Eigenmanu. 

 Plate 87, fig. 4. 



Astyanax metae Eigenmann, Indiana univ. studies, 1914, no. 19, p. 11; 1920, no. 44, p. 11 (Rio Castaiio, 

 Rio Bue, Rio Tiguirito, Rio Tuy, Rio Tapa Tapa (aU near Caracas) Lake Valencia, Venezuela). 



Habitat. — Eastern slopes of the eastern Cordilleras of Colombia ; Venezuela. 



1 One with 23, two with 24, nine with 25, two with 27. 

 ' Three with 34, five with 35, three with 36, two with 38. 



