288 



THE AMERICAN CHARACIDAE. 



Head 4 + ; depth about 2.5; D. 11; A. 29, 31, 25, 29, 28, 30, 30 in seven 

 specimens taken at random. Scales 8-40-6, 9-40-6, 9-41-6, 8^0-6, 8-40-7 in 

 five specimens. Eye 1 in snout, 3.6-3.7 in head, 1.3-1.5 in interorbital ; depth 

 of caudal peduncle 2 in head. 



Compressed, rather heavy forward. Preventral area rounded, with small 

 scales and without a distinct median series. Predorsal area bluntly keeled, 

 • with a median series of 10 or 11 scales. 



Occipital process extending about one fourth of the distance to the dorsal, 

 bordered by four scales on each side. Skull convex. Parietal fontanel about 

 twice as long as the frontal. Second suborbital convex, leaving a naked area 

 of equal width about its entire border, except below the angle in front where 

 the naked space is a little wider. PremaxUlary with four teeth in the outer 

 series, four or five in the inner, when five the lateral one minute. Maxillary 

 with a single tooth; maxillary a trifle longer than the eye. Each ramus of the 

 mandible with four large teeth and a few similar minute ones on the side. 



Gill-rakers slender, about a third as long as eye, 14 on the lower arch. 



Origin of dorsal fully an orbital diameter nearer the eye than the caudal; 

 highest ray of dorsal equal to the length of head or a Uttle shorter. Adipose 

 fin well developed; caudal lobes longer than the head. Origin of anal under 

 base of last dorsal ray. Ventrals scarcely reaching anal, their origin slightly in 

 advance of the vertical from the first dorsal ray. Pectorals reaching at least 

 to the origin of the ventrals. 



Lateral line but slightly decurved. Scales regularly imbricate except over 

 the anal muscles and here the irregularity is slight. A sheath of a single row 

 of scales along the anal. Base of caudal similarly sheathed; a large axillary 

 scale. 



' At Villavicencio, at the base of the Andes, east of Bogota. 

 ^ North of Villavicencio. 

 'To base of caudal. 



