edwin chapin starks 39 



Family CALLICHTHYID/E. 

 116. Callichthys callichthys Linnaeus. 

 Three specimens ' were taken at Para. 



117. Hoplosternum thoracatum (Cuvier and Valenciennes). 



Several specimens were taken at Lake Papary and two at Para. 



Family SYNODONTID^. 

 118. Synodus fcetens (Linnaeus). 

 Two small specimens taken at Natal. 



Family PCECILLID^. 

 119. Anableps anableps (Linnaeus). 

 A single specimen from Para. 



120. Poecilia vivipara Bloch and Schneider. 



A large number of specimens from 1 to 2^ inches in length were col- 

 lected in the little ponds at Ceara Mirim, and in a pond in a deserted part 

 of a public park at Ceara. They are identical with specimens collected in 

 British Guiana by Dr. Eigenmann. 



The head is contained from 3^^ to 4 times in the length to the caudal 

 base; the depth from 3 to 3^ times. The eye is contained from 3^^ to 4 

 times in the head, or 2 times in the interorbital space. The width of the 

 mouth is 13^ times in the interorbital space. The front of the dorsal is 

 midway between the base of the caudal and the opercle, or varying to slightly 

 in front of the last point. The length of the pectoral is equal to the com- 

 bined length of the eye and the postorbital part of the head, or to the depth 

 of the caudal peduncle. There are 6 or 7 rays in the dorsal, and the same 

 number in the anal, though the base of the latter is much shorter. The cross 

 series of scales number from 26 to 28. 



The males do not exceed a length of 2 inches. They have from 4 to 6 

 cross bars, usually a little narrower than the interspaces but not always, 

 behind the front of the dorsal. Just above the point of the pectoral on the 

 upper part of the side is a brown spot as large as the eye. It is conspicuous 

 in specimens up to IJ^ inches in length, but in large ones it becomes length- 

 ened into an anterior cross bar. The females have no conspicuous cross bars 

 except a slight trace of them in the younger specimens. They may retain 

 the dark side spot until they are 2^ inches in length, but usually it dis- 



