PARENTAL CARE AMONG FRESH-WATER FISHES. 421 



tail region, where the large masses of lateral muscles become in greai 

 part replaced by orange -coloured fat. As the dry season comes on 

 and progresses so far as to cause the area of water to greatly diminish 

 in extent, a change comes, and the Lepidosiren ceases entirely to 

 feed." 



The Lepidosiren has great power in its jaws, and " the bite of 

 the animal is much feared by the Indians." There are few enemies 

 strong enough to master it when adult, but, nevertheless, " few exam- 

 ples of the fish are taken in a complete condition; one of the limbs 

 may be missing, or the tail injured (as often noticed also with Pro- 

 topterus). The Jacare {Alligator sclerops) feeds on the Lepidosiren 

 in these pools, and specimens were found with the whole region of 

 the body posterior to the anus in a state of regeneration — the ampu- 

 tation having been probably due to the bite of an alligator." 



Doubtless, however, part of the mutilation is due to attacks of the 

 bloodthirsty Pirayas. and part also, according to Lankester. to the 

 invasion of a parasite akin 



to that which is so injurious /'^'''^^^^^ J^^^ 



to the salmon {Saprolegnia / A^\fv ■^^'^i¥/' 



ferax). 



The Lepidosiren has a sort 

 of voice. Its discoverer, Xat- 

 terer. long ago affirmed that 



"his Lepidosiren could give a Head from below to show Head partly projected 

 T, ,1 , (• , mi anterior nostrils. from water to breathe. 



crv like that or a cat. ihose , ^ ,^. 



Figs. 13, 14. — Lepidosiren. After Goldi. 



observed by Doctor Bohls 



gave out a sound when removed from the water, caused by expelling 

 air through the narrow aperture of the branchial chamber." Accord- 

 ing to others, too, it sometimes " growls." 



A Lepidosiren obtained at Obydos (a town in the State of Para) 

 was sent to Doctor Goldi and was kept for some time alive in an 

 aquarium at Para. " During the day and when undisturbed " the 

 fish was " a quiet and passive creature, not changing its curled posi- 

 tion for hours." Only once did it attempt to bite the fingers of its 

 keeper. It remained " generally indifferent even when small living 

 animals " were offered to it " with the pincers." It refused all food 

 in the presence of observers, but as it became " in a better state of 

 nutrition than when it arrived " and " decidedly fat and round " it 

 must have taken food unseen. It Avas assumed to do so •' when it 

 burrows half the length of its body in the mud, as freciiiently seen." 



For respiration it ascended '' from time to time to the surface of 

 the water, and put out a portion of its head." The operation lasted 

 several seconds. In a large aquarium this was done only " at inter- 

 vals of several hours," but in a smaller one much more frequently. 

 " The respiration is sometimes singularly prolonged. "When descend- 



