PAEENTAL CARE AMONG FKESH-WATER FISHES. 473 



has been given in the volume on fishes of '^' Brehm's Tierleben," 

 (1870, p. 20G; 1802, p. 243), and that special reference to the same 

 species as a remarkable nest builder has been made by Dr. R. Semon 

 in his " Zoolog-ische Forschungsreisen in Australien und dem Malay- 

 ischen Archipel " (II, 1895, p. 273), as well as "In the Australian 

 Bush," etc. (p. 196). 



The account in the •' Tierleben," hoAvever, is due to some confusion 

 on the part of the compiler and is in no way descriptive of a I^ori- 

 cariid. The names " Chatostomus pictiis, Callichthys und Ancistrus 

 pictus "' are associated in Brehm's Tierleben Avitli a diagnosis partly 

 referable to the fish named Cluvtostomus pictus by Giinther and 

 partly to the one called CaUichfhys pictus by Midler and Troschel. 

 The description of the nest is entirely derived from Schomburgk's 

 notice " given in connection with the CaUichthys pictus, etc. The two 

 fishes have nothing in common but the name pictus and belong to 

 entirely different families: the former, now named Ilcnikincistrus 

 Jjrochyurus. is a Loricariid, and the latter {Hoplostoiium littorale) 

 a Callichthyid, whose habits have been noticed in the present article 

 in the projier place. 



When an able naturalist like Semon is misled b}' a popular work, 

 such as Brehm's, it is time to correct the mistake. It may be added 

 that in the first edition (V, p. C37) the j^aragraphs copied (with 

 alterations) from Schomburgk's work are rightly associated with 

 CaJUcJithys {'''pictus''), but in the second (VIII, p. 20()) as well as 

 third edition (VIII, ]). 243) they are given under the head of Chcetos- 

 tomus pictur. 



B'iGs. 52, 53. — An Asprcdinitl, Jluiwcrphalus bicolor. After Steindachnor. 

 THE ASPREDINIDS. 



The Aspreclinirls are the most specialized of the Nematognaths. 

 The body is more or less elongated, especially the tail, and the head and 



a Schomburgk. Richard: Reisen in British Guiana in den Jahren 1840-44. II, 

 pp. 411, 412. The nest-buikling liahits are noticed under name C. coehitits. 

 but C. pictits is said to have simihir habits. 

 SM 1905 34 



