LORICARIA. 135 



case in Hypostoma; this elongation, however, we 

 believe in some instances to be sexual, and until 

 this i^ ascertained, a high specific value should 

 not be put on this as a character. The mouth 

 is placed completely underneath, and appears as if 

 it was capable of being applied to any flat substance, 

 so as to cover closely a minute prey. When ex- 

 panded in the dried specimen, it is of a rounded 

 oval form, having a short barbie or cirrhus at each 

 angle. 1 he teeth on both jaws are thick set on slen- 

 der stalks like wool-cards, with the tips hard, brown, 

 bifid, and bending inwards. The general colour of 

 the dried specimen is of a yellowish brown ; the 

 spines yellowish white tipped with reddish brown, 

 those most elongated dark towards the base, from 

 being there covered with an epidermis which runs 

 upon them for nearly half their length in their pre- 

 sent state, though in a fresh condition it may extend 

 much farther. The formula of the fin-rays is 



p. 1/6— V. 1/5— A. 1/4— D. 1/8— C. 2/14. 



The genus Rhinelepis, as described by Valen- 

 ciennes, will contain three species in addition to 

 the two alluded to in the above description, and 

 which are the only ones known where the armature 

 is so formidable. These three will stand in Rhine- 

 lepis proper, and are H. strigosa^ Valenc, which will 

 ally the genus to Loricaria by the mouth being 

 placed near the anterior extremity of the snout, 



