184 PLATYSTOMA. 



lives an liour after being taken out of the -water, 

 and like all others of the genus, they take bait 

 readily, and are an excellent viand, being fat and 

 well-flavoured. They grow to two feet and upwards 

 in length, and may weigh fifteen or twenty pounds." 



Schowh. D. 7— P. 15— V. 7— A. 9— C. 2fi Br. 4— Vert. 48 



Spix. 7 10- 6 10* 17. t 



PLATYSTOMA. 

 " Platvstoma, Agas. — Denies phractocephali in fasciis 

 latissimis. Membrana branchiostega radiis 15. Os 

 amplissimum. Cirrhi sex. Caput depressissimum, pla- 

 num, valde elongatum, maxilla superiore prominente 

 Corpus plus minusve compressum, omnino nudum. 

 Pinna; dorsales dua?, posterior adiposa. Radius primus 

 pinnarum pectcralium et pinnae dorsalis caeteris parum 

 validor." X 



This genus contains many species, some of them 

 reaching to a very large size, and many of them 

 remarkable for their distinct and conspicuous mark- 

 ings. With the exception of what is contained in 

 the notes of our own author, we have no know- 

 ledge of the anatomy or habits of these fish, and 

 details of both should be marked as desiderata by 

 future travellers. 



* 2 minores. f 8, 10 minores laterales. 



X Conspectus generum, Spix, p. 1 0. 



