191 



DAWALLA OF THE ARAAVAAKS. 



Hypothahnus dawalla. 



PLATE IX. 



Arawaak, Dawalla ; L. Geral, Mapara. Schomb. Drawings, 

 No. 1]. 



This fish was taken at the junction of the Rupu- 

 nuni and Essequibo, 15th October 1837; it was a 

 male, and differs from all those described, by either 

 Spix or Valenciennes in Aucheniptet^us, by its bril- 

 liant colours and the shortness of its cirrhi. 



" This fish is found in the rivers of Guiana, and 

 is justly esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh. The 

 head is much compressed, body rather triangular at 

 the dorsal fin, but oval as it nears the tail ; dorsal 

 fin over the pectoral, the ventral about the middle 

 of the body. The head and back are green, vary- 

 ing to blue and carmine ; the lower part, from the 

 ventral fin to the tail, is caraiine, as also the gill- 

 rays. Dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins brown ; adi- 

 pose, green tipped Avith carmine; anal and caudal, 

 carmine tipped with black. The body is destitute 

 of scales ; lateral line nearly straight. It has a pair 

 of short cin-hi, which are hidden in a groove near 

 the eye; nostrils double, placed near the snout; 



