PROCHILODUS. 259 



about the middle of the body ; head depressed ; 

 ventral fins situate under the dorsal, caudal forked, 

 adipose moderately large. Ribs large, 22 pairs; 

 air-bag double, — that next tlie head oval, the other 

 long and pointed; nostrils single^ near the top of 

 the head, half distance between the snout and eye ; 

 eye round, near the middle of the head, iris red and 

 yellow ; tongue round and fleshy ; lips fleshy, and 

 formed for sucking ; teeth none ; intestines long, 

 forming several flexures, and situate near the anal 

 fin. The gill-covering is slightly striated, opening 

 semilunar ; on examination, it is possessed of a 

 second stomach, one of which resembles the gizzard 

 of a fowl, being muscular and fleshy, and which 

 was filled with fine clay ; no other food was found 

 in either stomach. They live but a short time after 

 being taken out of the water. The body is silvery ; 

 back darker, shaded with green, and slightly striped 

 with purple ; head greenish ; dorsal, adipose, pecto- 

 ral, and ventral fins slightly green ; anal also green, 

 with a patch of lake ; the tail, lake, spotted with 

 black. The length of the specimen was eighteen 

 inches, depth below dorsal fin six." 



D. 11— P. 15— V. 9_A. 10_C. 22_Br. 4_Vert. 40. 



Two other species, very nearly resembling this in 

 form, were taken in the Rio Branco, but they are 

 not known in the Deriierara or Essequibo rivers. 

 They are represented on oar next plates, show bright 

 and variegated markings, and are supplied with 

 minute teeth. 



