SOUTH AMERICAN NEMATOGNATHI. 347 



ferior. Each jaw with several series of strong teeth. 

 Opercle and preopercle with numerous strong spines. 

 Caudal rounded. 



287. Miuroglanis platycephalus. 



MluroglaniA platurijihnhis Eigenm. & Eigeiim. Proc. Cal. Acad. 2(1 



Ser. ii, 56, 1889. (Jutahy.) 

 Type, No. 8172; oue specimen .017 m. Jutahy. James, Thayer & 



Talisman. 



Body short, compressed and rather deep. Head greatly 

 depressed, wider than long. Eye large, lateral, placed 

 behind the angle of the mouth. Mouth subinferior, the 

 upper jaw projecting slightly. 



Upper maxillary barbel scarcely extending to the gill- 

 opening; no nasal or mental barbels. 



The opercular and preopercular patches of spines 

 united. 



Origin of the dorsal fin little behind that of the anal; its 

 distance from the tip of the snout somewhat less than 

 twice its distance from the tip of the caudal. 



Head 5^; D. 10; A. 15. 



Family VI. ARGIID.E. 



^Siluroidei astroblepiformes Bleeker, Xederl. Tijdschr. 

 Dierk. i, 110, 1863. 



<ZSiluridcu proteropodes Gtinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 

 Y, 4, 1864. 



= ArgiidfAi Gill, Arrangement of Families of Fishes, 

 19, 1872. E. & E. Am. Nat. July 1888. 



Little is known of the anatomy of these fishes. 



Mouth inferior; lower lip expanded and reverted. 

 Teeth bicuspid, in a narrow band in each jaw. Body en- 

 tirely naked. Gill-membranes broadly united with the 

 isthmus. Anterior and posterior nares approximated. 

 Maxillaries with a barbel; no mental or nasal barbels. 



Dorsal placed over the ventrals. A bony diaphram. 



