204 CURIM vrus AMAZONUM. 



a depressed head, and the muzzle, as it were, in the 

 shape of an angle, and by having five rays to the 

 gill membrane ; the body is compressed and covered 

 with rather large scales, which occur also on the head 

 and opercula, which are without either spines or den- 

 ticulations ; and several of the species are known to 

 be viviparous. Humboldt has named his species 

 P. Bogotensis, from three to four inches long, of a 

 yellowish green, with a longitudinal silvery stripe 

 running nearly along the centre of the body; the 

 tail bifid ; swimming-bladder double. In addition, 

 Valenciennes mentions another species from the 

 fresh waters of Brazil, about two inches in length, 

 of a dull green, yellowish beneath, and marked on 

 each side with a black spot, anterior to the dorsal 

 fin. 



A single species of the genus Fundulus, Lacep , 

 is considered to inhabit the fresh waters of Brazil, 

 F. BraziliensiS) Yalenc. In this genus the dorsal 

 and anal fins are opposite ; the teeth, many on each 

 lip, setaceous ; gill-membrane with four rays. By 

 some it has been placed among the Esoces. The 

 genus is chiefly North American, the type Colitis 

 heteroclita, Linn. 



A fine species, CURIMATUS AMAZONUM, Le Bo- 

 quichico de I'Amazone, was taken in the High Ma- 

 ragnon, opposite the cataract of Keetema, at an 

 elevation of 200 toises. This species Valenciennes 

 considers very nearly allied to the Salmo edentulus, 

 Bloch., which he places in the same genus. Hum- 

 boldt's fish is of a greenish white, silvery; with large, 



