209 



UNARMED EREMOPHILUS. 



Erenwpliilus mutisii, HUMBOLDT. 



PLATE XXX. FIG. 1. 



Eremophilus mutisii, Capitame de Bogota, Humb. Obs. Zool. 

 i. p. 17; Valen.ii. 341. 



THE EREMOPHILUS was discovered by Humboldt in 

 the little river Bogota, which forms the famous cata- 

 ract of Tequendama, in the kingdom of New Grena- 

 da, at an elevation of 1347 toises ; and is named as 

 above, as a record of the solitude which reigns at 

 these great elevations, and in the waters, which are 

 scarcely inhabited by any other living creature. 

 M. Valenciennes having examined specimens from 

 the same localities, afterwards procured for him by 

 the interest of M. Humboldt, has considered this 

 fish as belonging to the Siluridae, representing an 

 unarmed form among them. Our figure will give 

 an idea of the form of this singular fish ; the body 

 is covered with a strong mucus; the colour is a 

 greyish blue, spotted with olive-green ; these spots, 

 of an undulated form, are in some species of a yel- 

 lowish tint; the head is flattened; and the mouth, 

 placed at the extremity of the snout, is narrow; 

 the upper lip, lengthened and folded, exceeds the 



