SPECKLED LORICARIA. 3$ 



are rather small, and slightly rounded, and the 

 first spine of all the fins is strong and rough : the 

 tail is rather small, rounded, and marked with 

 several small black spots: the eyes are small : the 

 mouth of moderate width and furnished with four 

 long cirri or beards. 



It is pretended by Marcgrave that this fish, 

 when distressed by a want of water, or the streams 

 it inhabits becoming too shallow, contrives to 

 make its way over land in order to discover some 

 deeper stream ; and occasionally perforates the 

 ground for the same purpose -, which latter method 

 should seem to be the most probable of the two. 



It is said to be in considerable esteem among 

 the inhabitants of Surinam and other parts as a 

 food, and is, according to Piso, fried and eaten 

 with salt and pepper. 



SPECKLED LORICARIA. 



koricaria Punctata. L. jlava, dorso subfusco, squamis utrinquc 

 ordine duplici, pinnis 7iigro-punctatis, caudafurcata. 



Yellow Loricaria, with brownish back, double row of scales on 

 each side, fins speckled with black, and forked tail. 



Cataphractus punctatus. C. capite compresso. Block, t. 377- 

 / 2. 



A SMALL, but elegant species : length five or six 

 inches : shape like that of the generality of fishes : 

 head compressed and pretty much rounded in 

 front : mouth furnished with four beards : sides, 

 from the thorax, mailed by a double series of scales 



