162 TlMEHRI. 



From this detailed description it will be seen that the 

 lau-lau is clearly identical with the Piratinga reticulata 

 (the old Bagrus reticulatus of Kner), from whose terse 

 description, as given by GUNTHER,* it differs only in the 

 presence of an extra or thirteenth anal ray. This, how- 

 ever, is so small that unless they were exposed by a 

 section, it would be unnoticed, as possibly was the case 

 originally. It is, however, a point of no real importance. 

 The lau-lau has thus a wide distribution, being already 

 recorded from the Rio Araguay, Rio Branco, and Rio 

 Madeira. 



The flesh of the lau-lau is delicious, as indeed is the 

 case with the flesh of the great freshwater Siluroid fishes 

 generally; and although, while the specimen was being 

 skinned in the boat, it was exposed to the hot sun till late 

 in the morning, it was a most delicate morsel, even when 

 prepared in the rough manner that is more or less 

 general in bush life. 



The great family Siluridas, to which the lau-lau, the 

 tiger fish, the paruaruima, the maripak, the gilbacker, the 

 wata-wata, the hassars and other similar fish, belong, is, 

 after the Carps (Cyprinidse) , the largest family of the 

 fresh-water fishes ; and it attains its greatest develop- 

 ment in this region (Neo-tropical), where it also enters 

 the shore waters. From the other Teleostean fishes 

 which are provided with a swimming bladder communi- 

 cating with the outer medium by a special duct (Physo- 

 stomij, this family is distinguished by its nakedorscaleless 

 skin, in which bony scutes are often found, and by the 

 possession of paired barbels, or small elongated tactile 

 organs, around the mouth. The first ray of the dorsal 



* Catalogue of Fishes in the British Museum, Vol. V., p. 113. 



