414 DE. E. A. GOELDI ON THE LEPIDOSIEEN OF THE AMAZONS. 



the native country of Lepidosiren, and that these efforts were at last successful. Three 

 years' continuance of them put into my hands five specimens of the celebrated Dipnoan, 

 one of which was living — material more important than all that was then existing else- 

 where in the scientific world. 



II. Geographical Distribution. 



My original supposition that Lepidosireii 2}(tradoxa would probably exist and be 

 found all over Amazonia, and that the geographical distribution would be much larger 

 than was generally admitted, proved to be right. My first specimen I got from the 

 Atlantic coast of the island of Marajo ^, certainly a somewhat remarkable locality 2. A 

 second small specimen was brought to me from Santarem, the exact locality being 

 Igarape Ayaya, Fazenda Taperinha, in the immediate neighbourhood of that town ^. 

 Two larger specimens I got afterwards from Obydos, the exact locality being Parana 

 de Baixo, likewise not very far from Santarem. One of these specimens, captured 

 with a fishing-hook, lived for several hours, and a telegram from Obydos, sent by 

 Senador M. F. Machado (whose interest and help in this and similar ichthyological 

 matters deserve public acknowledgment), made me hope to receive it alive by the next 

 steamer of the Amazon Company. However, this hope was not fulfilled ; the specimen 

 died, but was saved as a spirit-specimen. From Obydos finally I received a fifth 

 specimen, captured by Deputado Lourenzo Valente do Conto. This example has lived 

 now nearly four months in the Para Museum, and seems to be quite well, being treated 

 with great attention and care. 



In order to bring up to date my sketch of the distribution of the Amazonian 

 Lepidosiren, as recently published by me *, it is necessary to add the localities Santarem 

 and Obydos. This done, it will easily be seen at a glance that the localities form almost 

 a continuous chain along the main stream, entering even some of the more important 

 affluents (the Ucayale, Madeira, Rio Negro, Tapajoz) and the Atlantic side of Marajo. 

 Thus my original supposition has already assumed the shape of a positive fact. 



III. Sex and Measurements. 



Four of my specimens I judge to be females. Designating the specimens, in the 

 succession and order above indicated, with the letters A to E, they would be the indi- 

 viduals A, B, D, E. If, on the one hand, the question seems somewhat problematical 



' The epecimen is now in the British Museum. The details of its capture are recorded in ' Nature,' 

 vol. liv. p. 270 (1896). 



^ In September 1896 I visited the spot where it was ohtained. It was a papyrus-meadow, submersed for 

 several months every year. I made a tolerable photograph of the spot where the specimen had been captured. 



' I am indebted for this specimen to Dr. Augusto Olympic, formerly ' Deputado,' and now Director of Public 

 Instruction of the State of Para (January 18th, 1S97). 



' Boletim do Museu Paracnse, i. p. 442 (Oct. 1896). 



