DE. E. A. GOELDI ON THE LEPIDOSIREN OF THE AMAZONS, 417 



living Lepidosiren exposes to view the ventral side, the appearance may very well be 

 compared to that of a rope-ladder. Probably the same relation exists between the 

 dorsal and median lines of both sides of the body. 



Our figure (PI. XXXVII. fig. 2) gives an adequate though not diagrammatic 

 reproduction of the lateral-line system of Lepidosiren. Whether or to what degree 

 these lateral branchings may be related to a metameric arrangement I cannot say. 



In any case it is here shown that Lepidosiren possesses a complicated system of 

 lateral lines, hitherto unknown — a system which I do not know to exist in the 

 same high development in any other living species of fish. It would be very 

 advisable to pay special attention to this point when examining specimens of the 

 African Profopterus and the Australian Ceratodus. 



VII. Popular Names op Lepidosiren and its Habits in a free State. 



Between Obydos and Para it seems that the popular names most frequently used to 

 designate the Lepidosiren paradoxa are " tariira-boia " and " pirarucu-boia "; sometimes 

 the abridged forms "boia" or "cobra" are also employed. The first name is 

 composed of " tariira," the Amazonian term for the freshwater fish which is called 

 "trahira" or "traira" in South Brazil {Macrodon trahira). The first half of the 

 second name consists of the native name for Arapaima gigas. Senador Machado 

 informs me that these trivial names have their origin in the fear of the native 

 fishermen, who state that our Dipnoan bites severely, and are convinced that it is 

 poisonous. 



As yet we know but very little about the habits of Lepidosiren in a natural state. 

 From the information kindly given to me verbally and in letters by Senador Machado and 

 Civil Engineer Vicente Chermont de Miranda, I may extract the following : — Lepidosiren 

 paradoxa is an inhabitant of submersed regions, where the water is shallow and does 

 not possess a depth of many metres. Both my informants believe it to be more common 

 than generally supposed, but the only chance of obtaining it is during the Amazonian 

 summer, i. e. the dry season. When the water nearly disappears and only small pools 

 are left in the natural holes and depressions, the Lepidosiren is found left in them. 

 As it is fond of disturbing the water of these pools, beating it with its tail and making 

 violent evolutions with its eel-like body, the search for it then becomes easier, and 

 only in such localities is the opportunity afforded of securing living specimens intact. 

 The locality in which the first Marajo specimen was caught (Fazenda Dunas), and 

 which I visited in September 1896, was in such a condition'. I saw the pool between 



' >Senhor Vicente Ch. de Miranda informs me that in December 1894 he observed on his possessions on the 

 Atlantic side of Marajo, in the locality called " llego do Jaoare-magro," 2i kilometres distant from the coast, 

 two specimens of " an unknown fish," which he recognized afterwards as identical with the Lepidosiren scut 

 to me. One was 41 centimetres long, the other 27 centimetres ; the former was no doubt a female. 



