418 DR. E. A. GOELDI ON THE LEPIDOSIEEN OF THE AMAZONS. 



the roots of some papyrus-tufts, not more than a step distant from a long ditch, which 

 at the midsummer period of my visit had sufficient water for a boat. 



The question arises what becomes of the Lepidosirens when even these pools dry 

 up. There is very little doubt that they hide in the lower regions of the mud, and 

 thus survive the drying of the pools. This is also the opinion of my above- 

 mentioned informants, and I agree with it entirely, the more so as it establishes a 

 parallel with the summer lethargy of the African Protoptents annectens. My two 

 informants intend to clear up the matter, and to dig out the torpid Lepidosirens from 

 the dried-up pools. 



The fact that two of my specimens from Obydos had been caught with a hook 

 baited with fish certainly proves, as Senador Machado writes, that Lepidosiren paradoxa 

 occasionally subsists on this kind of food. 



VIII. Habits of Lepidosiren in Captivity. 



On the 27th April, 1897, our establishment received the news that Senhor Deputado 

 Lourenzo V. do Conto had brought from Obydos a rare living fish, which was destined 

 for the Museum. Sending one of the native keepers of our modest Zoological Garden 

 for it, I asked him on his return what kind of fish he had brought. He replied a 

 "poraque" {Gymnotus electricus). Thinking that the creature was really what he 

 said, and somewhat surprised that so common a fish as Gymnotus electricus should be 

 spoken of as " a rare fish " worthy of being carried from Obydos, while plenty of them 

 existed all round the city of Para in every ygapo pool, I ordered it to be put in the 

 aquarium together with our other living Gymnoti. There the captive remained, 

 through this singular mistake, for nearly a month. What was my surprise when one 

 day we discovered that the supposed " poraque " was in reality a Lepidosiren paradoxa ! 

 The prisoner's condition was at once ameliorated by removing him to a separate 

 aquarium in the Museum-building. Since that time we have had the specimen con- 

 stantly under our personal observation, and it seems to be thriving and in good health. 



The specimen arrived with a large wound on the left side, nearly in the middle of 

 the body. I do not know the nature and cause of the wound, but I have the pleasure 

 of stating that it is now smaller, and that probably in a few weeks it will have perfectly 

 healed. The tail also shows the results of some former mutilations, which is 

 frequently the case with nearly all creatures cohabiting with such voracious colleagues 

 as the " piranhas " (Piraya) and " jacares " are. It is an interesting fact that our 

 Lepidosiren lived nearly a month together with a number of large and small 

 Gymnoti without the slightest sign of having been injured by these companions, which 

 certainly cannot be called agreeable. Nevertheless I have no intention of repeatin<T 

 the experiment. 



Our Lepidosiren now lives in a large glass aquarium, such as is commonly used in 

 biological stations. The bottom has a stratum (1 decimetre high) of mud, leaves, and 



