1906.] FRESH-AVATER FISHES OP TRINIDAD. 379 



notes on the habits and the life- coloration of these fishes, and a 

 set of beautifully executed water-colour diawings made by him- 

 self, some of which have been reproduced by Mr. Green to 

 illustrate this paper. 



Mr. Guppy's collecting was done in the northern part of the 

 island, and most of the fish were taken on the Streatham Lodge 

 Estate in muddy streams draining into the Caroni River, flowing 

 through narrow ravines in which there is a considerable growth 

 of rank grass. In times of drought these streams form a series of 

 almost isolated pools. The Caroni River has a fair current ; 

 during heavy rains it overflows its banks and the surrounding 

 country is swamped ; floods extending for miles round sometimes 

 occur in the wet season, the egress of water fi-om the river being 

 checked by the high tides caused by the quantity of water 

 poured into the Gulf of Paria by the Orinoco. 



Mr. A. J. Pasea, of Streatham Lodge Estate, accompanied Mr. 

 Guppy on all his expeditions, put his seine nets and trained labour 

 at his disposal, and gave him the benefit of his experience as to 

 the best localities to fish in, while Mr. Balfour, of Frederick 

 Estate, lent him a boat for use on the Caroni. Assistance was 

 also given in various ways by Dr. Tulloch, Sir 0. C. Knollys, the 

 Hon. S. W. Knagg, and Sir A. Maloney. To all of these gentle- 

 men, and especially to Mr. Pasea, Mr. Guppy wishes to express 

 his gratitude. 



I have prepared a key to the fishes which have so far been 

 recoixled from the fresh- waters of Trinidad, and I follow it with 

 a list arranged in systematic order, with extracts from Mr. Guppy's 

 notes, and with full descriptions of those species which are not 

 well known. Whenever possible I have placed the extracts from 

 Mr. Guppy's notes in inverted commas. 



Synopsis of the Species of Fresh-toater Fishes so far recorded 

 from Trinidad. 



I. Body scalj- ; ventral fins present, abdominal ; fins without spines. 



A. No adipose fin. 



1. Mouth small ; teeth unicuspid. 



Anal fin with 15-17 rays 25. Haplochilus harti. 



Anal fin with 8-9 rays 26. Girardinus guppyi. 



2. Mouth large; teeth conical. 



Dorsal fin with 13-15 rays. 38-40 scales in a longitudinal 



series 1. Macrodon trahira. 



Dorsal fin with 10-11 rays. 32-33 scales in a longitudinal 



series 2. Erj/thrinus imiteeniatus. 



3. Mouth small ; teeth compressed, notched or denticulated. 



3. Cori/nopoma riisii. 



B. An adipose fin. 



1. Teeth well developed, compressed, notched or denticulated. 

 a. Pra3m axillary teeth in a double series. 

 a. Lateral line complete. 

 * Depth of body 3-3| in the length. 

 Diameter of eye f the length of head (in specimens of 60- 



65 mm.) 4. Tetragonopterus tmniurus. 



Diameter of eye }-^ the length of head (in specimens of 65- 

 86 mm.) 5. T. guppyi. 



