FISHES OF THE FAMILY LOEICARIIDJS. 277 



of the inner angle of the gill-opening ; an anal plate, bordered anteriorly by 3, these 3 

 again by 5. First dorsal ray 1-ly times the length of head ; pectoral spine extending 

 to base of ventral (young) or a little beyond ; ventral rays increasing in length from 

 the innermost outwards, or the two outer branched rays subequal ; outer (spinous) rays 

 of pectoral and ventral and anterior ray of dorsal not produced ; outer caudal rays 

 rather stout at the base, probably elongate. Breadth of body at level of first anal ray 

 i\ times in the distance from that point to the caudal. Back with 5 dark cross-bands, 

 the first through the base of the dorsal ; head and anterior part of body with small 

 blackish spots ; a black stripe on each side of the snout running forward from the eye ; 

 all the fins with dark spots on the rays ; caudal dark at the base and with a dark 

 intramarginal band. 



The above description is based on one of the types of the species, 140 mm. in total 

 length, from Coary, Middle Amazon, and on a specimen of 80 mm. from Posadas, 

 H. Parana, Paraguay System. 



5. LORICAKIA LANCEOLATA. 

 Loricaria lanceolata Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 235, fig. 3; Bouleng. lb. 1887, p. 277. 



Length of head about 4-f times in the total length. Breadth of head 1 \ times in its 

 length, diameter of eye 7J-9 times, interorbital width 3-3^- times, length of snout 

 twice. Males armed with bristles on the sides of the head, on the occipital region and 

 nuchal scutes, and on the pectoral spine. Head without ridges, except a weak pair on 

 the supraoccipital ; orbital notch well developed, triangular ; lips papillose, with shor:. 

 marginal fringes, the lower moderately broad, rounded or slightly emarginate ; free 

 portion of barbel nearly equal to diameter of eye ; teeth well developed, 7-8 on each 

 side in both jaws. 29-30 scutes in a longitudinal series, 15-16 + 1 4-1 5, the lateral 

 keels weak, obtuse, united posteriorly ; scutes in front of the dorsal not, or very weakly, 

 carinate. Lower surface of head naked ; abdomen with 3-4 series of plates between 

 the lateral series, anterior plates much smaller, extending to the level of the middle of 

 gill-openings; an anal plate bordered anteriorly by 3, these 3 again by 5. Pirst dorsal 

 ray as long as the head ; pectoral spine not reaching base of ventral ; first or first and 

 second branched rays of ventral the longest ; outer rays of caudal produced. Breadth 

 of body at level of first anal ray,4-g— 5 times in the distance from that point to the 

 caudal. Back with obscure cross-bands ; a dark stripe on each side of the snout 

 running forward from the eye. Dorsal blackish, with a light area at its base and on 

 the upper part of the posterior half of the fin ; pectorals, ventrals, and anal blackish, 

 with their basal part light; caudal dark at the base and in its outer half. 



Total length 130 mm. 



Three specimens : Xeberos and Canelos, Upper Amazon. 



