270 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



on the tongue and forward part of the basibranchials, also a 

 small ovoid patch on the junction of the third and fourth hypo- 

 branchial with the basibranchials. This fish is a voracious 

 feeder ; fish, frogs, young of waterfowl, water rats, &c, form its 

 prey, and the small number of pharyngeal teeth would seem 

 inadequate for disposing of its food, did one not take into account 

 the formidable amount of teeth on its palatines and vomer. 



Scopelidte. 

 Scopelus punctatus has seventeen long horny gill-rakers on 

 the first cerato-hypobranchial, the longest about twice the length 

 of the gill-lamina below it ; there are six gill-rakers on the 

 epibranchial. The other branchial arches have gill-rakers on 

 both sides, those on the outer sides being larger than those on 

 the inner sides, but none are as long as those on the outer side 

 of the first arch. The upper pharyngeal teeth show as two 

 plates with cardiform teeth, with a strip of mucous membrane 

 separating them. The lower pharyngeal teeth are very minute 

 and very scanty. 



Cyprinodontid^:. 



Haplochilus playfairii has twelve little horny gill-rakers on 

 the first cerato-hypobranchial arch, with two on the epibranchial, 

 the other arches have similar but smaller gill-rakers each side 

 that fit alternately into one another, forming a good filter. The 

 upper pharyngeal teeth show as two circular patches of cardi- 

 form teeth. The lower pharyngeal teeth are on two triangular 

 plates. 



Anableps tetropthalmus (the "Four eyes" of Demerara) has 

 twenty-one horny gill-rakers on the first cerato-hypobranchial 

 arch, the longest in length about half the depth of the gill-lamina 

 below it. No gill-rakers on the epibranchial. There are horny 

 gill-rakers on the inner and outer sides of the other arches which 

 have a thickening at their roots, they fit in alternately and form 

 a close filter. There are two patches each side, of upper 

 pharyngeal teeth and a small narrow patch on the head of the 

 second epibranchial. The teeth are strong cardiform teeth in 

 the upper patch and on the head of the second epibranchial, the 

 lower patch in its upper portion has small cardiform teeth with 

 villiform teeth in its lower. The lower margin of the lower 



