SPECKLED LORICARIA. 35. 



are rather small, and slightly rounded, and the 

 first spine of all the fins is strong and rough ; the 

 tail is rather small, rounded, and marked with 

 several small black spots: the eyes are small : the 

 mouth of moderate width and furnished with four 

 long cirri or beards. 



It is pretended by Marcgrave that this fish, 

 when distressed by a want of water, or the streams 

 it inhabits becoming too shallow, contrives to 

 make its way over land in order to discover some 

 deeper stream ; and occasionally perforates the 

 ground for the same purpose ; which latter method 

 should seem to be the most probable of the two. 



It is said to be in considerable esteem among 

 the inhabitants of Surinam and other parts as a 

 food, and is, according to Piso, fried and eaten 

 with salt and pepper. 



SPECKLED LORICARIA. 



Xoricaria Punctata. L. Jlava, dorso suhfasco, squamh utrinquc. 



ordihe duplici^ pinnis nigro-punctatis, cauda fuicata. 

 Yellow Loricaria, with brownish back, double row of scales on 



each side, fins speckled with blacky and forked tail. 

 Cataphractus punctatus. C. capite comprebso. Bloch. 377- 

 /.2. 



A SMALL, but elegant species : length five or six 

 inches : shape like that of the generality of fishes : 

 head compressed and pretty much rounded in 

 front : mouth furnished with four beards : sides, 

 from the thorax^ mailed by a double series of scales 



