a The End of Odd Fishes. 
baby-barbel ; a third pair grow from each corner of the 
mouth ; and the fourth pair originate a short distance be- 
hind the third. 
The ladies aspredo are alone concerned in nursing their 
progeny, and on females only are the curious “ fish-cradles ” 
found, so specially contrived for the conveyance of the 
eggs. Dr. Gunther (to whom belongs the honour of first 
clearly pointing out the use of this obscure structure) 
says,* “The ovaria of the fish examined are two nearly 
empty sacs, with thick walls, as if the ova had just been 
excluded ; some of them which had not been developed 
still remained between the folds of the interior. The 
whole lower surface of the belly, thorax, throat, and even 
a portion of the pectoral fins, showed numerous shallow 
round impressions, to which a part of the ova still adhered.” 
Perhaps the reader has borne in mind what I said in a 
previous number in reference to the strange similitude 
there is betwixt the cellular-like cavities found on the back 
of the Surinam toad when compared with those on the 
under surface of the female aspredo. Towards the time 
of spawning, the skin covering the lower parts of the female 
aspredo becomes thickened, and assumes a spongy cha- 
racter. The spawn or ova are in all probability deposited, 
in the manner usual with most fishes, on a mud bank or in 
some other suitable locality. Then the mamma presses 
herself on the extended mass of roe, and in that way 
squeezes the eggs into the soft sponge-like skin of the 
abdomen ; the throat and fins are also made available for 
the conveyance of the eggs. The spongy substance be- 
tween the eggs is subsequently gradually absorbed by the 
pressure of the latter, excepting in the interspaces, where 
it remains in the form of the appendages previously de- 
scribed. What becomes of the infant fishes when they 
escape from this novel hatching-machine is not known. 
The only described species—as far as I am aware—of this 
genus have all been brought from the river Gambia. 
Many other species of Siluroid fishes take care of their 
progeny in different ways. The male (Arius fissus), it 
seems, carries a small cargo of eggs in its mouth. Dr. 
Gunther describes his finding two males whose stomachs 
were empty (hence it is fair to assume they were not in the 
act of devouring a breakfast of new-laid eggs). In the 
mouth of each fish, however, were about twenty eggs, 
* “Brit. Mus. Cat.”—Fishes, vol. v., p. 173. 
Pant) 
