560 Annals of the South African Museum. 



dorsal. An al iv 8 ; rounded. Pectoral spine f length of dorsal, finely 

 denticulated on outer border, strongly serrated on inner. Ventral not 

 reaching anal. Caudal forked, upper lobe the longer. Caudal 

 peduncle 1 .} times as long as deep. 



Yellowish, with numerous round black spots, the largest, on the 

 side of the body, hardly as large as the eye ; all the fins also spotted 

 with black. 



Total length 160 millim. 



Upper Zambesi, Northern Rhodesia. Type in Paris Museum." 



SYNODONTIS MELANOSTICTUS, Blgr. 



Synodontis 'melanostictus, Bouleug., Trans. Zool. Soc., xvii, 1906, 

 p. 553, pi. xxxiv, and Freshw. Fish. Africa, ii, p. 418, fig. 314 (1911), 

 and iv, p. 316 (1916). 



Synodontis melanostictus, var. iturii, Steiudr. Anz. Ak. Wien, 1911, 

 p. 316. 



Premaxillary teeth forming a short broad band, movable mandibular 

 teeth about -2- diameter of eye in length, about 30 in number. Depth 

 of body about 4 to 4f times in total length excluding caudal, length of 

 head 3^ to 4 times. Head a little longer than broad, rugose above. 

 Snout rounded, a little more than twice in head, 1^ to 1^ times in 

 postocular part of head ; eye 5| to 6 j times in length of head, 2i to 

 ~2 s times in iuterorbital width ; width of mouth about ^ length of 

 head ; maxillary barbel 1-f to 1| times length of head, with a narrow 

 membrane at base, and reaching to about middle of pectoral spine ; 

 outer mandibular barbel 4 length of head, inner ^ to f- as long as 

 outer, both with long slender branches without ramifications ; lips 

 moderately developed. Gill-opening not extending downwards beyond 

 root of pectoral spine. Occipito-nuchal shield rough like occiput, 

 obtusely tectiform, 14 as long as broad, with rounded or truncate 

 posterior processes ; humeral process 1 T 7 to nearly twice as long as 

 broad, indistinctly keeled, sharp pointed, extending as far as or not 

 quite so far back as occipito-uuchal process. 



Dorsal i 7 ; spine as long as head, striated, curved, front edge sharp, 

 feebly serrated behind. Adipose dorsal 4 to 4^ times as long as deep, 

 If to twice as long as its distance from rayed dorsal. Pectoral spine 

 T ! to slightly longer than head,. not reaching ventral, strongly serrated 

 on both sides. Ventral not reaching to anal. Anal iv 7-8, obtusely 

 pointed in front. Caudal deeply forked, upper lobe longer than 

 lower ; caudal peduncle as long as deep. 



