148 Cockerell — The Scales of the African Cyprinid Fishes. 



has none, and even raises the question whetlier they are (Ustinct 

 species. 



(8.) Varicorhinns. An Asiatic and African genus related to Lahco and 

 Barbus. I have examined three species: 



T'. bcso. Hawasli River {Zaphlro). Scale al)Out 11 3^2 mui- long 

 and 14 broad; laterobasal angles much greater; basal and lateral 

 circuli very fine, apical (on exposed part of scale) al)ruptly difler- 

 entiated, very coarse, broken up into tnl)ercles between the radii; 

 nuclear area nearly central; ai)ical radii nuinerous, al)out 40, 

 parallel, not very conspicuous ; basal radii three or four, feel)le and 

 broken. This rather recalls some of the Labro scales, but is much 

 broader, and without or with oidy faint traces of the curved lateral 

 radii. This is the type of the genus. 



V. taiKjanicr. Lake Tanganyika (Cinni.iinffon). Small delicate 

 scales about 4 mm. long, about as broad as long, varying to broader 

 than long, obtusely subtriangular, with a broad basal median lobe. 

 Nuclear area broadly roughened ; lateral and basal circuli widely 

 spaced, or the basal fairly dense; apical circuli evanescent; apical 

 radii about IS, delicate, wavy; basal radii as in V. bcso. Very 

 distinct from V. bcso. ■, 



V. marocrauHS. Gum Erl)iah, Morocco (Jlif/goibacJi). Not 

 adult. Scales subquadrate, about (> nun. long and (^)4 broad; 

 structure essentially as in V. ba^o, with the same sort of tuberculate 

 apical circuli. Apical radii about Ki; nuclear area circulate to 

 middle or very broadly rugose; feeble and broken basal radii 

 rather numerous. Belongs to the subgenus Pterocapocia Giinther. 



In Boulenger's key, 1'. bcso goes in the first division, with three 

 other species, while T'. maroccau us -dml ?a/?^rt?v/o.T form the second. 

 It seems evident, however, that the two latter are not closely 

 allied. T'. maroccaniis, in spite of several peculiarities, must be 

 grouped with V. beso, while T'. <(ni.7a/i*c.r Boulenger forms a group 

 apart. The tanr/aniar group is distinguished not only by the 

 small size ( (14-70 in lateral line) and sculpture of the scales, but by 

 the dorsal originating above the ventrals, the last simple ray very 

 strong and ossified, the large eye, the reduction of the barbels to a 

 single rudimentary pair, and the falcate apex of the dorsal and of 

 the caudal lobes. 



Dr. Boulenger (lilOl) originally described ]'. tanganicx as a 

 member of the Asiatic genus Cnporta, writing as follows: 



" The discovery of a sjjecies of this geiuis in Lake Tanganyika is 

 particularly interesting from the fact that only one was known 

 from Africa, viz. the Abyssinian C. diUonii V. and V.; this is dis- 

 tinguished by the absence of barbels and the greater size of the 

 scales (;>0 to W'l in the lateral line). In the presence of a pair of 

 barbels and the small size of the scales, C. tauycuiicw belongs to 



