NO. 2294. , FWIIES FROM WEST AFRICA— FOWLER. 239 



8+2. Nostrils together, at last two-fifths in snout. Interorbital 

 convex. Lower suborbital meets horizontal preopercle limb, and 

 others leave but very narrow naked strip on cheek in front and 

 behind at corner. Rakers, 8 + 14, lanceolate, weak, about three- 

 fifths of filaments and latter about 1| in e^'^e. Scales large, well 

 exposed, each with 4 basal striae, 1 above and another below as 

 vertical, and pair of apical. Dorsal inserted midwa}^ between nos- 

 trils and caudal base, first 4 branched rays prolonged and filament- 

 ous, and third nearly to caudal base. Adipose fin about long as eye. 

 Anal inserted close behind dorsal base, first branched ray 2 to 2| in 

 head. Caudal well forked, lower lobe slightly longer, ^ to ^ eye- 

 diameter longer than head, pectoral 1| to 1|, ventral, 1^. Color 

 in alcohol with back brown; side and below pale or whitish. Large 

 black blotch on caudal peduncle extends out and includes median 

 caudal rays. Fins all pale; dorsal and caudal each \vith some brown- 

 ish on membranes. Length, 111 to 113 mm. Two examples. C. 



The dorsal rays end in long filaments, nearly long as rest of the 

 fin in male. 



ALESTES RUTILUS Boulenger. 



Head, 3^; depth, 3|; D. ii, 8; A. iii, 13; scales, 22 in lateral line to 

 caudal base and 2 more on latter; 5 scales above lateral line, 2 be- 

 low; 8 predorsal scales; snout, 3 in head; eye, 3f ; maxillary, 3; in- 

 terorbital, 2|. Deeply ellipsoid, well compressed, deepest at dorsal 

 origin. Head, width 1| its length. Snout broadly conic; length, 

 four-fifths its width. Eye advanced, hind pupil edge about mid- 

 way in its length. Maxillary well exposed, not to eye or only to 

 hind nostril. Mouth, broad, short, gape about two-fifths to eye; 

 lower jaw sHghtly shorter. Upper teeth, 10+8; lower, 8+2. Nos- 

 trils together about last third in snout. Interorbital convex. Lower 

 suborbital meets horizontal preopercle limb, and others leave narrow 

 naked strip on cheek in front and behind at corner. Rakers, 14 + 16, 

 lanceolate, about three-fourths of filaments and latter 2 in eye. 

 Scales very large, well exposed, each with 4 basal striae, 1 above 

 and another below as vertical, and 4 or 5 apical. Dorsal inserted 

 about midway between hind eye edge and caudal base; first branched 

 ray, 1| in head; adipose fin, 4|. Anal inserted well behind dorsal 

 base but close before last ray's tip, first branched ray If in head. 

 Caudal well forked, about 1 +| in head; pectoral, 1|; ventral. If. 

 Color in alcohol with back brown, paler below, edge of each scale 

 on back narrowly darker. Obscure dusky blotch on caudal base 

 within squamation. Dorsal and caudal brownish, with dusky on 

 outer portions. Other fins pale with brownish on outer portions, 

 dusky on anal. Iris olive-slaty. Length, 150 mm. C. 



This differs from Boulenger's account in the median caudal rays 

 with a pale shade and obscure blotch of darker at caudal base. 



