372 CYPEINIDiE. 



and that tlicy are not in a good state of preservation, so that a part 

 of the diagnosis given here may be modihed at a later period. 



KNERIID^. Body scaly, head naked. ^Margin of the upper 

 jaw formed by the intermaxillarics. Dorsal and anal fins short, 

 the former belonging to the abdominal portion of the vertebral 

 column. Teeth none, either in the mouth or pharynx. Barbels 

 none. Stomach without blind sac ; no pyloric appendages. Pseudo- 

 branchiae none ; branchiostegals three ; air-bladder long, not divided ; 

 ovaries closed. 



The single genus which would be the type of this family has lately 

 been described by Dr. Steindachner as an " Acanthopsoid " form; 

 however, its similarity to the Loaches is merely superficial. 



KNERIA. 



Kneria, Steindachner, VerJiandl. zool.-hot. Gesellsch. Wien, 186G, p. 7G9. 



Body elongate, subcylindrical, covered with very small cycloid 

 scales ; snout depressed, upper jaw protruding beyond the mouth, 

 which is small, inferior, transverse. The intermaxillaries, as well 

 as the mandibles, form a very sharp edge, the lower jaw being with- 

 out lip, whilst the edge of the upper is overlapped by a fold of the 

 skin of the snout. Eye rather small. Gill-membranes entirely 

 grown to the isthmus, the gill-opening being a rather narrow ver- 

 tical slit. Dorsal fin opposite, or nearly opposite, to ventral ; 

 caudal emarginate. Air-bladder long, cylindrical, externally show- 

 ing a series of slight swellings, but without divisions in its interior. 

 Intestinal tract with several convolutions. Ova small. 



Tropical Africa. 



1. Kneria angolensis. 



Steindachner, I. c. p. 770, taf. 17. f. 1. 



D. 9. A. 11. V. 9. 

 The height of the body is less than the length of the head, which 

 is one-sixth of the total (without caudal); the diameter of the ej^e 

 is contained thrice and two-thirds in the length of the head. The 

 dorsal fin commences behind the ventrals. A black spot at the base 

 of the ventrals and pectorals, two at the base of the anal. {St.) 

 Angola, 



2. Kneria spekii. 

 D. 9. A. S. V. 9. 

 The height of the body is less than the length of the head, which 

 is one-sixth of the total (without caudal) ; the diameter of the eye 

 is one-fifth of the length of the head. Origin of the doraal fin mid- 

 way between the end of the snout and the root of the caudal, and 

 opposite to the root of the ventral. Pectorals longer than ventrals, 

 but shorter than the head. Uniform brown. 

 Central Africa. 



a-c. Adult females, 27 lines long. Uzaramo. Presented by the late 

 Capt. 82)eke. 



