OZ SILITRID^. 



16. EUTROPIUS*. 



Eutropius, BHill. i^- Trosch. Hor. Ichthyol. iii. p. 6. 



Avery small adipose fin ; a short dorsal fin with a pungent spine ; 

 anal fin long, terminating at some distance from the candal, which is 

 forked. Barbels eight : one to each maxillary, one to each posterior 

 nostril, and two to each mandible ; the mandibnlary barbels are placed 

 one behind the other. The palatine teeth are present, and form toge- 

 ther with those of the vomer a horseshoe-like band. Nostrils open, 

 not prolonged into tubes, situated at some distance from each other. 

 Head covered with skin. The upper jaw is the longer (except in E. 

 depres$irostris). Ventral ■^dth six rays. 



Tropical Africa. East Indies. 



1. Eutropius niloticus. 



Hypoplithalmus niloticus, Hupp. Netie Nilfische, p. 6. taf. 1. fig. 1. 

 Bagriis schilbeides, Cuv. S) Val. xiv. p. 389. 



B. 9. D. 1/6. A. 58-60. P. 1/9. V. 6. 



The height of the body is contained nearly four times in the 

 total length (without caudal), the length of the head five times and 

 a half. The greatest width of the head equals its length without 

 snout. The upper jaw is the longer ; cleft of the mouth twice as 

 broad as deep. Nasal and anterior mandibnlary barbels short ; max- 

 illary barbels much longer than the posterior of the mandibles, not 

 extencUng to the base of the pectoral. The diameter of the eye is 

 one-fifth or one-sixth of the length of the head. The dorsal fin is 

 situated entirely before the ventral, the width of its base being 

 equal to that of the latter. Its height equals the length of the 

 head ; spine slender, serrated posteriorly. The anal fin terminates 

 at some distance from the caudal. Caudal deeply forked, with the 

 lobes pointed. Pectoral spine rather broad, strongly serrated, termi- 

 nating at a rather considerable distance from the ventral. A blackish 

 spot at the origin of the lateral line. 



Nile. 



a, h, c, d, e-f. Adult and young. Lower Nile. 



(/, h-i. Adult and half-grown. Chartoum. From Consul Petherick's 



Collection. 

 k. Adult. Egj^pt. From Dr. E. RiippeU's Collection. — One of the 



typical specimens. 

 ?. Adult: skeleton. Nile. Presented by G. Macleay, Esq. 



2. Eutropius congensis. 



Silurus congensis, Leach, in TucJiei/, Narrnt. Exped. Zaire, p. 409 ; 

 Owen, O.-sfeoloff. Cat. Coll. Stoy/. i. pp. 24, 27. 



B. 10. D. 1/6. A. 58. P. 1/11. V. 6. 



The height of the body is contained foiu' times and a third in 



* 1. HTpophthalmus taakree. Si/ies, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 369. tab. 64. fig. 4. 

 — Dekkan. 



