29. ,CHRYSICHTHYS. 71 



twenty rays. Barbels eight. Teeth on the palate in two lateral 

 portions, those on the vomer being confluent with the palatine teeth 

 of each side. Jaws equal in length, or the upper the longer. Eyes 

 with a free orbital margin. Caudal forked ; ventral with six rays. 

 Tropical Africa. 



Adult individuals of the species of this genus show the adipose fin 

 finely striated, the striae being arranged in radiating bundles. This 

 is the commencement of the rayed adipose fin by which the genus 

 Clarotes has been characterized. 



1. Chrysichthys auratus. 



Schal-Abou-R(5aI ; Zamar; Xaxoug-roumi. 



Pimelodus auratus, Geoffr. Descr. Ei/. Pmss. pi. 14, figs. 3 & 4. 



?? Bagrus am-atus, Cuv. lij- Val. xiv. p. 427. 



? Bagrus capito, Cuv. Sf Val. xiv. p. 430. 



B. 9. D. 1/6. A. 10-11. P. 1/8. V. 6. 



The height of the body is two-ninths of the total length (mthout 

 caiidal), the length of the head two-sevenths ; head entirely covered 

 with thick soft skin, broader than high, its greatest width being 

 three-fourths of its length. Eye of moderate size, its diameter being 

 one-half of the extent of the snout, and rather less than one-fifth of 

 the length of the head. Snout depressed, very broad, its extent being 

 two-fifths of the length of the head ; lips thick ; the iipper jaw is the 

 longer. Nasal barbels very short, as long as the eye ; maxillary 

 barbels longer than those of the mandibles, but shorter than the 

 head. Dorsal spine stout, serrated behind, half as long as the head ; 

 the first dorsal ray rather higher than the body. The base of the 

 adipose fin ecjuals in length its distance from the dorsal, and exceeds 

 that of the latter fin. Caudal fin forked. Pectoral spine very strong, 

 longer than that of the dorsal fin, strongly denticidated interiorly. 

 The teeth on the palate are in a horseshoe- like band, interrupted in 

 the middle anteriorly. 



Nile. 



a. Fine specimen. NUe. From Dr. E. Riippell's Collection. — This 

 specimen is 8 inches long, without caudal ; its head is 20 lines, 

 and its eye 5 lines long. 



This is the species figured by Geoff'roy St.-HUaire, the eye being 

 represented in the figure of nearly the correct size ; the width of the 

 mouth is also properly shown. Valenciennes appears to have de- 

 scribed a second species under the name of B. auratus, and it is 

 probable that his B. mpito was meant for the tji)e figured by Geoff'roy. 



2. Chrysichthys macrops. 



? Bagrus auratus, Cuv. ^- Val. xiv. p. 4:j0; Ilt/rtl, Denkschr. Acad. Whs. 

 Wien, 1859, xvi. p. 17 (not Geoffr.). 



D. 1/6. A. 11. P. 1/8. V. 6. Vert. 11/25. 



This species is very closely allied to C. auratus, but it differs in 



