60 CYPRINID^. 



b. Thirteen dorsal rays, 



4. Labeo forskalii. 



CyprinusTiiloticus, var. B, Forskid, Dcscript. Anim. p. 71. no. 1046. 

 Labeo forskallii, R'dpp. Mus. Senckenb. ii. p. 18, tab. 3. f. 1; Cuv. <S- 



Val. xvi. p. 343 ; Ileckel, in Russegger^s Reiscn, ii. 3. p. 300, 



taf. 20. fig. 2. 

 cylindricus, Peters, Monatsher. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1852, p. 684. 



D. 13. A. 8. L. lat. 39-40. L. trans\:. 6/6. Vert. 23/16. 



Mouth broad. Lips very thick, with a distinct inner fold in their 

 entire circumference ; lower lip generally fringed. Snout obtuse, 

 projecting, with a broad distinct lobe on each side ; maxillary barbel 

 minute, hidden in a deep groove. Eye small, situated in the pos- 

 terior half of the head (at least in mature examples) , much smaller 

 than a scale. There are four series of scales between the lateral line 

 and the ventral fin. Upper margin of the dorsal lin concave, the 

 third and fourth rays being the longest. Body elongate, its greatest 

 depth being one-fourth of the total length, or even less. * Sometimes 

 an indistinct dark band along the side of the body. 



Snout generally with hollow tubercles. 



Nile ; east coast of Africa. 



a. Sixteen inches long. Chartoum. From Mr. Petherick's Collection. 



h-cl, e. Seven, eight, and nine iaches long. Lower Nile. 



/. Eleven inches long. River Eovuma. Presented by Dr. Kirk. 



g. Nine inches long. River Rovuma. From Dr. Kirk's Collection. 



h. Young. River Rovuma. Presented by Dr. Kirk. 



i. Adult: skeleton. Chartoum. From Mr. Petherick's Collection. 



On comparing the skeleton oi L. forskalii with that of Z. niloticiis 

 (see p. 48) the following peculiarities may be observed : — 



1. The bones of the upper jaw are strong, the intermaxillaries 

 being as long as, and closely attached to, the maxillaries. 



2. The praeoperculum is extremely broad, disciform, of greater 

 extent than the operculum. 



3. Occiput with three crests behind, of nearly equal development, 

 and diverging from their common base. The line of separation be- 

 tween the interneural and neural elements of the anterior vertebrae 

 very distinct, the neural plate being forked. 



4. The interneural spines of the dorsal fin correspond to the 

 neurals of the tenth to twentieth vertebrae. 



5. Labeo brachypoma. 

 D. 13. A. 8. L. lat. 33. L. transv. 4/6. 

 !Mouth broad. Lips very thick, not fringed, with a distinct inner 

 fold in their entire circumference. Snout thick, produced, obtuse in 

 front, much projecting beyond the lower jaw, with a broad lobe on 

 each side ; maxillary barbel minute, hidden in a deep lateral groove. 

 Eye small, one-third the size of a scale, situated in the posterior half 

 of the length of the head, entirely in old examples, and partly in 

 young ones. Head thick and small, its length being one-fourth or 



