16 POLYPTERID^. 



0. rOLYPTERUS PALMAS. 



Ayres, Proc. Post. Soc. N. H. iii. 1850, p. 181, and Post. Journ. ^^ H. vi. 1850, 



p. 241, pi. vi. ; Pouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (5) xix. 1887, p. 148 ; Steind. 



Notes Leyd. Mus. xvi. 1804, p. 92 ; Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (6) xvii. 



18%, p. 310, (7) ii. 1898, p. 420, Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 25 (1901), Ann. Mus. 



Congo, Zool. ii. p. 19 (1902), and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1902, ii. p. 125, pi. xi. fig. 4. 

 Pohji^terus bicJu'r, part., Giinth. Cat. Fish. viii. p. 327 (1870). 

 Polypterus huttikoferi, Steind. Notes Leyd. Mus. xiii. 1891, p. 179. 



Body feebly depressed, subcylindrical. Head If to 2 times as long 

 as broad, 4J to 5| times in total length, ^vith lateral eyes and convex 

 interorbital region ; snout projecting beyond lower jaw ; eye 5 (young) 

 to 7 times in length of head, 1 to 2 times in interorbital width ; head- 

 shields all paired ; a series of 2 to 4 shields between postorbital and 

 spiracular shields ; suboperculum not larger than eye. Dorsal with 

 V-IX spines, anterior widely separated when folded. Anal 12-15. 

 Pectoral widely separated from first dorsal spine. 52-56 scales in a 

 longitudinal series, 23-26 between occiput and first dorsal spine, 36-40 



Pis. 11. 



^ ,*« f — 



. ;^:^'^^'^;>ii:2-ii.^:^^^i^ 



Pohjptei'iis palmas. 

 Type, after Ayres (Best. .Touni. ISoO). \. 



round middle of body. (Jreyish or brownish above. yellowi>h beneath ; 

 young with numerous dark bars on the back and marblings, or a dark 

 network enclosing round yellowish spots, on the sides ; these markings 

 may become indistinct in the adult; fins spotted or mottled witli 

 blackish ; a more or less distinct large oval blackish spot on the 

 muscular part of the pectoral fin. 



Total length 300 millim. 



Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo. — Type in Boston Museum. 



1. Ad. Sierra Leone. 



2. Hgr. Lower Congo. M. F. Hens (C). 



3. 4. 5-7. Ad. k yg. iMonsemhe, Upper Congo. Rev. J. H. Weeks (P.). 



8. Ad., skel. Bolobo, „ Rev. G. Grenfell (P.). 



9. Ad. Stanley Falls. Rev. W. H. Bentley {V..). 

 10. Ad. Upper Congo. Brussel-j University, 



