PHRACTOL^MUS.— KNEKIA. , 169 



roun(l(>(l, a little shorter than head, ns lonj^ as ventral, which is equally 

 (lislaut from head and from anal. Caudal rounded. Caudal peduncle 

 compressed, nearly as long as deep, as long as head. Scales 35-40 ^f ; 

 on the caudal region the scales of the lateral line and those of the series 

 above it may bear a central tubercle. Uniform olive-grey. 



Total length 150 millim. 



Lower Niger, Upper Congo. 

 1-3. Ad., lior., Mouth of Ethiope Kiver, Ni^ror Delta. Dr. W. J. Ansorge (P.). 

 '^ yg 5 types. 



4. Skel. „ „ „ 



5. Ad. Monsembe, Upper Congo. llcv. J. H. Weeks (P.). 



Fam. 9. KNERIID^. 



Margin of the upper jaw formed by the praemaxillaries ; mouth not 

 protractile, inferior, toothless ; supraoccipital widely separating the 

 very small parietals ; opercular bones well developed ; symplectic 

 present. Cxill-opening very narrow. Body scaly. Ribs sessile. Pectoral 

 iin inserted low down, folding like the ventrals. 



Two genera, if Xenopomaticlitlujs be referred to this family rather 

 than to the Cyprinidse, in which it has been provisionally placed by 

 its describer. 



1. KNERIA. 



Steind. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xvi. ISf)!], p. 7G9 ; Giinth. Cat. Fish. vii. 

 p. 372 (18G8). 



Mouth rather small and toothless, inferior, transverse, sharp-edged. 

 Gill-opening very narrow, lateral ; 3 branchiostegal rays. Body elon- 

 gate, cylindrical or slightly depressed, covered with very small, finely 

 striated scales. Dorsal and anal fins short, the former above or behind 

 vertical of ventrals, which have 9 rays. Vertebrse 40 (26-|-14)*. Air- 

 bladder long and slender, extending along the whole prsecaudal part of 

 the body. Intestinal tract very long, with several convolutions. 



'I'ropical Africa. 



Synopsis of the Sj)ecies. 



Dorsal behind vertical of base o£ ventral ; head 1\ 

 Hmes as long as broad, 5^6 times in total lengtli; 



snout \ as long as postocular part of head ; eyo [p. 170. 



lateral, 3-3^ times in length of head \. K. ancfolensis, Stdr., 



* 'i'lie osteological characters are ta1<(>n from a skeleton of A", camcronensis. 



