238 APPENDIX. 



The genus which I have called Diastodon Speciosus, Bowel, fig. 41, 

 has 4 strong irregular teeth very wide apart in each jaw ; the opercula are 

 entire; the dorsal fin has 12 spines and 8 rays; the pectoral 17 rays, 

 the anal 3 spines and 10 rays, the ventral 1 strong spine and 4 rays, and 

 the caudal 17 rays ; the lateral line is not visible ; the whole fish is of a 

 rose-colour, with shades of violet, which give it a very beautiful appear- 

 ance. St. Jago. 



Fig. 37 is also a new genus, for which I have preserved its native name 

 Seleima, formed of the Portuguese pronoun, se, and a corruption of the 

 noun leme, a helm, and to which I have added aurata, as a specific 

 appellation, from the golden hue given by the 8 orange stripes. It 

 belongs to the second tribe, of the fourth family of Cuvier's division, 

 Acanthopterygiens. There is a row of small teeth in each jaw; both 

 opercula are entire; the dorsal fin has 10 spines and 17 rays, the pecto- 

 ral 14 rays, the anal 3 spines and 14 rays, the ventral 1 free spine, 1 ad- 

 hering, and 5 rays ; the caudal 20 rays ; the whole fish is silvery, with 8 

 orange stripes ; the lateral line runs along the third stripe.- Bona Vista. 



A fourth new genus, Amorphocephalus Granulatus, fig. 36, belongs to 

 the fourth tribe, of the same family and division as the preceding. It 

 has 4 strong teeth, set widely apart in the upper jaw ; the lower jaw has 

 also 4 strong teeth, but the 2 middle teeth curve, and touch each other 

 at the points ; the dorsal fin has 9 spines and 1 1 branching rays, and is 

 supported by a granulated fleshy ridge ; the pectoral fin has 16 rays, the 

 ventral 5 and 1 spine, the anal 12 and 1 spine, and the caudal has 16 

 rays ; the head is very ugly and mis-shapen ; the body is of a violet colour, 

 and the head and fins are of a rose colour. Bona Vista. 



All the above fishes, with the exception of the squalus, the tetraodon, 

 the balistes, and the pimelodus, are eaten, but the scisena dux, or captain 

 fish, is reckoned the best. The sharks of the River Gambia are numerous, 

 but not feared by the natives, for they bathe in the river at all times : 

 they stand much more in dread of a crocodile, which sometimes snaps 

 off a limb. There are a great many beautiful looking fish in the above- 

 mentioned river, and I was very anxious, during the latter part of my 

 stay at Bathurst, to procure them ; but the inhabitants could not catch 

 me any, because they had no nets, and materials for making them were 

 not to be found in the settlement. 



