270 Dr. A. Gunther on Reptiles and Fishes 



Opercular armature weak ; there are only a few spinous 

 teeth above and below the opercular notch, and none at all 

 on the sub- and interoperculum. The space between anal 

 and caudal fins is equal to a diameter of the eye. Pores on 

 the head entirely covered by scales. Five series of scales on 

 the cheek, the lowermost covering the prseopercular margin. 

 Ventral fins reaching beyond the origin of the anal, the two 

 outer rays being prolonged into filaments. Body with darker 

 cross-bands ; an indistinct oblique irregular dark band from 

 the eye towards the root of the pectoral. 



Two specimens from the Gaboon, 67 millim. long, are in 

 the British Museum ; they were collected with specimens of 

 Ct. Petherici. 



This species does not possess palatine teeth, and I am 

 unable to see any teeth on the vomer, the head of which, 

 however, is visible and not covered by the mucous membrane. 

 Of course the possibility of these specimens being the young 

 of one of the other species has been considered ; but beside 

 agreeing among themselves and differing from the other 

 species in the number of spines, the comparative size of the 

 eye and width of the interorbital space clearly point to their 

 being either mature or not far removed from maturity. 



Ctenopoma Petherici. 



Ctenopoma Petherici, Giinth. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1864, xiii. p. 211, 

 and 18G7, xx. p. 110 (part.) ; and in Petherick's Travels, ii. 1869, 

 p. 208, pi. i. fig. A. 



The British Museum contains a specimen the exact 

 habitat of which is not known, but which was bought with 

 other West-African fishes. Although this specimen differs from 

 typical Ct. Petherici in the fin-formula, which is D. -}-§, A. -^j-, 

 ] refer it for the present to the Nilotic species. 



In young specimens, 60 millim. long, the opercular arma- 

 ture and the vomerine and palatine teeth are well developed ; 

 but these specimens have the body still lower than the adult, 

 viz. one third of the total (without caudal) ; in the adult it is 

 a little less than two fifths. The ornamental colours are 

 prettier than in the adult, the diffuse blackish spot on the tail 

 of the latter being a complete white-edged ocellus in the 

 young. 



Ctenopoma Kingsleyce, sp. n. (PL XIII. fig. A.) 



Ctenopoma Petherici, part., Giinth. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1867, xx. 

 p. 110 (part.). 



This species is allied to Ct. Petherici, but has a deeper 



