104 



in pieces from the fish, some of it lying detached on the floor 

 of the tank. The whole of the epidermis of the head, fins, and 

 body was detached ; the new epidermis was of a much brighter 

 colour than the old, a large patch of yellow between the eyes 

 and the beginning of the lateral line being especially conspicu- 

 ous ; white dots became more conspicuous along the lateral 

 line, and four or five transverse bars of white appeared over 

 the lateral line. The shed skin was examined microscopically, 

 and the epidermal nature was apparent. The scales in this 

 fish are in the form of short needle-like spines firmly embedded 

 in the skin. 



The third species {A. verrucosus) has never yet been kept 

 alive. 



The Barbel (Galeichthys, 2 species) 



These fish, called locall}^ Barbels, Bargers, Baggers, or 

 Barbers, are fairly abundant and live well in captivity. There 

 are two species, G. feliceps, the white Barbel, and G. ater, the 

 black Barbel. Both have the peculiar habit of carrying their 

 large eggs in their mouths, where they are hatched out and 

 where for a time the young find shelter. As yet no fish with 

 eggs have been observed in the aquarium ; a black Barbel was 

 on one occasion brought to the aquarium with the eggs, which 

 it had ejected from its mouth, but it would not again take 

 them. The white Barbel (it is really of a light brown colour) 

 go up the tidal rivers near their junction with the fresh water 

 and on one occasion, when about 2,000 of these fish were caught 

 in a net at the Zwartkops River near the fresh water part (it 

 is tidal for several miles), all were observed to have from 

 twenty to thirty eggs in their capacious mouths. Of the 

 specimens dissected (about twenty), all were males. Some 

 had young fish, others eggs in their mouths. The anglers 

 stated that they sometimes caught these fish by hook and bait 

 with eggs and young fish in their mouths, so that the habit 

 would not seem to interfere seriously with feeding. 



The adults invariably kept in dark nooks and corners gently 

 swaying their bodies and fins, but towards evening and at 

 night they were very active, roaming over the whole of the 

 tank. The young, however, were equally busy during the 

 daytime. They do not appear to use their eyes at all, although 

 these organs are fairly large. Their sense of smell, however, 

 is keen and, when food is put near them, they become greatly 

 agitated and search diligently about, their long feelers touching 

 the ground. They often pass within a few inches of the food, 

 apparently without seeing it, but, if the tips of one of their 

 feelers touch it, they turn on it eagerly. 



