new Abyssinian Fishes. 423 



the form and development of the h'ps, and the rehitive length 

 of the barbels. I trust that the rich material which I have 

 had the privilege of studying lias enabled me, through com- 

 parisons of numerous specimens of all sizes, to form a more 

 correct estimate of the changes that take place witii age, and 

 that the number of species has not been unduly multiplied, 

 although it is, of course, quite possible that some of them are 

 founded on hybrids. In order to facilitate the discrimination 

 of the species of the Barhus hynni group here described as 

 new, I append a tentative synopsis of all the African species 

 of that group, one of the most ditficult with which it has ever 

 been my lot to deal. 



Mr. Uegen deserves great credit for the manner in which 

 he has collected and preserved in spirit this large and well- 

 selected series of fishes — some as much as 2 feet in length — 

 accompanied by notes and coloured sketches made by him on 

 the spot, which have been of great assistance to me. 



The altitude of the localities mentioned in this paper are 

 only approximative, Mr. Degen not having been in a position 

 to determine them with precision. 



Synopsis of the African Species of Barbus related to 

 13. bynni, Forsk. 



Dorsal fin with a very strong, bony, non-serrated spine and 8 to 10 branched 

 rays ; anal with 5 branched rays * ; scales large, 40 or less in the 

 lateral line ; barbels four. 



A. Sc. 33-40 l-tif 4 t ; D. IV 8-9 ; lower 

 lip continuous across the chin. 

 Sc. 40 gl ; barbels not longer than eye ; inter- 



orbital width 3 times in length of head ; [p. 42G. 



lower lip not forming a median lobe B. microterolepi^, Blgr., 



Sc. 32-37 gl ; barbels 2 to 2^ diameters of eye ; 



interorbital width 2| to 3 times in length [p. 427. 



of head ; lower lip with a median lobe. ... B. macroncma, iilgr., 

 Sc. 33-36 ^^r, barbels 1| to 2 diameters of 



eye ; interorbital width 3 to 3^ times in 



length of head ; lower lip not forming a [p. 427. 



median lobe B. Biiej)peHi, Blgr., 



Sc, 36-39 ^ ; barbels not or but slightly longer 



than eye ; interorbital width 2| to 3 times 



* This character excludes the Moroccan species, which agree with the 

 East-African ones in the structure of the dorsal fin, but have 6 or 7 

 branched rays in the anal. 



t The figiire or figures after the numbers in the transverse series refer 

 to tho series of scales between the lateral line and the ventral tin. 



31* 



