4 6S 77 'BE-B LADDERED GRO 1 7>. 



An; K -A \ L< >A< 'iiKs. Family KXEiun^E. 



Two small loach-like tishes from the fresh waters of Tropical Africa, one of 

 which (K n> /'/" ctnitjuli //x/x) is figured in the annexed illustration, alone represent a 

 famih" distinguished from the preceding by the absence of teeth on the pharyngeal 

 bone-, and bv the elongated air-bladder being undivided, barbels being wanting. 

 While the figured species is from the west coast, the other (K. x/>r/,r/') inhabits 

 Central Africa. 



Tin: CiiAiiAcixoiD FISHES. Familv El\ 



As an example of a very extensive family of fresh-water fishes, confined to 

 Tropical America and Africa south of the Sahara, we select an American form 

 known as the piraya (Serniscdmo iriraya), siuce in our limited space it is quite 

 impossible to deal with any of the others. It may be mentioned, in the first place, 



ANGOLA LOACH (liat, size). 



that these fishes are commonly known as the CJi(iwtciiri(1<i', but as there is no 

 such genus as ('1m I-<K-UI "*. it is obvious that this term cannot stand, and we have 

 accordingly adopted another. According to Professor Cope's arrangement, these 

 fishes In-long to t he same sectional group as the carp tribe, from which they may 

 he distinguished by the brain-case not being produced between the orbits, and 

 - number ol upper pharyngeal bones varying from four to one 

 g always two: a further point of difference occurring in the 

 upper jaw. \vhi--h is formed in front by the premaxilhe, and at 

 maxilla-. Like the carps, the body is scaled and the head naked : 

 I' 1 ' 1 barbels are invariably wanting, and the jaws may be either toothless, or 

 turiiished with a dentition of a yerv ])O\\"erl'ul t\'])e. In most cases there is n 

 ^ I||;I 'I t' :|n . v 'iii behind the dorsal: 1h<- air-bladder is always transversely divided 

 into halves, and lln-iv ;m- no false gills. "I "nfortiniMfelv. there are no fossil forms 

 '"''"'' In the explanation of the peculiar geographical distribution of the family, 

 wliiHi is v.-j-y similar to thai of (he chromids: but there can be little doubt that 

 t ' 1 " fiiKM-xf.,-.,l type, originally inhabited the great land-mass of the Northern 

 l''iiiis]lii-rc. tVoin whence they migrated southwards io their ]resent isolated 



t 



