492 Mr. G. A. Boulengcv on an African BarleJ. 



LYIT. — On an African Barhel hitherto confounded with 

 Barbns trimaculatus, Peters. By G. A. Boulenger, 

 F.E.S. 



Following the lead of GUnther *, Steindachner f, and Max 

 Weber %, I have hitherto referred to Barhus trimaculatus a 

 small barbel common in British Central Africa, Rhodesia, 

 Portuguese East Africa, Angola, the Transvaal, and Zulu- 

 land. Having recently had an opportunity of examining 

 great numbers of these fishes, I have come to the conclusion 

 that they cannot possibly be identified with the species so 

 carefully described and figured by Peters §. As suggested 

 by the latter autjior^ B. trimaculatus, established on a single 

 example from the Eovugo River, Mozambique, is very closely 

 related to, if not identical with, B. trispilus, Bleeker, of 

 which I have recently given a description ||. The species 

 for which I now propose the name B. decipiens differs from 

 B. trimaculatus and B. trispilus in its strong ossified last 

 simple dorsal ray, shorter barbels, and more numerous scales 

 in the lateral line. It would never have been confounded 

 with B. trimaculatus but for its deceptive markings, which, 

 moreover, are by no means constant. I append a description 

 based on the following series of specimens : — 



2, R. Ruo, Brit. Cent. Africa. — Sir H. H. Johnston. 



1, between Kondowe and Karonga, Brit. Cent. Africa. — 



Sir H. H. Johnston. 

 6, near Salisbury, Rhodesia. — Guy A. K. Marshall. 

 13, Mazoe R., Rhodesia. — J. ff. Darling. 

 6, Beira, Portug. E. Africa. — C. Grant. 



2, Groot Olifant R., Transvaal. — Capt. G. E. Bruce. 

 5, Klein „ „ „ „ 



2, near Komati Poort, ,, ^, 



2j Potchefstroom, Transvaal.- — Stenning, 

 28j E. of Pietersburg, Transvaal. — C. Grant. 

 4, Umfulosij Zululand. — C. Grant. 

 1, Elcheleselwane, Zululand. — Dr. E. Warren. 

 9, Mossamedes, Angola. — Dr. W. J. Ansorge. 



Barhus decip)iens. 



Depth of body 3 to 4 times in total length, length of head 

 3| to 4| times. Snout rounded, as long as or a little longer 



* Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 619. 



t Sitzb. Ak. Wien, ciii. i. 1894, p. 452. 



+ Zool. Jahrb., Syst. x. 1897, p. 151. 



§ Reise n. Mossamb. iv. p. 55, pi. xi. fig. 4 (1868). 



II Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) xviii. 1906, p. 33. 



