322 Mr. N. Abraham on the 
a Natal species, and recently by Boulenger * on Ch. nilotica 
and two species from Lake Tanganyika (Hctodus and T'ro- 
pheus). Probably this habit will be found common to all the 
African members of the family. The male has been found 
to undertake the duty of protecting the young in some species, 
the female in others. In a letter which I received from 
Mr. Nendick Abraham, of Durban, my correspondent gives a 
detailed account of his observations on a Natal species, of 
which he sent to me also several specimens. I have no 
doubt that this species is identical with Professor Max Weber’s 
C. philander. One of the specimens sent is the individual 
which Mr. Abraham had under observation for some weeks, 
and is a male. The following notes are extracted from his 
letter. [A. GUNTHER. | 
“In the month of November of 1900 I visited a pond in 
the neighbourhood of Durban and received several Chromides. 
T introduced them into a tank prepared for them and kept 
careful watch. I at once noticed that one of these fish 
showed indications of carrying ova in its mouth. The gill- 
covers did not fit closely over the cavity containing the gills, 
but were distended, making the fish look as though it had a 
swollen head. This fish I removed into another ‘tank,’ of 
which it became the sole occupant. ‘This little fish measured 
two inches and three quarters in length including the tail. 
The tank in which 1 kept it for observation was a small 
aquarium measuring eight inches by five, with a depth of water 
of two and a half inches. A few roots of Vallisneria spiralis 
provided the necessary oxidation of the water. A few days 
after the fish was introduced into this ‘ tank’ the swelling out 
of the gill-covers became more marked, until they stood out 
or remained opened quite a distance from the cavity of the 
gills. Beyond this feature nothing particular was to be 
noticed for some days. But after these days a very inter- 
esting stage in the development took place. I was enabled 
to see that the ova had evidently matured, for I could see a 
number of tiny living forms moving about in the mouth 
of the parent fish. A slight development also took place 
beneath the lower jaw of the fish in the shape of an expan- 
sion of the membrane, which made more room in the mouth, 
and reminded one somewhat of the dilatable pouch affixed 
to the lower mandible of a pelican. This pouch being partly 
transparent as well as a portion of the head near to it, | was 
enabled to see fairly well right into the mouth-cavity. 
* Poiss. du Bassin du Congo, p. 394. 
