1904.] NEW FISHES FROM THE NIGER. 199 



Synodontis resupinatus. (Plate YIII.) 



Depth of body twice and i in total length, length of head 

 4 times. Snout rounded, smooth, as long as the postocular part 

 of the head ; interorbital region very convex, feebly granular, its 

 width ^ length of head ; eye supero-lateral, its diameter 4 times 

 in length of head ; maxillaiy bai-bel slightly longer than the head, 

 its basal third with a broad fringe and short obtuse branches, 

 some of which are knob-like ; mandibular barbels with long, 

 arborescent branches ; outer mandibular barbel | length of head, 

 inner ^ ; lips strongly developed. Praemaxillary teeth very small, 

 villif orm, forming a broad band ; outer mandibular teeth about one- 

 fourth the diameter of the eye, about 60 in number. Occipito- 

 nuchal shield obtusely tectif orm, finely granulate like the back of the 

 skull, with obtuse posteilor processes. Gill-opening not extending 

 below beyond the level of the pectoral spine. Humeral process 

 not keeled, obtusely pointed, finely granulate, not extending quite 

 so far back as the nuchal process. Dorsal fin 17; spine as long 

 as the head, striated, not serrated, with a very long filamentous 

 prolongation. Adipose fiii twice and | as long as deep, com- 

 mencing immediately behind the rayed dorsal. Anal fin TV 8, 

 pointed. Pectoral spine as long as the head, stria,ted, feebly 

 serrated on outer edge, strongly on inner, not quite reaching the 

 ventral fin. Latter extending to origin of anal. Upper caudal 

 lobe much produced. Skin smooth, not villose. Pale greyish 

 brown above and on the sides, black beneath ; fins grey ; barbels 

 whitish. 



Total length 260 millim. 



This very remarkable species, of which a single specimen was 

 obtained at Lokoja, Noi-thei-n Nigeria, agrees with S. memhra- 

 nacei'.s Geoffr. and ^S'. hatensoda RUpp., in having the lower pa.rts 

 darker than the upper ; but it differs from them, as well as from 

 all other species, in having short branches on the maxillai-y l^arbels 

 in addition to the fringe. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



Plate VII. 



Fig. 1. Marcusenius hudgetti, p. 197. f nat. size. 

 2. Gnatlionemus gilli, p. 198. ^ nat. size. 



PXATE VIII. 

 Si/nodontis resupinatus, p. 199. ^ nat. size; with view of open mouth, nat. size. 



