OF PISHES FROM LAKE TANGANYIKA. 5-L7 



that lake, I had suggested might be the Cyprinodont Haplochihis tanganicanus. 

 Whether the statement of the natives that it carries its eggs in its mouth is true or is 

 based on confusion with some other fish cannot at present be decided ; but the material 

 at hand offers no evidence in its favour. 



Stanley (' How I found Livingtone,' p. 530) also speaks of it as the Dogara, a species 

 of whitebait, which is caught in great nets by the thousand and spread out in the sun 

 to dry, and exported, salted, even as far as Unyanyembe. 



The Clupeids are represented in the fresh waters of tropical Africa by three closely 

 related genera : Pellomda Gthr., Odaxothrissa Blgr., and Microthrissa Blgr. Of the 

 first, to which the Tanganyika fish belongs, two species only were known, inhabiting 

 West Africa and the Congo. The principal characters distinguishing the three species 

 with which we are now acquainted are contrasted in the following " key " : — 



I. Dorsal 15-17, originating at equal distance from end of snout and from base of caudal fin, or 



a little nearer the latter; lower jaw projecting beyond the upper. 

 Depth of body not more than 4 times in total length ; keeled ventral scutes 



13-15 + 9-10; anal originating a short distance behind vertical of dorsal. P. vorax Gthr. 

 Depth of body4§ to oi times in total length ; keeled ventral scutes 19-20 + 



10-11 ; anal originating a long way behind dorsal P. miodon Blgr. 



II. Dorsal 13-14, originating much nearer end of snout than base of 



caudal fiu ; upper jaw projecting beyond the lower ; keeled ventral 



scutes 12-13 4-12; anal originating a long way behind dorsal . . . P. acutirostris Blgr. 



ChaRACINIDjB. 



6. Hydrocton lineatus Blkr. 

 Kituta. Native name : Sokonto. 



7. Alestes mackophthalmus Gthr. 



Several specimens from Niamkolo, Mtondwe Bay, and Kituta. Native names: 

 Manji, Mianga, and Mowansi. Grows to a length of 560 millim. 



8. Alestes ehodopleura, sp. n. (Plate XXX. fig. 3.) 



Depth of body 4 times in total length, length of head 4 to i\ times. Head longer 

 than deep, nearly twice as long as broad, its width much less than its length to 

 the occiput; snout rounded, feebly projecting beyond the lower jaw, once and \ 

 diameter of eye, which is 4 times in length of head ; adipose eyelid very short ; 

 interorbital width nearly half length of head ; maxillary not extending to below anterior 

 border of eye ; 18 teeth in the upper jaw, 8 in the outer row of the lower jaw ; length 

 of lower border of second suborbital equal to or a little more than diameter of eye. 



4d2 



