14 polypteeim:. 



Of all the species of JPolypterus, P. senegalus is the most widely distributed, and 

 wherever found always appears in greater number than its congeners. It is on record 

 from the White Nile, southwards to Lake Albert, from Lake Rudolf, Lake Chad, the 

 Senegal, the Gambia, and the Niger. It appears to be absent from Lake Victoria. 

 List of specimens examined : — • 



5 Khartum.-— Petherick, 1863. 



10 Goz abu Gumah, White Nile. — Loat, 7.1.01. 



4 Kaka, White Nile.— Loat, 17.4.01. 



126 Gharb-el-Aish, White Nile.— Loat, 5-14.4.01. 



103 Fashoda, White Nile.— Loat, 14-31.3.01. 



1 Tewfikyeh, White Nile.— Loat, 13.3.01. 



3 Tonga, White Nile.— Loat, 24-25.1.01. 



3 Polkom, Baro R (Sobat).— Zaphiro, 4.04. 

 1 Bahr-el-ZaraL— Capt. Flower, 3.00. 



4 Mouth of Lake No.— Loat, 7-9.2.01, 4.3.01. 



1 Bahr-el-Ghazal.— Gapt. Flower, 3.00. 



2 Bahr-el-Gebel.— Capt. Flower, 3-8.4.00. 

 1 Kerro, Bahr-el-Gebel.— Loat, 26.2.01. 



18 Gondokoro.— Loat, 16.2.02-11.3.02. 



1 Tsutyaba, Lake Albert.— Budgett, 8.8.02. 



5 Galeba, N.E. end of Lake Kudolf.— Zaphiro, 8.7.05. 

 1 L. Chad.— Capt. Gosling, 1905. 



1 Senegal. 



3 Kaedi, Senegal.— Delhez, 1900. 



1 McCarthy Id., Gambia.— Budgett, 1899. 



3 Gambia. 



5 Niger. 



6 Niger.— W. A. Forbes, 1883. 



1 Mureji, Upper Niger.— Budgett, 1903. 



6 Abo, Lower Niger. — Dr. Ansorge, 1901. 



2 Assay, Lower Niger. — Dr. Ansorge, 1901. 



3 Assay, Lower Niger. — Budgett, 1903. 



Of these three hundred and twenty specimens, nine have 8 spines in the dorsal fin, 

 one hundred and seventy-four have 9, one hundred and thirty-four have 10, and three 

 have 11. 



P. palmas, Ayres, from West Africa (Liberia, Cape Palmas, Sierra Leone) and the 

 Congo, is very closely allied to P. senegalus, but differs in having the dorsal spines 

 smaller and fewer, 5 to 8, 23 to 26 series of scales between the occiput and the first 

 dorsal spine, and the coloration not uniform, the fins at least being more or less 

 distinctly spotted, and a large oval black spot being present on the muscular part of 

 the pectoral fin. 



