118 CHAEACINIDjE. 



lower; lower border of the second suborbital longer than the eye in the adult. 

 Gill-rakers rather long and slender, closely set, 30 to 38 on the lower part of the 

 anterior arch. Dorsal fin with II 8 rays, equidistant from the vertical of the last ray 

 of the ventral and the first of the anal, or a little nearer the latter, equally distant 

 from the eye or the occiput and from the root of the caudal fin ; first branched ray 

 longest, as long as or a little longer or a little shorter than the head. Adipose fin 

 small, twice and a half to three times as far from the rayed dorsal as from the root 

 of the caudal. Anal fin with III 22-27 rays (usually 24-27), its base at least as long 

 as the head and usually longer in the adult; anterior rays longest, one-half to two- 

 thirds the length of the head ; the rays in the anterior half of the fin longer in males 

 than in females, the fin having a more convex border. Pectoral fin as long as or a 

 little shorter than the head, widely separated from the ventral; latter shorter. 

 Caudal fin deeply forked, the lobes pointed. Caudal peduncle once and a half to 

 twice as long as deep. Scales with fine granulations and feeble radiating canals, 45 

 to 50 — -, li or 2 between the lateral line and the root of the caudal fin. 



The coloration is the same as in A. dentex. 



The largest specimen measures 310 millim. 



As in A. dentex, the elongation of the body varies considerably according to the 

 specimens. Out of fifty specimens in which the fin-rays and scales have been counted, 

 three have 22 branched rays in the anal, one has 23, six have 24, fifteen have 25, 

 twelve have 26, and thirteen have 27 ; two have 45 scales in the lateral line, six have 

 46, ten have 47, twelve have 48, ten have 49, and ten have 50. 



A. baremose is very closely allied to A. dentex, and the two species may easily be 

 confounded at first sight. But the former differs from the latter constantly in the 

 dorsal fin being inserted further back from the vertical of the ventrals, and in the 

 more numerous gill-rakers ; the anal fin is usually longer and the interorbital region 

 usually narrower in the former. 



Alestes baremose inhabits the Nile proper, the Blue and the White Nile, Lake Chad, 

 the Senegal, the Gambia, and the Niger. Specimens were obtained in Lake Rudolf by 

 Capt. V. Bottego, and have been referred with doubt to this species by Dr. Vinciguerra, 

 whose notes, however, seem to indicate that his identification is perfectly correct. 



List of specimens examined : — 



3 Nile. — Sir J. Burton. 



1 Nile.— Rev. 0. Pickard Cambridge, 1864. 



4 Lower Nile.— Petherick, 1861. 



2 Freshwater pool at Ghet-el-Nassara, L. Menzaleh. — Loat, 11.6.99. 



1 Samammd.— Loat, 23.7.99. 



32 Rosetta branch of Nile, downstream side of Barrage. — Loat, 28.7.99-3.8.99. 



2 Nile at Cairo.— Loat, 24.6.00. 

 15 Beni Souef.— Loat, 13-30.8.99. 



