126 



CIIARACIMD^. 



1 Warri, Old Calabar.— Miss Kingsley, 1895. 



1 Eg Wanga, Old Calabar.— Miss Kingsley, 1895. 



1 Old Calabar.— Dr. Jackson, 1905. 



1 Meme R., Cameroon. — Gr. Linnell, 1902. 



Although this species was established by Eiippell on a single specimen obtained 

 on the Cairo market in March 1831, it must be extremely rare in Lower Egypt, 

 the northernmost specimens procured by Mr. Loat being from Girgeh. Mr. Loat 

 collected specimens all along the Nile from Girgeh to Omdurman, in the Blue Nile, 

 and in the White Nile as far south as Gondokoro. Great quantities were observed at 

 Luxor and between Luxor and Assuan. Mr. Loat observes :— " This species I found 

 in enormous numbers both below and above, and in the quiet pools, in the cataract 

 between Shellal and Assuan. From the end of July to the middle of September they 

 were most numerous, and after that began to decrease. According to the fishermen, 

 this species was far less common in preceding years, but always plentiful at that time of 

 year at and below Assuan, while above and in the cataract country by no means common 

 until the present year. About a couple of miles North of Assuan, where the water was 

 shallow close to the bank and with not much current, the river seemed alive with 

 them, leaping out of the water hundreds at a time, most likely being pursued by some 

 large fish such as the < Samoose,' which lives chiefly on small fish ; even when the 

 boat went through the shallow water a dozen or so leapt on board. The greater 

 proportion of these fish were 3 to 4 inches long." 



The following native names have been noted by Mr. Loat: — " Sardeena" (<u>^), at 

 Assuan; " kellud filcliie" (*$*& ^K), in Nubia; " abu MrSra " or hSrSra " (Y^a ^), 

 at Omdurman ; " baramoza " (*jy*j>), at Girgeh, a name which, according to cle Joannis, 

 is also applied to the Alestes named by him A. baremose ; " har'mel" (J^), on the 

 Blue Nile. 



According to Ruppell, the native name at Cairo is "Nurse." 



Alestes senegalensis, Stdr., from the Senegal, is barely separable from A. nurse. As 

 pointed out by Steindachner, it may be distinguished from young specimens of A. nurse 

 which occur along with it by the shorter head and body, 14 to 16 branched rays in the 

 anal fin, and by the colour of the anal and caudal fins, which are yellow, not red. 

 But, then, as pointed out above, the anal and caudal fins may also be yellow in Nile 

 specimens, if the identification of de Joannis's Myletes guile with Alestes nurse 

 is correct. 



