MICEALESTES. 133 



fin small, once and a half to twice as far from the rayed dorsal as from the root of the 

 caudal. Anal fin with III 14-16 rays, which are much shorter in the females than in 

 the males, the anterior half having a very convex border in the latter. Pectoral fin as 

 long as or a little shorter than the head, not reaching the ventral; latter shorter. 

 Caudal fin deeply forked, the lobes pointed. Caudal peduncle as long as deep or 

 slightly longer than deep. Scales with one or two longitudinal canals, 23-28 ^i, 1J 

 or 2 between the lateral line and the root of the caudal. 



Yellowish (in spirit) with a broad silvery lateral band, often edged with blackish ; 

 fins white, transparent, the dorsal often with a blackish spot at the tip. 



Out of thirty-five specimens from the Nile in which the rays and scales have been 

 counted, fifteen have 14 branched rays in the anal, ten have 15, and ten have 16 ; two 

 have 23 scales in the lateral line, five have 24, six have 25, ten have 26, nine have 27, 

 and three have 28. 



This species does not appear to exceed a length of 65 millimetres. The largest 

 specimen from the Nile measures only 50. 



Until quite lately M. acutidens was known only from the Zambesi and its affluents, 

 where it was discovered by the late Professor Peters, during his expedition to Mozam- 

 bique, in 1842-1848 *. But it has now been found in the Ubanghi, in the Niger, in 

 the Omo River, and in the Nile from Luxor to Gondokoro. 



I have examined specimens from the following localities : — 



2 At a regulator near Luxor. — Loat, 10-11.00. 



17 Between Luxor and Assuan. — Loat, 9-10.00. 



2 Assuan. — Loat, 9.1.00. 



1 Wady Haifa.— Loat, 23.2.00. 



2 Omdurman. — Loat, 5.01. 



2 In a kore at Fashoda. — Loat, 14-31,3.01. 



48 Lake No.— Loat, 2-3.01. 



60 Gondokoro.— Loat, 14.1.02-12.2.02. 



2 Omo River. — O. Neumann, 1901. 



25 Jebba, Upper Niger.— Dr. C. Christy, 1898. 



2 Agberi, Lower Niger. — Dr. Ansorge, 1902. 



1 Banzyville, Ubanghi. — Capt. Royaux, 1901. 



2 Zambesi.— Peters, 1848. (Types.) 



* As I have pointed out elsewhere, the specimen from the Rovuma River, referred to this species by 

 Giinther in the British Museum Catalogue, is a young Alestes imberi, Peters. 



