BAEBITS. 239 



Riippell, and described under two different names, with the remark that the distinction 

 is not recognized by the natives, who designate both forms as " Gorguari." The series 

 of sixteen specimens brought home by Mr. Degen justifies, in my opinion, the view of 

 the Abyssinian fishermen. Mr. Degen's fishes were obtained at Zegi and Bahardar in 

 May and June 1902, and a native boy who caught one of them gave it the name of 

 " Wuscabash " or " Wuscafash" Other specimens were called " Affiacul" and the red 

 ones " Assa JBaria" (= Slave of Fish). These " Assa Baria" are prized for their 

 medicinal properties, poultices made of the fish's liver being applied as a remedy for 

 ophthalmia. 



Barhts gorguari can only be confounded with B. intermedins and B. platystomus. 

 It differs from the former in the larger terminal mouth, from the latter in the longer 

 head, which at least equals the depth of the body, and in the shorter barbels. 



20. BARBUS NUMMIFER. 



(Plate XLVI. fig. 1.) 



Boulenger, Ann. & Mag. N. H. (7) xiii. 1904, p. 449. 



Depth of body three and a half to four times in the total length, length of head 

 four and one-third to four and a half times. Snout rounded, as long as the eye, the 

 diameter of which is three and two-thirds to four times in the length of the head ; 

 interorbital width twice and one-third to twice and two-thirds in the length of the head ; 

 mouth slightly inferior, with feebly developed lips, interrupted on the chin; barbels 

 two on each side, anterior as long as the eye or a little shorter, posterior measuring 

 one and one-fourth to one and one-half diameters of eye, the distance between them about 

 half diameter of eye. Dorsal fin with III 8 rays, last simple ray very strong, bony, not 

 serrated, nearly straight, as long as the head; free edge of the fin emarginate ; its 

 distance from the occiput much less than its distance from the caudal fin. Anal fin with 

 III 5 rays, longest ray three-fifths to two-thirds length of head. Pectoral fin acutely 

 pointed, a little shorter than the head, not reaching the ventral ; latter below origin of 

 dorsal. Caudal fin deeply forked. Caudal peduncle once and two-thirds to twice as 

 long as deep. Scales with numerous radiating striae, 36-39 %^ 5 4 between lateral 

 line and ventral fin, 16 or 18 round caudal peduncle. 



The colour, in spirit, is olive-brown above, silvery below, the fins whitish ; a series 

 of three to six round blackish spots, the last or last two on the caudal peduncle and 

 traversed by the lateral line, the others just above the lateral line. Mr. Degen has 

 noted that the dorsal fin is scarlet, the pectorals are tinged with red, the ventrals and 

 anal are yellow, and the iris is of a pure white. 



Total length 130 millimetres. 



