342 siltjeim:. 



the young than in the adult, which have a fine serration on the outer edge. Ventral 

 fin much nearer the root of the caudal fin than the end of the snout. Caudal fin 

 deeply forked, the lobes acutely pointed in the young, more obtusely, or even rounded 

 in the adult. Caudal peduncle as long as deep or a little longer than deep. Tubes of 

 the lateral line strongly branched. 



Brown above, silvery white below ; a blackish spot above the humeral process ; a 

 brown or blackish band on each lobe of the caudal fin. A coloured sketch of an adult 

 specimen, made by P. Delhez at St. Louis, Senegal, represents the rays of the first 

 dorsal as reddish, the ventral and anal fins and the upper half of the adipose fin 

 orange, the pectoral and caudal fins bright reel; the inis violet. 



The largest specimen in the British Museum measures 570 millimetres. But the 

 species grows to an even greater size, 800 millimetres being the length of a specimen 

 observed by Mr. Loat at Fashoda. 



This species was first described from a quite young specimen obtained by Ruppell 

 near Cairo early in the last century, but its occurrence in the Lower Nile must be very 

 exceptional. As observed by Gunther, such a specimen may have been carried down, 

 accidentally, towards the mouth of the river. One young specimen was obtained by 

 Mr. Loat between Luxor and Assuan. The real home of the fish is in the White Nile, 

 the Blue Nile, and the Bahr-el-Gebel ; also the Webi Shebeli, Tana and Ganana Bivers 

 in East Africa, Lake Chad, the Senegal, and the Niger. In the Senegal it is quite 

 common in brackish water at the, mouth of the river. 



List of specimens examined : — 



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



4 Khartum.— Petherick, 1861. 



1 Omdurman. — Loat, 13.5.01. 



3 Wad Medine, Blue Nile.— Loat, 5-8.10.01. 



1 Bosaires, Blue Nile. — Capt. Flower, 6.05. 



2 Mangara, White Nile.— Loat, 2.1.01. 



3 Kawa, White Nile.— Loat, 5.1.01. 



2 Nur-ed-Dain, White Nile.— Loat, 6.1.01. 



10 Goz abu Gumah, White Nile.— Loat, 7.1-1.5.01. 



1 Jebelain, White Nile.— Loat, 9.1.01. 



1 Gharb-el-Aish, White Nile.— Loat, 17.1.01. 

 8 Fashoda, in a kore. — Loat, 14-31.3.01. 



2 Gondokoro.— Loat, 17.2-4.3.02. 



2 Ngatana, Tana Biver.— Dr. J. W. Gregory, 1893. 

 1 (Head only.) Lake Chad.— Capt. Gosling, 1904. 

 1 St. Louis, Senegal.— Delhez, 1899. 



3 Kaedi, Senegal.— Delhez, 1899. 

 1 Niger.— Dalton, 1863. 



1 Niger.— W. A. Forbes, 1883. 



