340 



SILUEID^E. 



rounded, as long as broad or broader than long, in contact with or narrowly separated 

 from a large, granulate interneural shield ; snout pointed, measuring half, or slightly 

 more than half, the length of the head (measured to the base of the occipital process) ; 

 eye superolateral, its diameter twice and a half (young) to four and a half times in the 

 length of the snout, five (young) to eight and a half times in the length of the head, 

 once and two-thirds (young) to three times in the interorbital width ; mouth small, 

 nearly terminal, with thick papillose lips ; praemaxillary teeth in two small, oval or 

 pyriform longitudinal groups, close together, Maxillary barbel five-ninths to four- 

 fifths the length of the head, reaching more or less behind the posterior border of the 

 eye ; outer mandibular barbel as long as or a little longer than the maxillary, more 

 than twice as long as the inner mandibular, which is inserted on the lower lip. Gill- 

 rakers rather long and widely set, 9 to 11 on lower part of anterior arch. Humeral 

 process small, acutely pointed, granulate. Dorsal fin with I 7 rays ; spine strong, with 

 granular asperities in front, half to three-fifths the length of the head. Adipose dorsal 

 fin twice and a half to three times as long as deep, twice to twice and one-third as long 

 as the rayed dorsal, from which it is separated by a space equal to one-fifth to one- 

 third of its own length, extending nearly to the root of the caudal fin. Anal fin with 

 10 to 12 rays, 6 or 7 of which are branched. Pectoral fin reaching or nearly reaching 

 the ventral, the spine very strong, granulate on the outer side, with 10 (young) to 

 20 strong seme on the inner side. Ventral fin equally distant from the anterior or 

 the posterior border of the eye and from the root of the caudal fin, reaching, or nearly 

 reaching, the anal fin. Caudal fin rounded, obliquely truncate, or feebly emarginate. 



Brown, olive, or dark green, uniform or with small round blackish spots, which may 

 be numerous or few and scattered, or confined to the fins ; the spots smallest, and 

 often mere dots, on the rayed fins ; the spots on the body large in the very young. 

 Lower parts white. Mr. Loat notes that the barbels and mouth are oranp-e, the iris 

 dark brown, with a light bronze ring surrounding the pupil. 



Total length 250 millimetres. 



This species was founded on a specimen from the Lower Nile, where the fish 

 must be very rare, since Mr. Loat did not succeed in observing any examples ; the 

 specimen figured by Kifaud was obtained in Upper Egypt. The fish was found by 

 Mr. Loat in the White Nile and in the Bahr-el-Gebel, and by the late Mr. Budgett in 

 the Niger. 



I have examined the following specimens : — 



2 Goz abu Gumah, White Nile.— Loat, 7.1.01. 



49 Fashoda.— Loat, 19.1-23.3.01. 



1 Tonga.— Loat, 21.1.01. 



1 Mouth o£ Lake No.— Loat, 1 .2.01. 



30 Gondokoro.— Loat, 15.1-19.3.02. 



1 Mureji, N. Nigeria.— Budgett, 1903. 



