SYNODONTIS. 



The young specimens from Bangi, Upper Ubanghi, mentioned by Vaillant as possibly 

 referable to this species, probably belong to S. vaillanti, Blgr. 



According to Mr. Loat, this fish is known as " AV see-see " or " See-see " (^-^ s-> ! ) at 

 Omdurman, "Abu see baler " [aU-. yl) on the Blue Nile. 



11. SYNODONTIS CLABIAS. 

 (Plate LXXIII.) 



Silurus clarias, Linnaeus, in Hasselquist, Reise Pala&st. p. 412 (1762), and Syst. Nat. i. p. 504, part. 



(1766). 

 Silurus callarias, part., Bloch- Schneider, Syst. Iclitli. p. 379 (1801). 

 Pimelodus synodontis, Greoffroy, Descr. Egypte, Poiss. pi. xii. figs. 5 & 6 (1809). 

 Synodontis macrodon, I. Greoffroy, op. cit. p. 295 (1827) ; Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Poiss. xv. 



p. 252 (1840) ; Gunther, Cat. Fish. v. p. 211 (1864), and Petherick's Trav. ii. p. 234 (1869). 

 Synodontis clarias, Ptiippell, Beschr. n. Fische Nil, p. 5 (1829) ; Vaillant, N. Arch. Mus. (3) viii. 



1896, p. 102. 



Body strongly compressed, its depth three and two-thirds to four and one-third 

 times in the total length, the length of the head three to three and a half times. Head 

 once and two-fifths to once and two-thirds as long as broad, a little deeper than broad, 

 rugose, granulate above from between the eyes, the granulate area sometimes extending 

 a little on the snout ; frontal fontanelle narrow ; snout pointed, as long as or longer 

 than the postocular part of the head ; eye lateral or nearly so, four and a half 

 (young) to six times in the length of the head, once and four-fifths to three times in 

 the width of the interorbital region, which is convex ; occiput simply convex. Mouth 

 narrow, with strongly developed lips, forming a large lobe on each side ; praemaxillary 

 teeth few, in one, two, or three series, sometimes with a few minute ones behind ; 

 movable mandibular teeth two-thirds to once the diameter of the eye, 6 to 9 in 

 number. Maxillary barbel with a distinct marginal membrane at the base and with 

 long, slender, finely tuberculate branches, its length three-fifths to nearly once that of 

 the head; mandibular barbels with long, tuberculate branches, the outer inserted 

 further back than and once and one-third as long as the inner. Gill-opening not 

 extending downwards beyond the root of the pectoral fin. Occipito-nuchal shield 

 rough like the occiput, obtusely tectiform, once and two-thirds to twice as long as 

 broad, the posterior processes obtuse or truncate. Humeral process subtriangular, flat, 

 granulate, not extending as far back as the occipito-nuchal process. Skin smooth, not 

 villose. Dorsal fin with I 7 rays ; the spine strong, strongly curved, more or less 

 distinctly finely serrated in front in its basal half, strongly serrated behind, as long as 

 or longer than the head, the soft terminal part produced into a short filament. Adipose 



3c 



