16 



POLYPTEEID.E. 



9. POLYPTERUS PALMAS. 



Ayres, Proc. Bost. Soc. N. H. iii. 1850, p. 181, and Bost, Journ. N. H. vi. 1850, 



p. 241, pi. vi. ; Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (5) xix. 1887, p. 148 ; Steind. 



Notes Leyd. Mus. xvi. 1894, p. 92 ; Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (6) xvii. 



1896, p. 310, (7) ii. 1898, p. 420, Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 25 (1901), Ann. Mus. 



Congo, Zool. ii. p. 19 (1902), and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1902, ii. p. 125, pi. xi. fig. 4. 

 Polypterus bichir, part., Giinth. Cat. Fish. viii. p. 327 (1870). 

 Polypterus buttihoferi, Steind. Notes Leyd. Mus. xiii. 1891, p. 179. 



Body feebly depressed, subcylindrical. Head If to 2 times as long 

 as broad, 4^ to 5§ times in total length, with lateral eyes and convex 

 interorbital region ; snout projecting beyond lower jaw ; eye 5 (young) 

 to 7 times in length of head, 1 to 2 times in interorbital width ; head- 

 shields all paired ; a series of 2 to 4 shields between postorbital and 

 spiracular shields ; suboperculum not larger than eye. Dorsal with 

 V-IX spines, anterior widely separated when folded. Anal 12-15. 

 Pectoral widely separated from first dorsal spine. 52-56 scales in a 

 longitudinal series, 23-26 between occiput and first dorsal spine, 36-40 



Fig. 11. 



Polypterus palmas. 

 Type, after Ayres (Bost. Jouru. 1850). ^. 



round middle of body. Greyish or brownish above, yellowish beneath ; 

 young with numerous dark bars on the back and marblings, or a dark 

 network enclosing round yellowish spots, on the sides ; these markings 

 may become indistinct, in the adult; fins spotted or mottled with 

 blackish ; a more or less distinct large oval blackish spot on the 

 muscular part of the pectoral fin. 



Total length 300 millim. 



Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo. — Type in Boston Museum. 



1. Ad. 



2. Hgr. 



3. 4, 5-7. Ad. & yg. 



8. Ad., skel. 



9. Ad. 

 10. A.I. 



Sierra Leone. 

 Lower Congo. 

 Monsembe, Upper Congo. 

 Bolobo, „ 



Stanley Falls. 

 Upper Congo. 



M. P. Hens (C). 

 Rev. J. H. Weeks (P.). 

 Rev. G. Grenfell (P.). 

 Rev. W. H. Bentley (C). 

 Brussels University. 



