u POLTPTERIDJE. 



B. 52-61 scales along the body. 32-40 round the middle ; interorbital 

 region convex, not more than 2 diameters of eye. 



1. Pectoral reaching or nearly reaching first dorsal spine. 

 1). X-XI ; 56 scales in longitudinal series, 38 



round middle of body, 14-17 between occiput 



and first dorsal spine "I. P. delhezi, Blgr., p. 13. 



2. Pectoral widely separated from first dorsal spine. 

 D. VIII-XI ; 53-61 scales in longitudinal series, 



34-40 round middle of body, 15-20 between 



occiput and first dorsal spine 8. P. senegalus, Cuv., p. 14. 



1). Y— IX ; 52-56 scales in longitudinal series, 



36-10 round middle of body, 23-26 between 



occiput and first dorsal spine 9. P. palmas, Ayres, p. 16. 



D. VI— VII; 58-59 scales in longitudinal series, 



32—36 round middle of body, 35-37 between 



occiput and first dorsal spine 10. P. retrojAnnis, Vaill., p. 17. 



1. POLYPTERUS BIOHIR. 



Geoffr. Ann. du Mns. i. 1802, p. 57, pi. v., and Descr. Egypte, Poiss. p. 4, 

 pi. iii. (1809) ; Guichen. Mag. Zool. 1839, Poiss. p. 10 ; Giinth. Petherick's 

 Trav. ii. p. 267 (1869) ; A. Dum. Hist. Poiss. ii. p. 391, pi. xxiii. fig. 1 

 (1870) ; Sehweinf. Herz. Afr. i. p. 253, fig. (1874) ; Steind. Denkschr. Ak. 

 Wien, xliv. 1882, p. 52, pis. viii. & ix. fig. 1 ; Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. 

 (7; ii. 1898, p. 417 ; S. Flower, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1900, p. 968 ; Werner, 

 Zool. Jahrb., Syst. xxi. 1904, p. 271, and Sitzb. Ak. Wien, cxv.i. 1906, p. 1118 ;. 

 Bouleng. Fish. Nile, p. 5, pi. i. (1907). 



Polypterus bichir, part., Giinth. Cat. Fish. viii. p. 326 (1870). 



Head twice or nearly twice as Ions; as broad, rather strongly flattened, 

 its length 4| to 5§ times in total length, with supero-lateral eyes and 

 slightly convex interorbital region; lower jaw projecting slightly beyond 

 upper ; length of snout 5 to 7 times in length of the head ; eye 8^ 

 (\oung) to 13 times in length of the head, 1§ (young) to 2-f times in inter- 

 ocular width ; latter less than distance between eye and spiracle ; nasal 

 bones in contact on the median line in the adult ; a series of 4 to 7 

 shields between postorbital and spiracular shields ; suboperculum much 

 larger than eye. Dorsal fin with XIV-XVIIl spines ; spines over- 

 lapping when folded down. Anal 11-15. Pectoral reaching beyond 

 vertical of first dorsal spine. 63-70 scales in a longitudinal series, 

 11-15 between occiput and first dorsal spine, 46-54 round middle of 

 body. Greyish or greenish olive above, the young with 10-13 cross-bars 

 on the back and 2 or 3 stripes along (he sides of a darker shade, these 



