174 CKOMEElIDJi.— CHAEACINID.E. 



ventral. Caudal forked, with a deep crescentic notch, the lubes 

 pointed. Caudal peduncle 1^ to If times as long as deep, with a 

 fold of skin above and below, extending from caudal nearly to dorsal 

 and anal fins. Colourless, except a bright yellow stripe dotted with 

 black along the dorsal line and the lower edge of the caudal peduncle, 

 and a blackish line along each side of the caudal peduncle. 



Total length 32 millim. 



White Nile. 



1-6. Types. Fashoda. L. Loat, Esq. (C). 



7-13. Types. Lake No. „ 



Suborder II. OSTAEIOPHYSI. 



Air-bladder, if well developed, communicating with the digestive 

 tract by a duct. Pectoral arch suspended from the skull; mesocoracoid 

 arch present. Fins without spines, or dorsal and pectoral with a single 

 spine formed by the ossification of an articulated ray. The four anterior 

 vertebrae strongly modified, often co-ossified and bearing a chain of 

 small bones (so-called Weberian ossicles) connecting the air-bladder 

 with the ear. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



Mouth not protractile, usually toothed ; pharyngeal bones 

 normal ; body usually scaly ; an adipose dorsal fin 

 often present 1. Characinid.e. 



Mouth more or less protractile, toothless ; lower pharyngeal 



bones large, falciform ; no adipose dorsal fin 2. Cyprinid^j. 



Mouth not protractile, usually toothed ; pharyngeal bones 

 normal ; body naked or with bony scutes ; an adipose 

 dorsal fin often present 3. Silurid^e. 



Fam. 1. CHARAC1NID.E. 



Mouth non-protractile, usually bordered by the prsemaxillaries and 

 the maxillaries, rarely by the preemaxillaries only ; jaws toothed *. 

 Parietal bones united in a sagittal suture or separated by a fontanelle ; 

 opercular bones well developed ; symplectic present. Pharyngeal boues 

 normal, with small teeth. Branchiostegal rays few (3 to 5). Ribs 

 mostly sessile ; no parapophyses in the thoracic region ; epipleurals 



* Exceptions iu America. 



