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XXXI. — Description of Calamoichthys, a new Genus of Ganoid Fish from Old 

 Calabar, Western Africa ; forming an addition to the Family Polypterini. By 

 John Alexander Smtth, M.D., F.R.C.P.E , F.R.S.E. (Plates XXXI. and 

 XXXII.) 



(Read 16th April 1866.) 



In the beginning of the year 1865, I received from the Rev. Alexander 

 Robb, one of the missionaries of the United Presbyterian Church, residing at 

 Creek Town, Old Calabar, Western Africa, a package containing some zoological 

 specimens; preserved in spirits; and in a letter dated 28th October 1864, referring 

 to its contents, he states, there "are also two or three small eel-like fishes." 

 Some time passed before I was able carefully to examine the package, and 

 I was then at once attracted by these small fish, which I saw belonged to the 

 very distinct and interesting Order of the Ganoid fishes, so abundant in a fossil 

 state in the rocks of our earlier geological epochs, but of which so few represen- 

 tatives are now to be found as living inhabitants of the present waters of 

 our globe. 



The specimens of the fish sent were unfortunately very imperfect, the body of 

 each having been torn across, apparently about the anal region, towards its caudal 

 extremity, which was wanting ; so that some of the characteristic details of the 

 fish could not be ascertained. 



The fish seemed to be closely allied to the genus Polypterus, first described 

 in 1802 by Geoffroy-St-Hillaire. The genus Polypterus is believed to be the 

 only living representative of a very ancient group of Ganoid fishes, included 

 by Professor Huxley in his Suborder Crossopterygid^s, whose fossil remains 

 are principally found in the Palseozoic rocks ; and some of the Families of the 

 group, to which, indeed, Polypterus seems most nearly allied, belong exclusively 

 to rocks of the Old Red Sandstone or Devonian age. 



I may remark in passing, that the true Ganoids (whose bodies are completely 

 covered with Ganoid scales) of the present day, appear to be all inhabitants 

 of the fresh waters of the globe. The various species of the genus Polypterus 

 are found in the great rivers of the African Continent, and all the species of the 

 other allied genera — those of Lepidosteus and Amia — inhabit the fresh waters 

 of North and South America. While of the other Ganoids (whose bodies are 

 only partially covered with ganoid scutes or plates), one genus, Scaphirhynchus, 

 is found in the rivers of North America; and another, the genus Accipenser, 

 the Sturgeon, inhabits the salt waters of the globe, and seems only at particular 

 times to ascend the fresh waters or rivers. It would be an interesting subject 

 vol. xxiv. part ii. 6 H 



