ABROSTOMUS CAPENSIS— Smith. 



Pisces.— Plate XII.— No. 2. 



A. capite supra dorsoque purpureo-brunneis ; lateribus eisdem sed pallidioribus griseo-nebulatis; lateribus, 

 infra lineam lateralem, pallide flavis punctis brunneis variegatis; capitis lateribus, labiis, cirrisque 

 flavis purpureo-tinctis ; pinnis subflavis plus minusve griseo-umbratis ; oculis flavis brunneo-aurantio- 

 umbratis. 



Longitudo ab nasi apice ad extremitatem pumas caudalis, 9 unc. 



Colour. — The upper surface of the head and the back a tint intermediate 

 between brownish purple-red and deep reddish orange (lavender brown 

 mellowed with orange) ; the sides above the lateral line a paler tint of the 

 same colour, with reflections of a greyish tint. Below the lateral line the 

 colour is pale straw-yellow, and as above the line, is delicately variegated 

 with numerous minute dots of a dull chocolate-red. The sides of the head, 

 including the gill-covers, lips and cirri, pale straw-yellow, shaded with lilac- 

 purple, aurora-red, and pale Dutch orange. Pectoral fins pale sienna-yellow, 

 which fades towards their points into yellowish-white, the other fins wine- 

 yellow, tinted with yellowish-grey, the rays, in all, lightest. Eyes gamboge- 

 yellow, shaded with brownish-orange. 



Form, &c. — Figure oblong ovate ; the dorsal and abdominal outlines with 

 nearly the same degree of curvature, which, in both, is slight ; snout full and 

 soft ; top of the head slightly arched ; suboperculum and interoperculum nar- 

 row ; the hindermost nasal opening the largest ; cirri about 4 lines in length ; 

 intermaxillary bones extensible. Scales rather small, considering the size of 

 the fish and the family (Cyprinidce) to which it belongs, their outer surface pos- 

 teriorly rugose from a number of fine radiating stria. The lateral line com- 

 mences near the upper extremity of gill-covers, and terminates at the middle 

 of the base of the caudal fin, its course near its commencement is slightly 

 deflexed, but on reaching the point below the commencement of the dorsal 

 fin its direction is nearly in a straight line. The commencement of the 

 dorsal fin is a little in front of the pectoral fins, and nearly midway between 

 the snout and base of the caudal fin ; the first and second rays of the dorsal 

 and anal fins hard, the others soft, and towards their points divided, the first 



