'124 NILOTIC POLYPTERUS. 



the mouth of moderate width ; the jaws famished 

 with a row of rather small and sharp teeth, and the 

 upper lip with a pair of small and short tentacula 

 at its tip : the vent is placed very near the tail, at 

 the commencement of the anal fin : the branchial 

 aperture is large, and in place of a membrane there 

 is only a single bony plate or semicircular arch. 

 The usual length of this fish is about eighteen 

 inches, and its colour sea-green, paler or whitish on 

 the abdomen, which is marked by some irregular 

 black spots, more numerous towards the tail than 

 towards the head : in the pectoral fms are usually 

 about thirty-two rays ; in the ventral twelve ; in 

 the anal fifteen ; and in the tail nineteen. The 

 stomach is long and large, measuring about four 

 inches and a half ; the liver long, and composed of 

 two unequal lobes : the swimming-bladder double, 

 and loose : the ovaries long, and the eggs about the 

 size of millet-seeds. 



This fish is known to the Egyptians by the name 

 of Bichir, and is considered as a very rare animal : 

 it is supposed in general to inhabit the depths of 

 the Nile, remaining among the soft mud, which it 

 is thought to quit only at some particular seasons, 

 and is sometimes taken in the fishermen's nets at 

 the time of the decrease of the river. It is said to 

 be one of the best of the Nilotic fishes, having a 

 white and savoury flesh ^ and as it is hardly possible 

 to open the skin with a knife, the fish is first boiled, 

 and the skin afterwards drawn off whole. 



