92 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
Ophiocephalus obscurus, A. G-iinther. 
D. 45. A. 32. P. 16. Y. 6. (L. lat. about 70. L. trans. 7/14.) 
Height of body, 7£ times in total length of fish. Length of 
head, 4J times in total. The length of the pectoral fin is a little 
more (J of an inch), than half the length of head. Length of ven- 
trals rather more than half that of pectorals. Caudal fin is 5J 
times in the total length. Head and body above are black, or a 
very dark brown (in spirits), the sides show numerous black 
blotches; fins black, tail slightly mottled with lighter. Below, 
head black, blotched with lighter, rest of body dirty white. Total 
length, 78 lines (6J inches.) 
Collected at Ikorofiong, Old Calabar River, West Africa. 
II. Synodontis Robbianus , nov. spec. mihi. 
The other fish belongs to the Order of the Physostomi, Family 
SiLURLDiE, and to the G-enus Synodontis. All the species of this 
genus belong to tropical Africa, and at least one species has been 
discovered common to the Upper Nile and the West African rivers. 
They are scaleless fish, with an adipose fin, and the dorsal and 
pectoral fins have strong bony spines. Mouth small, Teeth in the 
lower jaw movable, very thin at the base, and with slightly dilated 
brown pointed apices. They have six barbels, and broad dermal 
bones on the head and neck. I have taken these details of the 
characters of the genus from Ur G-iinther’s important work, the 
“ Catalogue of Fishes,” vol. v., to give a general idea of the fish, 
and the following are the character of this new species:— 
Synodontis Robbianus. 
Body . — Height (behind dorsal fin), about one-fourth of length without 
caudal rays. Greatest height ; one-third of distance between posterior 
border of orbit, and caudal extremity without fin rays. Head about three 
and a half times in length of body, without caudal fin ; tapers quickly 
forwards; short, in front of eyes; distance from point of snout to front of 
orbit, about one-third of length from snout, to posterior extremity of 
nuchal plate. Snout short, rounded in front; distance between middle of 
orbits rather less than to front of snout. The gill openings extend down- 
wards to before the root of humeral process of pectoral fin. 
Teeth: — Mandibular, rather numerous, much shorter than the eye (about 
half), varying in length, the longest towards the middle; in a cluster on 
