TILAPIA SPARRMANII. 
spinous portion which are disposed in an oblique direction, so as to form a 
sort of slanting bar in front of the soft portion of the fin. Ventral fins, light 
brownish red ; the pectoral ones, semitransparent and of an orange white 
colour, the tints of the sides distinctly visible through them. Lips, pale 
greenish yellow. Eyes, pale straw yellow, with one or more spots of dull 
purple. 
Form, &c. — Subovate. The head, both superiorly and inferiorly, regularly 
tapered towards the nose ; the line of the back slightly curved. Dorsal fin, 
anteriorly low, with its superior edge nearly level, posteriorly much higher, 
particularly from the commencement of the soft portion. The rays of the 
latter, particularly the middle ones, are much longer than those of the spinous 
portion, and their direction more oblique. The rays of the spinous portion 
project slightly above the connecting membrane, giving to the upper edge of 
the fin anteriorly a rather ragged or serrated appearance; and some of them 
are surmounted by delicate fleshy^ points, of a saffron colour. Posterior edge 
of dorsal fin oblique, the upper extremity prolonged towards the caudal fin. 
Anal fin, rather short, the spinous rays not so long as the soft ones ; its 
hinder edge oblique, and nearly opposite to the corresponding portion of the 
dorsal fin. Caudal fin fan-shaped. Pectoral fins long, the superior rays 
longest, hence its posterior edge is oblique. Five small pores in a line upon 
the inferior and hinder edge of preoperculum. Scales large, hard, semicircular 
behind, and disposed in about ten longitudinal rows, from 23 to 27 scales in 
each. 1 he number of rays in the fins are, 
D.13 — 9. A. 3—9. C. 18. P. 11. V. 1—5. 
Ihe gencial appearances and organisation of this little fish have inclined us to refer it to the 
Labyrinthiformes of Cuvier, and as we have not been able to find any described form with 
characters similar to those it possesses, we have found it necessary to regard it as the type of a 
new division for which we propose the name of Tilapia. The j fossa or caverns connected with 
the gills are very indistinct, yet such traces of them exist, as appears to warrant our regarding 
1 ilapia as a fish of an aberrant form. It occurs in small fresh-water streams to the north 
of the Orange River, and the specimens we obtained were all taken from pools in the beds of 
temporary streamlets. Knowing that the water found in such situations usually disappears 
during the dry season, we at once inferred that all the specimens we saw were doomed to death 
on the arrival of that period. On questioning the natives of the district as to the frequency of 
these fishes in such situations, and stating to them our belief that they must all die with the 
disappeaiance of the waters, they strongly opposed our conclusion, and maintained that on the 
drying up of the water the fishes buried themselves in the mud with which the bottoms of the 
pools weie coated, and there remained until fresh rains filled the holes and induced them to 
leave theii subterranean abodes ; in these respects, added our informants, they resemble water 
tortoises. 
