214 
TRAVELS IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 
Hydrocyon. (Kelb el bahr; Kelb el moyeh. Raschal.) 
Body compressed,, covered with large scales. The dorsal fin is 
in the middle of the length of the body^, above the ventrals j a small 
adipose fin behind the dorsal; anal of moderate length. Body oblong, 
eompressed, covered with seales of moderate size; belly rounded. 
Cleft of the mouth wide, without lips; the intermaxillaries and 
mandibles are armed with strong pointed teeth, widely set and 
few in number; they are received in notches of the opposite jaw, 
and visible externally, when the mouth is elosed. Palate toothless. 
Cheeks covered with the enlarged suborbital bones. Nostrils elose 
together, situated in the same cavity. Orbit with an anterior and 
posterior adipose eyelid. Gill-opening wide, the gill membranes 
being united quite in front of the throat. Intestinal traet short. 
The strong dentition of these fishes indieate their rapaeious 
eharacter; this is also expressed by the Arabic name, which signi- 
fies dog of the water. 
Hydrocyon forsMHi, Cuv. 
D. 10. A. 15 — 16. V. 10. L. lat. 45 — 48. L. transv. 
The height of the body is contained four times and a half or four 
times and two-thirds in the total length (without eaudal), the length 
of the head four times and one-fourth or four times and two-thirds. 
There are two series of scales between the lateral line and the elon- 
gate seale at the root of the ventral fin. The upper jaw with five 
or six teeth on eaeh side, the lower with four. Silvery, generally a 
blaekish streak along each series of scales above the lateral line. 
