OCR Text |
Show 1899.] FROM THE GOLD COAST. 729 and short, about half as long as the eye. Maxillary barbels reaching to, outer mandibulary barbels not reaching to, the gill-opening when laid backward. Inner mandibulary barbels inserted m a nearly straight line with the outer ones, their roots being about half a diameter of the eye distant from each other. The teeth on the palate occupy vomer and palatine bones and are Fig. 8. Chrysichthys kingsley®. Upper and lower teeth. disposed in two elongated patches on each side. The band of intermaxillary teeth is obliquely truncated at its lateral extremity, and two thirds as long as broad ; the length of the mandibulary band of teeth is one fourth of that of the head. The width of the bony interorbital space is three fourths of the diameter of the eye, which is one fourth of the length of the head. Dorsal fin not elevated; the length of its base is one half of its distance from the adipose fin, the base of which is less than that of the dorsal. Dorsal spine shorter than the head without snout, equal in length to the pectoral spine, smooth in front, serrated behind. Anal fin just reaching the caudal, when laid backward, with 12 rays, 8 of which are branched. Caudal fin deeply cleft, with the upper lobe equal in length to the head. Upper parts dark with bluish tinge, sides and abdomen silvery. River Ogowe; 225 millim. long. This species is very closely allied to Ch. persimilis, and I have long hesitated before distinguishing it. In fact, it formed part of Miss Kingsley's collection, which I described in 1896; but, unwilling at that time to establish a species on apparently insufficient ground, I put it aside for future consideration. The principal difference from Ch.persimilis is that the cleft of the mouth does not extend equally far backward, and that the mandibulary baud of teeth is very much shorter, indicating a proportionally shorter mandible. Unfortunately, w e do not know from which of the Gaboon rivers Ch. persimilis was obtained. CHRYSICHTHYS CAMARONENSIS, sp. n. (Plate XLIV.) The height of the body is contained 4| times in the total length (without caudal), the length of the head 3% times. Caudal peduncle two thirds as high as long. Head broader than high, its greatest depth being contained If times in its length. The granu- |