Page:Travels in West Africa, Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons (IA travelsinwestafr00kingrich).pdf/765



Old Calabar.

Specimens from the Ogowé River have the barbels rather longer and the base of the dorsal fin at a steeper slope than specimens from Angola.

style=font-size: 90%;|hanging-indent=2em|

? Leuciscus bibie, De Joannis, Guérin, Mag. Zool. 1835, Pisc. pl. iv.; Günth, Fish. vii. p. 293.

Body compressed, its depth being two-ninths, the length of the head one-fourth, of the total length (without caudal). Head oblong, with pointed snout, which is equal to the diameter of the eye or two-sevenths of the length of the head. Width of the interorbital space equal to the diameter of the eye. Mouth wide, oblique, the narrow maxillary extending to below the middle of the eye, its extremity being hidden below the suborbital, when the mouth is shut. Præorbital about half the area of the orbit; the first suborbital is narrow, much narrower than the second and third, which nearly entirely cover the check, leaving only a space uncovered about equal to the size of the first suborbital. The origin of the dorsal fin is rather nearer to the caudal than to the occiput; origin of the anal fin below the middle of the dorsal. Caudal fin deeply forked. Pectoral fin shorter than the head, not reaching the much shorter ventral. Scales thin, with very distinct radiating striæ; lateral line sweeping down in a curve towards the abdomen, and, following the lower profile, terminates below the centre of the caudal fin. Silvery, with twelve bluish vertical bars along the middle of the side, and with a large blackish spot at the root of the caudal.

Ogowé River.

This is one of the most interesting fishes in the collection. Originally described and figured in a very rude manner from