THE KILNOKY.
There was one which was called kilnoky by Bash and Ramen. It had a long and broad head, and very powerful fins, and its sides were spotted somewhat after the manner of a trout. On each side of the mouth and beneath the jaw there were "feelers," similar to those of the cat-fish, and the dorsal fin was protected by spines, which required the novice to exercise caution to avoid being pricked.
YOUNG POLYPTERUS.
Another fish, which Ramen said was called besher on the Nile and gurr on the lakes, had a short tail, to balance a long nose, and his back was covered with curious spines that stood out by themselves. Doctor Bronson said its proper name was Polypterus, and it was to be found all through Central Africa, according to the information gathered by Schweinfurth and others.
Fred angled awhile by himself, and caught a couple of fishes which were pronounced "warr" by one of the soldiers. The youth remarked that they looked very much like the perch of his native land, as the body of the fish was of a dark-green color, crossed by stripes of brown.
"They belong to the perch family," said the Doctor, "and so does the 'golo,' or Lates niloticus. There are several varieties of perch in Africa, but these are the most abundant."
During their rest under the tents, while the sun was high in the sky, the conversation naturally turned upon the African lakes and the people living around them. Fred asked about the people that inhabit the islands of other lakes, and also about some tribes that dwell in houses standing in the water.