PSAMMOSTEUS TAYLOR f, A NEW FOSSIL FISH 



225 



ON PSAMMOSTEUS TAYLORI, A NEW FOSSIL 

 FISH FROM THE UPPER OLD RED SAND- 

 STONE OF MORAYSHIRE. 



BY R. H. TRAQUAIR, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S. 



AMONG the large detached plates occurring in the Upper 

 Old Red Sandstone of the neighbourhood of Elgin, which 

 used to be slumped together by collectors under the name 

 of " PtericJithys major" is one form which has never been 

 found perfect, nor has it ever been described. 



The most complete specimen which I have seen is repre- 

 sented in outline in the accompanying figure, one-fourth 

 the natural size. It is from Newton Quarry, and belongs to 

 the Edinburgh Museum, to which it was presented by Mr. 

 William Taylor of Lhan- 

 bryde. Portions of still 

 larger specimens were col- 

 lected by the late Rev. Dr. 

 Gordon, and belong to the 

 Museum at Elgin. 



These plates are toler- 

 ably thick, smooth in- 

 ternally, and as to their 

 contour are gently hollowed 

 in boat -like fashion. The 

 complete outline has not 

 yet been seen; but one 

 extremity, presumably the 

 posterior, is bluntly angu- 

 lated in the manner shown 

 in the figure. The outer 

 surface appears to be in- 

 complete in all the speci- Outline of a specimen of Psammostens 



r i\/r u*..,- . v>n4- Taylori. sp. nov., one-fourth natural size, 



mens from Moraysnire ; but 



in a fragment from the 



red sandstone of Balnagown, Ross-shire lent to me by Mr. 

 Hugh Miller, and which, if not identical with those from the 

 former district, is undoubtedly closely allied, shows a few 

 12 D 



