CC GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



column, which answer to the encephalon (brain) and the 

 cranium of the higher Vertebrata." Professor Ray Lankes- 

 ter also contributes an important paper on the anatomy and 

 embryology ofAmphioxus as compared with the higher fishes. 



Some important notes on the grayling of North America, 

 by James W. Milner, and on the natural history of the gou~ 

 rami, by Dr. T. Gill, are contained in the report of the 

 United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. 



Some new fossil fishes from the Devonian and carbonifer- 

 ous rocks of Ohio have been described by Professor J. S. New- 

 berry. Of these the most important discovery was nearly 

 the entire skeleton of Dinichthys Terrellii, the largest of all 

 the old armor-plated Ganoids. In another species (D. Hert- 

 zeri), the maxillaries and mandibles are set with teeth instead 

 of being sharp-edged. Professor B. G. Wilder also presented 

 a paper to the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, entitled " Notes on the American Ganoids " (Amia, 

 Lepidosteus, Acipenser, and Polyodon). 



A revised list of the fishes of Greenland, by Dr. Liitken, 

 is given in the appendix to the English "Arctic Manual." 



The habits of the pine snake, by Rev. S. Lockw T ood, are de- 

 scribed in the American Naturalist. A new species of ser- 

 pent, belonging to an undescribed genus, collected by Lieu- 

 tenant Wheeler's expedition in Arizona, has been described 

 by Professor Cope under the name of Monopoma rufipuncta- 

 tum. The rostral shield of this new genus resembles that of 

 Phimothyra, and the lateral head-shields those of Cyclophis 

 cestivus. It is, however, more like PJutcenia, the common 

 garter-snake, in general character. 



It is asserted by M. Gaudry that true-tailed Batrachians, 

 with affinities to the modern Salamanders, existed in Permian 

 rocks in France. Interesting discoveries of fossil Batrachia 

 in the coal-measures of Ohio have been brought out by the 

 geological survey of that state under the direction of Pro- 

 fessor Newberry. The number of extinct forms have been 

 thus increased to thirty-three. Professor Cope, who has 

 studied the material, describes a new genus and species un- 

 der the name of Pleuropteryx clavatus. It is remarkable for 

 the structure of its ribs. Each of these presents a wide, 

 thin ala on its posterior face, which is abruptly discontinued 

 below. The shaft of the rib is short, and enlarged dis- 



