

418 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



specimens of fishes and batrachians for determination and de- 

 scription. Among these he had discovered batrachians {Colos- 

 teus, Cope) which were labelled and had been described as fishes 

 {Pygopterus scutellafiis, Xewb.), and fishes {Conehiopi>U and 

 Feplo7-hi7ia, Cope) some of which were labelled "Amphibian or 

 Keptilian." Having determined the latter to be fishes and de- 

 scribed them, Prof. Cope now called attention to a note of Prof. 

 Newberry on the latter, read at the last meeting of the Academy, 

 in which he states, (1) that Fcplorhina anthracina is a batrachian ; 



(2) that it is identical with Conchiopsis exanthematicus^ Cope; 



(3) that C. filiferus is Coelacanthus elegann^ Xewb. ; (4) that the 

 dentition described by me is not that of Coelacanthus ; and that 

 (5) the genus is the same as that described by Agassiz forty 

 years ago as Coelacanthus. 



To these propositions Prof. Cope replied, that (1) Additional 

 evidence derived from two specimens of Peplorhina anthracina^ 

 Cope, recently studied, confirms the view that it is a fish, which 

 evidence is given below; (2) That neither of the two specimens 

 exhibits in its cranial bones the characters of C. exanthematiciis, 

 though both sides are exhibited. They show, however, that tlie 

 latter should be referred to the genus Peplorhina, since among 

 other points they present the same tj'pe of teeth, which I find 

 labelled on one of them "ova?"; (3) Prof. Newberry's identi- 

 fication of the species C. filiferus with Coelacanthus elegans is 

 doubtless correct ;' but (4 and 5) Its reference (with that of similar 

 species) to Agassiz's genus is not warranted, until it is found to 

 possess an osseous natatory bladder (wliich Prof N. states in the 

 Geological Survey of Ohio that he could not find in any of his 

 five hundred specimens), and osseous ribs and the type of denti- 

 tion are discovered in Coelacanthus granulatus, the type of the 

 genus. 



One of the new specimens of Peplorhina'^ displays the lower 

 side of the cranium, and on it two large jugular bones, one on 

 each side, on the inner side of the mandil)le. They are elongate, 

 the posterior border oblique, so as to present an apex on the 

 inner side ; the inner edge is thin, the outer thickened ; the surface 

 smooth, with a very obscure longitudinal striation. Between 

 their anterior extremities is a subround disciform bone in the po- 

 sition of the basi or glosso-ln'al. The mandibular rami extend 

 round its anterior margin, and posteriorly- nearly to the end of 

 the jugular. The symphysis is a curious interdigitation of three 

 fingers into as many notches, and the dentaries near them are 

 marked with sj^mmetrical pores, which look like tlie exits of 

 mucous ducts. Three are on the superior, and two on the in- 

 ferior margin of the bone, and a sixth is immediately between the 



' Thon<ih no one could suppose so from his imperfect figure, GcoL Surv. 

 Ohio, PI. 40, Fijr. 1. 

 2 Proceedings of the Academy, 1873, p. 343. 



