40 



Fossil Fishes. 



Table-case, 

 No. 54. 



"Wall-case, 

 No. 16. 

 Table-case., 

 No. 54. 



PetaJopteryx, with huge pectoral fins, from the Cretaceous of 

 Mount Lebanon, is perhaps an old " Flying-fish" — one of the 

 Cataphracti. And the closely-allied "Millers' Thumbs" aud 

 "Gurnards" (Cottidw) are represented in the Middle Tertiaries. 

 Lepidocottus, almost identical with the living Cottus, except in 

 possessing a covering of scales, is found in the Miocene of the 

 Puy-de-D6me, France ; and a large series of these fishes is exhibited. 



Remains of true "Angler-fishes" (Lophius) have been discovered 

 at Monte Eolca ; and the Trachinidee ("Stare-gazers," etc.) may 

 possibly be represented by Callipteryx from the same locality. To 

 the latter also certainly belong Trachinopsis from the Upper Tertiary 

 of Lorca, Spain, and Pseudoeleginus from the Upper Miocene of 

 Licata, Sicily. 



The Scombri dee — or Mackerel family — occur fossil in various 

 Tertiary deposits. They may often be readily distinguished by 

 the curious series of finlets, in most cases present behind the second 

 dorsal and anal fins. 



Fig. n.—Platax minor (after Pictet and Humbert), Upper Cretaceous, Mount Lebanon. 



The " Tunny " (Thynnus) and an extinct genus, Orcynus, are met 

 with at Monte Bolca : remains of Cybium are not uncommon in the 

 London Clay : and three other extinct genera, Archeeus, Isurus, and 

 Palimphyes, occur in the black Eocene Slates of Canton Glaris, 

 Switzerland. Dr. Wettstein has also recently discovered the well- 

 known "Remora" (Fcheneis) in the latter formation — a fact of great 

 biological interest. This fish has the anterior dorsal fin transformed 

 into an oval sucking disc, by which it is enabled to attach itself to 

 larger swiftly-swimming fishes and whales and dolphins ; and this 



