green: ENCHODUS in KANSAS MUSEUM. 73 



Saxony and Bohemia, Danian of Holland, Upper Senonian ot 

 Belgium, Upper Cretaceous of Westphalia, Vieux Faugumont 

 of Belgium, Comen beds of Istria, the Isle of Lesina, Dalmatia, 

 Wealden in northern Germany, in southern India, and in the 

 Cretaceous of Brazil. 



The great diversity of structure which results from such a 

 wide distribution makes it very difficult to establish definite 

 relations between this fish and other forms. Doctor Loomis 

 regards the presence of teeth on the maxillary, in the form 

 Enchodus lemoneiri, as sufficient to give it the rank of a new 

 genus; while Doctor Hay has described a specimen that he 

 considers a new species of Enchodus (E. sxvks), which does 

 not have the row of fine marginal teeth on the dentary. 

 Enchodus dirus Leidy and Enchodus amicrodus Stewart also 

 lack the row of marginal teeth. This row of fine teeth on the 

 external alveolar border of the dentary is constant in those 

 species which have it, and when absent in a species there is 

 never the slightest traces of it. It seems to be a very definite 

 character. Thus there would seem to be quite as much ground 

 for making a new genus for these two forms as for Enchodus 

 lemoneiri. It would not be advisible to do so, however. These 

 facts are offered only to show that much difficulty is met with 

 in fixing the limits of Enchodus. 



The living families OdontostomidEe and Alepisauridfe are 

 regarded by Woodward (Woodward, 1901) as the nearest 

 living relatives of this extinct genus. Enchodus seems to 

 differ from Cimolkhthys in the possession of a much swollen 

 palatine. Doctor Loomis says, "I regard Enchodus as belong- 

 ing to the same family as Cimolichthys, and only as a special 

 form developed in deep water." 



The genus has been described by Dr. A. S. Woodward, in 

 his Catalogue of Fossil Vertebrates of the British Museum, in 

 the following words: 



Tnink elongate fusiform, both this and the head laterally compressed. 

 Cranial roof exhibiting a deep median longitudinal depression, its lateral 

 and occipital margins ornamented, like the other external bones, with 

 ridges and tubercles of ganoine. Mandible a little prominent, pi-ovided 

 with an inner widely spaced series of large, slender teeth, the largest in 

 front, also a marginal series of minute teeth, all nearly or completely 

 solid ; premaxilla in the form of a vertical lamina, deepest in front, taper- 

 ing behind, and with a single-spaced series of small teeth; maxilla long 

 and slender, either finely toothed or toothless at the oral border; palatine 

 thickened and tumid, with only one large tooth fixed at its anterior end; 



