604 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Oct., 



Aoipenser brevirostrum Le Sueur. PI. XXXVIII, fig. 1. 



Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc, Phila., I, 1818, p. 290. River Delaware. 

 No. 16,953, A. N. S. P. Type(?). 



This example, which I have only recently located in the collection, 

 has been noted by Ryder, with whose remarks I agree. The original 

 number is, however, painted on the side in black paint and not in 

 white. The old Bonaparte Catalogue is still extant, but the number 

 on this specimen does not refer to a sturgeon. I figure this interest- 

 ing example on account of its historical interest and rarity, as I 

 have found no authentic American figures except Ryder's photo- 

 graphs. Two other examples were examined, from Bayport, Fla., 

 and Delaware Bay at Green Creek, in Cape May County, N. J. 



Scapb.yrhyncb.ops platorynchus (Rafinesque). 



N. Am. 3; no data 3 and 1 dry; Bridger Pass Expedition, in 1S56, 

 1; Kansas 1; Gulf of Mexico 1. 



Parascaphyrhynchus albus Forbes and Richardson. 



A single example 503 mm. long from "North America" (Smiths. 

 Inst.. No. 3) is interesting as having been obtained long before this 

 rare species was described. 



POLYODONTID^S. 

 Polyodon spathula (Walbaum). 



Kiskiminitas R., Pa.. 1 : New Orleans, La., 1 ; East. U. S. 1. Besides 

 1 dried example from Ohio R. and 2 dry heads. Mounted adult in 

 Pa. Fish Com. Coll. 



LEPISOSTEID^3. 



The living members of this family have long been allowed to fall 

 into a single genus, comprising only four American species. The mate- 

 rial studied in the collection of the Academy shows at least twelve 

 species, most of which were pointed out by Cope in 1865. I feel 

 obliged to admit two genera, as in the Lepisosteus group no enlarged 

 palatine teeth have been distinguished in any examples I have ex- 

 amined, while in the others, or Cylindrosteus group, they occur in the 

 young as well as in the adult. 



a. Lepisosteus. No series of enlarged palatine teeth. 

 b. Eye more than half of space to opercle. 



c. Opercle longer than high huronensis. 



cc. Opercle higher than long osseus. 



bb. Eye more than twice to opercle. 



d. Scales smooth treculii. 



eld. Scales crenulate clintonii. 



