﻿98 60 



with ribs, is only partly right however in the following: "Auch die Ausdrücke Humerus und 

 Coracoid, die man zur Bezeichnung der äusseren, zwischen KiemenöfTnung und Brustflosse 

 sichtbaren Theilc angewandt hat, sind morjjhologisch nicht zu rechtfertigen; es handelt sich 

 hier um reine Hautbildungen; die wirklichen Knochen liegen unter der Haut verborgen an 

 der Brustflossenbasis". Regarding the "true skeletal parts' he says nothing. 



6; p. 69 (30); 



Regarding the ])ubic arch I have not been able to find anything in the literature beyond 

 Günthek's statement (14 a, p. 527), that "a rudimentary jjubic bone is visible within the fringe". 



7; p. 69 (30); 



It has long been known that the ventral fins are united in Amphisile. Linné in Ed. X, 

 p. 336, states "Pinna ventralis unica"; Lackpèdk calls them "réunies". On the other hand, 

 AüAssiz (le, p. 274) saj's; "celles des deux côtés du corps sont tellement ra])prochces qu'on 

 les croirait confondues, si un examen attentif ne permettait de reconnaître leur parité". Later, 

 Kner again maintained their fusion (21 a, p. 535), as also Steindachnek (31, p. 765). The sexual 

 difference in the ventral fins, long in the males, short in the females, was observed by Kner 

 (1. c.) in A. strigata (not scutala, as Günther believes), and it has been mentioned later by others, 

 that some specimens of this species have long, others short ventral fins (e. g. by Jordan and 

 Starks; 20 p. 72). 'When the number of rays is given differently and (with exception of 

 Lacépède and Agassiz) as a rule too low, this is probably due to the spinous ray being 

 overlooked. The only one who expressly mentions this is Agassi/. [\. c, i). 276), who rightly 

 says; "un premier, petit épineux, à peine perceptible à la loupe, suivi de cinq rayons simples 

 articulés, successivement plus grands ". His statement concerns probably A. sirigata (cf supra), 

 but he calls his species A. sciilata. There is indeed on the whole a certain amount of con- 

 fusion in the use of the specific names. Linné gives the number of rays as 6 (i. e. 3, as he 

 only counted one fin); Lacèpéde; 5 (possibly A. strigata, as he speaks about the dorsal sjjine 

 being divided longitudinally into an up])er and a lower part); Günther: 3 (A. scutata), 4 for the 

 other two species; Peters: 4 {A. punclulata); Kner: 4 {A. punctulata and strigata*); Steindachner: 

 4 (A.scutata (=macrophthalma Stdchr.) and strigata (= scutata Stdchr.)). 



Whilst the number of rays given by the different authors for the pectoral fins in recent 

 species agrees with that found by me (or may vary by 1 more or fewer), Heckel (15, p. 225) 

 gives only 2 for the fossil A. heinrichi, "die im Gegensatz zu den völlig ungetheilten Strahlen 

 der Amphisyle scutata gespalten und so lang sind als die halbe Mundröhre vom Auge ange- 

 fangen"; and Sauvage also states (28, j). 402): "La pectorale n'est composée que de deux rayons 

 aussi longs que la moitié de la hauteur du corps à ce niveau ". There is no doubt, however, 

 from the figures of both authors, that what they have taken as the 2 rays of the pectoral 

 are the postclavicles of the two sides! Of the true pectorals there is no trace in their figures. 



8; p. 73 (35): 



Concerning the anatomy of the soft parts I have only found the following, in Günther 

 (14 a, p. 525) under the diagnosis of the genus: "Pyloric apjiendages none", and on p. 527, after 

 remarks on the appearance of the swim-bladder (seen from outside): "The oesophagus jiasses 

 gradually into the stomach, which is situated below the air-bladder; it does not ai)pear to 

 be much wider than the intestine following; the latter makes a single cüm|)letc circumvolution 

 and then proceeds to the vent. Ovaria and testicles are situated behind the air-bladder". 

 What GÜNTHER considers the stomach is thus the anterior portion of the small intestine. 



* What Kner in the male of this species {'■'scutata" Kner) calls "ein Paar sehr kurzer Stütz- 

 strahlen, die neben einander stehen" must be the spinous ra3's. 



