Cope.] ^-"O [March 10, 



the victor's crown. We recall to mind, at this point, the distinguished 

 Grecian philosopher, Socrates, surrounded by his weeping friends and 

 pupils, whom he was reproving for their sorrow, and endeavoring to con- 

 sole with his own joyful hopes for the future world as he was bidding 

 them farewell ; and we can thus think of our Christian philosopher ad- 

 dressing us, from the glory he has attained, in words used by himself, 

 many years ago, in some reflections on the Transfiguration: " Why do we 

 think of tlie parting pressure of the hand, the last words of love, the dying 

 moan, and not of the crown, the communion with Clirist, their eternal 

 repose, and our re-uuion with them? Why. with desolate hearts, will we 

 continue to stretch our hands to the home of their rest and cry, come, 

 come to our arms ? Blessed be God, that he will not hear our prayers. 

 Blessed are the departed, that we cannot recall them from their joy, or 

 wound their hearts by the knowledge that Ave are willing to disturb their 

 bliss. No, it is not good to be here ; we know not what we say." 



Fourth Contribution to the History of the Permian Formation of Texas. By 

 E. D. Cope* 



{Bead before the American Philosophical Society, March 16, 18S3.) 



PISCES. 



ECTOSTEORHACHIS CICERONIUS, Sp. nOV. 



The genus Ectosteorhachis Cope, is known up to the present time from 

 ichthyolites, which do not exhibit the interior details of the structure of 

 the skull. Several portions of crania having recently come into my hands, 

 I am able to add some important features, and a new species, which I name 

 as above. 



The base of the skull consists of ossified parachordals, which embrace 

 the chorda dorsalis posteriorly and are continued for a short distance 

 posteriorly as a tube. Anteriorly the chordal groove is open. Trabeculse 

 not ossified. The cranial structure is an excellent illustration of a perma- 

 nent embryonic type. Above and in front of the opening for the chorda, 

 the neural canal enters the groove. The parachordals are subtriangular, 

 presenting one angle forwards, and having the internal side that bounds 

 the groove straight and longitudinally grooved. The anteroexternal side 

 is oblique and nearly straight, and is overhung by the osseous roof of the 

 skull. These characters are identical in both species. 



The E. ciceronius differs from the E. nitidus in having a narrower inter- 

 orbital region, and in the possession of small tubercles of ganoine on the 

 posterior parts of the superior surface of the skull. These are seen 

 on the sides of the surface, and are quite small, not numerous, and 



*The third contribution can be found at page 147 Pioceedings ot the Society 

 for 1882. 



