SKELETON OF LUVARUS IMPERIALIS, RAFINESQUE — WAITE. 293 



was very white and free from blood. It is supposed that the fish 

 was ill search of food, owing to the large quantity of 'Whale-food' 

 (small shrimps) which was round the fish on the sand. The depth 

 of water there was about four feet at high water and perfectly 

 dry at low tide." 



Our determination of the fish from the rough sketch of the 

 outward form is rendered absolute by a comparison of the skeleton 

 with the figure published by Giinther under the synonym Ausonia 

 cuvieri.^ This figure, reproduced from a drawing by Riippell, 

 while apparently well representing the general form, indicates 

 that the skull was very incomplete. Giinther did not attempt 

 any description of it, merely remarking : — " the configuration of the 

 bones of the skull will be seen from the accompanying figure." 



While the skull cannot be said to be perfect in our specimen, 

 its condition warrants me in attempting to describe the principal 

 features of such an interesting type. 



Fig. 22. 



Owing to anchylosis in what is probably an old specimen, and 

 also to fractures occasionally confusing the sutures, their exact 

 limits cannot always be determined. I am not certain, for 

 example, of the limits of the symplectic, mesopterygoid and meta- 

 pterygoid bones. 



A striking feature of the skeleton is presented by the union of 

 the interneural spines into a complete bony arch, which extends 

 from the union of the ethnoid and parietal bones backwards to 

 the eighteenth vertebra ; a similar arch is formed below by the 

 union of the interhpemal spines, and extending from the pelvic 

 girdle backwards also to the eighteenth vertebra. The union of 

 the several interneural and interhfemal spines is eflfected V)y a very 

 complex suture (Fig. 22). Each segment sends forward three 

 long splints, and a similar number backwards; it is so encroached 



2 Giiuther — Proc. Zool. Soc , 1866, p. 337. 



