THK CUANIAL BrCKLKll of a DIPNOAN FLSH, 



PR..BAHLY (hiXORlIYXCHU.S, FHOM THE DEVONIAN 



P>I':DS of the MUHKUMBTDOEE lUVEVl, 

 NEW .SOTTH ANALES. 



I5v H. Ei'HEUII)i;e, Juiir., Ciiratoi-. 



(Plate xxviii.). 



Mr. C. A. .Sii.ssmilcli, Lecturer an Geology, Technical College, 

 Sydney, favoured me with the loan of a cranial buckler of a 

 J)ipnoan fisli, obtained b}^ liim from the Devonian beds of the 

 ]Murrumbidgee liiver. A reproduction of this specimen has been 

 jthiced in the Museum collection. 



The buckler in (piestion so closely resembles one descril)ed b\- 

 Dr. 11. H. Traquair, some years ago, as (Tditorhi/ncltUK >ro()(hi-nrdi,^ 

 tiuit T am induced to publish a descri2)tion of the new specimen 

 under tlie same generic name, as (t. snsxinUrltl. Dr. Traquairs 

 .sj)ecimen consisted of the anterior portion of the head only, but 

 unfortunately nothing was known, at the the time of his descrip- 

 tion "regarding the geological formation, or the localit}'. It 

 consisted of "the extremity of the snout of a very large tish, 

 probal)lv 1 or 5 feet long." Dr. Tra(|uair's description, epito- 

 mised, is as follows, so far as it concerns the piesent fossil. Tiie 

 fragment is semilunar in form, with a superior arched ganoid 

 surface forming \nivt of the upper aspect of the snout, the anterior 

 lounded margin being the front edge of the ui>i)ei' lip. When 

 placefl in its natural position, with the labial margin hori/oiital, 

 the superior surface sl()V)es downwards and forwards in the middle 

 line at an angle of 45 , and is arched at the sides. The surface 

 is smooth, glos.sy, finely i-eticulate-i)unctate, and exiiibits no tiace 

 <'ither of sutures or external nasal organs. Near the lal)ial 

 margin, the small punctures of the superior ganoid surface gise 

 j)lace to largei- ones. On viewing this snout from below it is seen 

 to be flattened centi'ally and latei-ally, and with a shallow central 

 cmargination or indentation, set on its edge with a row of six 

 small blunted tooth-like projections. On each side is a deep 



^ 'J'raiiiuiir — (icdl. Afafi., x., lS7:i, ]\ 552, ))]. xiv. 



