344 MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM. 



17. Gobius microcephalus Agassiz. 



(Plate XLV, Fig. 6). 



1839. Gobius microcephalus L. Agassiz, Poiss. Foss., Vol. IV, p. 204, PL XXXIV, 



fig. 2. 

 1901. Gobius microcephalus A. S. Woodward, Cat. Foss. Fishes Brit. Mus., Pt. 



IV, p. 588. 

 1905. Gobius microcephalus C. R. Eastman, Mem. Soc. Geol. France, Vol. XIII, 

 p. 33; pi. II, fig. 3. 



Type. — Imperfect fish; British Museum of Natural History. 



The type and hitherto only known example of the species which has been called 

 by this name is a small fish doubtfully assigned to a position among the Gobies by 

 Agassiz, and considered by Woodward as " probably a Blennoid though not satis- 

 factorily determinable." 



The original author remarks that, without undertaking to fix definitely its 

 precise systematic position, it is yet possible to point out its leading specific char- 

 acters, and among these he notes the following: " d'une part, la position tres 

 avancee de I'anale, et de I'autre, la forme tres raccourcie de la tete; caractere qui 

 lui a valu de ma part le nom de G. microcephahis. La colonne vertebrale est loin 

 d'etre massive; les cotes sont longues et greles. ... La dorsale epineuse parait 

 avoir ete separee de la dorsale molle par une echancrure assez prof onde ; ses rayons 

 vont en decroissant depuis le premier jusqu'au septieme ou dernier, qui n'a pas 

 meme la moitie de la longuer des premiers rayons mous. Ceux-ci sont au nombre 

 de neuf , au moins, et vont aussi en se raccourcissant d'avant en arriere. . . . L'anale 

 est composee d'au moins six rayons, qui sont assez allonges. La caudale est tres 

 ample, en egard a la taille du poisson " {I. c, p. 204). 



Of this species but few examples are known. The British Museum possesses 

 only the holotype, which' is a small individual, and its precise systematic position 

 is regarded as doubtful. None are to be found in the Paris Museum of Natural 

 History, and none in this country, with the exception of two specimens belonging 

 to the Carnegie Museum. One of these, cataloged as No. 5504, has already been 

 figured in Vol. IV of the Memoirs of the Museum, and the other, which is larger 

 and more perfect, has recently come to light. It bears the Catalog No. 5319. 



APPENDIX. 



[Since the foregoing pages were written and after they had been put into 

 type, the Editor received a request from the Author to incorporate in the body of 

 the text a lengthy series of changes and additions. A careful examination of this 



