156 Evolution and Distribution of Fishes 



or gas coal, at others on land, and resulting in thin beds of 

 ordinary coal, the whole was submerged beneath the water, 

 and an average of from 1-2 feet of black bituminous mud, 

 containing few traces of animal exuviae, except an occa- 

 sional layer of Entomostraca, was deposited. Above the 

 black shale there is a light-grey colored stratum, about 

 10 in. to I ft. thick, which is almost, or entirely composed 

 of the shells of Anthracosiae. Countless numbers of the 

 shells of these molluscs occur; they are always found 

 crushed. They were the shells of animals such as would 

 be found at the present time inhabiting and luxuriating 

 in semistagnant pools. . . . Above the shell-bed are 

 about twenty feet of bluish-white shales, containing several 

 layers of ironstone nodules. Shells of Anthracosia are 

 common in the ironstone, but do not occur in the shale. 

 All of these facts point to one issue — that we have in these 

 beds an example of an inland lake of freshwater origin. 

 This is a most important conclusion when we come to con- 

 sider the variety of fish-remains which have been obtained 

 from these strata. 



"The fossil fish are found in greatest abundance at Ting- 

 ley; where the coal has been worked, elsewhere fish remains 

 are either quite absent or occur with great rarity. At 

 Tingley they are found in largest numbers between the 

 cannel coal and "Hubb," many beautiful examples how- 

 ever have been obtained from all parts of the cannel coal, 

 and they not unfrequently occur in the 'Hubb.' The follow- 

 ing is a list of the fishes which I have been able to identify: 



Coelacanthus lepturus 

 Ctenodiis elegans 

 Megalichthys Hibberti 

 Rhizodopsis sp. 

 Palaeonisciis sp. 

 Gyracanthus formosus 

 Ctenacanthus hybodoides 

 Diplodus gibbosus 

 Ctenoptychius pectinatus 

 Helodtis simplex 

 Ostracanthus dilatatus 

 Compsacanthus triangularis 

 Compsacanthtis major 

 Cladodus teeth 

 Petalodus 



R/iizodus — scales 

 Ctenodiis sp. ribs and bones 

 Pleuracantlnts laevissimtis 

 Pleuracanthns erectus 

 Pleuracanthus pulchellus 

 Pleuracanthns alternidentatus 

 Pleuracanthus alatus 

 Pleuracanthus robustus 

 Pleuracanthus (Orthacanthus) 



cylindricus 

 Spirorbis carbonarius 

 Entomostraca 

 Julus f 



Anthracosia (Unto) 

 Labyrinthodont (?) ribs, teeth, etc. 



