144 ROY L. MOODIE 
presence of what ‘‘corresponds to the basilar artery, the large 
veptro-lateral branches to the carotid arteries, and the smaller 
branches to those vessels which in fishes are distributed to the 
ventral and lateral surfaces of the brain.”” One of the specimens 
studied by Doctor Parker is figured herewith; the present figure 
being taken from a photograph published by Eastman (08), pl. 
13, fig. 8), which has been very kindly sent me by him. 
Anterior to the optic lobes, in the Mississippian fish (fig. 4) 
lies an elevation exactly comparable to what in the Coal Measures 
fish has been interpreted as the ‘thalamus.’ Its superior sur- 
face is much broken so that its entire extent is uncertain, al- 
though its general form seems to be that of the Coal Measures 
fish (fig. 6). Still anterior to this structure lies the olfactory 
tract which is broken from one side but is indicated on the 
other (fig. 4). This structure is apparently quite different from 
the Coal Measures fish in the distinct separation of the two 
tracts, more nearly resembling in this respect the carp® than it 
does the Coal Measures fish. This one point would cause one 
to hesitate to ally the fishes from the Coal Measures with those 
from the Mississippian, as has been done below. In general pro- 
portions and size, the major parts of the brain are the same. 
Whether these latter points are of more importance in relation- 
ship than the condition of the olfactory tract, the writer is un- 
certain. It is possible that if more of the olfactory tract in the 
Coal Measures fish were preserved there would be a more gen- 
eral similarity than at present appears. 
The specimens from Kentucky are, apparently, much more 
thoroughly phosphatized than are those from Kansas. Certainly 
the latter are much more perfectly preserved, since the small 
brains from the Kansas Coal Measures far surpass in the beau- 
tiful preservation of anatomic detail anything so far described. 
The chief interest in the close resemblance in structure between 
the brains of these fishes lies in our ability to arrive at some 
conclusion concerning the zoélogical position to which we may 
assign the fossil brains from the Coal Measures of Kansas. LHast- 
®Sheldon, R. E. The olfactory tracts and centers in teleosts. Jour. Comp. 
Neur., vol. 22, 1912, pp. 177-339; see especially plate 1. 
