164 



TELEOSTOMES 



a food-fish, but deemed worthy of a host of local names, 

 as : Bowfin, Grindle, Dog-fish, Mud-fish, Sawyer, Joseph 



Grindle, Lawyer-fish. Its 

 interest, as already sug- 

 gested, is in its close kin- 

 ship to the Teleosts on 

 the one hand, and to the 

 sturgeons and gars on the 

 other. Its cycloidal scales, 

 its fin structure, and cal- 

 cified skeleton seemed of 

 so modern a character, 

 that it was long included 

 among the members of 

 the herring group; only 

 after a closer examination 

 did its primitive struct- 

 ures become apparent. 

 It is one of the few Gan- 

 oids which possess a gular 

 plate (Fig. 1 68,7?/^). Like 

 that of Lepidosteus, its 

 air-bladder is cellular, and of respiratory value (Wilder). 



Fig. 168. — Amia. Ventral view of jaw 

 region. X i. (After Zittel). 



brs. Branchiostegal rays. h. Cerato- 

 hyal. jug. Jugular plate, md. Mandible. 



Fig. 169.— Caturus furcatus. x \. (From SMITH WOODWARD, after Agas- 

 SIZ.) Lithographic stone (Upper White Jura), Solenhofen. 



The relations of Amia become of especial interest, in 

 view of the number and range of its fossil kindred. Its 



