Davis — On the Fossil Fish of the Cretaceous Formations of Scandinavia. 389 



Odontaspis acutissima, Agassiz. 

 (PI. xxxviii., fig. 25.) 



Odontaspis acutissima. Agassiz, L., 1843. " Poiss. Foss.," vol. iii., p. 294, 



pi. XXXVII. a, figs. 33, 34. 

 Odontaspis acutissima. GtIEBEL, C. Gt., 1848. " Fauna der Vorwelt," vol. i., p. 363. 

 Odontaspis acutissima. Bassano, F., 1879. " Atti. Soc. Veneto. Trent. Sci. Nat.," 



vol. vi., p. 56. 

 Odontaspis acutissima. "Woodward, A. S., 1889. " Cat. Foss. Fishes in Brit. 



Mus.," pt. i., p. 374. 



M. Agassiz designated under the above name teeth with a sharp point and 

 long, cylindrical, sharp-pointed lateral cones. The origin of the tooth which 

 forms the type of the species was unknown. A second example, associated with 

 it provisionally, was derived from the molasse of Berthoud. The tooth represented 

 (Plate XXXVIII., fig. 25) possesses the characters ascribed by Agassiz to the species, 

 and differs from others already noticed from the Swedish or Danish Cretaceous 

 rocks. The height of the median crown is 0*008 m., and the breadth of the base 

 is the same. The lateral cones are 0"003 m. in height, more than one-third the 

 height of the crown. The root is short, retreating from the external base, 

 concave below, and having the form of the base of the crown. The central cone 

 is convex on both the inner and outer coronal surface; the lateral margins are 

 sharp, and the apex pointed. The lateral denticles are well developed, very long 

 and sharply pointed. A number of striae extend from the base towards the apex 

 of each. The example is rather smaller than the one described by Agassiz, 

 otherwise it appears to possess all its characteristics. 



This species is distinguished from Odontaspis acuta, Davis, by its more graceful 

 and slender form ; the great size and prominence of the erect lateral denticles, of 

 which there is only one on each side ; as compared with the more or less curved 

 denticles, generally two on each side, and comparatively small size in 0. acuta, 

 Davis. 



Formation and Locality. — Etage Danien (Myere Kridt) : Faxe. 



Fx coll. — Mineralogical Museum, University of Copenhagen. 



3X2 



