Davis—On the Fossii Fishes of the Chalk of Mount Lebanon. 587 
Halecoides. The genus is described by MM. Pictet and Humbert in terms of 
which the following is a translation:—The skeleton is slender; the ribs are fine 
and numerous; the upper jaw is formed by short and strong intermaxillaries, 
bearing a small number of long hooked teeth, and by long maxillary bones with 
few or no teeth; the lower jaw is similarly armed to the intermaxillaries; the 
branchiostegal rays are numerous, and the fins are disposed more or less as in 
the salmon and herring. 
M. Pictet described two species of the genus, 8. blondelii and S. elongatus; 
and a third was added in the “‘ Nouvelles recherches,” namely, S. brevis. 
Spaniodon blondelii, Picrer. 
(EL Xess, 110, 3) 
Spaniodon blondelii. Prcrer, F. J., 1850. ‘‘ Description de quelques poiss. foss. 
du Mont Liban.,” p. 34, pl. 5., figs. 2, 3, 4. 
Spaniodon blondelii. Picrer et Humbert, 1866. ‘ Nouv. rech. sur les poissons 
fossiles du Mont Liban.,” p. 84. 
The specimens described by M. Pictet were all imperfect ; one represented by 
him (fig. 3) is without tail, and another (fig. 4) is headless. Since 1850 several 
specimens have been found, and notably in the collection gathered by Professor 
Lewis there are very perfect specimens. It is of one of the latter that the 
following description is given. 
The specimen is in good preservation. The body of the fish, exclusive of the 
tail, is 5-0 inches in length; the longest lobe of the tail adds 1:4 inch to the 
length. The greatest height in front of the dorsal fin is 1-1 inch, whence it tapers 
backwards to the base of the caudal fin, which is 0°4 inch; anteriorly the body 
maintains its height; the head is large, and the snout thick and strong. From 
the snout to the posterior margin of the operculum measures 1‘9 inch; the jaws 
are large and powerful, only the pre-maxillary and the anterior portion of the 
mandible are furnished with teeth, and the gape was not in proportion to the 
size of the jaws. The mandible is 1:1 inch in length; the teeth, three in 
number in each ramus of the jaw, are long and pointed; they occupy a length 
of 0°35 inch from the snout backwards; there is some evidence also of a few 
small teeth occupying the spaces between the large ones. Beyond the teeth a 
strong angular process rises from the mandible, and was apparently connected 
with the maxilla; the posterior half of the mandible is comparatively slender. 
The branchiostegal rays, long and slender, are numerous, fifteen or sixteen in 
number on each side. The orbit is situated very high, slightly in advance of 
the middle of the head, The opercular bones are large, higher than broad, 
