590 Dayis—On the Fossil Fishes of the Chalk of Mount Lebanon. 
in length. The caudal is deeply forked; the rays are transversely jointed and 
subdivided towards their extremities ; ane outer longest rays are SUDO by 
shorter imbricating rays 
The pectoral fins are igs on the ventral surface immediately behind the 
operculum ; only the base of the fin is preserved in this example, and the size 
of the fin or the number of rays cannot be identified. The ventral fins are 
supported each by a small triangular bone; they are situated 3-0 inches behind 
the insertion of the pectoral fins, and 0-7 inch in front of the anterior ray of 
the anal. Each fin is composed of eight rays, the anterior one strong and 
undivided, ending in an acute point; the succeeding rays diminish in size; they 
repeatedly dichotomize, and distally are quite filamentous. 
The scales are in good preservation. Those of the upper surface of the fish 
have been removed by the opposing matrix, leaving the internal surface of the 
underlying scales exposed beneath the bony skeleton of the fish. The scales 
covering the anterior portion of the fish are larger than those situated posteriorly, 
and the ventral are considerably larger than the dorsal ones. Fifty-six scales are 
arranged along the lateral line; a transverse series, from the dorsal to the ventral 
surface at the highest part of the body, comprises fifteen scales; but in a parallel 
line behind the dorsal fin there are only eleven. The surface of the plates 
protecting the head are covered with small pustulations. 
This species most nearly approaches to that of S. elongatus (Pictet), but differs 
from it in the greater depth of the body in proportion to its length. In Spaniodon 
elongatus the height is included about ten times in the length; in this it is five, or, 
including the tail, six. The vertebral column is composed of a smaller number 
of vertebre; whilst the dorsal fin has a larger number of rays in this species 
than in 8. elongatus. The dorsal and ventral fins are situated in a position 
relatively to the length of the fish, much farther back in this species. To the 
other species described by M. Pictet, viz. 8. blondelii and 8. brevis, the relation- 
ship of this is not so close; they are very clearly distinguished by the difference 
in the number and comparatively large size of the vertebre, the former having 
fifty-seven and the latter forty-four, whilst this species has forty-eight vertebre. 
The dorsal fin of S. blondelii occupies a more advanced position than that now 
described. . 
The presence, in a fossil state, of a small fish in the abdominal region of the 
body indicates the carnivorous character of the genus Spaniodon, the partially 
digested fish having the appearance of being a member of the genus Leptosomus ; 
the position of the enclosed little fish may also point out the position and extent 
of the stomach of Spaniodon. I name it Spaniodon electus, having reference to 
the excellent arrangement and preservation of its parts. 
Formation and Locality.—Upper Cretaceous: Sahel Alma, Mount Lebanon. 
Ex coll—Lewis Collection; R. Damon, Esq., Weymouth. 
