Davis—On the Fossil Fishes of the Chalk of Mount Lebanon. 607 
The anal fin is situated on the posterior part of the body, the anterior fin-ray 
1:0 inch in advance of the tail. Its rays are short and fine, dividing filamentously 
very near to their base. 
The caudal fin is deeply forked, the lobes expanding to a diameter of about 
30 inches. The two lobes comprise thirty rays, about equally divided between 
the two. The rays are articulated and divided by dichotomizing. The lower 
lobe is connected with the vertebral column by five or six strong processes 
expanding towards the fin to afford attachment to the fin-rays. 
The pectoral and ventral fins are badly preserved. The former are attached to 
the pectoral arch, somewhat in advance of the posterior margin of the operculum, 
half an inch above the ventral margin of the body; fragments of rays are 
scattered about ; they are stout bones, and appear to indicate a fin of considerable 
power. The ventral fins are 1:0 inch behind the pectorals; they were probably 
strong fins; a firm support was afforded by large pubic bones, in form an elongated 
oval, extending forwards from the base of the fins. 
The scales are very small, extending in parallel horizontal lines containing 
seventy scales in the length of 1 inch; their height is equal to the length. The 
posterior margin is round, with the centre drawn out in the form of a point or 
tooth-like prominence, giving the scales very much the appearance of the shagreen 
of a dog-fish. 
Formation and Locality—Hard chalk: Hakel. 
£x coll.—Lewis Collection, Natural History Department, British Museum. 
Genus. Rhinellus. AGAssiz. 
““ Body elongate, covered with small imbricating, rounded scales: head long, 
prolonged into a beak, occasionally equal to the length of the body. Skeleton 
bony and complex. Dorsal fin short, slightly behind the middle of the body, 
and opposite to or a short distance behind the ventrals; anal fin short and near the 
tail ; caudal divided into two deeply-cleft lobes; pectoral fins moderately large ; 
ventrals small.”’ (Pictet and Humbert in part.) 
The genus Rhinellus was established by M. Agassiz (‘‘ Poiss. foss.,” vol. ii, 
pt. 11., p. 260), and embraced a small fish from Mount Lebanon, characterized 
principally by the excessive length of its jaws. Two specimens, both imperfect, 
are figured (Op. cit., pl. 58), figs. 5, 6); the first, the anterior part of the body, is 
still the type of the genus; the second is now known to be the tail of a fish, 
quite distinct from Rhinellus, and included in the genus named by Agassiz, 
Dercetis. By reason of this error Professor Agassiz considered that it was 
probable that the fish had two dorsal fins, and its dermal covering allied it to the 
Scleroderms, though he states that the two specimens may not belong to the 
same species. 
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