﻿124: 
  Mr. 
  0. 
  T. 
  Eegan 
  on 
  the 
  Anatomy 
  and 
  

  

  Other 
  features 
  o£ 
  the 
  head 
  skeleton 
  are 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  

   figures, 
  and 
  it 
  need 
  only 
  be 
  remarked 
  that 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  

   cranium, 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  temporal 
  fossae, 
  the 
  general 
  

   character 
  and 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  frontals, 
  parietals, 
  the 
  otic 
  

   bones, 
  the 
  nasals, 
  circumorbitals, 
  and 
  supramaxillaries 
  indi- 
  

   cate 
  a 
  pretty 
  close 
  relationship 
  to 
  generalized 
  isospondylous 
  

   fishes 
  such 
  as 
  Elops 
  (cf. 
  Ridewood, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1904, 
  ii. 
  pp. 
  35- 
  

   81, 
  c. 
  figg.). 
  

  

  The 
  vertebral 
  column 
  only 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Elopidge 
  

   in 
  that 
  the 
  centra 
  are 
  coossified 
  with 
  the 
  arches 
  ; 
  there 
  are 
  

   52 
  vertebras 
  ; 
  the 
  centra 
  are 
  perforated 
  ; 
  the 
  ribs 
  and 
  epi- 
  

   pleurals 
  are 
  inserted 
  together 
  on 
  very 
  short 
  processes 
  which 
  

   increase 
  in 
  length 
  posteriorly 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  epi- 
  

   nenrals 
  ; 
  the 
  caudal 
  fin 
  skeleton 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   Elopidge 
  chiefly 
  in 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  only 
  one 
  upturned 
  centrum 
  

   which 
  is 
  rather 
  elongate. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  pectoral 
  arch 
  and 
  the 
  pelvic 
  

   bones 
  are 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  figures, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  necessary 
  to 
  

   say 
  that 
  the 
  forked 
  post-temporal 
  is 
  firmly 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  

   epiotic 
  above 
  and 
  the 
  opisthotic 
  below, 
  and 
  to 
  call 
  attention 
  

   to 
  the 
  remarkable 
  posterior 
  processes 
  of 
  the 
  pelvic 
  bones. 
  

  

  This 
  family 
  includes 
  the 
  single 
  recent 
  genus 
  Aulopus, 
  with 
  

   the 
  allied 
  Cretaceous 
  Sardinioides. 
  

  

  Macristium, 
  Regan, 
  is 
  probably 
  related 
  to 
  Aulopus. 
  

  

  The 
  genus 
  Scopelosaurus 
  (Bleeker, 
  Act. 
  Soc. 
  Sci. 
  Ned. 
  Ind. 
  

   viii. 
  1860, 
  no. 
  5, 
  p. 
  12) 
  appears 
  to 
  differ 
  but 
  little 
  from 
  

   Aulopus 
  in 
  the 
  head, 
  mouth, 
  dentition, 
  &c. 
  The 
  body 
  is 
  

   very 
  elongate, 
  subcylindrical, 
  and 
  has 
  3 
  rows 
  of 
  luminous 
  

   spots 
  on 
  the 
  belly 
  ; 
  there 
  are 
  9 
  branchiostegals. 
  

  

  The 
  vomerine 
  teeth 
  form 
  a 
  single 
  transverse 
  series, 
  and 
  

   this 
  character 
  indicates 
  a 
  closer 
  relationship 
  to 
  Aulopus 
  than 
  

   to 
  the 
  Myctophidse. 
  

  

  Family 
  2. 
  Synodontidae. 
  

  

  Differ 
  from 
  the 
  Aulopidse 
  in 
  certain 
  features 
  of 
  specializa- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  suspensorium 
  is 
  directed 
  obliquely 
  backwards 
  and 
  

   the 
  mesopterygoid 
  is 
  less 
  developed 
  than 
  in 
  Aulopus 
  ; 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  is 
  wide 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  supramaxillary, 
  and 
  the 
  slender 
  

   maxillary 
  is 
  firmly 
  adherent 
  to 
  the 
  prsemaxillary 
  or 
  is 
  united 
  

   with 
  it 
  by 
  suture 
  or 
  ankylosis 
  ; 
  there 
  are 
  bands 
  of 
  curved 
  

   pointed 
  teeth 
  in 
  the 
  jaws 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  palate 
  ; 
  the 
  branchio- 
  

   stegals 
  number 
  11 
  to 
  17. 
  The 
  cranium 
  in 
  Synodus 
  and 
  

   Saurida 
  is 
  more 
  depressed 
  than 
  in 
  Aulopus, 
  with 
  the 
  epiotics 
  

   further 
  apart 
  and 
  the 
  posterior 
  temporal 
  fossae 
  much 
  reduced 
  

   in 
  size; 
  the 
  parasphenoid 
  is 
  laminar 
  and 
  the 
  orbitosphenoid 
  

   forms 
  a 
  thin 
  septum 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  fork 
  of 
  the 
  post-temporal 
  

  

  