Pernio- Carboniferous Fishes from Madagascar. 5 



vertical series, which taper and are reflexed at the base of 

 the anal fin. 



The type-species, of the form and proportions already 

 described, may be appropriately named K. dixoni, after its 

 discoverer. 



It may be added that a single specimen of this fish was 

 also obtained by Mr. Dixon from the Loky district inN.E. 

 Madagascar, exactly in the same condition as the specimens 

 from Andogozo. 



II. Ccelacanthus madagascariensis, sp. n. (PI. I. fig. 5.) 



The only specimen of this species represents a fish about 

 18 cm. in total length. It is much obscured by the oxides 

 of iron and manganese, and the head-bones and fins are 

 crushed and broken, but it merely lacks the supplementary 

 caudal fin. The length of the head with opercular apparatus 

 somewhat exceeds the maximum depth of the trunk at the 

 anterior dorsal fin, and must have equalled one quarter of 

 the total length of the fish. 



There is nothing worthy of note in the remains of tiie 

 head, except that some of the cheek-plates are ornamented 

 with the usual concentric ridges ; but the operculum, which 

 is much deeper than wide, is remarkable as being ornamented 

 with large irregularly-ovoid tubercles, which are very closely 

 arranged. Their appearance in impression is shown in 

 fig. 5 a, magnified three times, and it is clear that they are not 

 arranged in lines concentric with the border of the bone. 

 In the axial skeleton of the trunk there are remains of the 

 ordinary neural arches and caudal haemal arches, each con- 

 sisting of a single piece, forked at the base and only super- 

 ficially calcified. No ribs are preserved, and the air-bladder 

 is only imperfectly indicated. 



The pelvic fins are inserted just behind the anterior dorsal, 

 which comprises nine stout rays. The posterior dorsal fin 

 consists of very delicate though long rays, and the distance 

 between its origin and that of the anterior dorsal equals that 

 between the latter and the occiput. The principal caudal fin 

 comprises about 12 rays above and below. 



As shown by impressions, all the scales are ornamented 

 with very fine and closely-arranged longitudinal ridges or 

 striae (tig. 5 6). These ridges tend to converge backwards 

 on each scale, and they are very rarely subdivided into 

 elongated tubercles. 



In the nature of its scale-ornament, the Madagascar fossil 

 agrees with the known Carboniferous species rather than 



