1903.] -^'^y'l North American Cretaceous Fishes, 93 



locality and deposit as the other species here recorded from 

 South Dakota. 



Sardinius? imbellis sp. nov. 

 Plate IV, Fig. 9. 



The block of soft limestone which bears the type of Cope's 

 Sardinius nasutnliis presents also parts of two other small 

 fishes which appear to be undescribed. One of these, No. 

 2550, lacks the head and the whole of the body above the 

 vertebral column, except a portion of the upper lobe of the 

 caudal fin. The other specimen, No. 2549, presents the body 

 from the front of the dorsal fin to the extremity of the caudal. 

 Perhaps it would be wise to refrain from describing these 

 specimens, as Cope refrained. Nevertheless, they appear to 

 differ from any species yet described and to furnish characters 

 which will make it possible to recognize other specimens when 

 they shall be found. So far as can be determined from the 

 remains at hand, the species belongs to the Myctophidse, and 

 it stands nearer to Sardinius cordieri than to any other related 

 form. From Sardinius it appears to differ in having fewer 

 vertebrae, fewer rays in most of the fins, in the position of 

 the dorsal, and in the character of the scales. It appears 

 safer, however, to await the finding of additional and better 

 materials before proposing a new generic name. The longi- 

 tudinally divided specimen. No. 2550 (PI. IV, Fig. 9), is taken 

 as the type. 



From the caudal fin to the insertion of the pectoral 36 

 vertebrae are counted. The whole number probably has been 

 about 40. Of these, 1 5 appear to have belonged to the caudal 

 region. The ribs are slender. The pectoral fin is broad and 

 consists of 1 5 rays ; but it is rather short and lacks somewhat 

 of reaching the ventrals. The latter fins are pressed down, 

 the one on the other, so that the exact number of rays cannot 

 be determined. Six may be counted. These fins are placed 

 nearer to the pectorals than to the anal. The dorsal is miss- 

 ing in the type. The anal has a long basis and consists of 

 15 or 16 rays. The caudal is deeply forked. No evidences 



