1903.] Ha}\ Cretaceous Fishes from Mount Lebanon, Syria. 435 



There is in none of the individuals any trace whatever of 

 the ventral fins, although the fishes must have been enclosed 

 in the matrix without any disturbance of their parts. This 

 is indicated by a brown stain on the matrix, which shows that 

 the outline of the body is unbroken in the region where the 

 ventrals would have been located. It is further evident that 

 they are not specimens of Anguillavus quadripinnis , since the 

 head of the latter is longer and more pointed; furthermore, 

 in the specimens referred to Urenchelys there are no indica- 

 tions of plates in the region of the lateral line. 



The head of the type of U. germanus has a length of 24 mm. ; 

 the portion of the trunk between the head and the anal 

 fin measures 46 mm., and the part of the caudal region re- 

 maining equals 74 mm. Between the occiput and the anal 

 fin I count 43 vertebrse. The neural arches of this region are 

 broken away. Slender ribs project on each side. Behind 

 the origin of the anal fin are 47 vertebrae, making 90 in all. 

 In case the caudal region was more than twice as long as the 

 portion of the trunk in front of the anal, as is the case with 

 U. avus, there must have been considerably more than 100 

 vertebrae in the vertebral column. 



The upper surface of the skull closely resembles that of 

 Angiiilla. Vomer, ethmoid, united frontals, the parietals, and 

 probably the supraoccipital and epiotics can be located, al- 

 though the sutures cannot always be seen. The opercular 

 apparatus is well developed, showing apparently all the ele- 

 ments found in Anguilla, and possessing the peculiarities of 

 the latter genus. The lower jaw is two thirds the length of 

 the cranium. The palatopterygoid bar seems to have the 

 structure seen in Anguillavus. Many teeth are seen on both 

 the maxilla and dentary. 



Both pectoral fins are well displayed, and each had at least 

 18 rays. As already stated, there are no evidences of ventral 

 fins. The dorsal fin is seen to come as far forward as the 13th 

 vertebra from the occiput. Just behind the head there are 

 8 vertebrae in 10 mm.; in the anterior portion of the cau- 

 dal region there are only 6 in this space. From this and 

 other specimens it is seen that the notochord passed uninter- 



