Families of Teleostean Fishes. 173 



view which is still upheld by Gill *. I now agree with this 

 liigh authority in regarding the bone wliich I took for an 

 infraclavicle as a much developed coracoid, and the bone 

 termed by me the coracoid as a pterygial. But it has also 

 been shown, by Starks, that sucii a thing as an infraclavicle 

 does not exist even in the stickleback, the bone so-called 

 being only a part of the coracoid; and as, in most of the 

 sticklebacks, the pelvic bones join the latter, the resemblance 

 between them and Lampris remains. As I have previously 

 pointed out, the absence of spines in the fins and the position 

 of the ventral tins, together with the great number of rays in 

 the latter, which is only met with in the lower Teleosteans, 

 are characters which necessitate the removal of Lampris from 

 the Acanthopterygians, and I cannot find a better place for 

 them than near the Gastrosteidte. 



Tlie whole question of the arrangement of the Physoclists 

 with abdominal ventrals (Catosteomi and Percesoces) is, 1 

 feel, much in need of revision, and it may be found advisable 

 to break up this group into a greater number of suborders, in 

 wliicii case the Selenichthyes would stand by themselves; 

 the Heniibianchii and Lophobranchii would be united under 

 the lornier name, as j^roposed by Woodward, or under that of 

 Thoracostei (Swinnerton) or Plithinobranchii (Hay). 



Eleven families : — 



I. Prfeopercuhim nnd symplectic distinct; branchial apparntus fully- 



developed, gills pectinate; mouth terminal, toothless; post- 

 temporal forked, free ; pelvic bones connected with scapular arch, 

 vertical fins with 15 to 17 rays ; ribs long, sessile; hns without 

 spines, (Selenichthyes.) 1. Lampvididoi. 



II. Prreoperculum and symplectic distinct, latter much elongate ; 



branchial apparatus niore or less reduced, gills pectinated ; post- 

 temporal simple, immovable ; mouth terminal. (Hemibranchii.) 

 A. Mouth toothed. 



1. Pelvic bones close to or connected with scapular arch ; spinous 

 dorsal represented by isolated spines. 



Suout conical or but slightly tubiform ; ventral 

 fins with one spine and one or two soft 

 rays ; ribs slender, free ; anterior vertebrae 

 not enlarged 2. GastrosteidcB. 



Snout tubiform ; ventral fins with one spine and 

 iour soft rays ; ribs flattened, fused with 

 the lateral bony shields; anterior vertebra 

 not enlarged 3. Aulorhynchidce. 



Snout tubiform ; ribs slender, free ; first ver- 

 tebra enlarged 4. Protosyngnathidce f. 



* Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxvi. 1903, p. 91.5. 



