Dr B. H. Traquair on Fossil Fishes fro^n Oil Shales. 123 



or sculpture, although in the former the ridges are in some 

 cases rather finer, and are also occasionally themselves orna- 

 mented with a few very delicate striae running longitudinally 

 or obliquely along their sides. Earely is the internal surface 

 of the scale exhibited, but in one case at least the posterior 

 margin seen from this aspect is distinctly pectinated in the 

 same peculiar manner as in those previously described. 



A specimen in the collection of Mr Gibson shows a large 

 portion of the body, with remains of the dorsal, ventral, and 

 anal fins, and is 7^ inches in length by 5 inches in greatest 

 depth. The nodule is unfortunately broken across just in 

 front of the ventral and a little behind the anal fin; but, 

 judging from the proportionate dimensions of the part of the 

 body exhibited, the original length of the fish could not have 

 been less than 18 inches. The fins are badly preserved, not 

 much more than their bases being shown, and those are 

 imperfect ; the dorsal is placed opposite the interval between 

 the ventral and the anal. The fin-rays are stout, their 

 articulations are rather close, and where their internal surface 

 is shown, it is brilliantly ganoid, and conspicuously striated 

 longitudinally. 



Another specimen belonging to Mr Gibson consists of a 

 large clavicle, with a portion of the appended infraclavicular 

 plate, and in connection with this clavicle there is the 

 greater part of the pectoral fin. The portion of the fin pre- 

 served is nearly 2^ inches in length by 1^ inches in breadth ; 

 but as the rays are abruptly disturbed and broken off, it is 

 perfectly clear that the extremity of the fin is gone, and 

 judging from what remains, its original length cannot have 

 been less than 3 inches — probably more. A fish of very 

 formidable proportions is therefore here indicated, at least for 

 a member of the Palaeoniscidse. The principal rays of this 

 pectoral are, as in Elonichthys Egertoni, and in the genera 

 Acrolejois and Nematoptychius, unarticulated for some distance 

 from their origin — as much as 1 inch at the lateral margin — 

 beyond which they are closely jointed. Careful examination 

 shows that the jointed portions of the rays were sculptured 

 externally with longitudinal and, in some cases, oblique stride. 



In another specimen, also belonging to Mr Gibson, a por- 



