ON THE OCCUREENCE OF THE GENUS EELONOSTOMUS IN THE 



2. Previous Notices of Fish-remains in the Eolling Downs Formation. 



The first record of the existence of fish-remains in the immense expanse of 

 rocks, now termed by Mr. E. L. Jack, Government Geologist of Queensland, the 

 " Eolling Downs Formation," is due to the late Mr. Charles Moore, of Bath, England, 

 who found numerous fragments of teeth and scales in the Wollumbilla blocks 

 submitted to him by the late Eev. W. B. Clarke, M.A. He regarded the teeth and 

 certain of the scales as those of Hybodus, and other scales as representing the genus 

 Lepiodotus.* Subsequent researches have so far failed to reveal further traces of these 

 genera. 



The next reference to Australian Cretaceous fish with which we are acquainted 

 is the brief record by Mr. E. Etheridge, F.E.S., of the caudal portion of the vertebral 

 column and several scales of Aspidorhynchus in the Hughenden beds,t Central 

 Queensland, associated Avith Ammonites, and other fossils of Cretaceous age. 



After a lapse of some years, Mr. E. L. Jack, whilst engaged with General 

 Fielding in the exploratory traverses for the Queensland Trans-Continental 

 Eailway, discovered at Kamilaroy, Leichhardt Eiver, a bed of magnesian limestone, 

 containing, with other fossils, sharks' teeth and small vertebrae.]: The associated 

 fossils clearly proved this bed to belong to that portion of the great Eolling Downs 

 Formation extending from Cloncurry to Hughenden. These remains were 

 determined by one of us to be the teeth of Otodiis nppendiciilatiis, Ag., and the 

 vertebrte those of a small Teleostean fish.§ Subsequent to this these teeth were 

 described and figured, || together with a portion of the vertebral centrums of a large 

 Lamna from the Walsh Eiver beds of the Eolling Downs Formation. This interesting 

 specimen forms a portion of the collection of the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, and 

 was kindly communicated by Mr. C. W. de Vis, M.A., the Curator of that Institution. 

 For the Selachian of which these bones formed a portion, the name of Lamna 

 daviesii was proposed. The old genera, Otodiis and Lamna have now been united, IT 

 and in consequence the teeth before mentioned must in future be known as Lamna 

 appendiculata. What relation they may bear to the vertebrie of L. daviesii remains 

 for the future to prove. 



No other remains of Fish have been described from the Eolling Downs 

 formation. 



o 



* Quart. Joiim. Geol. Soc, 1870, XXVI., p. 238. 



t Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 1872, XXVIII., p. 346. 



} Reports on the Geological Features of Parts of the District to be traversed by the proposed Trans-Continental 

 Eailway. Quecnslatul Pari. Papers, 1885 (pp. 22, feap., Brisbane, by Authority, 1885), p. 8. 



§ R. Etheridge, Jun. Appendix to R. L. Jack's Report, loc. cit. 



II Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 1888, III (2),Pt. I., p. 156. 



II A. S. Woodward, Cat. Foss. Fishes Brit. Mus., 1889, p. 392. 



