106 PLEURONECTOIDS. 



In the Toxotes and Pempherides, the jaws support only minute 

 viUiform teeth ; but there are similar teeth on the palatines. 



In the Bramce, the maxillary teeth are somewhat coarser, or ' en 

 cardes' and some of the outer and anterior ones are developed into 

 small canines. The palatine teeth form a narrow band * en cardes,' 

 on each side of the roof of the mouth. 



In the genus Pimelipterus{\) there is a band of villiform teeth on 

 each jaw ; and external to these there is a row of moderately developed 

 trenchant teeth, which present the singular modification of having the 

 part analogous to the fang, bent at right angles to the crown. This 

 fang is horizontal, and is anchylosed by one side to the margin of the 

 jaw. In the Pimelipterus Boscii it is of equal length with the vertical 

 crown ; in Pimel. incisor it is somewhat longer ; and in the Pimel. 

 fuscus the root is three times the length of the crown. This portion 

 of the tooth is generally oval, compressed, and sharp- edged. There 

 are between twenty and thirty of these teeth in each jaw. They are 

 subject to uninterrupted shedding and replacement, and their succes- 

 sors pierce the jaws in front of those which are displaced. In all the 

 Pimelipteri there are rough granular discs on the palatines, pterygoids 

 and vomer. 



In the Dipterodons the external row of teeth are more developed 

 than in the Pimelipteri, and are straight ; the crown is broad and 

 terminates in a trenchant chisel-shaped edge. There are six of these 

 incisors in the upper jaw, and ten in the lower jaw of the Cape Dipte- 

 rodon ; the middle ones are the longest. The posterior villiform teeth 

 are more developed than in the Pimelipteri. The vomer and palatines 

 are edentulous. The inferior pharyngeals are covered with a pave- 

 ment of round obtuse teeth ; those above are similar but smaller. 



PLEURONECTOIDS. 



46. Among the Pleuronectoids or Flat-fish, the soles {Solea) mani- 

 fest their affinity to the preceding family in their fine ciliiform teeth ; 

 these, in their unequal distribution, partake of the main characteristic 

 of the PleuronectidfB, which are the least symmetrical of vertebrate 

 animals, and are limited, in the intermaxillary and premandibular 



(1) PI. 1, fig. 5. 



