COBITOPSID^: RHOMURUS 



the tail vertebrae seeming to be progressively smaller, without hypurals. 

 The mouth seems to be large, the mandible strong, more than half 

 length of head, its base angular, and there is a shadowy trace of large 

 teeth in front: this appearance may be elusive. The vertebrae are small 

 and numerous, upwards of sixty in all, longer than deep and little con- 

 stricted. 



This fish may be related to ROGENIO, but additional specimens are 

 needed to show its affinities. Meanwhile I take it as the type of a new 

 genus, ROGENITES. There is a remote possibility that ROGENITES is an 

 ally of HEMIRAMPHUS. 



The original figure of the species is here reproduced. 



Family COBITOPSID^. 



5. Rhomurus fulcratus Jordan, new genus and species. 

 (Plate IV, figs. 3, 4; Plate V, fig. 1) 



The type (No. L, Stanford University) the print of a dainty little 

 fish three inches long in a fine sandstone from Soledad Pass, the front 

 of the head broken. Head 3^4 m length to base of caudal; depth about 

 5y 2 . Form lanceolate, the back little elevated, the greatest depth at 

 the nape. Eye large, about equal to posterior part of head; jaws seem- 

 ingly rather strong, the form of the mouth unknown. Vertebrae 35, 

 elongate, hourglass-shaped, growing shorter posteriorly; the last eleven 

 with very strong neural and haemal spines, the last six neurals bearing 

 projecting points or fulcra; no sign of hypural plate. Dorsal low and 

 apparently short, inserted somewhat in front of middle of length from 

 nape to base of caudal, its distance from nape iy 3 in its distance to base 

 of caudal, its rays not to be counted; ventrals inserted just behind 

 middle of dorsal; pectoral apparently very short and narrow, placed 

 low; (the fin below the pectoral in the type apparently the left pectoral 

 brought around by distortion) ; anal well behind the dorsal, mostly 

 obliterated. Caudal fin broad, well forked, its rays fine and numerous. 



This little fish is well marked by the strong armature of its spinal 

 column behind the anal fin. The restoration by Mr. William Sackston 

 Atkinson gives a good idea of its form and its tail structure. The 

 restoration of the head before the break in front of the eye is wholly 

 uncertain. Below the eye a faint outline of the left eye seems to show 

 through. 



Some traits of this fish suggest the genus COBITOPSIS Sauvage. 

 We may provisionally place it in the COBITOPSID.E, without deciding on 

 the relationships of COBITOPSIS. It is probably, however, an ally of the 

 more primitive ISOSPONDYLI or herring-like fishes. It has certainly no 



