56 FOSSIL FISHES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 



The character and make-up of the bones of the head suggest the 

 genus ASPICOTTUS, but this resemblance may be wholly elusive, and the 

 fish may not belong to the COTTID.E. The spines on the head if present are 

 all broken. Some moderate, thin scales, apparently cycloid, are scattered 

 about, but they may not belong to this fish. 



It is named for Dr. Oliver Perry Hay, who has contributed much to 

 our knowledge of fossil fishes. 



Family GOBIID^. 



49. Aboma antiqua Jordan and Gilbert, new species. 

 (Plate XXIX, fig. 1) 



Two specimens of a small goby from the diatomaceous shales at 

 Bairdstown, Dr. J. Z. Gilbert. These are two and three inches in length. 

 Two others, about three and a half inches long, were obtained by Dr. Ralph 

 Arnold in the same rock at Shorb, California. The largest of the speci- 

 mens (No. II) from Bairdstown may be taken as the type of the species. 

 The description is drawn from all. The figure is from a photograph of 

 the type. Head about 4*4 times to base of caudal ; depth about 4. D. VII 

 or VIII 9 to 12 (probably VIII 12) ; anal destroyed; ventrals fully 

 united, each I, 5 ; pectoral short and narrow, about 12. Scales about 35-9, 

 rather large, probably ctenoid, each with about three marked striae; no 

 scales seen on head ; vertebrae apparently about 14 -f- 16 = 30 to 32 ; 

 mouth low, rather small, the jaws subequal ; the snout rather pointed; eye 

 moderate; dorsal fins low, the spines slender; about as high as the 

 soft rays; ventral rather large (the fin displaced in the specimen photo- 

 graphed), its insertion as usual well in front of dorsal ; caudal rather large, 

 rounded, the lower edge cut obliquely, the upper rays being longer. 



The species, so far as may be seen, agrees with the genus ABOMA 

 Jordan and Starks, now represented on the Pacific shore of Mexico and in 

 Japan. 



Family BROTULID^. 



50. Merriamina ectenes Jordan and Gilbert, new genus and species. 

 (Plate XXVI, figs. 1, 3) 



Type (No. XIII) an example about 8% inches in length from El 

 Modena, Hadley collection. A smaller specimen from the same collection 

 4y 4 inches long is No. XIV. In both the head is badly crushed and the 

 fins more or less broken, but the posterior parts are well preserved. 



In the type the head is nearly 4 in length, the depth about 5, \% in 

 head. Vertebrae obscured anteriorly, 24 visible, the total number appar- 

 ently about 36 ; in the smaller specimen there are one or two more ; the best 

 count (No. CVII) shows 42 to 44. Body elongate, lanceolate, deepest at 

 the shoulder, tapering to a slender tail, dorsal and ventral outlines corre- 

 sponding and nearly straight. Dorsal fin beginning well forward, not far 



