7 
THE ANNALS 
AND 
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
[FOURTH SERIES.] 
No. 2. FEBRUARY 1868. 
—_— 
XI1.—Notes on various Species of Ctenodus obtained from 
the Shales of the Northumberland Ooal-field. By THOMAS 
ATTHEY. 
THE curious genus Ctenodus was founded by Agassiz on a 
single specimen of a palatal tooth procured from the compact 
coal of Tong, and preserved in the Leeds Museum. It was 
named C. cristatus, and was described in his ‘ Recherches sur 
~ les Poissons Fossiles,’ where it is tolerably well figured. He 
mentions two other species, under the respective names of C. 
alatus and C. Robertsoni—the former from Ardwick, the latter 
from Burdie House; but I can find no specific description of 
either*, though there is an account and figure of the micro- 
scopic structure of C. Robertsoni; but these do not assist us at 
all in determining its specific identity. So far as I am able 
to ascertain, C. cristatus is, then, the only described species: of 
this genus belonging to the Carboniferous system ; I am there- 
fore gratified to find myself in a position to add several new 
species of Ctenodus to the fauna of our Coal-measures. 
During my long-continued examination of the shales in the 
neighbourhood of Newcastle I have not only found divers spe- 
cimens of Agassiz’s species, but have also obtained five or six 
others, all of which are distinguished by well-marked charac- 
ters. It is my intention to give in this communication short 
descriptions of the whole of them, reserving for some future 
occasion more lengthened details of their characteristic features. 
Tn the first place, however, a few remarks may be made re- 
specting the fishes to which this beautiful armature belonged. 
Agassiz thought they were Placoids; and so they were 
deemed to be for several years, until Hugh Miller t obtained 
* From a remark in Agassiz’s ‘ Monogr. des Poiss, Foss. du Vieux Grés- 
rouge,’ it SNe that both species are inedited, 
T See ‘ Footprints of the Creator,’ p. 62. 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Vol. i. 7 
