246 On the Fossil Fishes of Mount Lebanon. 



Pharyngognathi, These fishes, in which Heckel discovered 

 pharyngeal teeth, belong to a type at present very distinct from 

 the Percoids ; they approach these, however, through the Beryx 

 of the Chalk, which they resemble in scales, fins, and general 

 appearance, 



4. The genus Platax, of the family Carangidse, also remark- 

 able for a resemblance in fins and contour to the Beryx above 

 named. 



Briefly, these four types, now so distinct, were related at the 

 epoch of their origin by certain common characters actually 

 diminished or effaced since then ; so that we might represent 

 the history of the Ctenoids by means of a bundle of diverging 

 lines, between which should be inscribed all those families which 

 did not exist before the Cretaceous period. 



Some other families of Teleosteans have a few rare representa- 

 tives at Mount Lebanon. We shall not linger over these, and 

 shall content ourselves with indicating one or two Sparoids, one 

 or two Gobioids, and a curious genus {Petalopteryx) belonging 

 probably to the Cataphracti. 



In order to render complete this notice of the faunas of Leba- 

 non, it would only remain for us to say a few words relative to 

 an order which we have already named above — that of the Hop- 

 lopleuridae, the relations of which have been contested : this, 

 however, would lead us too far. We would refer to our memoir 

 for the detailed treatment of this question ; it will there be seen 

 that all arguments in favour of their affinity with the Ganoids 

 are highly contestable, and that these fishes are true Teleosteans. 



The Hoplopleuridse characterized by longitudinal series of 

 shields form a group at present proper to the Cretaceous period. 

 They themselves contribute largely to stamp the physiognomy 

 of the Lebanon faunas. 



These various facts may further be summed up as follows : — 



The Lebanon faunas have, like the other Cretaceous faunas, 

 in the more essential points, their relations entirely with the 

 subsequent, and never with preceding faunas. The commence- 

 ment of the Cretaceous period has been, as concerns this class, 

 a period of great modification and renovation of forms. The 

 principal general character consists in the sudden disappearance 

 of Ganoids, these being replaced by an abundance of Teleosteans. 



If we compare them with subsequent faunas (tertiary and 

 modern) we find that they are composed of the same families, 

 only in diflferent proportions. 



The most important is that of the Halecoids {Salmones and 

 Clnpea), which may be regarded as the continuation of certain 

 Jurassic genera. This is the only family of Teleosteans with so 

 remote an origin. It is also the one which reproduces in the 



