354 Miscellaneous. 



by Dr. Baur himself not to be constant ; and I presume it will ulti- 

 mately be found that his observation was made on an injured 

 specimen. 



In his latest paper on the classification of the Pleurodira Dr. Baur 

 gives as one of the characters of the family Chelydidse the presence 

 of a nuchal shield, and includes Elseya, overlooking that that genus 

 was established on the absence of a nuchal. 



So much for Dr. Baur's accuracy in dealing with facts. His want 

 of judgment as to what constitute family characters is best shown 

 in his classification of the Pleurodira, where one neural plate more 

 or less (often merely an individual peculiarity) is regarded as a 

 family character, except in the Chelydidte, where, better informed, 

 he admits their variation from 7 to ! Pelomedusa, which is placed 

 by him with Podocnemis in the family Pelomedusida), is beyond 

 question much more nearly related to Sternotlmrus, which, in his 

 system, forms another family. As there is not at present the slightest 

 reason for splitting the Pelomedusidse, or Pleurodira with meso- 

 plastra, into several families, the new terms Mesoplastralia and 

 Amesoplastralia were uncalled for, and only show, together with the 

 proposal of a new name (Erymnochelys) to replace Dumerilia, pre- 

 occupied and a synonym of Podocnemis, the unfortunate fondness of 

 the author for coining names whenever the slightest opportunity 

 oflPers. 



A Comparison of the Cretaceous Fish-fmma of Mount Lebanon with 

 that of the English Chalk *. By A. Smith Woodwakd, F.G.S., 



r.z.s. 



No detailed comparison having hitherto been instituted between 

 the Cretaceous fish-fauna of Mount Lebanon and that of the English 

 Chalk, which belongs to a well-determined horizon, the author has 

 undertaken a general survey of the genera, with the result that the 

 two faunas are proved to have more forms in common than hitherto 

 supposed. The Selachian fishes are scarcely comparable, Notidanus 

 and Squatina being the only genera as yet recognized in the two 

 formations, although the English teeth named Lamna rhaphiodon 

 seem to belong to the Syrian shark named JRJdnognathus ; on the 

 whole, those of Mount Lebanon exhibit the most modern facies, all 

 traces of Hybodont Sharks and of Ptychodus being wanting, 

 Chimffiroids are unknown at Mount Lebanon, but abundantly 

 met with in the English Chalk. Among Ganoids there are 

 representatives of the Pycnodonts both in the Lebanon (Pala'oba- 

 listwn, Coccodus, Xenopholis) and in England (Coelodns), but no 

 identical genera can yet be recognized. Bhombic-scaled Ganoids 

 are rare in the English Chalk {Lophiostomus, Neorhomholepis), and 

 unknown in Mount Lebanon ; traces of Acipenseroids also occur in 

 the former, but have not been discovered in the latter ; and at least 

 one Crossopterygian genus occurs plentifully in England {Macropo- 



* Abstract of paper read before Section C, British Association, Bath, 

 September 1888. 



