Fossil Tunny from the Coralline Crag. 295 



Thynnus so far as they are distinguished from those of the 

 known allied genera. Some slight differences, however, are 

 observable when comparisons are instituted with the ver- 

 tebra 3 , of the two larger existing Tunnies ( T. thynnus and T. 

 germo), and, though these distinctive features cannot be 

 exactly formulated, JVI . Storms decides to apply the provisional 

 name of Thynnus scaldisiensis (scaldisii) to the Pliocene 

 fish until sufficiently complete examples are discovered for 

 precise specific definition. 



Full details of the characters by which the various ver- 

 tebras of Thynnus may be recognized are given in the memoir 

 just quoted, and it is thus unnecessary to enumerate them 

 here. The object of the present note is merely to remark 

 that vertebras closely resembling the Scaldisian fossils occur 

 in the Coralline Crag of Suffolk ; and, though these are of 

 somewhat smaller size, it will be convenient to record them 

 under the same name — Thynnus scaldisiensis — until further 

 and more satisfactory evidence of the species is forthcoming. 



A hinder caudal vertebra of this form, from the Coralline 

 Crag of Aldborough, was presented to the British Museum by 

 Mr. Searles V. Wood, F.G.S., many years ago, and has long- 

 been labelled " Vertebra of a Scomberoid Fish " by Mr. 

 William Davies. This specimen most nearly resembles the 

 two vertebrae represented by M. Storms, loc. cit. figs. 20, 21, 

 and is almost in the same state of preservation, though the 

 lamellar transverse processes are more completely broken 

 away; in proportions it appears identical, but in size it is 

 somewhat inferior, the length of the centrum being only 

 0-044, its breadth 0*047, and its depth 0'035 m. 



A second veitebral centrum referable to the anterior por- 

 tion of the caudal region has lately been obtained by the 

 British Museum (no. P. 5583) from the Crag of Suffolk, and, 

 though the precise locality is unrecorded, the mineral con- 

 dition of this fossil resembles that of the foregoing so com- 

 pletely, that it may probably be assigned to the same horizon. 

 The specimen agrees most nearly with figs. 12 and 19 of 

 Storms, which represent the thirtieth vertebra of T. thynnus 

 and T. scaldisiensis respectively j it resembles the first in the 

 position of the inferior vascular foramen, but corresponds 

 more closely with the second in the slenderness of the middle 

 part of the ridge between the lateral fossae. The centrum 

 measures 0'038 m. in length, 0"039 in breadth, and - 032 in 

 depth, and the base of the characteristic haemal arch is indi- 

 cated, while the neural arch is entirely destroyed. 



Other Scomberoid caudal vertebrae, more imperfectly pre- 

 served and having the appearance of derived fossils, occur in 



