434 Mr. A. S. Woodward on some Ganoid Fishes 



all the rays are articulated at distant intervals. The pelvic 

 fins also consist of robust articulated rays, are situated nearer 

 to the anal than to the pectorals, and are not much inferior in 

 size to the latter ; their height seems to be greater than the 

 length of their base-line. The more anterior rays of the 

 dorsal and anal fins and the lower lobe of the caudal are espe- 

 cially robust and covered with ganoine, and fulcra are only 

 distinctly observed on the caudal. The dorsal fin arises at 

 the middle point of the back, opposite the hinder half of the 

 pelvic fins, and is elevated and triangular-acuminate in shape, 

 the length of its base-line not exceeding its height. The anal 

 fin is relatively small and low, its height equalling only half 

 that of the dorsal, and its length being only about three 

 quarters that of the latter. The caudal fin is deeply forked 

 and not quite symmetrical, the much attenuated upper lobe 

 being somewhat larger than the lower. 



The scales are small and thin, and the proportions of those 

 of the abdominal region are well shown in the original of 

 PI. XVI. fig. 2. They are not deepened upon the flank, 

 and, as shown by no. 39865 (PI. XVI. figs. 4, 4 a), the ex- 

 ternal ornament consists of numerous rounded tuberculations 

 of ganoine. They appear as if rounded posteriorly and over- 

 lapping. The fulcral scales of the upper caudal lobe are very 

 large, with slight longitudinal sculpturings. 



Determination. — On selecting from the characters thus 

 detailed those that seem to be of generic value it will be 

 observed that the fish approaches most closely the small round- 

 scaled Palreoniscid Coccolepis *, from the Lithographic Stone 

 of Bavaria. Judging from the elaborate description of the 

 latter genus by Vetter "f", the new Liassic species exhibits only 

 one essential difference from the typical form, namely the 

 articulation of the pectoral fin-rays. These rays, however, 

 have only been partially seen in a single example of Cocco- 

 lepis Bucklandi ; and, as it is sometimes difficult to recog- 

 nize the delicate transverse sutural lines even in well-preserved 

 examples, we venture to place the Liassic fish in the same 

 genus until more satisfactory specimens of the type species 

 are discovered. The Rev. W. R. Andrews, F.G.S., has 

 presented to the Museum of Practical Geology a species of 

 Coccolepis from the Purbeck Beds of the Vale of Wardour \, 

 but this has not yet been described ; and C. Bucklandi thus 

 remains the sole representative of the genus bearing a defined 



* L. Agassiz, Rech. Poiss. Foss. vol. ii. pt. i. (1843), p. 300. 

 t B. Vetter, " Die Fisclie aus clem lithographischen Schiefer," Mittheil. 

 k. min.-geol. Mus. Dresden, pt. iv. (18bl), p. 37, pi. i. fig. 2. 

 % Woodward and Sherborn, op. at. p. 37. 



