716 EEPOET— 1887. 



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. 

 The followiug Papers and Reports were read : — 



1. On the Permian Fauna of Bohemia. By Professor Anton Fritsch. 



After mentioning the seyenty-three species of Labvrinthodants, of which he 

 has given figures in his work (' Fauna der Gasliole '), and of which electrotypes and 

 restored models were exhibited, the author mentioned the discovery of a very 

 peculiar genus Naosaurics (Cope). Then he explained some iinpuLlished plates of 

 Ltenodus, Orthacanthus, Ctenacnnthus, and a new ganoid fish ( '/rissolepis), with 

 three kinds of scales. Then he proved Acanthodes to be very near to the Salachians, 

 and drew attention to the gigantic fish (Ambli/pterus), 113 centimetres long, exhi- 

 bited to the Association. 



2, Bepor-t of the Committee for investigating the Garhoniferous Flora of 



Halifax and its neighbourhood. — See Reports, p. 235. 



3. On the Affinities of the so-called Torpedo (Cyclobatis, Fgerton) from 

 the Cretaceous of Mount Lebanon.^ By A. Smith Woodward, F.G.S., 

 F.Z.8. 



In 1844, Sir Philip Egerton read a paper before the Geological Society of London, 

 describing a small Selachian from the chalk of Mount Lebanon, under the name 

 of Cyclohatis oligodactylus ; six years later, Prof F. J. Pictet figured a second 

 specimen, showing further anatomical details ; and quite recently Mr. James W. 

 Davis has published some notes on the genus, adding a new species, C. major. 

 Following Egerton's original determination, the fish seems to have been universally 

 regarded up to the present time as referable to the Torpedinidfe, partly on account 

 of its rounded shape, and partly on account of the supposed absence of dermal 

 defences. The fine series of specimens now in the British Museum, however, 

 appears to demonstrate conclusively that these generally accepted views as to 

 the affinities of Cyclobatis have no sure foundation in fact. That the genus is truly 

 referable to the Trygouidae seems evident from the following considerations : 

 (1) The pectoral fins are uninterruptedly continued to the end of the snout, and 

 were thus probably confluent in front. (2) The pelvic arch is placed far forwards, 

 and the rays of the pelvic fins scarcely extend posteriorly beyond the extremity of 

 the pectorals. (3) There are no traces of median fins. (4) The skin is armed 

 with spinous tubercles. The fact last named has not been noted before ; but on the 

 dorsal aspect of the fish there is a longitudinal median row of large spinous 

 tubercles, and the remainder of the body and fins is covered with innumerable 

 prickles. In one small fossil the tail has the appearance of being completely 

 encased in rows of the large tubercles. There is thus no evidence, as yet, of the 

 existence of 'electric rays' of an earlier date than those made known by Volta 

 and Baron de Zigno from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, near Verona, in Northern 

 Italy. 



4. On a Star-fish from the Yorlshire Lias. 

 By Professor J. P. Blake, M.A.., F.G.S. 



The specimen described was an external cast of the under side of a solaster, 

 which was sufficiently well preserved to aft'ord both generic and specific characters. 

 The only known species with which it is comparable is Luidia Murchisoni. If 

 this is truly described and is in fact a Luidia, then the present specimen, which 

 is certainly a Solaster, must belong to a difi'erent species. It was found at the 

 base of the clifl" at Huntcliflf' by the Eev. G. Crewdson, of Kendal. 



' Printed in extertso in Genl. Mag. dec. iii. vol. iv. pp. 508-510, November 1887. 



