32 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [voL. 48 
herrings. The distinctive characteristics are the very numerous 
(22-30) branchiostegal rays, an unpaired gular plate or intergular 
plate or bone (also called “ jugular plate’’) between the rami of the 
lower jaw, and the development of the parietal bones so that they 
connect along the middle of the skull and consequently superficially 
separate the frontal bones from the supraoccipital ; the supramaxil- 
1 if d f] 
! ' 
PE PE pV CUE OSITE: BIA 
Fic. 1.—Elops saurus; skull from right side. (After Ridewood.) 
ope 
: g XN 
! RY / (Ze 
Fic. 2—Megalops cyprinoides ; skull from right side. 
Figs. 1 and 2.—Elopoid skulls showing trend of mouth, composition of supramaxil- 
laries (sm.), shape of circumorbital bones (cor.), etc. (After Ridewood.) 
