Reviews — Permian Fishes. 477 



are assigned to ChrysopTirys cincta, Dentex, and Thyrsites Lovisatoi 

 (sp. nov.). 



Finally, two smaller papers may be mentioned among recent 

 interesting contributions to knowledge of Tertiary fishes. Dr. Dames 

 lias described the skull of a sub-fossil Pagrus from the neighbour- 

 hood of Melbourne, Australia, giving a good figure and discussing 

 the remarkable hyperostoses by which the cranial roof is character- 

 ized. Dr. C. Pollini publishes a photograph of a slab of marl, 

 probably from Aix-en-Pi"ovence, in the Genoa City Museum, dis- 

 playing a shoal of Lebias cephalotes, Ag. A detailed description of 

 this fish is given, and some remarks are added as to a possible 

 explanation of the occurrence of so large a number of individuals in 

 so small an area. Dr. Pollini has omitted to observe that Dr. Sauvage 

 some years ago (Bull. Soc. Geol. France [3] vol. viii. p. 445) pro- 

 posed to place L. cephalotes in a new genus, Prolebias — a subject 

 that might have been appropriately discussed after the detailed 

 description. A. S. W. 



V. — The Lower Permian Fishes of France. 



Etudes des Gites Mineraux de la France : Bassin Houiller et 

 Permien d'Autun et d'Epinac. Fasc. III. Poissons Fossiles. 

 By Dr. H. E. Sauvage. 4to. pp. 31, PI. V. (Paris, Imprimerie 

 Nationale, 1890.) 



THOUGH dated 1890, this interesting work on the Permian fishes 

 of the neighbourhood of Autun has only just been brought to 

 our notice. It is a well-illustrated, detailed account of a fish-fauna, 

 of which much has long been known ; and it forms an appropriate 

 supplement to the memoirs of Prof. Gaudry, who has devoted 

 special attention to the associated Amphibian and Eeptilian fossils. 



After a brief historical and bibliographical sketch (in which the 

 only omission we detect is that of Egerton's well-known memoir in 

 the sixth volume of the Geological Society's Quarterly Journal), Dr. 

 Sauvage proceeds at once to a detailed description of the species. 

 The majority of the forms are Paleeoniscid fishes related to the 

 Lower Permian genera, Falceoniscus and Amblypterus ; three only 

 being referable to the lower orders, namely, an undetermined species 

 of Acanthodes, a Pleuracanth Elasmobranch, and a Dipnoan fish. The 

 generic name Amblypterus is employed in almost as extended a sense 

 as is adopted by Traquair, and five species are determined, including 

 two novelties. The so-called new genera Mdua and Archceoniscus 

 (this name preoccupied by a well-known Isopod) are based on 

 characters which we venture to regard as of very doubtful value ; 

 and we are inclined (with Traquair) to disbelieve that the fin-rays in 

 any of these fishes are invested with scales, as Agassiz originally 

 maintained, and as is now re-asserted by Dr. Sauvage. Moreover, 

 we cannot perceive much difference between the type-specimen of 

 jEd.ua Gaudryi and Egerton's Falceoniscus Beaumonti, which Dr. 

 Sauvage appears to have overlooked. One small new species is 

 assigned to Falceoniscus, and another may possibly represent Rhadin- 

 ichtJiys. Finally, among the Palseoniscidse is placed the fish originally 



