A. Smith Woodward — New Miocene Fish from Malta. 355 



VI. — On a New Species of Solocentrum prom the Miocene 

 OF Malta ; with a List of Fossil Berycidje hitherto 

 Described. 



By A. Smith Woodwakd, F.G.S., F.Z.S., 

 of the British Museum (Natural History) . 



yEEY little information has hitherto been published in regard to 

 the fossil fishes of the well-known Miocene formation of the 

 Maltese Islands. Dr. Leith Adams enumerates ^ seventeen species 

 in his latest contribution to the subject, but these are almost exclu- 

 sively founded upon detached teeth. It is, therefore, of considerable 

 interest to be able to place on record the discovery of a new and 

 tolerably complete fish, obtained from an excavation made some 

 months ago for new docks in the harbour of Valetta. 



The fossil in question has lately been received by the British 

 Museum from the Marquis of Lome, who is of opinion that it was 

 derived from a horizon referable to division No. 4 of the section 

 described in Leith Adams' " Notes of a Naturalist in the Nile Valley 

 and Malta," p. 138. The right side of the fish is exposed to view, 

 showing the general outline of the body ; and its salient features are 

 sufiSciently well displayed to allow of its certain determination. 

 Unfortunately, however, the bones of the head and pectoral arch are 

 almost entirely broken away ; and the right pectoral fin is likewise 

 destroyed, while the left remains inextricably buried in the matrix. 

 One of the pelvic fins, and the right " pelvic " bone, are beautifully 

 preserved. The caudal fin is equally well shown, and the dorsal 

 and anal, though somewhat mutilated, are also recognisable. For 

 a small extent anteriorly, there is a good view of the external surface 

 of the scales of the right side, but posteriorly both the scales of 

 this side and the axial skeleton are removed, so that the left dermal 

 covering is extensively exposed from within. 



The specimen must have originally measured about 0-33 m. in 

 total length, and its greatest depth, beneath the anterior part of the 

 dorsal fin, is 0-125 m. The deep, laterally compressed body rapidly 

 narrows posteriorly, leaving a long caudal pedicle, which commences 

 just behind the termination of the dorsal and anal fins, and is about 

 0-04: m. in length. 



Proceeding to the more technical points, there is nothing worthy 

 of note in the axial skeleton, which has mostly been destroyed. Of 

 the appendicular skeleton, the right " pelvic " bone may be observed : 

 it is very robust, gradually widening proximally, and exhibits a pro- 

 minent median longitudinal rising on its exterior lateral aspect. 

 Correspondingly robust is the pelvic fin. The most anterior ray is 

 a strong spine, sharply pointed at the extremity, and marked by 

 well-defined, more or less obliquely placed ribs. This is followed 

 by seven, or perhaps eight, equally powerful rays, similarly orna- 

 mented at their base, but divided distally. 



Of the median fins, the dorsal seems to have been divided into two 



^ A. Leith Adams, " On Remains of Mastodon and other Vertebrata of the Miocene 

 beds of the Maltese Islands," Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. xxxv. (1879), pp. 527-629. 



