356 A. Smith Woodicard — New Miocene Fish from Malta. 



portions, the anterior being the longer and spinous, the posterior con- 

 sisting entirely of soft rays. The spines are remarkably stout, orna- 

 mented with oblique ridges, and diminishing backwards; and at 

 least six are preserved, though appearances are suggestive of others 

 having been broken away in front. Of the soft rays, seven can 

 be distinguished, and these were evidently succeeded by a few 

 more now slightly indicated. Both parts of the fin are compara- 

 tively low, but the soft rays originally exceeded the height of the 

 spinous portion. The anal fin is only shown partially, and as a faint 

 impression. Anteriorly there are traces of powerful ribbed spines, 

 supported upon strong interspinous bones, and these are succeeded 

 by at least ten other rays, probably all soft and divided. The total 

 length of the fin is 0-06, and it seems to terminate exactly opposite 

 the posterior extremity of the opposing dorsal. At the base of the 

 caudal fin, both above and below, there are two or three small 

 smooth spines ; and in each half of the fin, which is but slightly 

 forked, there are thirteen dichotomous rays, which become closely 

 jointed and commence to branch near the base, ending in very 

 delicate terminal filaments. 



Impressions of opercular bones show that these were ornamented 

 to some extent with fine ridges, and small backwardly-directed 

 spines ; and the exposed enamel-like surface of each scale is marked 

 anteriorly by a slight rugosity, passing behind into radiating furrows, 

 with intervening ridges, which terminate in the points of the ctenoid 

 border. The scales are very large and thick, having a vertical 

 measurement, in the front portion of the body, of 0-025 — 0"028, and 

 a total breadth of 0-012. They are deeply overlapping, the covered 

 surface being destitute of the enamel layer, and exhibiting delicate 

 concentric lines of growth. 



Such being the main characters of the fossil, it remains to deter- 

 mine its systematic position. 



The nature of the dorsal and anal fins, and the situation of the 

 pelvics, are features at once referring the fish to the Acanthopterygian 

 suborder. The relations of the median fins, moreover, and the 

 presence of more than five divided rays in each of the pelvic pair, 

 indicate its affinities still more precisely, and prove it to belong to 

 the family of Berycidfe. 



The characters of the dorsal fin determine, further, the generic 

 position of the fish. The separation of the spinous portion of the 

 dorsal from the soft portion, is a feature only met with in two known 

 genera of the family in question, namely, Myripristis and Holo centrum. 

 From the former, the Maltese fossil differs in having the two 

 divisions more closely approximated, and in this respect it agrees 

 exactly with Holocentrum. Its general aspect, also, is very suggestive 

 of the latter genus, and the impression of the anal fin may well be 

 interpreted as showing a great development of the third spinous 

 ray. We may, therefore, safely conclude that we are dealing with 

 a Miocene representative of this well-known surface fish of the 

 present tropical seas. 



With regard to specific characters, a careful comparison soon 



