Reviews — J. W. Davis — Lebanon Fishes. 417 



upon the resume already published by Pictet and Humbert, with the 

 addition of a notice of works that have subsequently appeared. By 

 some singular mishap, however, there is no reference to Prof. Lewis's 

 own interesting account of the geology of the Lebanon, which 

 appeared in the Geological Magazine in 1878 ; and the omission 

 is all the more unfortunate, since the observations contained in 

 this paper were made while collecting the fossils which chiefly 

 form the subject of the memoir before us.^ 



Proceeding to the systematic portion of the v>rork, the author 

 wisely decides to follow some definite published classification, and 

 selects that of Dr. Gunther employed in the well-known " Study of 

 Fishes." We can scarcely agree with Mr. Davis, however, when he 

 states that this system '•' embraces the most recent work of modern 

 embryologists and anatomists ;" and we venture to think that some 

 of the new facts revealed by the Lebanon fishes themselves will 

 combine with other recent discoveries to demonstrate the illogical 

 nature of the arrangement. 



The descriptions of the Selachian fishes occupy 24 pages and seven 

 plates, and relate to a magnificent series of specimens representing 

 9 genera and 16 species, of which 2 genera and 12 species are con- 

 sidered to be new. A very fine nearly complete example of Notidanus 

 is made known under the name of iV. gracilis. Two new Scylliidse 

 are referred to Thyellina. Of the Spinacidee, there are remarks upon 

 Spinax primcevus, and the description of a novelty, Centrophoroides 

 latidens, closely related to C'entrophorus ; but the author unfortun- 

 ately fails to appreciate the essential characters of this family, and 

 includes a remarkable new genus, Bhinognathus, which is described 

 as possessing a distinct anal fin. The teeth of the latter, if found 

 isolated, would have been unhesitatingly referred to Lamna, and the 

 discovery of the complete fish to which they belong is thus of 

 especial interest. ■ Among Rays, the Rhinobatidas are believed to be 

 represented by six species of Bhinohatus, of which five are new and 

 most beautifully preserved; a large Cyclohatis is described as C. 

 major; and a diminutive fossil from Sahel Alma is doubtfully 

 assigned to Baja. The Chalk of Mount Lebanon has thus yielded 

 one of the most important series of Sharks and Eays ever discovered 

 in a single formation, and the accession of new forms is unusually 

 great. On reading the letterpress, however, accompanying the 

 plates, we cannot but regret the want of scientific precision in regard 

 to anatomical points. The branchial arches, for example, are con- 

 tinually described as " branchiostegal rays"; the basal pterygia of 

 the pectoral fins are referred to as part of the scapular arch, being, 

 in Bhinohatus, " divaricating osseous plates," and in one case "pro- 

 tecting the gills"; the shagreen is regarded as a " cuticular " 

 covering; and in the description of the fine skull of Bhinohatus 

 tenuirostris on p. 488, the most evident features are overlooked. 



Some interesting novelties are made known among the Ganoids, 

 which comprise two species of the Pycnodont Palceohalistum, and 



1 See The Fossil Fish Localities of the Lebanon by the Kev. Prof. E. E. Lewis, 

 M.A., F.G.S., 1878, Decade IL Vol. Y. pp. 214-220. 



DECADE III. — VOL. IV. ^NO. IX. 27 



