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



two forms perhaps having some affinity with Amia. In tlie deter- 

 mination of Palcsobalistum Goedelii, Heckel, the author has appa- 

 rently followed Mr, William Davies' labelling of the National fossils 

 without consulting Heckel's original description ; for there is no 

 reference to the latter, and it is wrongly assumed (p, 496) that the 

 species was not at first described from the Lebanon. With the 

 exception of certain head bones, almost the complete skeleton of this 

 fiish is shown in the new specimens ; and there is also good evidence 

 of a second species, which Mr. Davis names P. ventralis. The two 

 remaining Ganoids are known only by portions of the caudal region, 

 and so cannot be satisfactorily placed ; they are described as Spathi- 

 urus dorsalis and AmphilaTplmrus major. With the same order are 

 also associated a decidedly Teleostean caudal fin, curiously deter- 

 mined to be " Chondrosteus ? " and another small fish " Microdon f 

 pulcliellus" which does not appear even remotely connected with the 

 Pycnodonts. 



Passing to the Teleosteans, there are some brief remarks upon the 

 Sparoid genus, Pagellus, and then follows a most interesting account of 

 the Berycidge. One new species of Beryx, two of Pseudoheryx, two of 

 IToplopteryx, and one doubtful species of Homonotus, are described ; 

 and the author adds some appropriate remarks upon the mixture of 

 extinct fishes originally referred to the first of these genera. He 

 shows (so far as we are aware, for the first time) that the so-called 

 Beryx Zippei, B. superbiis, and £. syriacus, ought all to be placed in 

 the genus IToplopteryx ; and this is an important advance towards 

 the philosophical arrangement of the extinct members of the family. 



The only representatives of the Carangidee are referred to Platax, 

 and of this genus two species are distinguished, the one named 

 P. minor by Pictet and Humbert, and the other new, described as 

 P. brevis. Some family-headings, however, have been accidentally 

 omitted from the text, and Petalopteryx, Cheirotlirix, and Spliyrmia, 

 thus fall under the section Carangidse. Of the first of these, Mr. Davis 

 has only observed a single specimen, referable to a new species ; but 

 of the second, some five examples are described. The latter are said 

 to have no less than fifty vertebrae, and other features combine to 

 render their association with the Gobioids somewhat problematical. 

 Spliyrcena Amici, Agassiz, is rightly dismissed as founded upon 

 imcertain evidence. 



Of the Fistulariidfe, a fine specimen of '•' SolenognatJius " Uneolatiis, 

 Pict. et Humb., is figured ; but the author omits to substitute a new 

 generic name for the one it bears, so long pre-occupied. Next suc- 

 ceeds a lengthy account of the characteristic Lebanon Cretaceous 

 genus, Pycnosterinx. Mr. Davis agrees with Pictet and Humbert in 

 placing this form with the Chromides, and recognizes five species in 

 addition to the six already known. These are mostly described 

 in detail ; but it would have been interesting to have further infor- 

 mation regarding the fish named P. latus (pi. xxvii. fig. 2), which 

 appears to possess a remarkably primitive tail. In the same family 

 is also placed Imogaster auratus, Costa, of which a beautiful new 

 species is made known ; and another example of the Italian Professors 

 Omosoma Sahel-AImce is referred to the Stromateidge. 



