Dr. R. H. Traquair — A New Palceoniscid Fish. 557 



a series of backwardly directed acute angles. The maxilla is of the 

 usual paleeoniscid form, the suborbital process being long and 

 slender, and the expanded postorbital portion ornamented, according 

 to the impression, with fine ridges, which mostly run parallel with 

 the posterior and superior borders. 



Among the scales may be distinguished some which are nearly 

 equilateral and only slightly oblique — these belonged to the flank ; 

 others, longer than high, were ventral in position ; while others 

 again, smaller in size and more oblique in contour, appertained to 

 the tail. The flank scales are about -iVinch in height, and have 

 nearly the same breadth ; the overlapped area is scarcely perceptible; 

 the free surface is marked with fine striae, which run mostly parallel 

 with the upper and lower margins, a very few of the lowest ones 

 turning up in front so as to run parallel with the anterior margin, 

 while again a number of deeper indentations divide the posterior 

 margin into six to eight strong and sharp denticulations. The 

 ventral scales, being lower in contour, have fewer denticulations on 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 1. — Flank scale of Monichthys denticulatus, Traquair, sp. nov. 

 Fig. 2. — Ventral scale of same species. 

 Lower Carboniferous Eocks (Pendleside Series) : near Holywell, Flintshire. 

 Both figures magnified ten diameters. 



the hinder border, these numbering from three to five. As to the 

 caudal scales, though it is evident that they remained highly ornate 

 up to the extremity, it is not clear how far posteriorly the 

 denticulated character persisted. 



The configuration of the mandible and maxilla clearly proves 

 that the place of the present fish is in the family Palfeoniscidse, but 

 owing to the complete absence of fins or fin-rays the evidence as to 

 the genus is not conclusive. According to the form and sculpture 

 of the scales, and the configuration of the jaws, the fish might 

 appertain either to Ehadiniclithjs or to Eloniclithjs. Perhaps the 

 scales have the greatest resemblance in sculpture to those of 

 ElonicTitliys Egertcni (Egert.), but the denticulations of the posterior 

 margin are proportionally coarser. Any way the association, on 

 these scales, of fine striae with comparatively coarse denticulations 

 of the hinder margin, is a feature which leads me to believe that the 

 species is new to science. I therefore propose to name it Elonichthys 

 denticulatus. 



