24 Short notices of American Fossil Fishes. 



Art, IV. — Short notices of American Fossil Fishes ; by W. C. 

 Redfield, Mem. Yale Nat. Hist. Soc, &c. 



[Received March 15, 1841, and read before the Yale Nat. Hist. Soc. April 28.] 



The limited attention which is given by naturalists to the fos- 

 sil fishes of the United States, is probably owing to the somewhat 

 rare occurrence of these fossils in our rock formations. Hitherto, 

 they have been found chiefly in the red sandstone formations of 

 Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey. 



The earliest notices of these fossils appear to have been given 

 by the late Dr. Mitchill, Prof. Hitchcock, and Dr. Dekay. At a 

 later period, some imperfect specimens and drawings of American 

 species received the notice of Prof. Agassiz : to whose invalu- 

 able labors this department of science is so greatly indebted. 

 Two species from the Connecticut sandstone have been noticed 

 by my son, Mr. John H. Redfield, in the Annals of the New York 

 Lyceum of Natural History. The existence of fossil fishes in 

 the rocks which overlie the bituminous coal deposit near Rich- 

 mond, in Virginia, had also been casually noticed, in the Ameri- 

 can Journal of Science. More recently, it has been made known 

 that these fossils are also found in the red sandstone of New 

 Jersey.* 



With, the partial exceptions above stated, there appears to have 

 been no attempts to characterize or describe these interesting fos- 

 sils. I venture, therefore, to notice and designate, provisionally, 

 the several species which, within a few years past, have fallen 

 under my observation. 



All the species hitherto found in the above named formations 

 are distinguished, like other ancient fishes, by angular or rhom- 

 boidal scales covered with bonj'' enamel : and hence they belong 

 to the order Ganoides, in the arrangement of Agassiz ; a living 

 type of which is found in the Esox osseus or bony pike of our 

 southern and western waters. They are also included in the 

 family Lepidoides ; and are referable to at least two distinct gen- 

 era. 



* Remains of one or two species of Holoptychus have been found recently in the 

 old red sandstone beneath the coal measures, at Blossburg in Pennsylvania. Mr. 

 Conrad has specified the H.nohilissimus. See Am. Jour, of Science, Vol. xxxviii, 

 p. 89. 



