1904.] OSTEOLOGY OF THE ELOPID.E AXD ALBULID.'E. 47 



whereas in Elojis it slopes downwai-d and backward. Minute teetli 

 occur on the palatal surfaces of tlie palatine, entopterygoid, and 

 ectopterygoid bones. Hay (Zool. Bull. ii. 1, 1898, p. 39) states 

 that in Tarpon atlanticus teeth may occur even on the quadi'ate. 



Opercular Series (text-figs. 13 & 14, p. 46). — The subopercular is 

 relatively longer and narrower than that of Jillops. The branchi- 

 ostegal rays are from 23 to 25 in nuinbei-. The fii'st thirteen ai'e 

 attached to the lower edge of the ceratohyal, the remainder to the 

 outer face of the epihyal. As in Elojys, the series extends along 

 the whole length of the edge of the ceratohyal. The last six bi'anchi- 

 ostegal rays become gradually l^i-oadei', and the last of all extends 

 farther forward over the outei- face of the epihytil than those that 

 precede it. There is a median jugular plate (text-fig. 14, J, p. 4(i) 

 attached by ligament to the back of the mandibular symphysis. 



Hyohranchial Series. — The hyobi-anchial skeleton bears a close 

 resemblance to that of Elops. The interhyal is ossified. The epi- 

 hyal is propoi-tionately smaller and the two hypohyals relatively 

 larger than in Elojys, and the endosteal glossohyal is relatively 

 greater. The dentigerous jjatch on the fifth ceratobranchial is 

 readily removable, as in Elojys. Thei-e is a first pharyngobranchial 

 as well as the spicular bone. It stands moi-e npiight than that of 

 Elojys. and is attached to the antero-ventral p:irt of the pio-otie. 



A L B u L 1 D M. 

 Albula CONORHY^'CHUS. 



Shufeldt (U.S. Fish. Com. Rep. 1883 (1885), pp. 808-813 and 

 figs. 28-31) has described the cranium and hyojmlatine arch of 

 Alhula, but the other bones of the skull wei-e apparently missing 

 fi-om his specimen. The following remarks are based upon the 

 examination of two skulls. 



Cranium (text-fig. 15, A, B, & 0, p. 48). — The cranium is i-ather 

 long, straight, and thin. The parietals are small ; they are in contact 

 in the median line, and lie over the supraoccipital in such a way that 

 hardly moi-e than the spine of the latter is visible in a dorsal view. 

 The supraoccipital, however, extends well foi-wai-d, even beneath 

 the frontals, and it is therefore incoii-ect to state, as Boulenger 

 does (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) xiii. 1904, p. 164), that the 

 supraoccipital is separated from the frontals by the parietals. The 

 posterior temporal fossa is roofed over by the fi-ontal, squamosal, 

 parietal, and epiotic ; its floor is formed by the squamosal and 

 pro-otic, its outer wall by the squamosal, and its innei- Avail by 

 the pro-otic, supraoccipital, and epiotic. 



The back of the cranium, immediately on the two sides of the 

 supraoccipital crest, is so hollowed that the term vacuity might 

 almost be applied to these depi-essions. At the bottom of each 

 depression, surrounded by the supraoccipital, epiotic, and ex- 

 occipital, a small jaiece of the squamosal is visible (text-fig. 15, B, 

 sq.). The subtemporal fossa, lying just below the j^osterior part of 

 the articular surface for the head of the hyomandibular, is bounded 

 entirely by the squamosal and exoccipital in the smaller specimen 



