116 FEOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



There is also a difference in the shape of the teeth of Sphyrwna and 

 Dinolestes. Those of the former are laucelike — that is, compressed 

 laterally and with cutting edges. Those of the latter are round in 

 transverse section. 



The vertebrae of Dinolestes are typical, or iu general resembling the 

 Percoids and most bouy fishes iu that they are of moderate length and 

 not much constricted in the middle. They have parapophyses devel- 

 oped behind the fourth vertebra, two pits on the side of each vertebra 

 separated by a longitudinal ridge, and the abdominal vertebraj with a 

 pit on the ventral side with ridges on each side of it. The vertebrae of 

 Sphyraina are long and smooth with scarcely any pits, much constricted 

 in the middle, making them hourglass sliaped, and with only one or 

 two pairs of parapophyses. 



The shape of the cranium of Dinolestes is also more typically Percoid 

 in appearance than SphyrfFuoid with the slightly rising supraoccipital 

 crest and more wedge-shaped lateral view. 



A recapitulation with these points condensed will show at once the 

 aflBnity of Dinolestes to the Cheilodipterid?e. 



1. The Percoid appearing cranium. 



2. The thoracic ventrals. 



3. The anchylosed teeth rather than teeth in sockets. 



4. The character of the vertebrii^, typical; not specialized as in 

 Spliyrcvna. 



5. The lack of the long posterior i)rocesses from the epiotics. 

 These conclusions are fortified by the following description. 



DINOLESTES LEWINI. 



Esox lewini Griffith (?), Cuvier's Animal Kingdom, Griffith eel., X (1834), 



p. 46,5, pi. 60. 

 Dinolestes miiUeri Klunzinger, Arcliiv fiir Nat., 38. Jahrg. 1 (1872), p. 30; Hobson 



Bay, South Australia. 

 Neosphyrwna muUiradiata Castelnau, Proc. Zool. and Acclim. Soc. Victoria, I 



(1872), p. 96; Melbourne. 

 LaiHoperca mordax Gunther, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th ser., X, (September, 



1872), p. 183; Tasmania. 

 DinoJesies lewini Gill, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th ser., XIV (1874), p. 160. 



DIAGNOSIS. 



Body rather elongate ; preorbital region produced ; mouth large, the 

 lower jaw projecting; canine teeth on lower jaw posteriorly and on 

 premaxillaries at their symphysis; sharp, cardiform teeth in a single 

 row on jaws, vomer and palatines; an inner row of villiform teeth on 

 premaxillaries; three toothed superior pharyngeals; lower pharyngeals 

 rather narrow, separate j gill rakers long and slender, about 4 + 135 

 opercles without spines or ridges; branchiostegals 7; maxillary with 

 supplemental bone; nasals elongate, attached by their sides for nearly 

 their whole length; parietals separated; ethmoid somewhat overlying 

 prefrontals and vomer j posttemporal forked ; postclavicle of two parts; 



