78 TJiomas Stocli — Ehizodus at Warclie. 



has been properly developed and displayed. It will be enough to 

 say that it appears to be in a good state of preservation ; that it is 

 nine feet in length ; and that it occurs in the form of an immense 

 flat nodule. A few detached scales were found in nodules beside 

 it ; but beyond this and the injury the head has received from the 

 sea, there has been no disintegration of importance. 



The remains of Bhizodus hitherto obtained have been of a very 

 fragmentary nature. 



lire ^ figured a part of a mandible with teeth. 



Dr. Hibbert's - material, though more abundant, was very little 

 better. 



M'Coy ^ says that its general form is unknown. 



Ml*. John Yonng, F.G.S.,* noticing its occurrence near Glasgow, 

 says, " ISJo large fragments of either the internal skeleton or the 

 outer covering of scales, have yet been found in this locality. In 

 the E. of Scotland, R. Hihherti is very common in the Burdiehouse 

 Limestone, and in one or two localities in the Fifeshire Coal-field ; 

 but no perfect examples have yet been found, so that its general 

 form is unknown." 



Professor Young '^ remarks that "no fragments have yet been 

 found from which the shape of the body or the structure of the 

 head can be determined." 



Professor Miall," in a clear and able paper, describes " a large 

 and tolerably perfect skull," and observes, " Much yet remains to be 

 known of the Carboniferous genus Bhizodus, of which only the teeth, 

 scales, pectoral arch, jugular plates, and mandible have hitherto been 

 identified." 



American authors " have referred fragments to Bhizodus, but they 

 do not seem to have been so fortunate as ourselves with this fish. 



The specimens in the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, 

 many of them very fine, are all fragmentary, so that there is 

 abundant warrant for saying that the Wardie Bhizodus is the first 

 yet obtained in a nearly perfect state of preservation. It would be 

 no exaggeration to affirm that it is the largest nearly entire fish which 

 rocks of Carboniferous age have yet yielded. 



Appended are a few localities in the Calciferous Sandstone Series of 

 the district where Bhizodus remains have been discovered : Brick- 

 works at Straiten; Oakbank, near Mid Calder; Burdiehouse; 

 Arthur's Seat ; Gowan's new quarry near Juniper Green, on the 

 horizon of the Wardie Shales. It was found by Mr. Plenderson 

 at this locality in sandstone, an unusual circumstance. 



^ The History of Rutherglen and East Kilbride, Glasgow, 1793, pi. xix. fig. 4. 



- Trans. Royal Soc. of Edinb. toL xiii. 1836, p. 169, et seq. 



3 Brit. Pal. Fossils, 1855, p. 612. 



* Trans. Geol. Soc. Glasgow, 1865, vol. ii. p. 38, et scq. 



° Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. rol. xxii. 1866, p. 596, et scq. 



•5 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1875, No. 124, p. 624, etseq. 



' Pal. Ohio, passim ; Pal. Illinois, j^assm ; etc. 



