Dr. R. H. Traquair — On a Neio Species of Elonichthys. 9 



snout is not present. It is also slightly contorted or bent, so that 

 the back is more convex or gibbous than would otherwise be the 

 case, while the ventral margin assumes a concave contoui-. Com- 

 pression has also taken place in a somewhat oblique direction, so 

 that, the fish lying on its right side, the origin of the dorsal fin is 

 slightly concealed by the scales of the left. 



The general contour of the fish is deeply fusiform, with a pretty 

 large head and powerful heterocercal tail. If we allow ^ inch for 

 the missing part of the snout, the length of the head would be con- 

 tained 4^ times in the total. 



The head has the usual palaeoniscid structure, but is so crushed 

 and otherwise badly preserved that little more can be said of it. 

 Traces of fine striae are seen on the maxilla as well as on the man- 

 dible opercular bones. The supra-clavicular element of the shoulder 

 girdle shows the same kind of ridged sculpture so general in species 

 of this genus. 



The scales are of moderate size, and are not serrated on their 'pos- 

 terior margins. Those of the flank are higher than broad : tolerably 

 coarse ridges and furroios run parallel with the superior, posterior, and 

 inferior margins, and meet at acute angles on a strong diagonal ridge 

 which runs downioards and backwards over the scale to the postero- 

 inferior angle. Posteriorly this diagonal ridge becomes less marked 

 and finally disappears, and towards the tail pedicle the sculpture 

 becomes reduced to interrupted furrows and punctures arranged 

 diagonally in the middle of the scale, but at the periphery tending to 

 be parallel to the superior, posterior, and inferior margins. On the 

 small narrow scales of the caudal body-prolongation, these markings 

 appear mostly as simple diagonal furrows. 



One of the pectoral fins is seen, and attains a length of If inch, 

 but it is not in a good state of preservation, its rays being rather 

 broken up terminally and post-axially. I should say that the principal 

 rays must have been unarticulated for some part of their length. 



The ventral is similarly badly preserved ; as the specimen lies, it 

 seems nearer the anal than the pectoral. It appears small, but the 

 broken-up condition of its rays indicates that its size and form are 

 not accurately preserved. 



The dorsal commences slightly in front of a point midway between 

 the posterior border of the gill cover and the commencement of the 

 caudal fin. Its shape is triangular-acuminate, its height in front 

 1-| inch, though it must have been higher, as its base is partly con- 

 cealed by the oblique compression of the specimen. Its rays are 

 rather distantly articulated, and each joint is ornamented on its 

 exposed part by one prominent smooth ridge, or longitudinal eleva- 

 tion. Traces of very oblique slender fulcra are seen along the 

 anterior margin. 



The anal agrees closely with the dorsal in configuration and 

 structure; the length of its longest rays is If inch. 



The caudal fin is large, inequilobate, and deeply bifurcate ; the 

 length of the upper lobe, measured from a point in the middle of 

 the tail pedicle opposite the commencement of the lower one, being 



