﻿Revieios — Dr. Traqiiair's Fossil Fishes. 173 



and which is now entirely destroj^ed by the encroachment of the 

 sea ; (4) drifts, including gravel, sand, and loam, some probably of 

 Glacial age, while other deposits are classed as Post- Glacial, together 

 with recent deposits of alluvium, blown sand, and shingle. 



The appendix contains records of all the well-sections ; and lists 

 of fossils from the London Clay of Harwich; and from the Eed Crag 

 of Walton Naze and Beaumont ; and from the Pliocene (probably 

 Post-Glacial) deposits of Walton and Harwich. 



Eeferences are given to the works of the chief observers, amongst 

 whom may be mentioned Dale, the Kev. W. B. Clarke, Dr. J. 

 Mitchell, Mr. John Brown, Prof. Prestwich, and Mr. S. V. Wood, jun. 



H. B. W. 



IV. — On New and Little-known Fossil Fishes from the Edin- 

 burgh District, No. L By K. H. Traquair, M.D., F.G.S. 

 (Proceedings Eoyal Society of Edinburgh, Session 1876-77.) 



IN the above memoir Prof. Traquair has given lengthy and minute 

 descriptions of three species of Fossil Fishes from the Blackband 

 Ironstone of Venturefair Colliery, Gilmerton, and the Carboniferous 

 shales of Wardie. They are referred to two genera, Nematoptycliius, 

 Traq., and Gonatodus, Traq., and to the family PalcBoniscidcs. The 

 first " genus was instituted by the author for the reception of the 

 Pygopterus GreenocMi of Agassiz, and characterized in the ' Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History,' for April, 1875." He here 

 describes another species, N. gracilis, Traq., founded upon two 

 specimens, the only ones at present known, and which are re- 

 spectively nine inches, and about ten inches in length, the form is 

 elongate and slender, the dorsal fin being situated very far back, 

 and the scales small, but their configuration is apparently the same 

 as in Nematopty chilis GreenocMi," the external ornamentation being 

 the same as in that species. " The external surface of the lower jaw 

 is ornamented with a minute and very close tuberculation ; the 

 dental margin of the maxilla is also tuberculated, but the rest of its 

 surface is marked with delicate ridges." " Large conical teeth occur 

 in both jaws, with a few of the external series of smaller ones." 

 The paired fins may be termed small, the pectoral and ventral in 

 one specimen being respectively 1 inch and ^ of an inch in length ; 

 the rays are fine, but their number not accurately known. He 

 remarks "that the present species is closely allied to the powerful 

 Nematopty cliius GreenocMi, Ag. sp. — it differs, however, from the 

 latter in several particulars, beside its smaller size." 



Gonatodus is a new genus, and comprises two species ; it is 

 founded in part for the reception of a specimen — one of three — from 

 the Carboniferous shales of Wardie, and described and figured by 

 Agassiz as Ambhjpterus punctatiis. These three imperfect specimens, 

 our author states, having personally examined and compared them 

 " with a series of entire fishes from the Wardie beds, establish the 

 fact, that the Amhlypterus pimctatus of Agassiz was founded wpon 

 fragments of two distinct species, the specimen with the head, but 

 without the hinder part of the body, being even generically distinct 



