FISH BELONGING TO THE GENUS CLIMAXODUS. 807 



of obtaining more perfect information relative to these curious 

 teeth, a notice of their occurrence in this locality has hitherto 

 been delayed ; but it seems desirable to give a short notice of 

 their discovery at the present time, preparatory to a more length- 

 ened and careful description of them. 



Fourteen specimens, of various sizes, have occurred to me 

 during the above-named period. Some of these are isolated 

 palatal teeth ; but on one slab of shale, about four inches long, 

 and 2^ inches broad, there are remains of not less than eight 

 teeth ; and from the manner in which they are imbedded, and 

 the presence of great numbers of minute dermal tubercles in 

 connexion with them, there can be no doubt that they all be- 

 longed to one individual. 



The general form of the upper surface of the tooth is ovate. 

 This upper surface is supported by a bony process, which springs 

 from the under surface, and projects beyond the smaller extre- 

 mity. The narrow portion of the upper surface is crossed by 

 from four to six transverse imbricating ridges. In the larger 

 specimens these ridges are strongly undulated, with the upper 

 edge roughly broken up into coarse granulations. The broader 

 portion of this surface is occupied by a very wide furrow or 

 hollow bounded at the broad end by a sharp, slightly denticu- 

 lated margin. The narrow portion of the surface is ornamented 

 with minute granulations ; the broad farrow is striated in the 

 direction of the length of the tooth. Three of the teeth are 

 somewhat shorter than the rest ; or, in other words, they have 

 a more circular form. 



The largest tooth measures, including the projecting bony 

 process, an inch and a quarter in length, and is about |ths of 

 an inch wide in the broadest part. The smallest tooth is rather 

 more than f ths of an inch long, and very nearly the same in 

 the broadest part. In the small specimens the groove at the 

 broad end is nearly as large as the remaining portion of the 

 tooth. 



On comparing these teeth with the figure given by M'Coy 

 (British Palteozoic Fossils, pi. 3 g. f. 5) of his ClimcLvodus Im- 

 bricatus, they are found to agree in having the narrow portion 



