ON DOEYPTEEUS HOFFMANNI. 245 



rays might be apophyses of the vertebral column displaced by 

 pressure. 



" The little elliptical ventral fins are nearly behind the middle 

 of the belly, and not in immediate connexion with other bones, 

 and may perhaps, through pressure or dislocation, have been 

 pushed backwards ; but at any rate they are placed behind the 

 pectorals. The anal fin itself is not to be seen ; but the root- 

 bones (fin-supports), which are present, show that it commenced 

 close to or not far from the ventrals, and extended for a consi- 

 derable distance towards the tail. 



" The dorsal commences a little before the middle of the back, 

 quickly gets narrower towards the apex, and continues in a ver- 

 tical direction, with pretty equal breadth, to the tip. It has in 

 this example, on the hinder side at the base, a bow-shaped emar- 

 gination, which, however, may not have been caused by tearing 

 or injury, because the rays do not break off, but run in parallel 

 curves to the root. The support-bones also show that the dorsal 

 did not extend more behind than before, and that Ave have the 

 dorsal fin perfect and complete before us. The existence of a 

 second dorsal cannot be directly denied, because in the place 

 where it should appear the fish becomes obscured by the stone, 

 and there are no sharp lines ; but occasionally one can see the 

 outline of the back so clearly that one would certainly see bones 

 if there had been a second dorsal ; and we may therefore con- 

 clude that, in all probability, it was absent. 



" The caudal is forked ; both lobes are equal, and are separa- 

 ted by the backbone. 



"It is all the more difficult to determine the family to which 

 this fish belongs, as neither scales nor teeth are to be seen. The 

 rhombical markings which the figure shows near the tail, and 

 which one might take for scales, have no glistening surface, and 

 appear more as fragments of ribs and spinous processes crossing 

 each other. If they were really scales, the genus Dorypterus 

 would then belong to the Ganoids, and stand near Dapedius. 

 But the form, the situation of the fins, and the whole skeleton 

 remind one very much of the recent genus Vomer." 



Although Prof. Germar's specimen was not perfect enough to 



