ME. ATTHEY ON PALJEOKTSCUS HAXCOCKr. 229 



a half in length, and its depth immediately behind the pectoral 

 fin is four-tenths of an inch ; this is maintained as far as the ven- 

 tral fin, beyond which it diminishes towards the tail : the body is 

 therefore long and slender. The fins are small ; the articulations 

 of each of the rays of the pectoral are very distant, those of the 

 ventral, anal, and dorsal are less so ; the rays of the ventral, 

 anal, and dorsal are more slender than those of the pectoral. 

 So far as can be made out, the tail is delicate, the upper lobe 

 somewhat longer than the lower. There are two conspicuous 

 rows of scales on the side of the ventral part of the body near 

 the margin : these scales are twice as high as they are wide ; 

 their external surface is smooth, and their posterior margin finely 

 serrated. The other scales are only about half the size of the 

 above mentioned, and of rhomboidal form. The head, in length, 

 is about the sixth part of the body. The teeth are very mi- 

 nute, and of two sizes, larger and smaller, sharp-pointed, and set 

 closely in the jaw. The mouth is large ; the maxillae and man- 

 dibles, and the bones of the upper surface of the skull, are co- 

 vered externally with a delicately sculptured and shining pattern 

 of convoluted ridges and grooves, the former of which are flat- 

 tened. The operculum is large and smooth, the suboperculum 

 less. Eight branchiostegal rays exist, and project beyond the 

 line of the mandible, the one next to the pectoral fin being by 

 far the largest. The lower border of the mandible is furnished 

 with a row of projecting points, continuations of the ridges on 

 the side of the mandible. 



The above characters so clearly separate P. Ilancoclci from 

 other Palmonisci that I am in doubt whether or not it should 

 be ranked as a member of the genus ; but I have given the name 

 Palceoniscus to it provisionally, in order to bring the fossil to the 

 notice of pala3ontologists. It is from the Northumberland Coal 

 Measures, and has been found in the black-shale of the Low 

 Main at Newsharu, Cramlington, and Kenton. 



Note. — I take the present opportunity of correcting two errors 

 into which Mr. Miall appears to have unconsciously fallen. 

 First, in his paper in the Journal of the Geological Society for 

 December, 1874, he says: — "A restoration of the palate of 



