LIST OF THE AUSTRALIAN P AL.EIG HTHYES, 
WITH NOTES ON THEIR SYNONYMY 
AND DISTRIBUTION. 
By J. Douglas Ogilby, F.L.S., 
Assistant Zoologist, Australian Museum. 
Part i. 
The series of papers, of which the present is the first in- 
stalment, appears to me to have become necessary, owing to the 
additions made to the Australian Palseichthyan fauna since 
the publication of Mr. Macleay’s “Appendix” in January, 1884, 
to the additional information collected as to their distribution in 
our sub-region, and to certain changes which I have thought it 
necesssary to make in the synonymy of this sub-class, if we are to 
remain in strict accordance with the “ law of ]iriorit> ” approved 
of by the British Association in 1842, and re-affirmed in 1878. 
Under the heading of “Note on C. (Carcharias) tricuspidatus” 
will be found some remarks on the constitution of families, by 
which it will be seen that I consider that these arbitrary groups 
of genera should be itlier very much diminislied or very greatly 
increased in nuinljer. I have not however attempted in this 
yjaper to make any change in the system adhered to by Dr. Gunther 
in liis Catalogue, though feeling fully assured that sooner or later 
that system must collapse. 
The first two families of Dr. Giinther’s Catalogue, the Carchariidee 
and the Lamnidai, are the subject of this [)ai’t. Of these twenty 
authentic and two douljtful S[>ecies are mentioned. Of the 
twenty-two, five are not included in Mr. Macleay's list, one of 
which (Carcharias maervrus) has only recently b(!en desctilied 
by Dr. Ramsay and myself ; two (C. aciUns and C. vienisorrah) 
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