FOSSIL FISH. 401 



belonging to this locality, a fine impression of a fish of the 

 genus Stromatseus, which is figured by Knorr, but without any 

 designation of country ? The nature of the stone, which appears 

 of a yellowish grey, and especially the black dendrites, by 

 which the impression is bordered, and the ferrugineous colour 

 of the impression itself, lead this gentleman to the conclusion, 

 that the specimen in question belongs to the locality of Pap- 

 penheim. But the resemblance of this fish with that of the 

 metalliferous schists already mentioned, casts some doubt on 

 this conjecture. However, be all this as it may, it is quite certain 

 that the fish of which we write belongs to the genus Stroma- 

 tseus. This is -proved by the position and form of the dorsal 

 and anal fins, which appear altogether similar, and exactly 

 opposed to each other ; and by the character of the caudal fin, 

 which is very large, and deeply bifurcated. The general form of 

 the body is almost hexagonal. This fish has some relations with 

 Chcetodon rhomhoides ; and it is difficult to conceive how 

 Knorr could have unhesitatingly decided that it was a plaice. 

 M. de Blainville refers it to the S. Hexagonus, which we have 

 already mentioned in our account of the ichthyolites of the me- 

 talliferous schists. 



PoECiLiA. Sp. P. duhia. Under this name, M. de Blain- 

 ville designates an impression which he observed in the cabinet 

 of M. Dree. It is on a hard, calcareous, fine-grained stone, 

 without any other organic remain. The colour is reddish, and 

 it is said to come from Anspach. This impression is merely 

 external ; that is to say, there is no trace of the skeleton, but 

 merely rnarks of a lozenge form, which indicate the insertion of 

 the scales, and all the fins are visible. This impression indi- 

 cates a fish short, and tolerably thick. The head is defaced. 

 The mouth is without teeth, and very much cleft, as is also in 

 all probability the opercle or gill-covers ; the pectoral mem- 

 bers are moderate, and have about ten rays ; the ventral, about 

 ten or eleven ; the dorsal, rather incomplete, exhibits only six 

 rays, and is nearly opposed to the ventral fins ; the anal is 



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