142 GANOID FISHES OF THE CARBONIFFllOUS FORMATION. 



0. IlnADiNicririn's WAiiDf, JFard, .sj). Plate XXXI, figs. 1, 2. 



PALiEONiscus Wardi, J. Yuuiuj. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, vol. ii, pt. i, 1875, 



p. 66 (name only). 

 — — /. Ward. Proc. N. Staffs. Nat. Field Club, 1875, p. 239. 



KHiDiNiCHTurs Wardi, Traqiiair. Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxxiii, 1877, p. 559, 



and Proc. lioy. Pliys. Soc. Ediub., vol. iv, 1878, 

 p. 239. 



— — /. Ward. Traus. N. Staffs. lust. Miuiug Eugiueers, vol. x, 



1890, p. 175, pi. vi, fig. 10. 



— — A. S. Woodward. Cat. Foss. Fishes Brit. Mus., pt. ii, 1891, 



p. 4G7. 



Specific Characters. — Attaining a length of about 5 inches; scales denticulated 

 posteriorly ; free surface ornamented with ridges which tend constantly to break up into 

 isolated tubercles. 



Description. — The following description is taken from a suite of specimens collected 

 by the late Mr. J. AVard, of Longton, and now in the British Museum. The most 

 perfect of those specimens (PI. XXXI, fig. 1) measures 4|^ inches, but the extremity of 

 the tail being broken oft", its original length may be estimated at \ inch more. The 

 form of the body is rather slender, and gradually tapering from the shoulder to the tail- 

 pedicle ; the greatest depth of the body is contained about five times, and the length of 

 the head a little less than four times in the length of the body up to the bifurcation of 

 the caudal fin. The head ap[)ears large for the slender form of the fish. The orbit is, 

 as usual, very anteriorly placed, the suspensorium very oblique, the gape enormous, the 

 jaws powerful and armed with formidable teeth in two sets. Of these, the laniaries, 

 or teeth of the inner series, are slender, conical and incurved, -^^ to -^^ inch in length in 

 a mandible of f inch, set at intervals of considerably less than their own length, while 

 e.xternal to them is a series of closely set teeth of very small size. The oj)ercular bones 

 are not well preserved but aj)pear to be of moderate size ; eight branchiostegal rays nuiy 

 be counted in one specimen, but they are clearly not all shown. All the external bones 

 of the head, as well as of the shoulder girdle, are sculptured with fine, sharp, flexuous 

 ridges. The pectoral fins are of considerable expanse, each consisting of about twenty- 

 five rays, of which the principal ones are unarticulated for more than two-thirds of their 

 length. The ventral is seen in one specimen ; it appears small and delicate though its 

 extremity is not preserved ; its rays are slender with distant articulations. The dorsal 

 fin rises far back, being placed nearly opposite the anal and connnencing only a little in 

 front of it; it, the dorsal, is acuminate in shape, and is rather concave behind; the 

 anal is not so well preserved, but appears similar in form to the dorsal. It u hardly 

 possible to ascertain the number of rays in either, but in both they are slender, bifurcated 

 towards their terminations, and divided by rather distant articulations. The caudal 



