OSMEROIDES. 



113 



Fig. 37. Elops saurus, Linn. ; cranium, from iipper (A), hinder (B), and left lateral (C) aspects, al., 

 alisphenoid ; bo., basioccipital ; bs., basisphenoid ; ct., cartilage; eo., exoccipital; ep., epiotic; 

 J., frontal ; me., mesethmoid ; op., opisthotic ; or., orbitosphenoid ; p., parietal ; pof., postfrontal ; 

 prf., prefrontal; ps., parasphenoid ; ptf., posterior temporal fossa; soc, supraoccipital ; sq., 

 squamosal ; stf., subtemporal fossa, in side of otic region ; v., vomer. After W. G. Kidewood. 



Genus OSMEROIDES, Agassiz. 



Osmeroides, L. Agassiz, Poiss. Foss., vol. v, pt. ii, 1844, p. 103. 



Khabdolepis, W. vou der Marck (non Troschel, 1857), Palajoutogr., vol. xi, 1863, p. 20. 



Holcolepis, W. vou der Marck, loc. cit., vol. xv, 1868, p. 278. 



Generic Characters. — Head and trunk not much laterally compressed, and 

 abdomen flattened. Parietal bones in contact in the median line ; middle portion 

 of cranial roof more or less flattened. Mandible a little prominent, and gape not 

 extending behind the eye ; maxilla arched, with two supramaxillary bones ; 

 margin of the jaws and some inner bones with clustered, minute, bluntly-pointed 

 teeth, sometimes perhaps tritoral. Branchiostegal rays about 20 in number, about 

 5 of the uppermost and broadest supported by the epihyal. Vertebras between 50 

 and 70 in number, about 20 being caudal ; the centra not longer than deep, all 

 slightly constricted and marked with small irregular longitudinal ridges. No 



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