Stewart.] Cretaceous Fishes, 365 



Demi das hintere Spleniale reicht vorn nur bis an das hintere Endc 

 des vorderen Spleniale, nirgends liegen drei Elemente parallel neben 

 einander, keins von ihnen kann 'middle element' genannt werden. 

 Vergleicht man mit der citirten Besohreibung der friiher von ihm 

 2 geben Abbildung 128 des vorderen Mandible-Theils, so muss man es 

 aneh befremdlich finden; dass Cope die grossen Fangzfthne, mit 

 Ansnahme allerdings von zwei, welche er in dem inneren Knoehen 

 entstehen lasst, von dem mittleren Theil getragen werden lasst, da 

 dieselben dem ausseren Rande so nahe stehen. dass zwisehen ihnen 

 and jehnen nur eine sehr duane Knochen-lamelle gedacht werden 

 kann. Was sollte diese aber in osteologisclier Hinsieht darstellen?" 



Protosphyraena bentoniana. 



Protosphyrmna bentonia m Stewart, Kans. Univ. Quart., vol. vn a, pp. 

 27, 28. 



This species was established upon the rostrum and numerous 

 fragments of other bones which were, for the most part, in too 

 poor a condition for identification. They were found by Dr. 

 S. \Y. Williston in the Lincoln marble, on Rock creek, in south- 

 ern Mitchell county, Kansas. The low horizon from which the 

 specimen was obtained attaches special interest to it, as it is the 

 first time that a specimen of this genus has been found below 

 the Niobrara Cretaceous in America. 



The proximal portion of the rostrum, bearing the large teeth, 

 is not preserved. The base is broad, becoming more narrow 

 toward the distal extremity, where it suddenly contracts, forming 

 a rather blunt apex. The anterior portion is oval in outline in- 

 stead of semicircular or round. The lower surface contracts 

 more rapidly than the upper, causing the apex to be slightly 

 above the center of the shaft. The superior and inferior sur- 

 faces gradually grade into each other, and are not separated by 

 the angular ridge found in some of the species of this genus. 

 The outer surface, where preserved, shows the rostrum to be 

 covered with irregular longitudinal ridges which inosculate 



125. Cret Vert. West, pi. XLVII, fig. 6a. 



126. Through a typographical error, this specif.- first appeared as /'. bentonia instead of /'. 

 bentoniana. a- was intended. 



