THE STATE GEOLOGIST. 97 



1S95. Catopterus gracilis, A. S. Woodward, Cat. Foss. Fishes Brit. Mus., pt. 



iii., p. 2. 

 1901. Semionotus fultus, W. H. Hobbs, 21st Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv., 



pt. iii., p 56, pi. 4, Fig. B (errore). 



The type species, attaining a total length of about 25 cm. 

 Length of head with opercular apparatus about equal to- the max- 

 imum depth of trunk, and contained five times in the total length 

 of the fish; depth of caudal pedicle somewhat less than one-half 

 that of the abdominal region. Cranial bones finely granulated. 

 Pelvic fins arising about midway between the pectorals and anal ; 

 dorsal and anal fins subequal in size, and almost completely op- 

 posed. Scales smooth, none deeper than broad, those of the 

 flank in the abdominal region very finely serrated. 



The fin-formula for this species as given in the original 

 description by J. H. Redfield is as follows : 



D. 10-12; C. 30-40; A. 20-30; V. circa 8; P. 10-12. 



In the additional notes on this form given by the elder Red- 

 field, it is stated that "the pectoral fins are of an elongated form, 

 and are strengthened on the anterior margin by one or two large 

 and partly flattened rays, to the front of which the fringe of 

 fine ray lets [fulcra] is attached. Owing to- this peculiarity of 

 structure, the smallest section of the pectoral fin will often serve 

 to identify this species." 



Ordinarily there is little question as to what constitutes the 

 type of a species. In the present instance, the original descrip- 

 tion is founded upon characters exhibited by four or five typical 

 specimens, one of which is figured in Plate I. of Redfield's paper. 

 This last specimen was stated to be in the possession of the Yale 

 Natural History Society at New Haven, and is now preserved in 

 the Peabody Museum of Yale University. The present where- 

 abouts of the remaining co-types are unknown, hence the figured 

 specimen at Yale is the only -authentic example now in evidence 

 that has served for the establishment of this species. Professor 

 Newberry, who examined it during the preparation of his Mono- 

 graph, concluded that it possessed a greater depth of trunk than 

 is normal for this species, and proposed its transfer to C. red- 

 Heidi, Egerton. This procedure could only be justified in case 

 7 GEOL 



