140 . CATALOG OP FOSSIL FISHES IN THE MUSEUM 



its outer extremities apparently directed somewhat downward; 

 upper surface of base, near cone, rounded. 



E 1899 Tooth, 12.5 mm. in height, on a piece of matrix. 



Conodont bed (Genesee); Eighteen Mile Creek, near 

 North Evans, Erie County, N. Y. Collected by W. L. 



Bryant. 



E 1900 Topth, 20 mm. in height, free from matrix. Other data 

 same as preceding. 



E 2484 An acutely-pointed tooth, lacking the lateral extremities of 

 the root, in matrix. Height, 16 mm.; width of cone, 

 at base, 5 mm. Other data same as preceding. 



//. Acanthodii 



The Acanthodians are not as abundantly represented in America, 

 either in species or individuals, as in Europe. There are only a few 

 specimens in the Buffalo Museum. These include a fine example of 

 Acanthoses concinnus; a fin-spine from the Conodont bed, and two 

 spines of Gyracanthus. The last are now positively known to be 

 Acanthodians through having been found in their natural position 

 in unquestioned Acanthodian sharks, from the Carbonic of Victoria, 

 Austraha described by Smith Woodward, in 1906,^* under the name 

 Gyracanthides murrayi. Dr. Woodward separated these Acantho- 

 dians from the rest as a distinct family — Gyracanthida?^ Some of 

 these forms, judging by the size of the pectoral spines, must have 

 reached considerably larger proportions than the other Acanthodidae, 

 attaining a length of several feet. 



It has been suggested, also, that the spines known as MachcBra- 

 canthus probably belonged to Acanthodians. This view is highly 

 probable; indeed it may be regarded as almost established, in view of 

 the close resemblance between certain of the smaller species of MachcB- 

 r acanthus and the fin- spine of Acanthodians; and also the approxi- 

 mation of some of the species to certain Gyracanthus spines. But 

 as none of these spines has yet been found in natural association with 

 the fish to which it belonged, there must stUl remain a slight uncer- 

 tainty; and hence we follow the older view of placing the genus 

 Machcer acanthus among the Ichthyodorulites. 



5^ Woodward, A. S.: On a Carboniferous fish fauna from the Mansfield District, Victoria. Mem, 

 National Mus., Melbourne, i, pp. 1-32, pis. i-xi, 1906. 

 ^ Loc. cit., p. 3. 



