re 
ON A DENTAL PECULIARITY OF THE LEPIDOSTEIDE. 205 
enamel; I comequentiy drew the attention of Wm. Davies, Esq., 
of the British Museu m, to the probability of such being the case, 
hi 
the writings of Professors Owen and Agassiz, I learn that — 
wipe is ae Soped with enamel. Of the eighteen genera 
that I have named as pertaining to the Lapidosteide, we find that 
ten are secthaly tipped ; two are enamelled on the summit, but 
it has not been ascertained whether the ganoine is cae as a 
tip; six of which the teeth are not known, and in these are in- 
cluded the Australian Urosthenes and Myriolepis.' I have tried 
to _ specimens of the last six genera that showed teeth, but 
been unsuccessful, and I cannot learn from others that the 
are known to have enamel on the summits of their teeth ; it is, 
therefore, Setatle that all the other members of the family are 
sO characterized, a nd I am strongly of the impression that any 
fish at present a among.the Lepidosteide that has not its 
teeth tipped has been wrongly classified, and pertains to some 
other family of Ganoids.* 
Having pointed out how general this peculiarity is in the 
known Lepidosteide, I shall now draw attention more peteaey 
trul of Pygc 
terus (Urosthenes) are. said to be present in the coal-bearing 
strata of New South Wales. The teeth are arranged along the 
alveolar borders of the maxilla and mandible in two rows which 
* By the November mail I received a number of recent papers by Professor 
Traquair on fossil fishes, and I notice that he has founded some new geen ; 
that are close ies of Paleoniscus an opterus, viz. = Cheirolepis, 
Elonichthys, Gonatodus, and perp eg “The last named he mentions 
as having ree teeth, but he either is not acquainted with the structure of 
three genera, or h this peculiarity 
r was written, I have recalled to my memory another fossil 
fish 't "65a chgpe to this family, viz., pene ang but whether its teeth are 
tipped I know not. 
Among fishes that are now in existence, there are only two that to rs 
ledge possess tipped teeth, and — are Lepidosteus and Polypterus. 
