Geslogy and Paleontology. 829 
The part of Professor Zittel’s valuable “ Handbuch der Palæon- 
tologie” (III. Band, 2. Lief.) describing the Teleost fishes, has 
recently appeared. The correlation between the morphology and 
systematic relations of existing and extinct fishes has been obscured 
and sometimes contradicted by the adoption of the very misleading 
and unscientific classification of Giinther. The anachronistic idea 
that there is near relationship between Plectognath and Ganoid, 
fishes is consequently likewise still adhered to.! This idea has been 
so thoroughly exploded by several writers and its fundamental error 
is so obvious to any one who considers the evidence and compares 
the structural characteristics of the various types, that surprise must 
be felt that so intelligent a paleontologist as Professor Zittel clings 
to it. There can be little, if any, doubt to any competent observer 
who compares the skeletons and other parts of Scleroderm fishes 
with the Teuthidids and Siganids that the views of Dareste, Cope 
and others are correct, that the Scleroderms have originated from 
the same stock as the ‘feuthidids, and that consequently they are 
removed further than most fishes, and further even than the 
related Teuthidoidea, from the Ganoids. The genus Protobalistum 
is adopted by Professor Zittel with the expanded limits recently 
assigned to it by Baron de Zigno. To those who adopt Dr. 
Giinther’s views of the classificatory value of characters, the 
demonstration of the erroneous association of the forms embra 
formes, A. cotto-scombriformes, and A. blenniiformes. Now, just such 
differences as have been used to separate those groups are foun 
true Scleroderm. 
The diagnostic characters of the several families of Scleroderms 
are as follows :— l 
ROTOBALISTID£Z.—Scleroderms? with the spinous dorsal very 
elongated and composed mostly of long spines separated by consid- 
bata seese Fische zeichnen sich besonders durch ihre eigenthümliche, 
ld aus harten rhomboidi chen Schuppen, bald aus knöchernen 
Tn, Stacheln sesi Platten bestehende Hautbedeckung, sowie 
! s. Agassiz rech- 
De. sie noch zu den Ganoiden, mit denen sie in der That mancherlei 
ebereinstimmung aufweisen.” Zittel, op. cit., p. 257. 
bu It is possible that the Protebalistids may prove to be not Scleroderms 
t Acanthopterygians. 
