64 CRETACEOUS AND TERTIARY FISH. 



CORAX PRISTODONTUS (Morton). 



Squalus sp. Morton, Synop. Org. Rem. Cret. U. S., 1834, P- 3 1 - PI- n> %• 6. 



No locality. 

 Galeus pristodontus (Agassiz) Morton, Am. Journ. Sci. Art., XXVIII, 1835, 



p. 277 (name only, based on above). 

 Galeocerdo pristodontus Gibbes, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., (2) I, August, 

 1849, p. 162, fig. 70. (Burlington Cretaceous.) 

 Cope, Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr. Hayden, II, 1875, p. 295. (Green- 

 sand of No. S, New Jersey.) 



Teeth broad, greatly compressed, and nearly wide as high. 

 Crown greatly oblique to sometimes erect, low, and greatly com- 

 pressed. Outer coronal surface usually flattened, or usually con- 

 siderably less convex than inner surface, and sometimes a few 

 basal vertical wrinkles. Latter with surface evenly convex. 

 Apex often deflected, especially in lateral teeth. Cutting-edges 

 finely and entirely serrated. Basal cusp sometimes present, low, 

 broad, lateral, variable. Root very broad, deep, usually deeper 

 than crown, compressed, surfaces slightly convex or inner flat- 

 tened and sloping down below trenchant, so that lower profile is 

 slightly emarginate. Ends of roots blunt, not produced. The 

 lateral teeth seem to differ only in having their apices deflected to 

 one side. Length reaches 30 mm. 



This species appears closely allied with Corax faicatus, if not 

 scarcely distinguishable by its less inclined lateral teeth and larger 

 size. The example recorded by Cope as Galeocerdo appendicu- 

 latus from the Maryland Miocene agrees largely with figures 16 

 and 17 of Corax appendiculatus ''Agassiz. The latter has been 

 suggested by Woodward to be the hinder teeth of either Corax 

 pristodontus or Corax afflnis. Eastman says 1 "what species is 

 meant by his citation 2 in the same place of the nomen nudum 

 'Galeocerdo appendiculatus Ag.,' cannot now be even conject- 

 ured, as there are no specimens in the collection bearing that 

 designation." Galeocerdo appendiculatus Cope is not a nonum 

 nudum, but the apparently wrong allocation of Corax appendi- 

 culatus in the genus Galeocerdo, as may be attested by an exami- 

 nation of the single specimen in the Thomas collection labeled in 



1 Md. Geol. Surv. Miocene, 1904, p. 90. 



3 Cope. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1867, p. 141. 



