1880.] 



Uj.dory oftlir. Fossil Verfehratn of India. 



13 



bles the teeth of some saurians ; it is referred by Dr. Waagen to the 

 ganoids. Another tooth, referred provisionally by Dr. Waagen to the genus 

 Poecilocliis, under the name of P. paradoxus, is of the flattened cestraciont 

 type. Pseplwdus indicus is a species formed upon the evidence of another 

 tooth. Both these genera belong to the Gochliodontidcd, which Dr. Waagen 

 classes among the Dipnoi, though they are more generally referred to the 

 Elasmobranchii. Of the undoubted Elasmobranchii (Selachii), Dr. Waagen 

 describes four species, belonging to three genera, from teeth, and four 

 species, belonging to two genera, from fin-spines (ichthyodorulites). Of 

 the teeth, two are referred to a genus {Helodopsis) allied to Helodus, 

 under the names of U. elongata and II. ahhreviata. A fragment of a 

 tooth is referred, without specific determination, to the European genus 

 Psammodus, characteristic of the Carboniferous. A fourth tooth is refer- 

 red to the European genus Petalorliyncus, Avith the specific name of P. 

 indicus : it is extremely doubtful whether Petalorlnjnclms is really distinct 

 from Petalodus of the Carboniferous. Of the spines, or " ichthyodoru- 

 lites," three specimens are referred to the American Carboniferous genus 

 Xystr acanthus, under the names of X. gracilis and X. major axidi X. gigan- 

 teus. If I rightly understand Dr. Waagen's notes, he thinks it possible 

 that these spines may belong to Ilclodopsis. A tliird spine is referred 

 to a new genus under the name of Thaumatacanthus blanfordi. 



As far as the evidence of these fishes goes, we find that the cestraciont- 

 toothed sharks were the dominant forms in the Indian, as well as in the 

 European and American Carboniferous. 



Trias-Jura. — In the upper part of the great Gondwana system of In- 

 dia, which, as I have said, probably corresponds as a whole to the Trias- 

 Jura of other countries, remains of fishes have been found in some abun- 

 dance, all of which, as far as determined, are of fresh-water types, and belong 

 to the Ganoidei and Dipnoi, no traces of the more modern Teleostei having 

 yet been Ibund in these rocks. The earliest groups of rocks in the 

 GondAvana sy.stem in which fish remains have been detected are the Mangli 

 and Sripermatur groups ; but these remains have not yet been even generi- 

 cally identified. In the Kota-Maleri* group there occur nine species 

 of Ganoids and three of Dipnoi ; the former from the Kota beds have been 

 described under the genera, Dapedius, Lepidotus,a.n(l Tetragonolepis by Messrs. 

 Egerton and Sykes ;f many of them show Liassic afiinities : the three genera 



* Mr. King- has lately shown a distinction between the Kota and Maleri beds ; 

 confirming- tlio original distinction as to the Liassic affinities of the fossils of the former, 

 and the IthiBto-triassic of those of the latter. 



t Quav. Jour. Gcol. ksoc. of London, Vols. VII, IX, X. Paheontologia Indica, 

 Ser. IV, part 2. 



