Vol. 5] 



Jordan. — The Fossil Fishes of California. 



133 



the Trnekee River Canal in Nevada. The rock, according to Pro- 

 fessor Merriam, is probably of Miocene Age. This is a fresh- 

 water deposit. 



Two of the specimens, one of them the type described above, 

 are much more slender in apparent form than the others, a differ- 

 ence which may indicate difference of species ; the depth must 

 have been at least six and one-half times in the length to base of 

 caudal. In two others of equal length the body seems much 

 deeper. In one the depth is about five times in length ; in the 

 other about four and one-half, but this last shows evidence of dis- 

 tortion. The technical characters so far as they can be made out 

 seem to be the same in all, and we treat them provisionally as one 

 species, which is probably the case. 



In all the specimens the curved hook-like dorsal spine is very 

 distinct, but in one of them it seems to be preceded by three other 

 spines much more slender and shadowy. These possibly do not 

 really belong to the same specimen, as in the other three the spine 

 is very distinct and stands alone. If these are really additional 

 spines, the generic diagnosis must be adjusted accordingly. 



We propose for this fish the name MerriameUa doryssa. If 

 the genus is placed among the Atlierinidce, it will differ by its dif- 

 ferentiated dorsal spine, which either stands alone or is preceded 

 by three slenderer ones. It suggests also the genus Hypoptychus, 

 a Siberian type of Ammodytidce. Hypoptychus has no trace of 

 the first dorsal. The genus MerriameUa has also much in common 

 with the extinct family of C'obitopsidie, of the European Oligo- 

 cene. But Cobitopsis, like Hypoptych us, has no first dorsal fin, 

 and its ventral fins are present and abdominal. 



Family SCOMBRID.E. 



41. Scoynhroid fish. 



Professor Agassiz records fragments of unidentifiable bones 

 of mackerels from Ocoya Creek. We have also fragments from a 

 vertebral column of some mackerel-like fish from Brown's Canon, 

 near Santa Monica. The vertebra? are strong, and well developed, 

 the caudal peduncle slender and the tail well forked. 



