No. 434-] 



NOTES AND LITERATURE. 



r 35 



In a "Report on the Collections made by the Southern Cross," 

 Dr. Boulenger records species of fishes taken in Antarctic regions. 

 In this is given a useful synopsis of genera and species of Noto- 

 theniidae, a family of fishes especially characteristic of that region. 



Pleuragramma antarcticum a leptoscopoid fish, was taken at Lat. 

 7 8 °35' south, the southernmost fish yet known. 



In the Popular Science Monthly Mr. Cloudsley Rutter gives the 

 results of elaborate studies in the Natural History of the salmon of 

 the Sacramento River. D. S. J. 



Hay on Fossil Vertebrates. — Under the head of Bibliography 

 and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrate of North America, in the 

 Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey (No. 179), Dr. Oliver 

 Perry Hay has published a work of immense practical value to the 

 student of Zoology. It is a conscientious and laborious compilation 

 of the kind that wins gratitude rather than fame, although amply 

 deserving both. 



The synonymy of each name of group, genus and species is given, 

 with a reference to the original type of each genus and the type 

 locality of each species. The rules of nomenclature of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union are adopted and consistently applied, and the 

 general sequence and classification is that approved by American 

 authors. Of fossil fishes, about rooo species are enumerated, nearly 

 one third as mat \ a \ 1 al t tl e re^ 01 (North America) under 



The series begins with the Ichthvotonuis sharks, Ichthyotomi being 

 regarded as a " Superorderr including the Fleuropterygia and the 

 Acanthodii as well as the Pleuracanthine sharks. As against the Ich- 

 thyotomi the other sharks are set off as a second superorder called 

 Kuselachii. The generic name. Acanthoessus on account of priority, 

 is substituted for the familiar name Acanthodes. It is claimed by 

 Bashford Dean that the species on which Acanthoessus is based is 

 not certainly identified. Unless this plea is maintained. Acanthoessus 

 must stand. 



A new family, Tamiobatida;, is established for Eastman's genus, 

 Tamiobatis, from palaeozoic rocks in Kentucky. The name Pisces is 

 defined so as to include all fishes except the sharks; Gill's name, 

 Aspidoganoidei is used instead of the preoccupied name of Ostraco- 

 dermi and Cope's later substitute of Ostracophori. The name " Aspi- 

 doganoid " seems unfortunate, as these fantastic creatures have little 

 in common with ganoids. For a group containing the Arthrodira 



