Recherches sur les Poissons Fossiles. 



75 



and drawn. So that we have as exact an account of the ana- 

 tomical structure of these extinct inhabitants of our planet, 

 as of any of the beings now living on its surface. Not only this, 

 but the vast shoals of certain species which have perished at 

 the early period referred to, and whose remains are found 

 accumulated together in particular places, together with the 

 coprolites or excrements, which are also found with the 

 remains of the animals themselves, afford us as perfect a 

 knowledge of their habits, as we possess regarding any of 

 the fishes of our own day. 



One species, Dapedius politus^ is found in the lias at 

 Lyme Regis, along with numerous remains of Pholidophorus, 

 and the teeth and rays of Cestracions and Hybodonts^ repre- 

 sented by De la Beche in the Geological Transactions. 

 The collections of Messrs. Philpot at Lyme Regis, of Lord 

 Cole, Sir P. Egerton, Professor Buckland, Mr. Murchison, 

 Mr. Stokes, Mr. Baker, Mr. Weaver, Messrs. Cumberland 

 and Johnston, as well as the Museums of York, Bristol, 

 Whitby, and Naresborough, all contain numerous specimens. 

 Of the genus Dapedius, M. Agassiz figures four species, and 

 describes no fewer than six or seven. Of Dapedius Colei, he 

 remarks, it may be easily distinguished from the others by 

 the appearance of the outer surface of the head, which 

 is almost perfectly smooth at the anterior border of the 

 operculum ; and on the occiput, and sides of the lower jaw 

 there is a small compact granulation, which is extended 

 to the anterior borders of the scales of the nape, and 

 belly. The rest of the scales are perfectly smooth, nor 

 do we remark any trace of the little hollows on their sur- 

 faice, such as those which characterise Dapedius punctatus^ 

 and the species generally of this locality, but on the con- 

 trary, we distinguish the concentric lines which are formed 

 by their laminae of growth. 



