394 
THE aEOLOGIST. 
found some s?niall spines that are smooth and slightly arched; they appear 
to belong to two species. Among the scales are, of course, those Me- 
galichthys Ilihherti. They occur either isolated or in patches. Sometimes 
they are associated with the enamelled plates that cover the head of this 
fish, including the maxillary bones showing the teeth. Isolated scales of 
great size, belonging to a large Holoptychius, are not uncommon, as well 
as others that seem to belong to a smaller species of the same genus. 
There are also numerous small ganoid scales, in some cases with sculp- 
tured surfaces and serrated margins ; some of them belong to a species of 
Platysomus, and others to Palseoniscus or Aniblypterus, or possibly Eu- 
rynotus. 
In some parts of the " blackstone " large, quantities of small thorny 
tubercles are met with, which haA-e evidently formed part of the dermal 
armature of a Placoidean, and from the way in which they are associated 
with the spines of Gyracanthus tuherculosus, they not unlikely belong to 
that fish. 
A great number of maxillary bones, most of them with teeth, are among 
the fossils found at ]N^e\vsham. Some of them, as we have already men- 
tioned, belong to Megalichthys ; others, as large in size, have been re- 
ferred to Holoptychius and Ehizodus. All these maxillaries are armed 
with sharp-pointed, conical teeth, which are not easily distinguishable 
from each other when found detached. A fragment of another large 
maxillary, with the external surface irregularly and deeply pitted, and 
with large lancet-shaped teeth, has been found. Numerous smaller jaws, 
varying from 2 inches to \ an inch in length, occur, and among them dif- 
ferences are to be observed, both in the character and arrangement of the 
teeth, that appear to indicate the presence of several distinct forms. One 
of these differs so strikingly from the others in its cylindrical, bluntly- 
pointed teeth, as to suggest the probability of it belonging to a reptile 
rather than a fish. Besides detached teeth of the maxillaries noticed in 
the preceding paragraph, the authors have also met with teeth belonging 
to Placoideans. Among these are two species of Ctenoptychius, which 
we doubtfully refer to C. jpectinatiis and C. denticidaius. Diplodus gih- 
hosus also is not a rare form ; and in one instance these teeth have been 
found connected with the bony plates to which they were affixed. Some 
very beautiful palatal teeth of Ctenodus and Ceratodus have also occurred, 
as well as others that seem to belong to Psammodus. Of more common 
occuri'ence than any of the foregoing fossils are various detached bones. 
Many of these are evidently cephalic bones, and such as belong to the 
thoracic arch. Vertebrae, too, are not uncommon, some of tliem being large 
and apparently referable to a fish the size of Gyracanthus tuherculatus, to 
which they probably belong. There is also repeatedly found in conjunc- 
tion with the latter spine a large triangular bone, which appears to have 
been originally articulated. 
Having now mentioned the various fragmentary remains of fish that we 
have found in the Newsham blackstone, we may add that the only fossils 
of the same class which have occurred in that deposit in a more perfect 
condition is a nearl}^ complete example of a Platysomus, and another of 
a fish which we identify with Ca?clacanthus. Both examples are small, 
the former being 3 inches long and the latter 4| inches. Associated with 
these remains are large quantities of coprolitic matter ; also large irregular 
masses of a substance showing a roe-like structure, that may possibly re- 
present spawn or ova of some kind. The vegetable fossils that occur in 
the same bed are Lepidodendron elegans, L. Sicrnhcrgii, Lepidosirobus sp., 
Calamitus nodosus, Bothrodendroa punctatum, Sternbergia approximata, 
MegapjJiytoyi sp. 
