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BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
authority than Mr. McMurrich, who at once noticed it in the same periodical (Science, 
No. 09, 1884), but his remarks possessed upon this point but little value, inasmuch as 
he had not taken the trouble to examine a specimen before printing them, and therefore 
had no material before him when he wrote. Nevertheless they were replied to by me 
in another contribution to Science (vol. in, No. 72, June 20, 1884) under the title of 
“Osteology of Micropterus sahnoides ,” and this time a figure of the left lateral view 
of the cranium of this species of fish was published that showed the pair of free ribs 
on the occiput. 
Moreover, in this communication the literature of the subject was reviewed, greater 
detail added in regard to these free occipital ribs , pointing out that Mr. McMurrich was 
entirely wrong in his conceptions of their morphology, and that “Dr. Sagemehl, in his 
valuable paper on the cranium of Amia ( Morphologisclies Jahrbnch , ix), is very explicit 
in what he says about the coossification of the three vertebrae with the basi occipital of 
this ganoid; and if this author had been aware of such a state of affairs as I here figure 
in auy of the Teleostei, he certainly would have brought it forward in connection with 
Fig. 1 Left lateral view of cranium of M. salmoides, allowing a pair of ribs at the occiput; life size from 
nature, by the author, from his own dissections. S. eth., supraethmoid; Fr., frontal; Sq., squamosal; 
Pa., parietal (not well in sight) ; Ep. O., epiotic; S. O., supraoecipital ; Pt. 0 pterotic; oc. r., occipital 
ribs; vg., foramen for vagus nerve; E. O., exoccipital ; B. O., busi-occipital ; Op. O., opisthotic; Pr. (>., 
prodtic; Ptf., postfrontal; Us., alisphenoid; Bs., basispbenoid ; 1'r.S., parasphenoid ; Prf., prefrontal; 
To., vomer. 
the discussion of that subject. They are two very significant facts, that these ribs in 
Micropterus articulate beyond the vagus torn men and that they are apparently con- 
stant. I have since found similar structures in a specimen of Orcynus thynnus , and 
rather suspect it in the Scombrid/e .” 
The figure that illustrated this letter to Science reappeared in my memoir entitled 
“ Outlines for a Museum of Anatomy,” which was published by the Bureau of Education 
at Washington, D. 0. (Department of the Interior, 1885, p. 60, fig. 6). This figure is 
introduced in the present memoir as fig. l,as it illustrates a very important part of the 
skeleton of the black bass. 
Beyond giving this cut, however, there was nothing especially added to our 
knowledge of the osteology of this bass in my “ Outlines for a Museum of Anatomy,” 
further observations being reserved until my more extensive memoir was published 
by the U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, in 1885, entitled “The Osteology of 
Amia calva , including certain special references to the skeleton of Teleosteans.” 
In this work very considerable reference was made to the skeleton of Micropterus 
sahnoides, and six figures were given in the plates illustrating it. Nevertheless the 
