Ifisb tTeetb anb Spines from tbc 
darbonifcrous Ximestone of tbe Bristol District 
By Sidney H. Reynolds, M.A., F.G.S. 
rpHE limestone of the Bristol district, and especially of the Avon 
1 section, has long been noted for the number and variety of the fish 
teeth and spines which it contains. Although, as is well known, the 
great majority of these are from certain well-marked horizons — the 
Palate hed at the base of K^, according to Dr. Vaugh;in’s notation, and 
the Fish beds in the upper part of — still a certain number occur at 
other horizons, though as a rule such specimens in collections are simply 
labelled ‘‘ Carboniferous limestone, Bristol.” Owing to the detailed 
study to which the Carboniferous limestone of the district has been 
subjected, it is now possible, from the character of the matrix, to tell, 
in the great majority of cases, the particular hoiizon from which a 
specimen has been derived, and with Dr. Vaughan’s kind assistance 
tins has been done for the various local collections of Carboniferous 
fish teeth. It has further been thought worth while to record the 
number of specimens of each species present in the chief collections, as 
this gives some idea of the relative abundance of the different species. 
It will be noted that the great majority of specimens are from the 
Avon quarries. The nomenclature adopted is that in the British 
Museum catalogue of fossil fish. 
AVON SECTION. 
The richest horizon for fish remains is afforded by the well-known 
Fish beds (Z^) from which the following fossils in the local collections 
have been obtained : — 
Number of Specimens. 
Univ. Coll. 
Stoddart 
Bristol Mus. 
Collection. 
Collection. 
Collection. 
Chalaz acanthus verrucosus (spine) 
1 
Chomatodus cmctus 
... 3 . 
2 
.numerous 
Cladodus miller i ... 
1 . 
4 
Cochliodus contortus 
3 . 
2 
.numerous 
C. sp. ... 
2 
1 .. 
Ctenacanthus major (tenuistriatus) 
(spines) 
... 15 . 
.. 3 .. 
14 
C. brevis (spines) 
5 
C. sp. (spines)... 
1 . 
2 .. 
Deltoptychius aciitus 
.. 1 
D. gibberulus ... 
..! 3 . 
Note. — I have to thank Dr. A. Smith Woodward, F.R.S., for help in the 
identification of some of the specimens. 
