Mr. E. E. Austen on Hippoboscidse. 255 described by Davis *, as one of the Cretaceous Dercetidse, under the name of Dercetis limhamnensis. Both these deter-minations are undoubtedly erroneous, and the characters of the fossil, so far as preserved, are those of an Apodal fish. As shown by the description and figure published by Davis (loc. cit.), this specimen comprises only the head, clavicle, and anterior part of the vertebral column of a long and slender fish. The head-bones are obviously thick and of open tex-ture, quite unlike those of the Dercetidse f ; while the occipital and otic regions are sufficiently well preserved to indicate that they are eel-like and totally different from those of any known Gadidse. All the remains, however, are in a crushed and broken condition, so that the details of the osteology are only vaguely observable. The teeth are very small and blunt. The vertebras of the abdominal region are exposed from above or below, and chiefly remarkable for the large size of their transverse processes, which are laminar in form and taper to a point at their free end. These processes were correctly recognized by Lundgren and Dames, but were mistaken by Davis for scutes crushed upon the vertebral centra. The ribs are not preserved. A sigmoidally bent clavicle, exactly like that of an eel (described and figured by Davis as scapula), is displaced at some distance behind the head. There are no scales or scutes. It is obvious that so imperfect a fossil cannot be satisfac-torily determined either generically or specifically. The specimen, however, needs a name for reference. As it exhibits no characters separating it from the Urenchelys of the Lebanon Chalk, it may be provisionally referred to that genus. It is therefore to be regarded as representing a species, Urenchelys limhamnensis (Davis), which awaits adequate definition. It indicates a larger fish than the Lebanon species, and approaches U. anglicus in size. XXII. — Notes on Hippoboscidas (Diptera Pupipara) in the Collection of the British Museum. By Eknest E. Austen. The following notes, which are chiefly concerned with syno-nymy and include no descriptions of new species, embody the conclusions at which the author has arrived while re-arranging * J. W. Davis, "On the Fossil Fish of the Cretaceous Formations of Scandinavia," Trans. Roy. Dublin Soc. [2] vol. iv. (1890) p. 431, pi. xlv. figs. 1, 2. f A. S. Woodward, Catal. Foss. Fishes B. M. pt. iv. (1901) p. 185, pi. xii. fig -, 4.
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