86 AMERICAN PERMIAN VERTEBRATES 



specimen of Broili's species consists of a fairly complete skull, 

 thirty-four vertebrae in a more or less continuous series, including 

 the sacrum and basal caudals, and parts of the girdles and limbs. 

 So far as this material goes Broili's descriptions and figures apply 

 well to the abundant material herein described, and there can be 

 no doubt of their generic identity. Indeed, it was not until I had 

 critically studied the skulls and compared them with Broili's 

 figures and descriptions that I was forced to recognize the specific 

 distinction of our form. In his choice of a generic name Dr. 

 Broili was very happy, since the general resemblance of the genus 

 to Varanus is very striking. 



The material of V. brevirostris herein described, and, I trust, 

 faithfully figured, forms a part of that of the remarkable bone- 

 bed described on the preceding pages as the Cacops bone-bed, 

 situated about five miles west of the Vernon road, near the Wichita 

 River, in Baylor County, Texas. 



The remains of Varanosaurus from this bone-bed, all of which 

 are referred with assurance to the single species, comprised origi- 

 nally not less than twenty-five skeletons, of which six or eight in 

 greater or less perfection have been recovered from the blocks of 

 matrix in which they were brought to the museum. The develop- 

 ment of these skeletons is, however, very tedious, each requiring 

 about two months of continuous work. For this reason not much 

 has yet been done with others than the one described and mounted, 

 save where it was found necessary or desirable to complete or 

 corroborate the knowledge furnished by the single specimen. Un- 

 fortunately, so far but three skulls have been found in the matrix, 

 and one of these is a mere fragment. There still remains nearly 

 a half of the material secured unexamined, and it is almost certain 

 that when this shall have been worked out other skulls will be 

 detected. But to wait until this is done would delay the publica- 

 tion of the work unduly. I can therefore promise within the next 

 few years another paper upon the skull, not only of Varanosaurus, 

 but also of Casea, and I content myself here with a preliminary 

 description, together with a reconstruction of the skull as based 

 upon the material so far worked out, material which furnishes 

 the more essential characters of the reptile, but which still leaves 



