224 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



creating backwards till Dear their ends, and the anterior dorsal rays are free 

 at their ends ; but as the species agrees so closely in other external characters, 

 I feel compelled to retain it in that genus for the present at least. 



In this connection, I may also mention a species found at Pensacola, which 

 exhibits several characters in common with the species referred to, but repre- 

 sents a distinct genus closely related to Chcenopsetta, Paralichthys and Pseudo- 

 rhombus ; the naso-dorsal side of the rhombic outline is very convex ; the supra- 

 ocular region depressed ; the interorbial area formed by a narrow, scaleless 

 ridge; the caudal peduncle short; the scales ctenoid, and the dorsal and anal 

 fins respectively highest, and convergent far behind and at nearly the same 

 vertical. The species has a height of little less less than half the extreme 

 length ; the head almost a fourth, and the caudal almost a fifth. The first fin 

 rays are the longest and filiform, progressively increasing, and the fin itself 

 commences at a vertical between the orbit and pupil. The rays of the dorsal 

 (70) converge towards the fiftieth ; those of the anal (56) towards the thirtieth. 



The color is reddish brown, with four ocellated spots larger than the eye ; 

 the first above the longer declining portion of the falciform arch of the lateral 

 line ; the three posterior forming the angles of a triangle ; the anterior two mid- 

 way between the snout and caudal margin, and the posterior on the lateral 

 line. It may be named Ancylopsetta quadrocellatus. 



On the Characters of the higher Groups of KEPTILIA SQUAMATA-and 

 especially of the DIPL0GL0SSA. 



BY E. D. COPE. 



Since it is only by an attentive consideration of the peculiarities of organ- 

 ized beings that their relationships in time present and past can be deter- 

 mined, the more complete that examination the more certain will our conclu- 

 sions be. In the course of preparation of systematic work, the great need of 

 well established bases is often felt, and nowhere more urgently than among 

 the Reptiles. The following abstract, presenting some new views in this de- 

 partment, have been taken from my MSS., as exhibiting some of the stronger 

 points among the multitudinous variations of the reptilian skeleton. 



Prof. Johannes Muller* has given us the best characters for distinguishing 

 the Ophidia and Lacertilia, viz. : The former having the ali- and orbito-sphe- 

 noid regions osseous the latter membranous ; there being one suspensorium 

 for the quadrature in the first, two in the second. It is true he says Acontias 

 forms an exception, having but one suspensorium, but I have seen the second 

 in a specimen prepared by Herr Will, of Munich, and Prof. Peters showed it 

 to me in a Berlin specimen. Anelytrops, a genus nearly allied to Typhlo- 

 saurus, possesses both, well developed. Aniella, however, appears to consti- 

 tute a real exception to the rule, having but one suspensorium, thus resem- 

 bling the Ophiosaurii or Auiphisbaenia : it resembles the latter so in its elon- 

 gate temporal, continuous with the parietal, the downward prolongation of 

 the latter bone and its close union with the occipital sclerotome, as to connect 

 them closely with the Lacertilia. The true hiatus in the series of Squamata 

 is, in my opinion, to be found between the Ophiosauri and Tortricina. The 

 characters of the skeleton remaining up to the present time, by which Lacer- 

 tilia and Ophidia may be distinguished, are as follows : 



Lacertilia. Ophidia. 



Continuity of the parietal and sphenoid Continuity of parietal and sphenoid 



walls interrupted. walls complete. 



Rami of the mandible united by suture. Rami united by ligament. 



From the centre of multiplicity of forms of typical Lacertilia, we can pursue 



* Tiedemanu and Treyiranus Zeitschr. f. Pbyeiologie, iv. p. 233. 



[Oct. 



