-896. 



77 



Dr. D. G. Brinton then presented his views of the 

 subject. 



The three original speakers were then called upon and each 

 supplemented his remarks bj thoughts suggested by the 

 others. 



In the course of his remarks, Prof. Cope exhibited two 

 specimens illustrative of generalized types of Yertebrata. One 

 of these was a cast of a species of the genus Phenacodus, from 

 the Eocene, which represents the family from which all the 

 Ungulate Placental Mammalia have descended. The other 

 was a part of the skeleton of a reptile from the Permian, of 

 the new genus Otocoelus. This genus is the type of a new 

 family of the order Cotylosauria. This order approaches 

 most nearly of all the Reptilia to the class Batrachia. It is 

 also the most generalized of the Reptilia, and from it all other 

 orders of the class have probably descended by modifications 

 in different directions. The particular family Otocoelid^ dif- 

 fers from the other families of Cotylosauria in the possession 

 of a meatus auditorius externus and of an osseous carapace. 

 From it were probably descended the orders of Pseudosuchia 

 and Testudinata, which first appear in the Trias. A descrip- 

 tion of this family and the species it includes will be given in 

 an early number of the Proceedings of the Society. 



Nominations 13-1:6 to 1362 were read. 



The Society was then adjourned. 



The meeting of the first of May having been designated as 

 that on which a discussion of the theme, " Factors of Organic 

 Evolution," should be held. Prof. Cope, to whom the Special 

 Committee in charge of the preparations for this meeting had 

 confided the task of opening the discourse, presented an epi- 

 tome of the subject as it exists to-day from the standpoint 

 of paleontology.* 



* [Prof. Cope, being umvilling to furnish the Society with the text of his remarks, or to 

 have the stenographic copy printed in the Proceedings, his part of the joint discussion 

 must be necessarily omitted.— Secretaries.] 



