SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF THE SUBORDER. 21 



Original description (translation of Broili's synopsis of the characters of the 

 species): "Skull elongate, sharply triangular. Orbits large, nearly circular, located 

 in the posterior half of the skull. Nares lateral, large, in the upper part of the over- 

 hanging snout. Parietal foramen present. A pair of good-sized lateral openings 

 posterior to the orbits and separated from them by a slender bridge of bone. Faint 

 sculpture of fine lines and pits on the middle of the skull roof The portion of the 

 skull posterior to the parietal foramen falling sharply downwards and backwards. 



" The basisphenoid with a pair of lateral keel-like processes. Palatal vacuities 

 small, closed by the pterygoids, which bear a group of small teeth. Epipterygoid 

 strong. 



" Teeth small, sharply conical with a large pulp cavity ; of nearly equal size 

 except in the anterior portion of the maxillary, where there are two of larger size in a 

 swollen region, 54 teeth in all (Pmx+Mx). 



" Axis with the body concave ; strong spine ; horizontal zygapophyses and 

 strong diapophyses. Vertebrae deeply am phiccelous, smooth, the sides concave. Lower 

 side of the centrum with a well-developed keel. Neural arch with good-sized zyga- 

 pophyses with horizontal articular faces. Neural spines short and thin. Diapophyses 

 probably present on all presacral vertebrae as outstanding processes. Intercentra 

 between all vertebrse except the axis and atlas. Chevrons present. 



" Ribs single-headed, directed outwards and backwards. Sacral ribs united with 

 the corresponding diapophyses, short and compressed. 



"Scapula united with coracoid. 



" Pelvis formed of united ilium, ischium, and pubis. Pubic foramen present. 



" Humerus with entepicondylar foramen. Ulna with strong olecranon. 



" Femur with well-developed trochanter. Tibia and fibula slender. Astragalus 

 and calcaneus strong. Metatarsals elongate. Phalanges short. Terminal phalanges 

 with claws. On the ventral side and the lower side of the limbs dermal ossifications 

 in the fonn of elongate, slender rods." 



Broili recognized in large part the relation of Varanosaurus. He con- 

 sidered it as belonging to the Clepsydropidcs as opposed to the Cotylosauria. 

 He separated it from Naosaiirus, Dimetrodon, and Embolophorus by the 

 absence of elongate spines; from LysorhopJms by numerous characters; from 

 Thcropleiira because the neural spines are coossified and short and because 

 Varanosaioms has single-headed ribs and intercentra ; from Archeobelus by 

 the indeterminate character of the last. 



Broili was in error in assigning to Clepsy drops short spines and so not 

 separating Varanosaurus from it, also in assigning to Thcropleura long spines. 

 He recognized the primitive position of Varanosaurus. He says, p. 81 : 



"It is evident we have in the new genus I'aranosaurus acutirostris the most 

 elongate and slender member of the Theromorpha yet known, and which resembles 

 in this respect certain of the RhyncJwcephalia, especially Proterosauritsy 



Revised description : Ribs with rudimentary capitulum. 



(i) No diastemal notch between maxillary and premaxillary. 



(2) Two enlarged canines in maxillary. Incisor teeth large. 



(3) Character not shown. 



(4) Neural arch of vertebrse coossified with centra. 



