74 Albany Museum Records. 



take as the type, is probably the most perfect specimen of a 

 I'eptilian skull that has been found in S. Africa. It is slightly 

 distorted, the back somewhat crushed, and the lower jaw slightly 

 displaced, but otherwise every bone may be said to be almost 

 perfect. 



The principal characteristics of the skull are the following : — 

 Tlie parietal region is comparatively- flat, and as broad as the 

 frontal : the occiput slopes for\\ards : and the dentary bone forms 

 a very prominent ridge above the fenestra of the jaw. The orl)its 

 look upwards and slightly outwards, and the frontal region is 

 slightly convex from before backwards, Init moderately flat from 

 side to side. 



The larger of the two skulls, though less perfect than the one 

 chosen as the type, shows the snout in an uncrushed and almost 

 l)erfect condition. The premaxillary bone lis of fair size, and its 

 median process passes backwards some distance between the 

 nasals, but does not reach the frontals. Tlie nasals are much 

 longer than narrow, and on each at its outer side and a little 

 behind the nostril is a prominent I)ony ridge. 



The sutures l)etween the maxillaries, lachrymals, prefrontals 

 and nasals are not distinct in either of the specimens. On the 

 maxillary bone there is a fairly well marked bony ridge passing 

 downwards and forwards to strengthen the caninifoi'm bony 

 process. Posteriorly the maxillary forms part of the suborbital 

 arch, overlapping the jugal and almost reaching to the anterior 

 part of the squamosal. 



The frontals ai-e large, moderately flat bones. The sutiire 

 with the prefrontal is not distinct, but each frontal seems to form 

 about half of the ui)per bordei- of the orbit. There is a slight 

 supraorbital ridge, and a less distinct median ridge formed I)}- the 

 two frontals. Between the frontals posteriorly there passes the 

 narrow but fairly long pi-eparietal. 



The postorbital arch is formed mainly by the postorbital 

 bone, which is supported behind by the upv/ard process of the 

 jugal. The jugal is of large size, but in front it is largely hidden 

 l)y the maxillary and behind by the squamosal. The postorlntal 

 besides forming the postorbital arch, forms almost the whole of 

 the inner border of the temporal fossa, the long posterior process 

 lying alongside the parietal and meeting the iinier part of the 

 squamosal. The parietals are of fair size. 



