Fossil Reptiles. 331 



Notice of some new Fossil Reptiles from tlie Karroo Beds of 

 South Africa. 



By R. Broom, M.D., D. Sc. 



Dicynodon Jmiherti, n. sp. 



At many places in the Gonph, skulls of a small species of 

 Dicynodon are met with in considerable numbers. The S. African 

 Museum possesses about a dozen such skulls from the Beaufort 

 West district, presented in 1881 by Mr. J. R. Joubert, and one or 

 two presented by Mr. J. M. Bain, also from near Beaufort West. 

 The same species I have also found at Rietfontein in the Prince 

 Albert district. The form is of interest, not only on account of 

 our being able to compare a large series of specimens (nearly 20), 

 but owing to its being apparently the first species of Dicynodon 

 to appear in South Africa. At Rietfontein it occurs with Titano- 

 sucJius, and may thus belong to an upper zone of the Pai'iasau- 

 rus beds. 



In the whole series of skulls ther(^ is very little difference in 

 size, the largest being 110 mm. long, and the smallest a little over 

 90 mm. It is highly probable, therefore, that most of the skulls 

 are adult. 



The most noteworthj^ features of the skull are the following : 

 the parietal, frontal and upper nasal are practically in one plane : 

 the interparietal portion is about equal in breadth to the interorbi- 

 tal ; and the jugal arch is unusally deep in the region of the post- 

 orbital bar, being at least as deep as the radius of the orbit. 



The largest specimen, No. 695, may be taken as the type. 



The antorbital portion of the skull is about equal in length to 

 the antero-posterior diameter of the orbit. In the type it measures 

 32 mm., and in two other specimens 30 mm. The nostrils are 

 fairly large, and the premaxillary meets the nasals at the upper 

 border of the nostril. The nasals are of large size, and in one 



