234 



CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



eighths of an inch, from which oil issues slowly. Head and 

 snout, 3J inches; snout, half an inch; lower lip cleft in 

 front, with the sides very much thickened; neck, six inches 

 long, and at its base, just under the front edge of the cara- 

 pace, is a massive collection of wattles, and upon the back of 

 the neck are a distant set of finely pointed papillae. Legs 

 stout, and armed with three greatly developed claws. Tail 

 thick, projecting li- inches beyond the broad flap. Beneath 

 and covering the plastron the color is mottled sordid leaden 

 gray, but under the flaps, and at the base of the thighs, 

 whitish. 



A careful examination has been made of the osseous por- 

 tion of the skull, which gives the following details, and these 

 have been compared with the details of the skulls of two of 

 the allied species, which clearly shows the distinctness of 

 each. Dr. G. Baur, the famed herpetologist, kindly manip- 

 ulated the comparative work, and this fact establishes the 

 specific value of this species with more certainty and value 

 than had I relied solely upon my own determination. 



A spidonectes Californiana. 



1. Postorbital arch less than \ aut- 

 oibital. 



2. Interorbital arch >-postorbital>> 

 autorbital. 



3. Symphyses of maxillaries long. 



4. Alveolar surface of maxillaries 

 broad, reducing size of posteiior 

 nares. 



5. Symphysis of lower jaw > than 

 longitudinal diameter of orbit. 



G. Interorbital arch =: 

 nal diameter of orbit. 



longitudi- 



7. Pterygoids not much emargina- 

 ted, nearly quadrate. 



8. Pterygoid foramen not arched 

 over by pterygoid. 



Aspklonectes spinifer. 

 Postorbital arch about i autorbi- 



tal . 



2. Interorbital arch; 

 antorbital. 



postorbital>> 



3. Symphyses of maxillaries short. 



4. Alveolar surfaces of maxillaries, 

 not reducing the size of posterior 



5. Symphysis of lower jaw ■< than 

 longitudinal diameter of orbit. 



G. Interorbital arch less than J lon- 

 gitudinal diameter of orbit, near- 



7. Pterygoids much emarginated, 

 nearly quadrate. 



8. Pterygoid foramen arched over 

 by pterygoid. 



