﻿196 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  ^^^ 
  gg 
  

  

  thoracic 
  ribs 
  whole 
  or 
  in 
  part, 
  right 
  humerus, 
  both 
  radii, 
  right 
  ulnare, 
  

   both 
  radiaha, 
  parts 
  of 
  2 
  metacarpals, 
  both 
  femoro 
  , 
  both 
  tibiae, 
  both 
  

   fibulae, 
  both 
  tarsi, 
  all 
  metatarsals, 
  1 
  1 
  phalangials, 
  2 
  inguals, 
  and 
  num- 
  

   erous 
  dermal 
  scutes. 
  

  

  On 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  rarity 
  of 
  good 
  crocodilian 
  skeL'tons 
  in 
  paleonto- 
  

   logical 
  collections, 
  it 
  seemed 
  desirable 
  to 
  articulate 
  this 
  specimen 
  for 
  

   public 
  exhibition. 
  After 
  several 
  months' 
  work 
  this 
  w;as 
  accomplished 
  

   by 
  Norman 
  H. 
  Boss, 
  chief 
  preparator, 
  who 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  higtdy 
  commended 
  

   on 
  the 
  excellent 
  results 
  achieved. 
  

  

  The 
  individual 
  bones 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  mineralized 
  an 
  d 
  practically 
  

   free 
  from 
  postmortem 
  distortion. 
  A 
  few 
  elements, 
  ho'>vever, 
  either 
  

   through 
  injuries 
  or 
  disease 
  are 
  abnormally 
  deformed. 
  The 
  right 
  

   scapula 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  interesting 
  example 
  of 
  a 
  badly 
  healed 
  fra 
  cture. 
  In 
  

   life 
  the 
  scapula 
  was 
  cleanly 
  broken 
  through 
  the 
  narrowesu" 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  blade. 
  This 
  upper 
  portion 
  dropped 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  

   proximal 
  half 
  for 
  fully 
  an 
  mch 
  below 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  fracture, 
  and 
  inhere 
  

   the 
  two 
  parts 
  were 
  securely 
  knitted 
  together 
  by 
  extraneous 
  bvOny 
  

   growth. 
  Although 
  this 
  fracture 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  exceedingly 
  painijil 
  

   at 
  the 
  time, 
  after 
  healing 
  the 
  limb 
  undoubtedly 
  continued 
  to 
  function. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  metatarsal 
  of 
  the 
  left 
  hind 
  foot 
  exhibits 
  a 
  pathologic 
  

   condition 
  that 
  has 
  enlarged 
  the 
  shaft 
  of 
  the 
  bone 
  to 
  nearly 
  twice 
  its 
  

   normal 
  size. 
  This 
  lesion 
  can 
  probably 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  an 
  injury. 
  

   Other 
  lesions 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  coracoid, 
  anterior 
  thoracic 
  ribs, 
  

   caudal 
  vertebrae, 
  chevrons, 
  and 
  skull. 
  That 
  this 
  animal 
  was 
  a 
  pug- 
  

   nacious 
  individual 
  and 
  often 
  engaged 
  in 
  combat, 
  probably 
  with 
  

   others 
  of 
  its 
  kind, 
  is 
  clearly 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  considerable 
  number 
  

   of 
  healed 
  wounds. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  23 
  presacral 
  vertebrae 
  preserved, 
  but 
  a 
  restored 
  lumbar 
  

   was 
  introduced 
  between 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  second, 
  the 
  only 
  point 
  showing 
  

   evidence 
  of 
  a 
  break 
  in 
  the 
  series, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  presacrals 
  corre- 
  

   spond 
  in 
  total 
  number 
  to 
  the 
  vertebral 
  formula 
  of 
  Crocodilus 
  americanus 
  

   as 
  determined 
  by 
  Mook.^ 
  This 
  introduction 
  makes 
  four 
  lumbar 
  

   vertebrae, 
  whereas 
  Mook 
  recognizes 
  only 
  three 
  in 
  C. 
  americanus; 
  

   but 
  as 
  a 
  mounted 
  skeleton 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  (U.S.N.M. 
  No. 
  14874) 
  has 
  

   four, 
  it 
  seems 
  reasonable 
  to 
  assume 
  that 
  a 
  similar 
  variation 
  may 
  

   occur 
  in 
  the 
  fossil 
  species. 
  

  

  The 
  caudal 
  series 
  consists 
  of 
  37 
  vertebrae 
  of 
  which 
  33 
  are 
  original 
  

   bones. 
  Four 
  vertebrae 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  tail 
  are 
  fully 
  restored. 
  

   According 
  to 
  authorities 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  caudal 
  vertebrae 
  is 
  

   subject 
  to 
  considerable 
  variation 
  among 
  living 
  individuals 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   species. 
  

  

  The 
  skeleton, 
  over 
  all 
  from 
  tip 
  to 
  tip, 
  measured 
  a^long 
  the 
  curves 
  

   of 
  the 
  spmal 
  column 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  about 
  9 
  feet 
  10 
  inches. 
  

  

  Pending 
  the 
  publication 
  of 
  the 
  monographic 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  Croco- 
  

  

  1 
  Mook, 
  C. 
  C, 
  Bull. 
  Amor. 
  RTus. 
  Nat. 
  Ffist., 
  vol. 
  44, 
  pp. 
  70-78, 
  1921. 
  

  

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