80 BRITISH FOSSIL REPTILES. 



determined species of Ichthyosaurus, were the great length and slenderness of the jaw- 

 bones, suggesting the proportions of those of the Crocodilian gharrial ; and which, in 

 combination with the large orbits and low broad cranium, gave to the skull a resemblance 

 to that of a gigantic woodcock {Scolopax), with a bill armed with teeth. 



The length of the snout is chiefly due to the prolongation of the premaxillaries 

 (Tab. XXVIII, fig. 2, 22) and dentaries (ib., 33). The length of the skull anterior to the 

 orbit is somewhat less than four times the antero-posterior diameter of that cavity. 



The parietals retain their sagittal suture, the fore part of which recedes in a greater 

 proportion than usual to contribute to the foramen parietale. Their posterior bifurcation 

 is applied, in the occipital region, to the super-occipital, which is broad and arched. The 

 outer end of each parietal prong is obliquely truncate for the suture with the mastoid 

 (ib., fig. 2). This, as usual, forms the blunt but prominent supero-lateral angles 

 of the hind part of the cranium. The midfrontals (ib., 11) retain their suture, their 

 lateral border articulates with the prefrontal (14) and the superorbital, or a forward 

 extension of the postfrontal. This element articulates with the lateral border of the 

 parietal and combines with that bone in forming the upper three fourths of the temporal 

 fossa, the lower boundary of that cavity being completed by the mastoid. 



The orbit is bounded behind chiefly by the postorbital. The malar is unusually 

 long, extends from the lacrymal (73) to form the rest of the anterior boundary of the 

 orbit ; then, continuing to circumscribe it below, the malar curves with a rather abrupt 

 bend upwards to join the postorbital, and by an oblique suture the zygomatic. This 

 bone is continued obliquely backward to contribute to the external meatus auditorius and 

 to articulate with the tympanic. 



The sclerotic plates preserved in the orbit of the subject of fig. 2 bend more 

 abruptly than usual towards the back part of the cavity, suggesting a depressed spheroid 

 form of the eyeball. 



The nasal (15) presents the usual connections; the margin which it contributes to 

 the upper part of the nostril (re) is slightly convex, encroaching on that opening, which 

 seems to be rather longer, proportionately, than usual : in the subject of fig. 2 it is 

 2^ inches in length. 



In the composition of the lower jaw, I have noted that the angular element extends a 

 short way in advance of the surangular before disappearing externally. The point of 

 the surangular enters a notch in the hind part of the dentary, about half an inch 

 anterior to a line dropped from the fore part of the nostril. The angular disappears, as 

 usual, between the splenial and dentary, not between the splenial and surangular. The 

 splenials contribute a small proportion to the mandibular symphysis (Tab. XXI, fig. 4, 32')- 



The teeth (Tab. XX, fig. S) conform in relative size and slenderness of crown with 

 the slenderness of the bones wielding them. Those at the fore half of the jaws inclinr 

 more backward than usual, and hardly assume a vertical position in the maxillary ana 

 post-mandibular regions. I have counted from sixty-five to seventy on each side of the 



