ZOOLOGY. 635 



rocks of Western Kansas, which were regarded by him as indicative of 

 not only a new family, bnt a new order related to the pterodactyles, 

 and distinguished by the absence of teeth. His previous communica- 

 tions have been recently supi)lemented by a well illustrated article on 

 the "principal characters of American Cretaceous pterodactyles," in 

 connection with which he gives figures of the skull and bill from four 

 ditierent views. The skull is certainly very remarkable, and extremely 

 different from those of all the typical pterodactyles ; it is much elon- 

 gated, the facial portion being greatly i)roduced forwards, and a sagit- 

 tal crest of enormous size, and reminding one somewhat of a helmet, 

 but compressed, extending " far backwards and somewhat upward." 

 The jaws are also quite peculiar and '"project forward like a huge pair 

 of pointed shears; they are very long, sharply pointed in front, and 

 entirely destitute of teeth," and indeed the margins are as smooth 

 and thin as in recent birds. It is supposed by Professor Marsh that 

 the jaws were inclosed in a horny sheath. Tlie bones of the skull are 

 mostly extremely thin, and, "with the exception of the occipital con- 

 dyle, the lower ends of the quadrates all f^eem to have been pneu- 

 matic." A noteworthy feature is the existence of large antorbital 

 openings near the middle of the skull and directly over the posterior 

 nares. The skull is described as having a length of 760 millimeters. 

 Professor Marsh sums up the evidence furnished by the skull with the 

 statement that it differs especially from that of the other pterodactyles 

 "in (1) the absence of teeth; (2) the absence of anterior nasal apertures, 

 distinct from the antorbital openings; (3) the presence of the elongated 

 occipital crest"; and (4) the encasement of the jaws with a horny sheath. 

 {Am. Jourri. 8c. (3), xxvii, pp. 422-426, pi. 15.) 



The classification of Lizards. — The system of the Lacertilian order 

 has been revised by Mr. G. A. Boulenger. Commendation is given 

 of Professor Cope's work on that gioup as showing the best appre- 

 ciation of the characters and relationships of the families of the order. 

 Physiognomy and external characters, which were much relied upon by 

 the old naturalists, are of little consequence and very apt to mislead. 

 The anatomical characters and especially the modifications of the cran- 

 ium nre the safest guides and the best clew to the affinities of the an- 

 imals. The suborders of Professor Cope's system are reduced to two: 

 (1) the Lacertilia vera, and (2) the Ehiptoglossa, including only the 

 Chamseleons. Twenty-one families are recognized; many of these arc 

 more or less modified and two new ones established, Uroplatidoi for 

 Uroplatijs, formerly confounded with the geclcos, and Bibamidw, based 

 on Bibamus, one of the most degraded of the lizards. (Ann. & Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. (5), xiv, pp. 117-122.) 



The Bidl snake's Fo/ce.— A large and well known snake, although of 

 local distribution in the United States, and known in Kew Jersey by 



