Academy of Science. 



57 



derneath the ribs and vertebrae, witli 

 the bones iu natural position. In this 

 hand there are forty-seven of the 

 hour-ghiss-shaped bones of the palm 

 and fingers, the five series consisting 

 respectively of twelve, eleven, ten, 

 eight, and six bones. The terminal 

 or twelfth bone of the first series is 

 very minute, and triangular in shape, 

 or, more exactly, shaped like the half 

 of an hour-glass. 



No attempt has yet been made to 

 expose the dermal covering con- 

 tained in the large slab, and it is 

 exceedingly doubtful if such an at- 

 tempt would prove successful. The 

 bones imbedded in this slab, and 

 now brought out in relief, are not 

 in their natural position, except 

 those of the hand above men- 

 tioned. Only two of the twenty 

 vertebrae, which are scattered over 

 the slab in all positions, remain 

 united. The dozen ribs are va- 

 riously disposed, and one of the 

 thigh bones occupies a spot not far 

 from the center of the lower margin 

 of the slab. The appearance is very much 

 as if some more powerful saurian or shark 

 had devoured the flesh upon the larger 

 bones of the victim, leaving untouched a 

 portion of the skin of the lower surface 

 of the body, and one of the front paddles, 

 which probably did not contain much mate- 

 rial for the gratification of his appetite. 



In regard to the generic determination 

 of this saurian, I can only say, that of the 

 three well marked genera of the mosasau 

 roid reptiles of the Kansas cretaceous, the 

 specimen seems to agree most accurately 

 with Liodon Owen {Tylosaurus Marsh). 

 This genus is indicated by the broad ncu 

 ral spines, and by the fact that the number 

 of bones in the first digit of the paddles 

 is the greatest. The specific determina- 

 tion given m the title of this paper will 

 probably be found to be correct. The 

 specimen appears to be a small-sized in 

 dividual of its species. It is possible that 

 the species may prove to be micromus in- 

 stead of dyspelor. 



ront P:ul( 



diawu by 



