[Proc. Rot. Soc. Victoria, 29 (N.S.), Part II., 1917]. 



Art. XI. — R(qjtilian Notes: 

 J\Iegalania pvisca, Owen, and Notiosaurus dentatus, Owen; 

 Lacertilian dermal armour; Opalized remains from 

 Lightning Ridge. 



By R. ETHERIDGE, Junr. 



(Curator of the Australian Museum, Sydney). 



(With Plate VIII.). 

 [Read November 9th, 1916]. 



1.— The Identity of Megalania (vel. Varanus) prisca, Owen, 

 with Notiosaurus dentatus, Owen. (PI. 8, Figs. 1-4). 



The late Mr. Richard Lydekker remarked : — " Sir R. Owen has 

 described two peculiar blunt and pleurodont teeth of a large lizard 

 from the Pleistocene of Queensland under the name of Notiosaurus, 

 which is, however, preoccupied by the genus Notosatirus. 

 It is just possible that the teeth may be referable to Varanus 

 priscus, in which event the generic name Megalatiia would have to 

 be retained for that form."i 



I am now in a j^osition to materially confirm Mr. Lydekker's 

 astute conjecture. The Australian Museum has long been in posses- 

 sion of numerous vertebrae, undoubtedly those of Owen's Megalania 

 prisca from fluviatile deposits near Clifton Station, King Creek, 

 Condamine River. 



Associated with these, like in appearance, colour, and condition 

 of petrifaction, are a few limb bones, and the larger portion of a 

 right dentary, with part of a tooth in situ; there can be no reason- 

 able doubt that these remains all belonged to one and the same 

 species of reptile. 



This dentary portion (Pi. 8, figs. 1 and 2) is fractured in front 

 at about the premaxillary suture, and as preserved measures six 

 and a-half inches in length. Posteriorly it is also fractured con- 

 tiguous to the prefrontal-lachrymal sutures, so that nearly the whole 

 of the bone is preserved. On the external surface (PI. 8, fig. 1) are 

 visible six large foramina of tlie maxillary artery branches (anterior 

 branch of external carotid). On the anterior aspect along the alveolar 



1 Lyrlekker. Nicholson's Man. Pal., 3rd Edit, ii., 1889, p. 1145. A suspicion of this appears 

 *o have occurred to the late Mr. C. W. de Vis (Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland, vi., 1890, p. 97). 



