Cope.] 250 [January 20, 



became enlarged. What would have been the result of all this I do 

 not know, for the female was accidentally killed several weeks ago, 

 and the male has lost all the characters acquired under sexual excite- 

 ment. This species lays its eggs, in Maine, attached to weeds and 

 grass in shallow water, in oval masses two inches or more in diameter, 

 looking much like frog's eggs." Prof Verrill further states that Mr. 

 S. I. Smith and himself have both observed them, and that Mr. Smith 

 has reared the young fi-om thera. Of these he has saved a complete 

 series for the collection at Yale College, and also sent some to the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, to which Institution Prof Verrill 

 has also contributed bunches of the eggs. The breeding habits and 

 the eggs of this species he believes have not been described. It loses 

 its external gills, he states, only quite late in its development, but 

 earlier than Desmognathus and AmUystoma. 



The following paper was read by the Secretary : — 



On the Reptilian Orders, Pythonomorpha and Strepto- 

 SAURiA. By Edward D. Cope, A. M., Corresponding Sec- 

 retary OP THE Academy of Natural Sciences of Phil- 

 adelphia. 



In the course of investigations prosecuted during the past six 

 years, with reference to the structure and relations of the extinct 

 ReptiHa, the following general conclusions have been attained, be- 

 sides many of lesser significance. 



1. That the Dinosauria present a graduated series of approxima- 

 tions to the birds, and possess several peculiarities in common with 

 that class, standing between it and the Crocodilia. 



2. That serpents exist in the Eocene formations of this country. 



3. That the Chelydra type was greatly developed during the 

 American Cretaceous, and that all the supposed marine turtles de- 

 scribed fi'om it are really of the first named group. 



4. That the Reptilia of the American Triassic are of the Belodon 

 type. 



5. The discovery of the characters of the order Pythonomorpha. 



6. The discovery of the characters of the order Streptosauria. 



7. The discovery of the characters of numerous members of the 

 Batrachian suborder Microsaui'ia in the United States. 



