[MATTHEW] NEW GENUS OF BATRACHIAN FOOTPRINTS 81 



Hylopus [ ? ?] MINOR Dawson.i 



T)he following is Sir Wm. Dawson's description of this S'pecies: 



" On a slab of sandstone in the Museum of the Geological Survey, 

 at Ottawa, collected by Mr. Weston is a scries of small footprints about 

 2 cm. in diameter, with five toes, the fore foot being a little smaller than, 

 the hind. The length of the stride of the hind foot is eight cm. The 

 distance transversely from the outside of the track is about six cm. 

 There is a central tail-mark, and at the sides, where the animal has 

 turned, it has left a few slight striœ probably representing the ends of 

 the lateral lappets. These tracks are probably those of a microsaurian. 

 I have some small slabs with similar, but less perfect, impressions col- 

 lected by Mr. Devine at the Joggins a few years ago." 



The following notes on this species as siiown on the type slab pre- 

 served in museum referred to, were made a year ago. 



There are impressions of both the hind and fore feet. 



nincl foot. Tihis has five toes. The fifth digit is short and soane- 

 what obscure, and is turned somewhat backward. The fourth and third 

 digits are long and turned outward; also the nail-marks turn outward. 

 The second and first digits are progressively shorter ; they point forward. 

 There are claws on the second, third and fourth digits. The sole is 

 long owing to the fifth digit being set far back. 



Fore foot. This has five toes, pointed. ,The fourth digit is long- 

 est, the others are progressively shorter inward. They are spreading 

 and the sole is short. 



A median ridge is distinct on the forepart of the series of the foot- 

 marks, but flattened and obscure at the other end of the track. The 

 toesi seen to have been flexible as some of the markings are curved. 

 The prolonged sole causes this hind foot to resenililc that of rseudo- 

 hradypus unguifer, but it had not the great claws of that species. 



No pihalanges coaild be identified on any of these tracks. 3^he 

 turning out of the toes of the hind foot and the turning in of those of 

 the fore is marked and would have given firmness to the tread. 



On approaching the ripple marks on the upper part of the slab on 

 which these tracks are preser\ed, the step is shortened and the foot- 

 prints fade out, while the median groove is still traceable. ' 



Separate from this track, but on the same slab, are tracks of one 

 or two other species of saurians. Between two of these is a curving set 

 of four parallel striœ made by the claws of some animal. 



These footprints are preserved on a slab of gray sandstone from the 

 Joggins, Nova Scotian Coal Measures. 



^ Tran.s. Roy. Soc. Can., Vol. XII., (4) p, 78. 



Sec. IV., 1904. 0. 



