[MAT-rnEw] NEW GENUS OF BATRACHIAN FOOTPRINTS 103 



sole in the foot bearing four toes shows that the weight of the body was 

 borne by this foot. The smaller number of toes and the forward direc- 

 tion of three point to a greater specialization of this limb for walk- 

 ing, etc. 



On the other hand the full number of digits on the fore limb and 

 the radial arrangement of the toes point to a varied use of this limb, 

 for prehension as well as for walking, for which latter purpose it seems 

 to have been habitually used. Every feature appears to point to this 

 as the print of the fore foot of the animal. 



If it be such, however, one cannot fail to note the strong resem- 

 blance between this which we have determined as the fore foot of Mega- 

 pezia, and that which appears to be hind foot of Asperipes. This is 

 obvious on comparing Figure 2b of Plate in Can. Eec. Sci., with Figure 

 3a of the same plate. 



It may be thought that we attach too much importance to the size 

 and weight of the footmark as determining which marks were made by 

 the fore, and which by the hind feet, since some amphibians show the 

 fore limbs to be stouter, and in some (Siren) the hind limbs are quite 

 wanting. But in such a possible condition amongst the extinct forms 

 of the Carboniferous time, we cannot but suppose that if the animal 

 were walking on the land,- very marked evidence of the unsupported 

 posterior part of the body would be seen, in a groove or trail along the 

 surface of the mud, made by the body or tail; the absence of a "tail/' 

 mark in most cases, as well as the disparity in size of the fore and hind 

 foot prints in many species, supports ns in the surmise that in some 

 cases at least the body was sustained chiefly by the hinder limbs. 



]\Iegapezia Pineoi n. sp. PL II., figs. 4o, b. PI. VI., fig. 6. 



Stride, 9 inches (235 mm.). Straddle, 4 inches (105 mm.). 



The fore foot was placed in front of the hind foot and 4 inches 

 (105 mm.) from it. 



Hind foot "plantigrade." Length, 2^ inches (65 mm.); width, 

 2 inches (50 mm.). There were four toes, the fifth digit leaving no 

 mark. The three middle digits are nearly parallel, but turned some- 

 what outward, the fifth digit thumb-like and turned strongly outward, 

 and backward at the tip; there was a claw; the other toes also may 

 have had claws. The sole of this foot was broad and long (a fifth longer 

 than broad), but only faintly impressed at the back; most heavily 

 impressed on the inside of the print. Angle of the digits, II.-V=70'' ; 

 IV.-V.=50°. 



