190 ON REMAINS OF AN EXTINCT SAURIAN, 
elevated mesial crest ; the rectangular form and the presence of the 
crest shew these to be dorsal scutes; they constitute about forty 
per cent. of a total of more than one hundred. The second kind 
differ from the first only in the absence of the crest, and in 
consequence may fairly be presumed to be abdominal scutes ; 
they are about thirty per cent. of the whole number. Third, 
cervical plates represented by two triangular and crested scutes 
facetted on one edge, and not suturally serrated on the others. 
Fourth cervical plates, triangular and cristate but without 
articular facets and sutural edges; these are pretty frequent. 
Fifth, pectoral plates, irregular in shape and non-articulate : 
fewer than the last. 
Relying on the results of Professor Huxley’s investigation 
we cannot but recognise in the distinctly imbricate and sutural 
characters of seventy per cent. of these scutes, evidence of the 
alliance of their quondam owners with the alligatoride ; and 
should further discovery confirm the supposition that those of 
the second group belong to the abdominal region, the proba- 
bility that the extinct Australian was closely related to the 
living genera of tropical America will be almost assured. 
However this may be, no doubt remains that the fossil species 
was one distinct from the Indo-Australian, and probably ecdemic, 
C. porosus on the one hand, and from the saurian peculiar to 
our northern tableland on the other. Jt may, however, be re- 
marked that on the evidence of the scutes alone there is less 
difference between the extinct and the extant fresh water forms 
than between the latter and the true crocodiles. 
To sum up the evidence before us, it appears that the portions 
of skull examined do not in their imperfect condition present a 
combination of family characters exclusively alligatorian, 
nor on the other hand distinctly crocodilian; but that if we 
allow this seeming equilibrium of testimony to be disturbed 
by the weight derived from the imbrication of the scutes, the 
beam must sink at once on the side of the American family. 
