﻿Systematic 
  Position 
  o/" 
  Meiolania, 
  Owen. 
  (51 
  

  

  for 
  the 
  same 
  ossifications 
  in 
  the 
  skin 
  of 
  the 
  limbs 
  in 
  the 
  Tes- 
  

   tudinidse. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  at 
  first 
  horny 
  scales, 
  which 
  developed 
  more 
  and 
  

   more 
  ; 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  ossifications 
  appeared 
  which 
  were 
  

   entirely 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  skull. 
  By 
  the 
  extension 
  

   of 
  these 
  ossifications 
  they 
  were 
  at 
  first 
  snturally 
  connected 
  

   with 
  each 
  other, 
  forming 
  a 
  solid 
  layer 
  over 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  

   skull 
  ; 
  the 
  sutures 
  disappeared 
  and 
  the 
  dermal 
  ossifications 
  

   united 
  with 
  the 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  skull, 
  forming 
  one 
  continuous 
  

   mass. 
  

  

  I 
  think 
  therefore 
  that 
  the 
  peculiar 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  skull 
  

   of 
  Meiolania 
  is 
  no 
  objection 
  against 
  its 
  Testudinid 
  nature. 
  

  

  The 
  pelvis 
  and 
  especially 
  the 
  cervical 
  vertebree 
  also 
  

   compel 
  me 
  to 
  consider 
  Meiolania 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  Testudinidse. 
  

  

  The 
  two 
  cervical 
  vertebree 
  preserved 
  are 
  essentially 
  identical 
  

   in 
  form 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  Testudo 
  polyphemus. 
  

  

  I 
  at 
  first 
  thought 
  that 
  these 
  parts 
  were 
  very 
  much 
  like 
  the 
  

   corresponding 
  ones 
  in 
  Staurotypus, 
  a 
  fine 
  skeleton 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  

   was 
  able 
  to 
  examine 
  through 
  the 
  kindness 
  of 
  Prof, 
  von 
  

   Krauss, 
  of 
  Stuttgart. 
  

  

  In 
  Staurotypus 
  the 
  neuroids 
  of 
  the 
  atlas 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  

   vertebra 
  have 
  very 
  strong 
  diapophyses, 
  more 
  developed 
  than 
  

   in 
  any 
  other 
  Cryptodiran 
  I 
  know. 
  There 
  is 
  likewise 
  a 
  fora- 
  

   men 
  between 
  the 
  diapophysis 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  intercentrum 
  of 
  

   the 
  atlas. 
  

  

  But 
  in 
  Staurotypus 
  I 
  find, 
  just 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Chelydridae, 
  a 
  very 
  

   strong 
  lamellar 
  process 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  ver- 
  

   tebra, 
  which 
  is 
  entirely 
  absent 
  in 
  Meiolania. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  also 
  absent 
  in 
  Testudo 
  polyphemus. 
  

  

  Here 
  we 
  have, 
  precisely 
  as 
  in 
  Meiolania, 
  a 
  well-developed 
  

   diapophysis 
  on 
  the 
  neuroids 
  of 
  the 
  atlas. 
  The 
  first 
  inter- 
  

   centrum 
  is 
  very 
  well 
  developed, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  the 
  foramen 
  

   between 
  it 
  and 
  the 
  diapophysis. 
  

  

  The 
  posterior 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  atlas-centrum 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   axis 
  is 
  deeply 
  emarginate, 
  as 
  in 
  Meiolania*, 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  

   vertebra 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  well-developed 
  diapophysis 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   form 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  position 
  as 
  in 
  Meiolania. 
  

  

  More 
  could 
  be 
  said, 
  especially 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  geo- 
  

   graphical 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  Testudinidee 
  and 
  the 
  peculiar 
  

   evolution 
  of 
  this 
  family 
  in 
  some 
  islands 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  considera- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  these 
  points 
  would 
  take 
  me 
  beyond 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  this 
  

   communication. 
  

  

  Further 
  discoveries 
  will 
  prove 
  whether 
  the 
  opinion 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  * 
  These 
  emarginations 
  are 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  union 
  of 
  the 
  corresponding 
  

   intercentra 
  with 
  the 
  posterior 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  vertebrae. 
  

  

  