Miscellaneous. 389 



The sacrum is small and the sacral ribs are smaller than the 

 lumbar ribs. They are four in number. The middle two vertebra? 

 are anchylosed. The caudal vertebrae are short, only four are 

 preserved ; they indicate a considerable movement. There is no 

 evidence of dermal armour. The characters of the vertebral column 

 described by Professor Cope in Dimetrodon and allied genera closely 

 resemble Cynognathus. 



The pelvis consists of three bones ; the ilium forms an expanded 

 plate more resembling Megalosaurus than Dicynodon. There is a 

 large longitudinal obturator foramen between the pubis and the 

 ischium. The anterior transverse border of the pubis is cartila- 

 ginous, and there is no evidence of pre-pubic bones. The ischium 

 is larger than the pubis. The author compares the anomodont pelvis 

 with that of Plesiosauria, although Pliosaurus in the form of the 

 ilium more closely approaches Dicynodon than Cynognathus. 



The femur is imperfectly preserved. It was characterized, as in 

 all Theriodonts known to the author, by the development of an 

 immense inferior plate or ridge at the proximal end, which distin- 

 guishes it from allied animals. In this specimen the ridge is broken 

 away. The head of the bone is greatly expanded transversely, and 

 the distal end is not preserved. 



Under the name Cynognathus Berryi the author describes im- 

 perfect evidence of a smaller skull of Cynognathus, which is distin- 

 guished from C. crateronotus Avith some doubt; but, if distinct, it is 

 defined by the relatively large size of the middle mandibular incisor, 

 the apparent presence of ten molars, in all of which the crowns 

 overlap each other, and the roots are barely shown at the alveolar 

 border. In the small species the cutting-margin and the cusps 

 of the posterior teeth are better defined. 



If the species are identical, the teeth have probably yet to be 

 replaced by a successional series ; but no known specimen of any 

 genus shows such replacement. 



The skull of Cynognathus platyceps was obtained by Dr. Kanne- 

 meyr at Wonderboom. It is a small species distinct from Cyno- 

 gnathus crateronotus. The skull has lost the extremity of the snout. 

 It is remarkable for its depression. The teeth, however, are similar 

 to those of the larger species ; they have five denticles. The com- 

 posite structure of the lower jaw is well shown, and the dentary 

 bone behind the angle of the jaw retreats, so as to expose the 

 elements which form the articulation. 



The occipital plate of a large Theriodont skull from Lady Frere 

 is described, which shows a circular foramen magnum and the per- 

 fectly preserved occipital condyles, which are not quite so completely 

 separated as in mammals, having only a median groove between 

 them on the ventral surface. 



Another fragment of a skull preserved in the Albany Museum 

 has only the preorbital portion preserved, and is remarkable for the 

 small size of its incisor teeth, widely separated from each other, and 

 for having two canine teeth parallel to each other. On both sides 

 the crowns are imperfectly preserved. The molar teeth are on the 

 Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 6. Vol. xiv. 27 



