FOSSIL GENUS BASILOSAURUS. 15 



may, by way of example, refer to that of Saurus, which Cuvier has appUed to a 

 genus of Fishes. In the order of priority. Prof Agassiz's Phocodon supercedes Zeu- 

 glodon, which latter designation only expresses a character of the teeth, which is 

 equally present in some of the Dugongs and Seals. Of the several names — Basilo- 

 saurus, Phocodon, Squalodon, Zeuglodonand Dorudon, which have been successively 

 applied to these fossil remains, I respectfully suggest the propriety of restoring the 

 original appellative of the discoverer ; and in so doing I further propose, in the 

 present state of our knowledge, to recognize three species of this extraordinary genus, 

 thus: 



Basilosaurus. Harlan. 



1. B. cetoides. Owen. 



2. B. serratus. Gibbes. 



3. B. squalodon. Grateloup. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATES. 



PLATE I. 



Figs. 1 and 2. Anterior extremity of lower maxilla, (reduced.) Dr. Emmons's collection. 

 " 3. Molar tooth, (natural size.) Dr. Emmons's collection. 

 " 4. Large vertebra, (reduced.) Dr. Emmons's collection. 



" .5. rraci;ment of upper maxilla, from Leognan in the Gironde. Squalodon of M. Grateloup. 

 " 6 and 7. Pristis Agassii, (nobis.) 



" 8. Section of molar tooth of Basilosaurus cetoides, from Prof. Owen's Odontography. 

 PLATE IL 

 Fig. 1. Two views of canine teeth of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 

 " 2. Section of canine tooth of B. serratus. The author's collection. 

 " 3. Section of canine tooth of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 

 " 4. Small caudal vertebra of B. cetoides, (natural size.) The author's collection. 

 " 5. Small caudal vertebra, posterior articular surface, (natural size.) 



« 6 and 7. Large caudal vertebr® of B. cetoides, (one-fourth natural size.) The author's collection. 

 " 8. Twelve caudal vertebras reduced, and in relative position. 



" 9. Tooth of the Basilosaurus of Malta, copied from SciJla. P/iocoi/on of Prof. Agassiz. 

 PLATE III. 

 Fig. 1. Fragment of lower maxilla of B. serratus. The author's collection. 

 " 2. Fragment of lower maxilla of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 

 « 3. Section of fig. 1. 

 " 4. Section of fig. 2. 

 " 5. Upper surface of fig. 6. 

 '• 6. Anterior fragment of lower maxilla of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 



PLATE IV. 

 Fig. 1. Fragment of lower maxilla and teeth of B. serratus. 

 " 2. Edge view of molar tooth of B. serratus, (natural size.) 

 " 4. Lateral view of the same tooth. 

 " 3. Two views of a canine tooth of B. serratus. 



PLATE V. 

 Cranium of Basilosaurus, found in the Eocene near Charleston, South Carolina. 



