On the Structure of the Therocephalian Skull. G5 



coarsely sculptured metatliorax. In Viereck's table iu 

 Entom. News, July 1907, it runs to A. helianthi, which is 

 not closely allied. In my tabic in Entom. News, Nov. 1899, 

 it runs nearest to A. rndbeckice, but is quite distinct from 

 that. I was left in doubt whether it could be Robertson's 

 lomelissa viula, the male of which was described as without 

 yellow face-marks, but later mentioned as possessing them. 

 Mr. Charles Robertson kindly informs me that " of seven 

 specimens of 7(ywe/m« viulce cJ , three have no face-marks; 

 two have a yellow dot on each lower lateral angle of the 

 face ; one has a dot on one side, none on the other ; and 

 one has a dot on apex of the clypeus/' This is not at all 

 like A. vestali. lomelissa also lias different labial palpi. 



IV. — On some Features of the Structure of the 

 Therocephalian Skull. By D. M. S. Watson, M.Sc. 



Amongst the specimens of South African fossil reptiles sent 

 fo England b}' Andrew Geddes Bain in 18J:7 or 185 L is the 

 back of a small Therocephalian skull, now no. 47098 in the 

 British Museum (Natural History). The lociJiry and 

 horizon of this specimen are unknown, but it no doubt comes 

 from the Endothiodon or Cisticephalus beds of Fort Beaufort 

 or Graaf Reinet. 



The skull is broken off through the anterior part of tlie 

 orbits. The upper, the posterior, and part of the lower 

 surfaces are naturally cleaned by weathering, which has in 

 some parts cut right down into the bone. 



Despite the fact that the bones are much cracked, all the 

 sutures are clearly shown. 



The value of the specimen depends on the fact that the 

 structures of the base and back of the skull, hitherto quite 

 unknown in Therocephalia, are beautituUy shown. 



The specimen belongs to a new genus and species of the 

 Gorgonopsidge, but as the dentition is not shown I do not 

 propose to name it. 



The basioccipital is so much weathered that the condyle 

 has been destroyed. It is a small bone of oblong shape 

 whose forward end is joined by the basisphenoid, which has 

 a somewhat squamous and easily visible suture with it. The 

 lateral border has a shallow notch which forms part of the 

 border of the pit in which the fenestra ovale is lodged ; 



Ann. dc Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. xi. 5 



