from the Middle Purheck of Sw tnage. 489 



massive, tlie thickened ventral portion bearing two facets, 

 one for union with the odontoid, the other forming tlie 

 supero-hiteral part of the cup for the occipital condyle; the 

 base of the neural arch is deeply notched in front ; this clement 

 is likewise very similar to that seen in the young alligator. 



The axis is a moderately elongated vertebra fused ante- 

 riorly with the odontoid ; the neural spine is long and low, 

 rising somewhat towards its hinder end ; the rib articulated 

 mainly by its capitulum, but has a small tubercular process, 

 which was no doubt connected with a diapophysis on the 

 centrum ; this second rib seems to have been almost entirely 

 concealed beneath the first. The remaining cervical vertebrae 

 present no peculiarities ; their centra were slightly concave 

 at each end ; the neural spines are broad and rather low, the 

 upper end being rounded ; they increase a little in height 

 and decrease in breadth as they are followed back on the 

 series. Tlie cervical ribs are of the normal Crocodilian form. 

 The last two cervicals are represented by the ribs only 

 which lie in their natural position with regard to one another 

 and the rest of the series. 



The dorsal vertebrae are represented by two or three in- 

 complete specimens. One of these shows that the ends of 

 the centrum were circular in outline and slightly concave in 

 the middle, the edges being gently rounded. Tlie neural 

 arch and zygapophyses were proportionately large and the 

 neural spine moderately high. 



A number of dorsal ribs are preserved, but present no 

 striking peculiarities. In addition to these there are several 

 elongated flattened elements which do not appear to consist of 

 true bone, but of calcified cartilage : these are sternal ribs. 

 Some of these have their opposite sides parallel and are 

 about three times as long as broad, others have one of the 

 long sides straight, the other convex. So far as I am aware, 

 the presence of calcified sternal ribs in a fossil crocodile has 

 not been previously noted. 



The shoulder-girdle is represented by the scapula, coracoid, 

 and a well-preserved interclavicle. The upper end of the 

 coracoid is similar to that seen in Tomistoma, but the bone is 

 shorter and broader, particularly in the neck. The scapula 

 is of modern type. The interclavicle is a long straight bar of 

 bone terminating anteriorly in a blunt lance-shaped head ; 

 behind this it first narrows and becomes thicker from above 

 downwards, then flattens out and widens to a point about 

 7 cm. from its anterior end ; the expansion marks the point 

 near which the lower ends of the coracoids were attached. 

 Behind this the bone again narrows, and probably terminates 



