316 On Pterosaurians and Plesiosaurians in Brazil. 



Jtacaranha, and the other was obtained either fi-ora this beach 

 or from Pcdra Furada Bay (Montserrat). It is interesting 

 to add that in the same formation and localities Mr. Mawson 

 has detected fragments of delicate limb-bones, which he con- 

 siders may also have belonged to a Pterosaurian ; and it is 

 hoped that before long an examination of some of these will 

 lead to a more precise determination of the animal. 



II. Plesiosaurian Pkopodium. (Fig. 1.) 



The fossil readily recognizable as a Plesiosaurian propodial 

 bone (humerus or femur) has lost the expanded distal extre- 

 mity, but is otherwise well preserved. It isshown of two thirds 

 the natural size, from the dorsal aspect, in fig. 1, and a view 

 of tlie proximal end, a mesial transverse section, and a distal 

 transverse section are given respectively in figs. 1 a-c. The 

 proximal end is very robust and coarsely rugose, with much 

 greater breadth than thickness, and an only slightly differen- 

 tiated tuberosity [t). The epiphyses are so firmly anchylosed 

 with the shaft as not to be distinguishable ; and the shaft 

 itself is smooth and rounded, exhibiting only one longitudinal 

 angulation in its middle portion on the inner side. 



The bone thus described may probably be regarded as the 

 left humerus of a typical marine Plesiosaurian ; but beyond 

 that suggestion it seems as yet impossible to proceed. 



As already remarked, the interest of these new fossils from 

 Bahia consists chiefly in their extending the known geogra- 

 phical range of two great extinct orders of reptiles. So far 

 as the writer is aware, the only Mcsozoic Reptilian remains 

 hitherto recorded from South America are : (i.) a Plesio- 

 saurian vertebra from the supposed Cretaceous of San Vicente, 

 near Concepcion, Chili * ; (ii.) Crocodilian vertebrai from 

 Juntas, in the valley of the Copiapo, Argentine Republic f ; 

 (iii.) numerous parts of a Cretaceous crocodile, llyposaurus 

 derhianus, from Pernambuco and Bahia, Brazil J ; and (iv.) 

 large Dinosaurian bones from the Cretaceous of Limay and 



• Plesiosaurus chiknsis, (.lay, Hist. lis. y polit. Chile, Zool. vol. ii. 

 (1848) p. 133 ; Ciinoliosauru^ c/iilcnsis, Lydekker, Cat. Foss. Kept. B. M. 

 pt. ii. U88i)) p. i>22. 



t 11. Burmoister, Abbaudl. uatiirf. Ges. Halle, vol. vi. p. 12:?, pi. i. 

 figs. 1-3. 



X E. D. Cope, rroc. Amer. Phil. Soc. vol. xxiii. (188lj) p. 1-3; It. 

 Lydekker, Cat. Foss;. Kept. B. M. pt. i. (1888) p. l»l. Figiu-es of teetli 

 aud a vertebral ceutruiu are alsio given by 8. .Vllport, Quart. Jouru. Geol. 

 !Soc. vol. .\vi. (1800) pis. xvi., xvii. 



