216 



NORTH-CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURTET. 



part just before the border which surrounds the convex ex- 

 tremity; this gives the appearance of breadth to the bone 

 when we look upon the abdominal face. There is a slender 

 sharp ridge occupying the same relative position in the Alli- 

 gator, but it seems to originate at the convex extremity. A 

 slight groove runs longitudinally upon this face. Length, one 

 and eight-tenths; width, over the concave end, one and five- 

 tenths inches. 



From all that I have been able to glean from the discover- 

 ies of others in this country, these vertebra appear to belong 

 to a species which has been discovered in the miocene marls 

 of New Jersey and Virginia. The species is now extinct,* 



The cranial plates, one of which is illustrated by figure 30, 

 belongs to a large unknown saurian. These were taken from 



FIG. 36. 



the miocene upon the Neuse, fifteen miles below Goldsboro'. 

 They are over half an inch thick, and ornamented with deep 

 sculpturings, and from their massiven ess might be referred to 

 the Macrosaurus. But this reptile belongs to an older formation. 

 I. have, however a laniary tooth of the proper dimensions to 

 correspond in size with the saurian, which may have been 

 provided with this impenetrable armour, and also the middle 



* Proceeding of the Academy of Nat. Sciences, Phil., Vol. V, p. 307. 



