583 



have considered this fossil as belonging to a physeter, and describe it as 

 being without arms or legs *, since the physeters have teeth in the lower 

 jaw only ; and since, in this fossil, the traces both of the fore and hind 

 legs were discoverable. 



From the researches which M. Cuvier has made, respecting the fossil 

 remains of this animal, he concludes, that at Honfleur and Havre the 

 fossil remains of two species of crocodiles are found, both approaching to 

 the Gavial, but both unknown ; that one of these two species at least is 

 found in other parts of France, at Alencon and elsewhere ; that the ske- 

 leton discovered at Whitby was probably of one of that species found in 

 France, the under jaw of which he has figured ; that the fragments of 

 the heads found in the territory of Vicentino may be referred to the same 

 species ; that the fossil heads found at Altorff are different from those of 

 the Gavial, and have a longer snout than that of the animal of Honfleur, 

 whose jaw is figured, and may therefore belong to the other fossil species 

 found in France; that the skeleton described by Stukeley is a croco- 

 dile's, but of an indeterminable species; that the supposed crocodiles, 

 the remains of which are found in the pyritous schist of Thuringia, were 

 of the genus Monitor, Cuvier, formed of Lacerta monitor, Linn. 



He also concludes, that all these fossil remains of oviparous quadru- 

 peds belong to very ancient beds, among those which are termed secon- 

 dary ; and even much anterior to the regular stony beds, which contain 

 the bones of unknown genera of quadrupeds, such as the palaeotheriums 

 and the anoplotheriums ; which opinion, however, does not oppose the 

 finding of the remains of crocodiles*- with those of these genera, as has 

 been done in the gypsum quarries. 



The opportunities which I have had of examining British fossils of this 

 kind, have not been such as to enable me to add to the very important 

 information yielded by M. Cuvier, as to the specific differences of such of 

 animals as have been found in a fossil state. The observations, how- 



* Essais de Geologic. I. p. 360. 



