Nova Acta Academies Naturee Curiosoruni. 483 



" Vorwelt" are collected under two heads, according to the strata in 

 which the various fossil reptiles of which they treat have been discovered. 

 The first head comprises the reptiles of the lithographic schist, and 

 opens with a review of the history of the genus treated of in the 

 preceding paper, to which it adds another species, the Pterodactylus cras- 

 5irosfris, Goldf., noticing at the same time the PLct. macronyx. Buck!., 

 from the blue lias of Lyme, which was apparently unknown to Count 

 Munster. The new species is from the lithographic stone of Solenhofen, 

 and is established on a nearly perfect skeleton, wanting little else besides 

 the hinder extremities and the contiguous parts of the pelvis. A very 

 careful and detailed description is given of its several bones, which are 

 compared with those of the other species of the genus, and the analogies 

 of the more doubtful among them with the bones of other animals, 

 discussed and ascertained. The description concludes with a tabular 

 view of the dimensions of the several parts in the four German species, 

 the result of which is stated to be that their greatest variation occurs in 

 he relative length of the skull, of the neck, and of the metacarpus. 

 The discrepancies between the different species in these and other less 

 important points are then pointed out, and the authour concludes by 

 some general remarks on the peculiarities of the skeleton in this extra- 

 ordinary genus, and on the indications with regard to its station in nature, 

 its habits, and its mode of existence, which are afforded to us by its 

 remains. Into this investigation our space vi'ill not permit us to enter ; 

 but we may observe that the authour seems to consider the animals in 

 question as preserving, in all the more essential characters of their 

 skeleton, the true reptile type, but deviating, in the less important 

 organs, towards that of birds on the one hand, and of bats on the other. 

 Their habits beseems inclined to regard as having been very similar to 

 those of the bats of modern days, and hints at the large Libellulce found 

 in the same lithographic schist, as having formed a part of their means 

 of subsistence. He enters particularly into the question of the kind of 

 covering with which their bodies were clothed, and from various circum- 

 stances, which he details at length, comes to the conclusion that his 

 " Pter. crassiroslris was not covered, like reptiles, with scales and shields. 

 Vol. V. 1 1 2 



