184 Messrs. Hancock & Atthey on Antliracosaurus Russelli 



U. Wandesfordii is upwards of 18 inches long ; consequently 

 the new species would measure 4^ inches if entire. 



U. reticulatus is evidently closely related to Keraterpeton, 

 as is proved by the form of the head, the two occipital cornua, 

 and also by the character of the sternal plates ; so close, indeed, 

 does this relationship appear to be, that we have some doubt 

 whether it should not be placed in that genus. It is true that 

 no occipital horns were observed in U. Wandesfordii ] but the 

 skull of Prof. Huxley's specimen was so much crushed and 

 disturbed that much stress cannot be placed on this negative 

 fact ; and the vertebra? of our species resemble more closely 

 those of Urocordylus than they do those of Kerateiyeton. 

 Moreover in the latter form there is a perceptible dimi- 

 nution in the size of the nineteenth vertebra, and so on to the 

 tail, while in oin- species the last of the three caudal vertebras, 

 the twenty-third or twenty-fourth, is as large as any of the 

 trunk-vertebrce, agreeing in this respect with Urocordylus^ and 

 signifying that U. reticulatus has a long and powerful tail, 

 which is the characteristic feature of the genus. We have 

 therefore provisionally placed our new species in that genus. 



Another question arises. Is U. reticulatus a distinct species ? 

 or is it merely the young of U. Wandesfordii'^ We believe 

 it to be distinct, because the vertical processes of the vertebrae, 

 though strongly resembling those of that species, differ con- 

 siderably from them in certain particulars. The character of 

 the sternal plates is also different, and the surface-structm'e of 

 the cranial bones is apparently peculiar; but it must be 

 allowed that this feature may be wanting in U. Wandesfordii 

 merely on account of the curious state of preservation of the 

 specimen from which that species was described. But be this 

 as it may, the interest of this discovery is not lessened ; and, 

 indeed, this addition to the coal-fauna of the district is the 

 most important that has been made since our acquisition in 

 1867 of Ojjhiderpeton, another of Prof. Huxley's genera from 

 the Kilkenny coal-shales. And Ave cannot but deem ourselves 

 fortunate in having met with this new species of so rare a 

 form of Labyrinthodont Amphibian ; for much novelty is not 

 now to be expected from the shales of Newsham and Cram- 

 lington, which have been assiduously searched for the last 

 fifteen years. 



Anthracosaurus Busselli, Huxley. 



A large fragment of the skull of this rare fossil was obtained 

 a short time ago at Newsham ; it is a portion of the anterior 

 part of the cranium, and happily exhibits characteristic features 

 that cannot well be mistaken. The snout is wanting, being 



