Reviews — Nicholson and Li/de/ckers Palceontology. 131 



Although the position of the mandible in Huxley's restoration of the 

 head of Hyperodapedon is rightly stated to be erroneous, the figure 

 is repeated without emendation ; and, it may be added, materials are 

 forthcoming for a much more accurate "view of the skull of Rhyncho- 

 saurus than is given in the old woodcut, fig. 1038. With the 

 exception of (he Pythonomorpha, the groups of Squamata are not of 

 much palasontological interest ; but known facts are fully summarized, 

 and the chapter ends with the portrait of a living Cobra. The 

 Archosaurian Branch consists of the three orders, Dinosauria, 

 Crocodilia, and Ornithosauria, which include the most highly 

 developed and largest Reptiles, and make the nearest approach in 

 their organization to the Avian type. The recently proposed sub- 

 division of the Dinosauria into two orders is mentioned, but not 

 adopted, and the so-called Stegosauria are merged with the suborder 

 Ornithopoda. A restoration of Megnlosmirns is copied from Mansel- 

 PleydelPs Synopsis of the Dorset Fossil Reptiles ; and the complex 

 story of the British Atlantosauridas is briefly related on p. 1175. 

 The Aetosauria and Parasuchia are retained among the Crocodiles, 

 and the Eusuchia form a third suborder, including Huxley's Meso- 

 suchia, and divided into an amphicoelian and a procoelian series. 

 In the account of the Ornithosauria the most important memoir of 

 recent years (E. T. Newton, On Scaphognathus Purdoni, Phil. Trans. 

 1888) is singularly ignored ; and we once more meet with woodcuts 

 that are so well known to be erroneous that the impressions they 

 give are even corrected in the text. It is time that such misleading 

 and now exploded guesses at truth as those embodied in figs. 1095 

 and 1099 were consigned to the limbo of early palasontological 

 failures. The omission to include the memoir of Newton just 

 mentioned in the literature of the subject is also somewhat un- 

 fortunate; for this is accompanied by an appendix giving the most 

 complete bibliography of Ornithosauria hitherto compiled. 



The chapters on Aves are arranged chiefly in accordance with 

 Prof. Alfred Newton's scheme of classification ; and Dr. Gadow's 

 latest researches on the Ratita? are also mentioned. Many good 

 illustrations are introduced, but a figure of the Berlin Arclwopteryx 

 would have been a desirable addition. Mr. E: T. Newton's well- 

 known memoir on Gastornis ought also to have been noticed in the 

 literature of the subject. 



The general introduction to the Mammalia, which chiefly concerns 

 the skeleton, is followed by an interesting sketch of the evolution of 

 the class, so far as known. The classification adopted is that of 

 Professors Flower and Huxley, and the latest discoveries all appear 

 to be duly incorporated. The Mesozoic group of Multituberculata 

 is provisionally placed among the Prototheria ; while the numerous 

 polyprotodont jaws of the same epoch are assigned to the Meta- 

 therian Marsupials. In the treatment of these early forms, Prof. H. 

 F. Osborn's observations are largely quoted, and three of Professor 

 Marsh's new figures are added. Among later Marsupials, the genera 

 described by Sir Richard Owen from Australia are most conspicuous ; 

 but the upper incisors of Diprotodon in fig. 1155 are inaccurately 



