CAIMANOIDEA VISHERI, A NEW CROCODILIAN 53 



There is nothing distinctive in this series that serves to set them 

 off from the other Crocodilia save perhaps in the atlas. The 

 odontoid process is very prominent, and in a superficial way 

 resembles the spout-shaped process of some of the mammals. 

 The total length of the series, allowing for the missing atlas, is 

 approximately 18.5 cm. Of the dorsal series all are preserved. 

 As the cervicals, they are of the pronounced procoelous type. 

 The total length of the series is about 23 . 7 cm. The five lumbar 

 vertebrae are well preserved. The posterior articular faces of the 

 centra are all highly convex and round in outline except the fifth. 

 In this the posterior face of the centrum is fully twice as wide as 

 high. The lumbars together measure 1 1 . 7 cm. The two sacrals 

 measure 4.7 cm. A noteworthy feature is the shifting of the 

 sacral ribs. The posterior rib forms a small part of the posterior 

 concavity into which the first caudal fits. The anterior rib is 

 shifted forward to such an extent that it might be said to articulate 

 intercentrally, for although it is solidly fused to the first sacral 

 vertebra, nearly half of its diameter extends beyond the anterior 

 face of that vertebra and articulates broadly with the last lumbar. 

 Of the caudal vertebra, there are 23 preserved. There are prob- 

 ably about 11 missing, almost entirely from the posterior end of 

 the series. The vertebrae present measure about 23 . 7 cm. To 

 this should be added perhaps 16.5 cm. for those missing, making 

 a total of 40. 2 cm. for the caudal series. 



Of the numerous appendicular bones indiscriminately pre- 

 served the femora alone, perhaps, deserve special mention. Both 

 of these bones are nearly complete, but the right is the more nearly 

 perfect (Fig. 3). The head is broad and much flattened. The 

 articular surface extends entirely around the end and on the side 

 of the pronounced rounded cone that rises from the concave 

 lower surface close to the proximal end of the bone. The tro- 

 chanteric ridge on the flexor surface is very pronounced, more so 

 than usual. At this point, about 45 mm. below the head, the shaft 

 is bent abruptly back and from there sweeps backward in a broad, 

 anteriorly concave curve to the distal end. 



The dorsal armor consists of a large number of pitted plates, 

 sub-rectangular in outline for the most part. Of these there are 



