394 M. Bollo — Belgian Fossil Reptiles. 



sutures. The Turtle of the New World, which the Belgian reptile 

 resembles most, appears to me, as well as to Mr. Cope, to be 

 Euclastes.' But I shall return to this subject on another occasion. 



III. Peltochelys.^ — Whatever may be the position of this form, 

 in classification, I do not believe that it can be identified with. 

 Tretosternum, as Messrs. Boulenger and Lydekker think.^ In fact, 

 with regard to Tretosternum, according to the naturalists just named, 

 "the plastron is essentially of the JDactylosternine type of Cope."* 

 Now I can assert that I have not seen the least trace of " more or 

 less open digitations"* in the plastron of PeltocJielys. 



IV. Bernissaktia.^ — According to Mr. Lydekker, '^ with whom 

 Mr, Boulenger agrees,^ £ernissartia = Hylceochampsa,^ for there 

 would exist in the latter an orbito-latero-temporal notch. 



1. In the first place, I beg leave to point out to these 

 naturalists that Sir Richard Owen says plainly : " The orbits in 

 Sylceocliampsa are circular and better defined by the postfrontal 

 from the lateral outlets of the temporal fossEe than in Crocodilus, 

 and herein they more resemble the orbits in Teleosaurus,"^^ which 

 agrees with the figure given by the celebrated palaeontologist.^^ 

 And, on the other hand, I can assert that, in Bernissartia, the 

 orbito-latero-temporal notch is as clearly marked as in any living 

 Crocodilian. The difference which 1 have pointed out is therefore 

 quite real, although perhaps less strongly marked than I have stated. 



2. In the second place, I will add that a naturalist peculiarly 

 competent in the question under consideration, and who has also 

 seen the type o£ Sylcsochampsa, Mr. A. S. Woodward, is inclined'^ 

 to consider it rather as a Teleosaurian, which supports what I have 

 just said, and removes the English Crocodilian from Bernissartia. 



3. However this may be, and until I shall have described in a 

 more complete manner (and with numerous figures) the Crocodilians 

 of Bernissart, I may add, to the character which I have already 

 indicated, the following differences between Bernissartia and Hylceo- 

 champsa. 



^ E. D. Cope, ' Synopsis of the Extinct Batrachia, Reptilia and Aves of Norih 

 America,' Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. Philadelphia, 1871, p. 147 and pi. vi. 



^ L. i)ollo, ' Premiere Note sur les Cheloniens de Bernissart,' Bull. Mus. Eoy. 

 Hist. Nat. Belg. 1884, t. iii. p. 76. 



^ R. Lydekker and G. A. Boulenger, 'Chelonia,' etc., p. 273. 



* E. Lydekker and G. A. Boulenger, 'Chelonia,' etc., p. 273. 



^ E. D. Cope, ' Tertiary Vertebrata,' etc., p. 111. 



^ L. Dollo, ' Premiere Note sur les Crocodiliens de Bernissart,' Bull. Mus. Boy. 

 Hist. Nat. Belg. 1883, t. ii. p. 309. 



' R. Lydekker, ' Crocodilians,' etc., p. 310. 



^ R. Lydekker, ' Crocodilians,' etc., p. 310. 



^ R. Owen, ■' Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the "Wealden and Purheck 

 Formations,' Supplement, No. VI. Crocodilia (Hylseochanipsa), Wealden, Palaeon- 

 tographical Society, London, 1873. 

 ^° K. Owen, ' Hylfeochampsa,' etc., p. 3. 

 ^' R. Owen, * Hylseochampsa,' etc., pi. ii., fig. 24. 



1- A. S. Woodward, ' On British Fossil Crocodilia,' Geol. Mag. Nov. 1887, 

 p. 604. A. S. Woodward, ' The History of Fossil Crocodiles,' Proc. Geol. Assoc. Feb. 

 1886, p. 318. 



