D. M. S. Watson— The Trias of Moray. 105 



Stagonolepu and Erpetosuchus belong to the exclusively Triassic 

 group of the Parasuchia, which is of very wide distribution, being well 

 represented in Germany and the United States. 



Stagonolepu has occurred at Findrassie Wood Quarry at Spynie and 

 East Lossiemouth. 



Erpetosuchus has been found at West Lossiemouth and probably 

 also at Spynie. 



Ornithosuchiis and Sderomochlus are by some regarded as Dinosaurs, 

 and by another important group of palaeontologists as belonging to 

 Owen's group, the Thecodontia, which is nearly the same as 

 Huxley's Parasuchia. Neither group, however, is known to occur in 

 rocks older than the Trias. 



In addition, at least three undescribed genera of reptiles occur 

 at West Lossiemouth. These appear to me to be cither Dinosaurs or 

 Thecodonts, of one of which there is a somewhat obscure skeleton in 

 the Manchester Museum, presenting resemblances to Aetosaiirus. 



Taken as a whole, this fanna is undoubtedly Triassic in its 

 affinities, and the fact that most of its members have now been found 

 in at least two localities suggests that we now have a reliable 

 knowledge of the general character of the fauna. 



The Cummingstone area has not yet yielded any fossils except 

 footprints. During my visit I saw tracks of four or five types, all 

 agreeing, however, in general character. They are double tracks, 

 the right and left feet being widely separated when compared with the 

 stride. The maniis and pes are of approximately the same size, and 

 are impressed to about the same extent. I was seldom able to count 

 the number of toes ; in those cases where I did so they were five in 

 number. The feet are short and brachydigitous, and in certain cases, 

 at any rate, were provided with claws, which the animal sometimes 

 dragged along, producing a pronounced scratch before the actual print. 

 These tracks differ entii'ely in type from all Triassic ones with which 

 I am acquainted, but the}' resemble entirely the tracks in the Permian 

 Sandstone of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, one of which was recently 

 described by Mr. G. Hickling, in whose company I saw in the quarry 

 at that place some four or five other species of tracks. Similar types 

 of footprints have been found in tlie Permian of Thuringia, and it 

 seems that such tracks are always of Permian age. The track that 

 Huxley described (14), which is now in the Jermyn Street Museum, 

 seems to be identical with one from the Permian of Mansfield, of 

 which I possess a specimen. This track was regarded by Huxley as 

 possibly belonging to Stagonolepis, an idea which must be given up, 

 for the metapodial subsequently described by Huxley indicates an 

 elongated foot. Of the Lossiemouth reptiles Hyperodapsdon alone 

 remains for examination. Its foot seems more suitable, but 

 examination of a well-preserved foot in the Elgin Museum seems 

 to show that it even is too long to produce the Moray tracks. It is 

 unfortunate that amongst the Cutties Hillock fossils no complete foot 

 is known, but the fragments known in Gordonia Traquarii{'?), consisting 

 of short and stout metacarpals and phalanges, suggest that the foot 

 was similar to that of the allied Bicynodon, of which a specimen was 

 iigured by Owen in his Catalogue of Eossil lleptiles from South 



