A Model of Peloneustes 'pliilarchus. 309 



an allied Lower Devonian species under the name P. hercynica. 

 Our Meadfoot shell may belong to this genus. 



P.S. — The recent paper by Dr. Asselberghs (Geol. Mag., 

 Vol. LVIII, 1921, pp. 165-9) on the correlation of the Lower 

 Devonian beds of South Devon with those of the Ardennes and 

 Khine is of special interest in connexion with the revision of part 

 of the fauna in my three articles. — F.R.C.R. 



A Model of Peloneustes philarchus. 



By the Rev. H. Neville Hutchinson, M.A., F.G.S., F.Z.S. 

 (PLATE XIV.) 

 "DLATE XIV shows two photographs of a model I have recently 

 -*- made in order to show the outward aspect of Peloneustes 

 pMlarcJws , a pliosaur from the Oxford Clay. It is based on the 

 complete mounted skeleton now in the British Museum (Natural 

 History), Cromwell Road, a part of the well-known Leeds collection.^ 

 This skeleton has a length of 10 ft. 6 in., and my model is 23 in. long, 

 so the scale is roughly about 1:5. No other museimi possesses a 

 mounted skeleton of this genus, the nearest thing to which is the 

 Trinacromerum, described as a Cretaceous plesiosaur by Dr. S. W. 

 W]lliston in his work on Water Rejitiles of the Past and Present, 

 Chicago, 1915, where a restoration is shown on p. 89, fig. 42. The 

 specimen is in the Museum of the University of Kansas. This same 

 Leeds collection has given us two fme mounted skeletons of the 

 genus Cryiotoclidus, of tlie family Elasmosauridfe, and now we have 

 also this fine mounted skeleton of Peloneustes, which belongs to the 

 Pliosauridse. Hence it is now possible for geologists to see at a 

 glance the chief characteristics of these two families, and my hope 

 is that this model may be of some use to students of PalfEontology. 

 In m.aking the model I have had the advantage of much valuable 

 assistance from my friend, Mr. E. Godwin, an accomplished 

 sculptor, without whose assistance I doiibt if it could ever have 

 been completed ; for when I attempted to model the head I found 

 a task that was beyond my power to accomplish properly, not having 

 had any traming in the art of sculpture. We have made many 

 measurements and calciilations in our endeavour to restore this 

 most interesting marine reptile, the leading features of which can 

 be summed up in a few words. Instead of the familiar long neck 

 and small head of the plesiosaur we have here a short thick neck 

 supporting a large and long head. Notice the powerful jaws armed 

 with big teeth which get larger towards the end or middle of the 

 snout. There is evidence to show that Peloneustes fed largely on 

 cephalopods, but doubtless pursued larger prey at times — probably 

 fishes. The hind j)addle is larger than the fore paddle, and 



^ For a full description see Catalogue of Marine Reptiles frovn the Oxford 

 Clay, part ii, by Dr. C. W. Andrews, F.R.S., published by the Trustees of the 

 British Museum, 1913. 



