SOUTH AFRICAN THEROCEPHALIAN EEPTILES. 



347 



inside of tlie palatine, meets the prevomer ; an outer descending 

 process Avliicli forms the posterior border of the suborbital vacuity 

 and has a long articulation with the ectopterygoid ; and a long- 

 posterior process, the inner part of which apparently articulates 

 with the basisphenoid. and the outer branch of which doubtless 

 passes back to meet the quadrate. Though the posterior process 

 is almost perfectly preserved; as the quadrate is lost the mode of 

 articulation is not seen. An interesting point about the ptery- 

 goid is that there are no teeth on it. Near the posterior part of 

 tlie anterior palatine process there is in- the middle line a 

 prominent median spur formed by the two bones meeting, and 

 immediately behind this is a moderately large median vacuit}". 

 At the inner end of the outer process is a well-marked descending- 

 spur, the exact length of which is unknown as it is broken off 

 near the base. 



Above the outer branch of the posterior process is seen the 

 well-developed epipterygoid. This differs from that figured by 

 me in Scylacosciurus (Phil. Trans. 1915) in having a shorter and 

 broader upper portion and a differentiv shaped basal, which lies in 

 the pterygoid as seen in the figure given. 



The basicranial i-egion is too much weathered to be worth 

 describing in detail. 



Alopecopsis atavus, gen. et sp. nov. 



This new genus and species is found eil on a nearly complete 

 skull discovered by me at New Bethesda, and it is of much 

 importance as revealing another new tj'pe of Therocephalian. 



Text-fie,ure 4. 



Side view of skull of Alopecopsis atavus Broom. 



The specimen is in rather indurated shale, and as the bone is 

 more friable than the matrix, complete development is difiicult, 

 and it has been considered advisable to leave a fair amount of 

 matrix on the specimen. Enough has, however, been undertaken 

 to shoAV most details of the structure. The whole of the right 

 side of the skull is preserved except a part of the quadrate and 

 squamosal regions, and the right mandible is in position. The 

 left side has "lost the greater part of the jugal and squamosal, 



