470 



MR, G. A. BOULENGER ON THE 



[Apr. 19, 



runs across the gastro-hepatic ligament at a point about opposite 

 to the entrance of the median epigastric vein, which latter has 

 already been referred to. 



The remaining structural features to which I call attention are 

 only two. As in Tiliqua *, the meso-rectum divides the two venfe 

 renales revehentes from each other. 



The position of the kidneys resembles that of Varamis rather 

 than Tiliqua or Iguana, inasmuch as they are not hidden by the 

 pelvic bones. 



3. On the Characters and Affinities o£ the Triassic Reptile 

 Telerpeton elqinense. By G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., 

 V.P.Z.S. 



[Received March 22, 1904.] 

 (Plates XXX.-XXXII.t and Text-figure 99.) I 



Of all the principal types of Reptiles the fossil remains of which 

 have yet come to light, no one stood in more iirgent need, of 

 re-investigation than the little ' Saurian ' from the Ti'ias of Elgin, 

 (irst described by Mantell in 1852 under the name of Telerpeton 

 elginense +. Notwithstanding the detailed description of a more 

 perfect specimen entrusted to Huxley by the late Mr. James 

 Grant some years later §, it was impossible, from the data avail- 

 able, to form any opinion as to the position in the system of the 

 gen VIS Telerpeton, which by later writers is referred, with doubt, 

 either to the Rhynchocephalia or to the Lacertilia ||. 



Fortunately for the elucidation of this question, further speci- 

 mens have been obtained at Lossiemouth during the last few yeai-s 

 by my friend Mr. Wilham Taylor, in whose hands the specimen 

 described by Huxley had also fallen after the death of Mr. James 

 Grant, and I gladly availed myself of his kind offei- to look over 

 this material, consisting of the following specimens : — 



A (Plate XXXIL). — A nearly complete specimen, the bones 

 mostly represented by casts, the original bony substance having 

 disappeared, in a. block of sandstone from Lossiemouth broken 

 irregularly into five pieces. The reptile must have measured 

 about 240 millimetres (skull, 45). As observed by Huxley, who 

 gave a description of this specimen, the body is cui'ved towards 

 the right side, and the head and neck are bent dorsad in a plane 

 different from that of the skull. Wax and gutta-percha casts 

 have now been made for me by Mr. Hall, which render the 

 outlines of some of the bones much clearer, and which enable 



* Beddard, " Contributions to the Anatomy of the Lacertilia. — (1) On the Venous 

 System in certain Lizards," P. Z. S. 1904, vol. i. p. 436. 

 t For explanation of the Plates, see p. 481, 

 t Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. viii. 1852, p. 100, pt. iv. 



I Op. cit. xxiii. 1867, p. 77, figs. 



II Lydekker, Cat. Foss. Kept. i. p. 294 (1888) j Zittei, Handb. Pal. iii. p. 597 

 (1889) ; F. von Huene, Pal. Abh, x. 1902, p. 8 ; Broom, liec. Albanv Mus, i, 1903. p. 1, 



