276 Reports and Proceedings — 



but the dorsal shield did not contain more than two, nor the ventral 

 shield more than eight longitudinal series of scutes. The posterior 

 nares were situated far forward, as in Lizards, neither the palatine 

 nor the pterygoid bones uniting to prolong the nasal passage back- 

 wards, and give rise to secondary posterior nares, as in existing 

 Crocodiles. The teeth referred to Stagonolepis have short, swollen, 

 obtusely pointed crowns, like the back teeth of some existing Croco- 

 diles; they sometimes present signs of wear. The scapula resembles 

 that of recent Crocodiles ; the coracoid is short and rounded like that 

 of the Ornithoscelida and of some Lizards, such as Matteria. The 

 humerus is more Laeertian than in existing Crocodiles. The ace- 

 tabular end of the ischium resembles that of a Lizard, and the rest 

 of the bone is shorter dorso-ventrally and longer antero-posteriorly 

 than in living Crocodiles, thus resembling that of Belodon. The 

 latter Eeptile, from the Upper Keuper of Wiirttemberg, is the 

 nearest ally of Stagonolepis ; both are members of the same natural 

 group, and this must be referred to the order Crocodilia, which was 

 described as differing from other Keptilia as follows : — The trans- 

 verse processes of most cervical and thoracic vertebrae are divided 

 into more or less distinct capitular and tubercular portions, and the 

 proximal ends of the corresponding ribs are correspondingly divided ; 

 the dorsal ends of the subvertebral caudal bones are not united ; the 

 qnadrate bone is fixed to the side of the skull ; the pterygoids send 

 forward median processes which separate the palatines and reach the 

 vomer ; there is an interclavicle, but no clavicles ; the ventral edge 

 of the acetabular portion of the ilium is entire or but slightly ex- 

 cavated ; the ischia are not much prolonged backwards, and the 

 pubes are directed forwards and inwards ; the femur has no inner 

 trochanter, and the astragalus is not a depressed concavo-convex 

 bone with an ascending process. There are at least two longitudinal 

 rows of dorsal dermal scutes. 



The Crocodilia are divided by the author into three sub-orders :- — 



I. Parasuchia, with no bony plates of the pterygoid or palatine 

 bones to prolong the nasal passages ; the Eustachian passages en- 

 closed by bone ; the centra of the vertebras amphicoelian ; the cora- 

 coid short and rounded ; the ala of the ilium high, and its acetabular 

 margin entire ; and the ischium short dorso-ventrally and elongated 

 longitudinally, with its acetabular portion resembling that of a 

 Lizard. — Genera : Stagonolepis, Belodon. 



II. Mesosuchia, with bony plates of the palatine bones prolong- 

 ing the nasal passages, and giving rise to secondary posterior nares ; 

 a middle Eustachian canal included between the basioccipital and 

 basisphenoid, and the lateral canals represented only by grooves ; 

 vertebral centra amphicoelian ; coracoid . elongated ; ala of the ilium 

 lower than in the preceding, higher than in the next sub-order, its 

 acetabular margin nearly straight ; ischium more elongated dorso- 

 ventrally than in the preceding group, with its acetabular margin 

 deeply notched. — Genera : Steneosaurus, Pelagosaurus, Teleosaurus, 

 Teleidosaurus, M etriorhynchus (Goniopholis?, Pholidosaurus '?) . 



III. Eusuchia, with both pterygoid and palatine bones giving off 



