274 



Reviews — Fritsch's Pennian Amphibia. 



The skin in this species is naked, or shows no certain evidence 

 of scales. The vertebral column is well ossified. There are 23 

 dorsal vertebrae; 1 sacral; and 16 caudal vertebrse, though 4 more 

 were developed, making a total of 44. As in the allied forms the 

 notochord persists. The transverse process is strong, and placed 

 anteriorly. The hinder part of the vertebra is overlapped superiorly 

 by the succeeding vertebra. The sacral vertebra is twice as wide 

 as the last dorsal. The tail-vertebrse are much shorter than the 



Melanerpeton pulcherrimum (Fritsch). 



Upper side of the skiill, restored ; 3^ times natural size. im. intermaxillary ; ms. 

 maxillary ; N. nasal ; F. frontal ; F. prefrontal ; IHf. postfrontal ; Fto. post- 

 orbital ; /. jugal ; Fa. parietal ; Sq. squamosal ; Ep. epiotic ; St. supratem- 

 poral ; Q. quadrate ; So. supraoccipital. 



thoracic vertebra, and rapidly diminish in breadth. There are no 

 ribs to the first five vertebree, though they may have existed ; and 

 the last three dorsal vertebrae have the ribs short. The ribs in the 

 tail are not so long as the vertebrae are wide. The shoulder girdle 

 is strongly developed. The middle thoracic plate has a broad shield 

 shape with a median hinder process. In front of it are the two 

 clavicles, the lateral parts of which are thin and cylindrical. The 

 coracoids are spoon-shaped, and the scapula like that of Branchio- 

 saurus. The fore-foot is short. The humerus is four-sided, and 

 as wide at the proximal end as it is long. There were five digits 

 made up of very short phalanges. The femur is twice as long as 

 wide, and, though longer than the humerus, is narrower. The 



