8 E. T. Newton — Vertehmta of the Forest-Bed Series. 



Eepttlia, 



No reptilian remains have hitherto been recorded from the 

 " Forest Bed Series." Mr. Green speaks of the bones and teeth of 

 "(Sawna"; but the specimens upon which this determination rested 

 were subsequently shown by Prof. Owen to be parts of the common 

 Mole {vide Brit. Foss. Mams. pp. 22-24). We are now, however, 

 in a position to cite two distinct forms from these Beds. 



Among some small bones which Mr. E. T. Dowson was kind 

 enough to send me for examination, were two vertebra, almost 

 perfect, in which the zygantrum and zygosphene were distinct and 

 perfectly preserved, and consequently there was no question as to 

 their being Ophidian, and a careful comparison with a skeleton of 

 the common snake in the Eoyal Coll. Surgeons showed that they 

 perfectly agreed, the one with a middle, and the other with a late 

 dorsal vertebra. These two vertebree are therefore referred to the 

 common sufike, Tropidonotus natrix, Linn. They were obtained 

 from the Freshwater Bed at W. Kunton. Two other vertebrae, 

 belonging apparently to the same species, are to be seen in the. 

 Museum of Owen's College, Manchester, and are labelled as from 

 the "Forest Bed " at Bacton. 



Another Ophidian vertebra, somewhat broken, but with zygantrum 

 and zygosphene preserved, was obtained by Mr. Clement Eeid, from 

 the Freshwater Bed at West Eunton. This vertebra is little more than 

 half the size of the smaller of Mr. Dowson's two specimens ; it is 

 more depressed, has a less elevated neural spine, and the cupped end 

 of the centrum is slightly oval. In fact, it differs from the above- 

 mentioned specimens in precisely the same manner that the vertebras 

 of the viper differ from those of the common snake. It agrees with 

 one of the late dorsal or abdominal vertebrae of the viper, and is 

 referred to that species, Pelias Berus, Linn. 



Amphibia. 



No Amphibian remains have hitherto been noticed among the 

 " Forest Bed " vertebrata, but with the bones brought together by the 

 indefatigable zeal of Mr. Clement Eeid and Mr. Savin, there are a 

 number which are referable to this group, and some of them are 

 of such a character as to permit of their specific determination. 

 These remains clearly belong to the three genera, Bana, Bufo, and 

 Triton, and were all found in the Freshwater Bed at W. Eunton. 



Two humeri having strongly developed condylar ridges, directed 

 backwards and reaching far up the shaft, agree closely with the 

 humei'i of the male Bana temporaria, and differ from those of the 

 B. esculenta, which has these ridges much shorter, less developed, and 

 directed laterally. The Ba7ia alpina, in Hyrtle's series of Amphibian 

 Skeletons, in the Eoyal College of Surgeons, has a development of 

 these ridges similar to those in the B. temporaria ; but on the whole 

 it seems most probable that these fossils belong to the common 

 English species, and with some little doubt they are referred to B. 

 temporaria ? 



Other humeri have the characters of these bones as found in Bana 



