526 Reviews — Dr. A. Fritsch's Permian Amphibia of Bohemia. 



measuring a fifth or a sixth of the length of the suture. The Epiotic 

 (Ep.) terminates backward and outward in a strong free process; it 

 hounds the ear. In the outer edge of the supra-temporal bone (S.T) 

 is often a notch, which may indicate the outer opening of the ear. The 

 quadrate bone (Q.) is very small. The supra-occipital (S.O.) is well 

 developed : but the exoccipitals cannot be determined with certainty, 

 though they may form the occipital condyles. The under-sicle of the 

 skull, Fig. 4, is remarkable for the large size of the palatal apertures, 

 which are defined by the parasphenoid bone (Ps.) in the middle, by 

 the pterygoids (Pt.) at the outer sides, and by the palatine bones (p) 

 in front. As in some living Urodela, there is a small aperture in 

 the sutural line between the vomers (V.). There are traces of small 

 groups of teeth on the hinder and outer edges of the vomerine bones. 



The lower jaw always becomes attenuated anteriorly. It consists 

 of three bones, articular, angular, and dentary. The latter element 

 carries a row of about 20 large smooth teeth. 



The sclerotic circle is made up of about 14 oblong plates, which 

 are marked with concentric lines. 



On each side of the hinder part of the skull are two branchial 

 arches which carry two rows of strong spheroidal bones, each bear- 

 ing a little curved spine. 



The vertebral column is divided into back and tail. From the 

 head to the pelvis there are about 20 vertebrae, and all except the 

 first bear ribs. The second to the thirteenth are all about the same 

 size. All are compressed to the thinness of paper, so that the details 

 of their structure are obscure. Lower down the back the vertebrae 

 slightly decrease in size. There is apparently only one sacral 

 vertebra, which is always covered by the pelvic bones. There are 

 about 21 vertebrae in the tail, gradually diminishing in size to a 

 fourth of their original width. 



The dorsal ribs from 2nd to 13th have a length equal to three- 

 quarters of the width of a vertebra ; posterior to this they become 

 shortened. Eibs exist in the tail, and are about half as long as the 

 vertebras are wide. 



The shoulder girdle includes seven bones, scapulas, coracoids, 

 clavicles and thoracic scute ; and the pelvic girdle is formed by the 

 iliac and ischiopubic bones. The hind-foot has the digits much 

 longer than in the fore-foot, but the longest digit is the second, 

 while in the fore-limb the third digit is longest. In the fore-limb the 

 number of the phalanges is 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, and in the hind-limb it is 

 3, 4, 3, 2, 2. 



The other species of Branchiosaurus which are described and 

 figured are B. umbrosus, Frit., B. Moravicus, Frit., previously described 

 as Archegosaunis austriacus of Makovsky, B. ? venosus, Frit., and 

 B. ? robustus, Frit. 



The next genus, Sparodus, Fritsch, is represented by two species : 

 S. validus, Fr., and S. crassidens, Fr. It is nearly related to the 

 American genus Hylerpeton and to Brachiderpeton. The large broad 

 vomer carries numerous uneven large conical teeth. And the pala- 

 tine bone has a single row of teeth, which increase in size posteriorly. 



