Geological Society of London. 37 



and showed that his Omithoscolida belong to a group in ■which, as in 

 existing Ci'ococliles, the thoracic vortohnii have distinct capitular and 

 tubercular jirocosscs springing from the ai-ch of the vertebra. Tliis 

 group was said to include also tlio Crocodilia, the Anomodontia, and 

 the Pterosauria, to the second of which the author was inclined to 

 approximate the Ornithoscelida. As a near ally of these reptiles, the 

 author cited the Permian Parasmirns, tlio structure of which he dis- 

 cussed, and stated that it seemed to be a teiTCstrial reptile, leading 

 back to some older and less specialized reptilian form. 



With regard to the relation of the Ornithoscelida to birds, the 

 author stated that he knew of no character by which the structure of 

 birds as a class differs from that of reptiles which is not foreshadowed 

 in the Ornithoscelida, and he briefly discussed the question of the 

 relationship of Pterodactyles to birds. He did not consider that the 

 majority of the Dinosauria stood so habitually upon their hind feet 

 as to account for the resemblance of the hind limbs to those of birds, 

 by simple similarity of function. 



The author then proceeded to notice the Dinosauria of the Trias, 

 commencing with an historical account of our knowledge of the 

 occurrence of such reptilian forms in beds of that age. He identified 

 the following Triassic reptilian forms as belonging to the Dinosauria ; 

 — Teratosaurus, Platceosaiirus, and Zancloclon from the German Trias ; 

 Thecodontosaurus and Falcsosaurus from the Bristol conglomerate (the 

 second of these genera he restricted to P. cylindrodon of Eiley and 

 Stutchbury, their P. platyodon being referred to Thecodontosaurus) ; 

 Cladyodon from Warwickshire ; Deuterosaurus from the Ural ; AnJcis- 

 irodon from Central India ; Clepsysaurus and Batliygnaihus from 

 North America ; and probably the South African Pristerosaurus. 



Discussiox. — Sir Eoderick Murchison, who had taken the chair, inquired as to 

 the lowest formation in which the bird-like character of Dinosaurians was apparent, 

 and was informed that it was to he recognized as low as the Trias, if not lower. 



Mr. Seeley insisted on the necessity for defining the common plan both of the 

 Eeptilia and of the ordinal groups before they could be treated of in classification. 

 He had come to somewhat different conclusions as to the grouping and classification 

 ■of Saurians from those adopted by the President. This would be evident, in so far as 

 concerned Pterodactyles, from a work on Ornithosauria which he had just completed, 

 and which would be published in a few days. 



Mr. Etheridge stated that the doloraidc conglomerate, in which the Thecodont 

 remains occurred near Bristol, Avas distinctly at the base of the Keuper of the Bristol 

 area, being beneath the sandstones and marls which underlie the Rhajtic series. 

 There were no Permian beds in the area. He regarded the conglomerates as probably 

 equivalent to the Muschelkalk. It was only at one point near Clifton that the 

 Thecodont remains had been found. 



Prof. Huxley was pleased to find that there was such a diversity of opinion between 

 Mr. Seeley and himself, as it was by discussion of opposite views that the truth was to 

 be attained. He accepted Mr. Etheridge's statement as to the age of the Bristol beds. 



2. "The Physical Geography of Western Europe during the 

 Mesozoic and Cainozoic periods, elucidated by their Coral-faunas." 

 By P. Martin Duncan, M.B. Lend., F.E.S., Secretary. 



The author commenced with a notice of the typical species of the 

 coral-fauna of the deep seas which bound continents remote from 

 coral-reefs, and then made some remarks upon the littoral corals. 

 The peculiarities of reef, lagoon, and shallow- water species were then 



