604 Arihiir Smith Woodward — British Fossil CrocodiUa. 



synonym.'^ These instructive specimens (with many other Kim- 

 meridge fossils) had been presented by their discoverer, Mr. Mansel- 

 Pleydell, to the British Museum, vphere they have since occupied a 

 prominent position in the Crocodilian series, and a little more than a 

 year ago formed the subject of another memoir — on this occasion by 

 Sir Eichard Owen.^ While confirming completely the descriptive 

 details published by his fellow-worker fifteen years ago, Sir Kichard 

 now endeavours to maintain that the fossils in question are really 

 generically separable from Steneosaurus, and thus proposes to estab- 

 lish a new genus, Plesiosuchus — so named in allusion to the fact, 

 that the shape of the skull and the disposition of the nasal bones 

 indicate a nearer approach to the later broad-faced Crocodiles than 

 any of the earlier Teleosauria. On the other hand, Mr. Hulke ^ still 

 ventures " to deprecate any disturbance in the original name " ; and 

 it is remarkable that in the paper just quoted,* Sir Eichard Owen 

 makes no allusion to the asserted identity of the teeth with those of 

 Quenstedt's Dakosaurus (1858), when he suggests the removal of 

 this species from the true Steneosaurs. 



The interesting remains of Dakosaurus in the Woodwardian 

 Museum, Cambridge, recorded and briefly noticed by Prof. Seeley,^ 

 have not hitherto been fully described. Among others, they include 

 a remarkably complete skull from the Kimraeridge Clay of Ely 

 (which has received the name of D. Nssocephalus, Seeley) and several 

 other portions of the skeleton. There is also a worn tooth of 

 DaJcosaurus — probably indicative of a new species (Seeley) — from 

 the Coral Eag of North Grimston.^ 



As might be expected from the stout character of its teeth, it may 

 be noted that Machimosaurus has proved to be a comparatively short- 

 snouted Mesosuchian. Being of the same (Kimmeridgian) age, MM. 

 Sauvage and Lienard's valuable memoir'' on this generic type is 

 especially interesting when considered in connection with Dakosaurus. 



PURBECK AND WeALDEN CrOCODILIA. 



The majority of the crocodilians of this age at present known are 

 characterized by broad-faced skulls ; and only two genera, probably 



1 J. "W. Hulke, " Note on a Crocodilian Skull from Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset," 

 ibid. vol. xxvi. (1870), pp. 167-172, pi. ix. This identification -was subsequently 

 questioned by H. E. Sauvage (" Sur le genre Dacosaurus, Quenstedt," Bull. Soc. 

 Geol. France [3], vol. i. 1873, pp. 380-385), who endeavoured to prove the Mosa- 

 saurian character of the detached teeth met with in Continental deposits. Subsequent 

 research, however, has failed to strengthen such an opinion. 



^ Sir Eichard Owen, " On the Cranial and Vertebral Characters of the Crocodilian 

 Genns Fiesiomchus, Owen," Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xl. (1884), pp. 153-159. 

 See also Owen's "Brit. Foss. Eeptiles," vol. iii. pp. 146-151, (Crocodilia) pi. 20, 

 figs. 1-4. 



3 Presidential Address, 1884, Proc. Geol. Soc. pp. 45-47. 



4 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1884. 



5 H. G. Seeley, "Index to remains of Eeptilia, etc., "Woodwardian Museum," 

 1869, pp. 109, 92. 



6 Can this be the same as certain Corallian teeth in the British Museum, bearing 

 the MS. name of Ptiosaurus teretidens, Owen ? 



■' H. E. Sauvage and F. Lienard, " Memoire sur le genre Machimosaurus," Mem. 

 Soc, Geol. France, [3] vol. i. raem. iv. (1879). Abstract by H. E. Sauvage in Bull. 

 Soc. Geol. France, [3] vol. vii. (1879), pp. 693-697. 



