10 I^rof. Nicholson — Progress in Palmontology. 



the true Salamandroids (Urodela) existed in deposits at least as 

 old as the Permian. Not only has Geinitz given the name of 

 Palmosiren to a fossil from the Permian which he believes to be the 

 remains of a Salamandroid, but Gaudry assigns the same position to 

 the Permian fossils which he has recently described under the name 

 of Salamandrella ; and the last-mentioned palaeontologist is inclined 

 to believe that the Carboniferous genera Baniceps and Apateon are 

 really Urodelans and not Labyrinthodonts. 



As regards the Reptiles, the researches of Marsh and Cope have 

 thrown much light upon the structure and affinities of the Mosasau- 

 roids and the Deinosaurs ; and the view that the latter are related to 

 the Struthious birds has been considerably strengthened by the new 

 evidence which has been obtained. Another addition to our know- 

 ledge of the fossil Reptiles has been made by Prof. Marsh, who has 

 discovered in the Cretaceous deposits of North America the remains 

 of colossal Pterosaurs, closely resembling the Pterodactyles proper, 

 but having the jaws destitute of teeth. The jaws must have been, 

 in all probability, sheathed in horn, so as to resemble the bill of 

 birds ; and it is singular that there should have coexisted in 

 Western North America toothless flying reptiles and toothed birds — 

 an association which is not likely to be without its significance. 

 Marsh proposes to elevate these edentulous Pterosaurs to the 

 rank of a distinct order, under the name of Pteranodontia. Professor 

 Owen, again, to whom fossil herpetology already owes such an 

 immense debt, has founded the new order Theriodontia, for the re- 

 ception of a number of carnivorous reptiles from deposits of Triassic 

 or Permian age. The reptiles in question, of which Cynodraco is the 

 type-genus, show some curious affinities to the Garnivora amongst the 

 Mammals, as is more particularly marked by the fact that the teeth 

 are in three distinct sets — viz. incisors, canines, and molars — and 

 that the canines are very large and pointed. The Theriodonts 

 thus differ from all other known reptiles, living or extinct, in their 

 dentition, and they are also peculiar in the fact that the humerus is 

 provided, as in various mammals, with a ' supra-condyloid foramen.' 



Amongst the Birds there are two specially interesting discoveries 

 to record, one of these being, perhaps, the most important addition 

 to our knowledge of the structure of fossil birds which has been 

 made since the discovery of Archoeopteryx. I allude to the discovery 

 by Marsh of the curious toothed birds of the Cretaceous deposits of 

 North America. These extraordinary birds are so aberrant in their 

 characters that they have been rightly raised by their distinguished 

 discoverer to the rank of a distinct subclass (Odontornithes) , com- 

 prising the two orders of the Odontolcce and Odontotormce. In the first 

 of these orders we have only the marvellous Hesperornis, a huge 

 diving-bird, standing between five and six feet high, and having its 

 jaws furnished with numerous conical recurved teeth sunk in a deep 

 continuous groove, the front of the upper jaw being alone edentulous. 

 The breast-bone is destitute of a keel, and the wings are quite rudi- 

 mentary, so that Hesperornis must have been entirely incapable of 

 flight. On the other hand, it must have been an admirable swimmer 



