AIR-BREATHERS OF THE COAL PERIOD. 173 



and its allies, but rather a beautiful and sprightly tenant of the 

 coal-formation thickets, vying in brilliancy, and perhaps in colour- 

 ing, ■with the insects which it pursued and devoured. Remains of 

 as many as eight or ten individuals have been obtained from three 

 erect sigillarise, indicating that these creatures were quite abun- 

 dant, as well as active and terrestrial in their mode of life. 



With respect to the affinities of this species, I think it is abun- 

 dantly manifest that it presents no close relationship with any rep- 

 tile hitherto discovered in the Carboniferous system. The only in- 

 dications of which I am aware of animals of this age, likely to be 

 of similar type, are certain vertebrae discovered by Mr. Wheatley 

 and Dr Newberry, in the coal formation of Ohio, and described, 

 but not named, by Prof. Wyman, in Silliman's Journal, Vol. XXV, 

 in connection with the singular bratrachian named by him Rani- 

 ceps Lyelli ; which, in its broad frog-like head and want of 

 ribs, differs materially from the creature now under examination* 

 It is scarcely necessary to say that the characters above described 

 and illustrated by the figures in Plate V, entirely remove this ani- 

 mal from Archegosaurus and Labyrinthodon, as well as from all 

 the other creatures associated with them in the orders Gano- 

 cephala and Labyrinthodontia of Owen. Equal difficulties attend 

 the attempt to place it in any other group of recent or ex- 

 tinct batrachians or proper reptiles. The structures of the skull, and 

 of some points in the vertebras, certainly resemble those of batra- 

 chians ; but on the other hand, the well-developed ribs, evidently 

 adapted to enlarge the chest in respiration, the broad pelvis, and 

 the cutaneous covering, are unexampled in modern batrachians,. 

 and assimilate the creature to the true lizards. I have already, in 

 my original description above quoted, expressed my belief that 

 Hylonomus may have had lacertian affinities, but I do not desire 

 to speak positively in this matter ; and shall content myself with 

 stating the following alternatives as to the probable relations of 

 these animals. (l)They may have been true reptiles of low type, 

 and with batrachian tendencies. (2) They may have been repre- 

 sentatives of a new family of batrachians, exhibiting in some points 

 lacertian affinities. (3) They may have been the young of 

 some larger reptile, too large and vigorous to be entrapped in the 

 pit-falls presented by the hollow Sigillaria stumps, and in its 

 adult state losing the batrachian peculiarities apparent in the young. 

 "Whichever of these views we may adopt, the fact remains, that in 

 the structure of this curious little creature we have peculiarities- 



