222 MESSRS. HANCOCK AND HOWSE ON A 



(b, c, d), which lies split open horizontally below the ventral 

 margin of the animal. The neck (a,) is curled round in front of 

 the anterior end of the body in the direction of the head, which 

 lies in a reversed position, as we have just seen, below the trunk, 

 which to some little extent overlaps it. The tail or posterior 

 end of the spine seems to have been turned round the hinder 

 extremity towards the same region, but none of its bones are 

 present — only an indistinct depression indicates the fact. 



As the body lies thus curled up it measures fifteen inches in 

 length ; and in width, from the backbone to the distal extremity 

 of the ribs, eight inches. The length of the specimen, including 

 the head if stretched out, would be about thirty-five inches. 



The course of the backbone is obvious enough, running along 

 the dorsal margin, turning round in front of the body, and curv- 

 ing backwards in the direction of the occipital region of the skull ; 

 but, unfortunately, at this point the slab is broken away for up- 

 wards of two inches, separating by that space the head from the 

 spine. The vertebral column (a), as seen in longitudinal section, 

 is about an inch and one-eighth wide ; but it is quite impossible 

 to make out any of the characters of the vertebrae, or even to 

 determine their dimensions with the necessary precision. All 

 that can be said on this point is that, from the assumed extent 

 of four consecutive vertebras, the length of a single vertebra may 

 be estimated at about seven-eighths of an inch. This difficulty 

 arises partly from the crystalline condition of the whole line of 

 the vertebrae, and partly from the fact that the whole of the bone 

 is broken up and partially removed, little else than cellular or 

 flaky matter remaining, all boundaries determining the forms of 

 the parts having disappeared. 



There is, however, one feature of the vertebral column which 

 cannot pass unnoticed. The neck (a) seems to have been re- 

 markably long for a Labyrinthodont. From the length of the 

 ribs, the body must undoubtedly have been of considerable depth; 

 and unless the neck had been long, it is evident that the head, 

 if attached to the trunk, as it appears to have been when depo- 

 sited, could not have assumed the position in which it is placed 



