230 MESSES. HANCOCK AND HOWSE ON A 



to this question. After carefully examining this specimen, and 

 considering it in every possible way, that gentleman suggested 

 to us that, after all, the scales that now seem to be coextensive 

 with the whole body may be nothing more than the ventral 

 scutes common to all Labyrinthodonts, though somewhat modi- 

 fied in character and more extensively developed than usual. 



The specimen, as we have already pointed out, lies on its side. 

 Now these Amphibians have had depressed bodies ; and as it 

 may be supposed that the ventral scales would be developed in 

 proportion to the degree of depression (or, in other words, those 

 individuals with broad bellies would have more scutes than those 

 with narrow bellies), it is easy to see that in Lepidotosaitrus the 

 scutes or scales, assuming the depression to have been extreme 

 in this form, might have been more than usually developed. It 

 is quite possible, then, nay, even likely, that on the collapse of 

 the ventral scales, under the influence of lateral pressure, the 

 animal lying on its side, their outer or upper margins of both 

 flanks might reach to the dorsal region covering up and enclos- 

 ing the ribs, exactly as is the case with the specimen before us. 

 The perfect imbrication and close interlocking of the scales would 

 undoubtedly conduce to this end by maintaining their compact 

 order. 



This seems to us so natural an explanation of the phenomenon, 

 that we gladly adopt it ; and thus we find the greatest difficulty 

 of the problem turned and conquered. We are also indebted to 

 the liberality of Prof. Huxley for pointing out to us the affinity 

 of our new form to Dasyceps, also a Permian Labyrinthodont. 



The relationship to the latter is seen in the form and orna- 

 mentation of the head. In Dasyceps the muzzle is not by any 

 means so much produced as it is in Lepidotosaurus : the form, 

 however, of the occipital region presents considerable resem- 

 blance. But what is most remarkable is that the surface of the 

 skull is covered with minute, sharp, tooth-like processes, quite 

 similar to those before described on the muzzle and sides of the 

 skull of our new form. 



The Bradford fossil recently described by Prof. Huxley in the 

 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, Vol. XXV., p. 309, under the name of 



