1852.] MANTELL ON DEVONIAN REPTILE. 105 



original name of Mastodonsaurus is actually restored to the great 

 Wurtemburg reptile, discovered by my friend Dr. Jager of Stutgard. 

 In fact, the characters of the batrachian order are chiefly derived 

 from the soft parts, of which no traces occur in a fossil state ; and it 

 is consequently impossible to determine with precision whether re- 

 mains of reptiles of extinct types, and of whose early condition we 

 are in utter ignorance, are referable to saurians or to batrachians. 



From what has been advanced, I am led to conclude that if future 

 discoveries should prove the batrachian character of the reptile of the 

 Old Red of Scotland, the original must have nearly resembled in 

 general form, and doubtless also in its habits, the Tritons or aquatic 

 Salamanders ; but that it had a longer and broader dorsal region, a 

 wide tail, and well-developed limbs, equally adapted for progression 

 on the land or through the water : on the other hand, should its la- 

 certian relations be established, it probably differed but little in its 

 physiognomy and economy from the small existing terrestrial Lizards, 

 its length not exceeding six or seven inches. 



Tn the uncertainty as to the natural relations of this most ancient 

 skeleton of an oviparous quadruped hitherto discovered, I propose to 

 distinguish the Devonian reptile of Scotland by a term simply de- 

 noting its remote antiquity, viz. Telerpeton {riiXe, procul ; kpireTuVj 

 repens)y with the specific designation of Mgineme, to record the 

 locahty whence it was obtained. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE IV. 



Illustrative of the Telerpeton Elginense (Mantell), a fossil Reptile from the 

 Old Red Sandstone of Morayshire. The original is in the collection of Peter 

 Duff, Esq., of Elgin. 



Figs, la, 2. Enlarged views of very minute conical teeth seen in the portion of 

 cranium represented in figs. 3 and 4. 



Fig. 1. Enlarged view of a fractured tooth showing a relatively large internal 

 cavity. 



Fig. 3. Imprints of the posterior part of the two rami of the lower jaw, with 

 vestiges of minute teeth, and the palatal arch of the skull, seen from 

 heneath, as exposed in the piece of stone, fig. 4. The form of the ante- 

 rior part of the head and lower jaw is not obvious, a, a. The impressions 

 of the posterior angles of the lower jaw. 



Fig. 4. The remains of the cranium, imbedded in the fragment of stone, fig. 4*, 

 as seen when separated from the block, fig. 9. 



Fig. 5. Restored outlines of part of the vertebral column, pelvis, bones of the 

 hinder extremities, &c. 



Fig. 6. Enlarged view of a dorsal vertebra of the Telerpeton, with the anterior 

 and posterior zygapophyses of the contiguous vertebra. 



Fig. 7. Dorsal vertebra of the large Salamander {Sieboldtia maxima), to show the 

 general resemblance of the neural arch and the zygapophyses to those of 

 the Telerpeton. 



Fig. 8. A portion of sandstone struck off from the larger block (fig. 9), in the 

 direction of the plane of the spinal column. It exhibits the imprint of 

 the dorsal aspect of the skeleton. 



Fig. 9. Inipression of the skeleton of Telerpeton Elginense, natural size, show- 

 ing the outline of the vertebral column, ribs, pelvis, femora, tibiae and 

 fibula?, part of the caudal series of vertebrae, the left humerus, radius 

 and ulna, imperfect traces of the right anterior extremity, and obscure 

 indications of part of the cranium. 



