1870.] HULKE EEPTILIAW FOSSILS PEOM GOZO, 31 



of two narrow slips, they meet the prsemaxillEe opposite the interspace 

 between the 11th and 12th teeth, counted from behind. For some 

 distance above and below this spot, the widths of the nasals and of 

 the ascending slips of the praemaxillae are so nearly equal that the 

 junction of the two pairs of bones is inconspicuous and may easily 

 be overlooked. 



The prefrontals form rather less than half of the inner border of 

 the orbit, and they are marked by the groove already described. The 

 lachrymals descend along the outer border of the nasals nearly as far 

 again as the prefrontals. 



The upper surface of the snout has been flattened by pressure. It 

 is marked with a rather coarse longitudinal wrinkling. The borders 

 of the snout are even behind the 8th tooth, but in front of this the 

 prominence of the alveoli makes them slightly crenated. 



The under surface of the skull has the common features of a croco- 

 dile's. The mesial borders of the palatine and pterygoid bones meet 

 throughout their length. The posterior nares, whoUy included 

 within the posterior border of the connate pterygoid alae, look back- 

 wards. The transverse diameter of their opening slightly exceeds 

 the axial diameter. The ptery go -palatine foramina are long and 

 narrow, their inner border is nearly straight, and their outer border 

 is concave. 



The occipital surface of the skull is nearly plane vertically, sHghtly 

 convex transversely above the foramen magnum, and external to 

 this shghtly hollow. 



The mandibular symphysis, with about 4" of both rami behind it, 

 and nearly as much in front of it, remains attached to the imder sur- 

 face of the snout. The symphysis begins opposite the interspace 

 between the 7th and 8th maxiUary teeth, counted from behind. The 

 splenial bones are included in it. 



The teeth are subequal, conical, sharply pointed ; when fully ex- 

 truded slightly retrocurved, unequally compressed laterally, the 

 outer surface more convex than the inner one, the compression 

 increasing towards the apex of the crown, and forming here a back 

 and front smooth edge. The hinder maxillary teeth are shorter, they 

 taper less, and are more compressed than those in front. The fang 

 is large, and it has a capacious, open pulp-cavity. The crown has a 

 thick coat of enamel, which on the outer side of the tooth is marked 

 by low longitudinal striae, widely set near the base, and closer and 

 finer near the apex ; on the inner side it is extremely finely striated 

 or, rather, wrinkled. 



A label affixed to the fossil before it came under my hands, and 

 when it was still nearly hidden in the matrix, showed that it had 

 been referred to Melitosaurus champsoides, Owen. I have compared 

 it with the type specimen of this species in the British Museum *, and 

 find that it agrees with this in the long mandibular symphysis, in the 

 narrowness of the ascending processes of the praemaxiUse, and in the 



* The terminal 13 inches of the maxilla? and mandible of a large croco- 

 dilian. 



