32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETT. [NoV, 23, 



manner of union of these with the nasal bones ; but the teeth differ : 

 those of Melitosaurus champsoides (making allowance for the much 

 larger size of the individual) are stouter, much less sharply pointed, 

 and less tapering ; their enamel marking has also a different cha- 

 racter, being much more finely wrinkled than in this Gozo crocodile. 

 In its elongated form and its regularly tapering outline (not sud- 

 denly contracted in front of the orbits as in the Indian gavial), in 

 the commencement of the nasal bones opposite the front borders of 

 the orbits, in the slenderness of these bones, and in their insensible 

 junction with the ascending processes of the praemaxillee the skull of 

 the Gozo crocodile resembles that of the existing Rhyncliosuchus 

 Schlegelii ; but it differs from it in several particulars, amongst 

 which are the crenation of the alveolar border of the distal halves of 

 the snout, the more oblong shape of the syncipital area, the larger 

 size and different shape of the supratemporal fossse, the raised mar- 

 gin of the orbit, and the more hollow interorbital space. I propose 

 for this Gozo crocodUe the specific name of gaudensis. 



Dimensions. 



in. 



From the posterior border of the syncipital area to the anterior 3*2 



From ditto to the anterior border of the parietal bone 2"1 



From ditto to the anterior limit of the frontal bone 6-7 



From ditto to the posterior limit of the prefrontal bone 4'0 



From ditto to the anterior limit of the prefrontal bone 6'1 



From ditto to the antei'ior limit of the lachrymal bone 7'1 



From ditto to the anterior limit of the nasal bones 14'6 



From ditto to the posterior limit of ditto 13"5 



From ditto to the last maxillary tooth 4'6 



Breadth of syncipital area, its posterior border 5*4 



Ditto, its anterior border 6*0 



Supratemporal foramina, axial diameter 1"7 



Ditto, transverse diameter 1'8 



Inter foraminal parietal septum , minimum width under 0"2 



Orbits, distance between their inner borders I'O 



Axial diameter of 2"3 



Transverse diameter of 1*5 



Breadth of skull at hindermost tooth 5'2 



Ditto at 10th tooth from behind 2'6 



Ditto in front of 14th tooth 1-6 



Length of Gth maxillary tooth 1-6 



Antero-posterior diameter of 10th maxillary tooth at the junction of the 



crown and fang 0'4 



Discussioif. 



Dr. DiTNGAiir suggested that the Ichthyosaurian fossil might be 

 derivative from some secondary rock. He mentioned that Dr. Leith 

 Adams had once sent him an Aspidiscus cristatus from the Hippu- 

 rite Limestone, which was stated to have come from Malta. To 

 account for this, he suggested that the Miocene of Malta might 

 have been supported on beds of Cretaceous age, and fossils from that 

 source might have become imbedded in the coral reefs of the later 

 date. 



