FOSSIL GENUS BASILOSAURUS. 15 



may, by way of example, refer to that of Saurus, which Cuvier has applied to a 



genus of Fishes. In the order of priority, Prof Agassiz's Phocodon supercedes Zeic- 



glodon, which latter designation only expresses a character of the teeth, which is 



equally present in. some of the Dugongs and Seals. Of the several names — Basilo- 



saurus, Phocodon, Squalodon, Zeuglodonand Dorudon, which have been successively 



applied to these fossil remains, I respectfully suggest the propriety of restoring the 



original appellative of the discoverer ; and in so doing I farther propose, in the 



present state of our knowledge, to recognize three species of this extraordinary genus, 



thus: 



Basilosaurus. Harlan. 



1. B. cetoides. Owen. 



2. B. serratus. Gibbes. 



3. B. squalodon. Grateloup. 



HEFERENCE TO THE PLATES. 



PLATE I. 



Figs. 1 and 2. Anterior extremity of lower maxilla, (reduced.) Dr. Emmons's collection. 

 " 3. Molar tooth, (natural size.) Dr. Emmons's collection. 

 " 4. Large vertebra, (reduced.) Dr. Emmons's collection. 



" 5. Fragment of upper maxilla, from Leognan in the Gironde. Squalodon of M. Grateloup. 

 " 6 and 7. Pristis Agassii, (nobis.) 

 " 8. Section of molar tooth of Basilosaurus cetoides, from Prof, Owen's Odontography. 



PLATE II. 



Fig. 1. Two views of canine teeth of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 

 " 2. Section of canine tooth of B. serratus. The author's collection. 

 " 3. Section of canine tooth of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 

 " 4. Small caudal vertebra of B. cetoides, (natural size.) The author's collection. 

 " 5. Small caudal vertebra, posterior articular surface, (natural size.) 



" 6 and 7. Large caudal vertebrce of B. cetoides, (one-fourth natural size.) The author's collection. 

 " 8. Twelve caudal vertebrte reduced, and in relative position. 

 " 9. Tooth of the Basilosaurus of Malta, copied from Scilla. PAocoJon, of Prof. Agassiz. 



PLATE III. 



Fig. 1. Fragment of lower maxilla of B. serratus. The author's collection. 

 " 2. Fragment of lower maxilla of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 

 " 3. Section of fig. 1. 

 " 4. Section of fig. 2. 

 " 5. Upper surface of fig. 6. 

 '•' 6. Anterior fragment of lower maxilla of B. cetoides. The author's collection. 



PLATE IV. 

 Fig. 1. Fragment of lower maxilla and teeth ol'B. serratus. 

 " 2. Edge view of molar tooth of B. serratus, (natural size.) 

 " 4. Lateral view of the same tooth. 

 " 3. Two views of a canine tooth of B. serratus. 



PLATE V. 



Cranium of Basilosaurus, found in the Eocene near Charleston, South Carolina. 



