310 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May 26, 



cernible upon the slab of shale from Bradford. In all, only the 

 centra are discernible, without any indication of arches or processes. 

 The centra are discoidal, concave on each face, and incline to be 

 somewhat polygonal in contour. They singularly resemble the ver- 

 tebrae of Anthracosaurus, and, like them, remind one strongly of 

 Ichthyosaurus. The concave face of the largest is 1*4 in. in diameter. 

 In no case can the antero-posterior dimension be made out with ac- 

 curacy; but it seems not to have exceeded one-third or one- 

 fourth of the transverse diameter. A detached vertebra which, I 

 am informed by Mr. MiaU, undoubtedly belongs to the fossil, pre- 

 sents a centrum which is quite similar to those scattered about on the 

 slab, together with well-developed articular processes (6, figs. 6 & 7) 

 and remains of transverse processes (a, figs. 6 & 7). The vertebra 

 is much broken, and may have undergone some shght distortion ; but 

 its proportions cannot have been very dijfferent from those displayed 

 in figs. 6 & 7, and these are very different from those of the vertebrae 

 of Pholidog aster. 



The ribs are strong and curved ; the largest measures not less 

 than 7 inches along the chord of its arc, while its shaft is 0-3 in. thick. 

 The shortest rib is about 3 inches long, and tapers to a point at its 

 distal end. The proximal ends of the ribs are expanded and divided 

 into two articular facets. No such strong ribs as these are visible 

 in the only known specimen of Pholidogaster ; but they are very like 

 the ribs of Anthracosaurus. 



The ventral armour of the Bradford fossil consists of scutes (figs. 

 2, 3, 4, 5), the largest of which are about 2 inches in long diameter, 

 and half an inch across. One end of each scute is rather narrower 

 than the other, and the outer surface of each is traversed obliquely 

 by a convex ridge, which passes from the small to the large end 

 of the plate, and thus divides it into two unequal facets. The facets 

 are occasionally rugose, but are not sculptured ; the convex ridge 

 dividing them is smooth. The plates seem to have overlapped one 

 another in such a way as to expose little more than the surface of 

 the oblique ridges ; but the precise manner of their arrangement 

 is nowhere shown with clearness in the specimen. 



What appear to be remains of the thoracic plates and of the 

 shoulder-girdle are visible, but there are no certain traces of limbs. 



I cannot identify this interesting fossil with any generic form at 

 present known. It resembles Pholidogaster more than any genus 

 with which I am acquainted ; but it differs therefrom altogether in the 

 form of its vertebral centra, and in the details of its ventral armour. 



On the whole, I think it wiU be best to recognize it as a new 

 generic and specific form, for which I propose the name of Pholider- 

 peton scutigerum. 



Note on the Locality of the Fossil ahove described. 



By Louis C. Miall, Esq. 



[Abridged.] 



Pragments of the fossil above described were found last summer in 



the roof of the Black-Bed or Royd's Coal, at Toftshaw, near Bradford. 



