264 Scientific Intelligence. 
All the vertebree considerably more constricted medially than in 
Brimosaurus or Cimoliosaurus, and none except cervicals with such 
small antero-posterior diameter as the latter possess, 
The general characters of the species are to be presented ina 
special essay. 
He called it Hlasmosaurus platyurus Cope, from the caudal lam- 
ine, and the great plate bones of the sternal and pelvic re 
t was a marine saurian, whose progression was more largely at- 
complished by its tail than by its paddles. 
he teeth and muzzle showed it to be an ally of Plesiosaurus 
e former were cylindric, implanted in very deep alveolx, and 
furnished with a very sm P The exposed s 
closely and sharply striate to the narrowly acuminate ti 
eds were argillaceous, with um ; the latter min 
eral coating the bones. The age was Cretaceous; perhaps, 
ing to LeConte, the upper middle. The m trix beneath the dorsal 
vertebre contained remains of perhaps six species . a Wee 
“1. During the Post-pliocene epoch, Brazil was imbabited bys ; 
very rich Mammalian Fauna, of which the recent one might rf 
be said to be a mere fraction or a crippled remnant, as many * few 
genera, even families and sub-orders, have vanished, and very 
have been added in more recent times. 
2 
lian Fauna had the same peculiar character which now 
very day are peculiarly characteristic of South A Livi 
red to - 
two of its genera, the one extinct (Mastodon), oe other oe 
€ 
ere, richer 
8. All the Mammalian orders were not in the same degree i 
in genera in former times than now. The Brata, Ungulata, test 
boscidea, and, lastly, the Ferm, have relatively suffered the ep 
losses. Some orders, for instance the Chiroptera and 
ber roe even more genera now than formerly. erica dif 
ost-pliocene Mammalian Fauna of South all more 
pep reese from the modern one, ne a os Pevding ss 
rich in peculiar cen ‘ine n the Corres 
a a me fe era, now extinct, tha 
_5. The Scantiness of great Mammalia—one mg ies 
like stamp impressed upon the South American ammalia 
of our days, when compared with that of the Eastern Ht *rebistorie we a 
The Post-pliocene Mastodonts, Macraucheniz, 
BS ate ee ee a ee a | oo esis aman. etl 
During the whole Post-pliocene epoch the Brazilian Meum 
r 
Simi, cl 
he dwar : 
‘Fm 
