﻿358 
  H. 
  G. 
  SEELET 
  ON 
  NETTSTICOSAURUS 
  PUSILLUS. 
  

  

  bone 
  is 
  convex 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  ridge 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  slightly 
  

   concave 
  in 
  length. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  second 
  specimen 
  the 
  coracoids 
  are 
  not 
  seen, 
  and 
  the 
  

   scapulae, 
  looked 
  at 
  from 
  above, 
  present 
  no 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  bones 
  

   just 
  described. 
  How 
  far 
  this 
  apparent 
  difference 
  may 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  

   position, 
  and 
  how 
  far 
  to 
  their 
  being 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  clavicular 
  bones, 
  

   I 
  am 
  unable 
  to 
  determine. 
  The 
  posterior 
  processes 
  are 
  parallel 
  to 
  

   each 
  other 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  transverse 
  external 
  width 
  across 
  them 
  is 
  2 
  cm. 
  

   The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  scapula 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  13 
  \ 
  mm. 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  process 
  is 
  not 
  quite 
  complete 
  behind, 
  where 
  it 
  extends 
  over 
  

   the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  humerus 
  and 
  the 
  articular 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  coracoid. 
  

   The 
  scapulae 
  appear 
  to 
  converge 
  forward 
  in 
  a 
  convex 
  curve. 
  

  

  The 
  coracoid 
  is 
  essentially 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  type 
  as 
  that 
  so 
  well 
  

   figured 
  by 
  von 
  Meyer 
  as 
  pertaining 
  to 
  Nothosaurus. 
  The 
  scapula 
  

   only 
  differs 
  in 
  specific 
  characters 
  and 
  smaller 
  size 
  from 
  some 
  small 
  

   bones 
  (Muschelkalksaurier, 
  t. 
  33. 
  fig. 
  40-44) 
  found 
  near 
  Jena, 
  which 
  

   von 
  Meyer 
  did 
  not 
  name. 
  It 
  has 
  a 
  general 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  

   scapula 
  of 
  Nothosaurus 
  (t. 
  34). 
  The 
  fragment 
  of 
  a 
  left 
  clavicle 
  

   which 
  adjoins 
  the 
  corresponding 
  scapula 
  is 
  broad, 
  but 
  too 
  imperfect 
  

   to 
  give 
  any 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  clavicular 
  elements 
  of 
  the 
  arch. 
  

   Thus 
  the 
  pectoral 
  bones, 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  

   Nothosaurus 
  than 
  Phsiosaurus. 
  The 
  Nothosaurian 
  coracoid 
  is 
  

   essentially 
  a 
  modified 
  crocodilian 
  coracoid, 
  differing 
  chiefly 
  in 
  having 
  

   the 
  median 
  margin 
  rather 
  more 
  elongated 
  ; 
  and 
  instead 
  of 
  having 
  

   the 
  articular 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  bone 
  pierced 
  by 
  a 
  foramen, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  notch 
  

   between 
  it 
  and 
  the 
  scapula, 
  as 
  in 
  many 
  Dinosaurs 
  and 
  Ichthyosaurs 
  ; 
  

   but 
  this 
  notch 
  is 
  not 
  developed 
  in 
  our 
  fossil. 
  It 
  only 
  needs 
  that 
  the 
  

   antero-posterior 
  elongation 
  of 
  the 
  coracoid 
  of 
  Neusticosaurus 
  should 
  

   be 
  carried 
  further 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  comparable 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  Phsiosaurus. 
  

   Thus 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  that 
  bone 
  in 
  Phsiosaurus 
  becomes 
  a 
  modification 
  

   of 
  a 
  crocodilian 
  type. 
  

  

  The 
  scapula 
  is 
  at 
  first 
  sight 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  understand; 
  but 
  

   when 
  that 
  bone 
  in 
  Nothosaurus 
  is 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  scapula 
  of 
  the 
  

   Crocodile, 
  the 
  blade 
  of 
  the 
  bone 
  is 
  similarly 
  directed 
  upward 
  and 
  

   backward, 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  expanded 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Crocodile, 
  while 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  or 
  preacetabular 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bone 
  is 
  more 
  developed. 
  The 
  

   resemblance 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  close 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  coracoid 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  difference 
  is 
  

   one 
  of 
  proportion, 
  not 
  of 
  plan, 
  and 
  therefore 
  may 
  be 
  classed 
  as 
  

   functional. 
  In 
  our 
  fossil 
  the 
  blade 
  of 
  the 
  bone 
  becomes 
  directed 
  

   more 
  backward 
  and 
  assumes 
  a 
  form 
  closely 
  approaching 
  the 
  supra- 
  

   acetabular 
  process 
  of 
  the 
  scapula 
  in 
  some 
  Plesiosaurs, 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  

   thus 
  led 
  to 
  identify 
  with 
  the 
  blade 
  of 
  the 
  scapula 
  in 
  the 
  Crocodile. 
  

   The 
  preacetabular 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  scapula 
  in 
  Nothosaurus, 
  or 
  even 
  in 
  

   this 
  fossil, 
  diverges 
  much 
  less 
  from 
  the 
  crocodilian 
  type 
  than 
  does 
  

   the 
  scapula 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  genus 
  as 
  Colymbosaurus 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  Notho- 
  

   saurus. 
  

  

  The 
  striking 
  and 
  distinctive 
  feature 
  of 
  these 
  Triassic 
  Saurians 
  

   consists 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  clavicular 
  bones, 
  which 
  

   form 
  an 
  arch 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  preacetabular 
  elements 
  of 
  the 
  scapulae. 
  

   Nothing 
  corresponding 
  to 
  these 
  elements, 
  except 
  the 
  interclavicular 
  

  

  

  