SIR R. OWEN ON A LABYRINTHODONT AMPHIBIAN. 339 
Discussion. 
Dr. H. Woopwarp remarked upon the advantage of the enlightened 
course taken by the authorities of the Museum at Bloemfontein in 
sending these exceedingly interesting specimens by Dr. Exton to the 
British Museum for identification and description. He hoped that 
further treasures of the same kind might be acquired by that Museum, 
which was located in a most favourable position for securing such 
objects, and that the same course would be adopted with them. 
Dr. Exron said that the precise locality from which the specimen 
described by Sir Richard Owen was derived was perfectly well 
known. It was from a farm called Beersheba, in the neighbourhood 
of Smithfield. There is sufficient evidence that the strata in which 
it occurred are Triassic. The skull described in the present paper was 
from lower beds than the Tritylodon. He was exceedingly glad 
that he had been enabled to bring these interesting specimens to 
England for description, and he thanked Sir R. Owen for describing 
them. 
Prof. Szenzy felt a diffidence in speaking without having seen the 
specimen. He agreed with Sir R. Owen in thinking that certain 
South-African fossil Reptilia show Mammalian characters. The 
diagrams clearly showed the cranial and palatal characters of the 
present species ; but without the teeth the cranium might almost be 
Chelonian. It seemed to him possible that even such palatal cha- 
racters as were shown may occur in true reptiles or in forms inter- 
mediate between Reptiles and Amphibia. Jchthyosaurus shows a 
divided vomer. 
The AvutHor in reply said that the divided vomer and the form of 
the skull showed decided Batrachian affinities, but that the struc- 
ture of the tooth, of which a magnified drawing was on the table, 
was quite conclusive as to the Labyrinthodont relationship of the 
animal. 
