Yol. 63.~] SKELETON OF GONIOPHOLIS CRASSIDEXS. 51 



2nd edition of his ' Medals of Creation,' * and in « Petrifactions, & 

 their Teachings,' and in other of his works, while it was finally 

 more fully described by Owen in 1878. 2 



In the Reptile Gallery of the Natural History Museum (Geological 

 Department), the same frame contains, not only the two type-blocks, 

 but a smaller one, with the impression of the orbital region of the 

 skull and a fragment of the frontal bone, situate between the orbits ; 

 and the impression and fragments of a moiety of the right ramus. 

 This particular block was not referred to by Mantell or Owen. It 

 is not mentioned in either of the works cited, nor is it noticed 

 in the 'Catalogue of Fossil Reptilia & Amphibia' pt. i (1888), 

 of the British Museum. When I mentioned this to Dr. A. Smith 

 Woodward, he referred to Mantell's original manuscript-catalogue 

 of his collection, where it is noted ; consequently, no doubt as to its 

 belonging to the type-specimen can be entertained. 



Separate teeth are figured by Owen. 3 He refers to, and figures, 

 the greater portion of the premaxillae of Goniopholis, revealing 

 the almost entire narial aperture, discovered by Mr. G. B. Holmes, 

 of Horsham, in the Wealden of Cuckfield (Sussex). He ascribes this 

 specimen to Goniopholis crassidens without stating reasons ; but, 

 as no teeth are preserved and the premaxillae are unknown, it 

 could alone have been suggested as belonging to that particular 

 species, by the horizon from which it was derived. In the same 

 supplement, 4 Owen simply refers to fig. 5, pi. i, remarking that the 

 specimen there figured was from the Purbeck Stone. It comprises 

 the anterior ends of the rami, minus the splenials, now in the 

 possession of the British Museum. This fossil is also referred to 

 Goniopholis crassidens, because of its geological horizon. That this 

 was the reason is made evident by his stating, 5 in reference to 

 three vertebras, that 



'they were obtained by Mr. Holmes from the same bed of Wealden Clay, 

 at Cuckfield, as the teeth and scutes figured in pi. iii, characteristic of the 

 genus Goniopholis, to which, therefore, I refer them.' 



With these latter there were also preserved a caudal vertebra, 

 coracoid, humerus, ilium, femur, and other bones. 



The preceding appear to be the only recorded remains of Gonio- 

 pholis crassidens, and, excepting the isolated fragmentary moieties 

 referred to that reptile by Owen, the skull was unknown. 



Another species, under the name of Goniopholis simus, was 

 described by Owen 6 from a skull, minus the lower jaw, from 

 the Purbeck of Swanage. This particular specimen had been pre- 

 viously described by Hulke, 7 together with a skull and mandibles, 

 acquired by Mr. Willett, from the Purbeck of Swanage, and 



1 Vol. ii (1854) pp. 677-79. 



2 ' Monograph of the Fossil Eeptilia of the Wealden & Purbeck Formations ' 

 Suppl. viii (Palaeont. Soc. 1878) p. 1. 



3 Ibid. pi. i. 4 Bid. p. 4. 5 Ibid p. 5. G Ibid. p. 7. 



7 ' Note on Two Skulls from the Wealden & Purbeck Formations, &c.' Quart. 

 Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxxiv (1878) pp. 377-81 & pi. xv. 



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