﻿_ 
  AND 
  AVES 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  AMERICA. 
  55 
  

  

  verse 
  of 
  those 
  ordinarily 
  observed 
  among 
  reptiles, 
  whence 
  I 
  was 
  induced 
  to 
  consider 
  it 
  as 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  a 
  peculiar 
  

   group 
  of 
  high 
  rank. 
  This 
  view 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  abandoned 
  on 
  a 
  correct 
  interpretation 
  of 
  the 
  extremities. 
  Leidy 
  

   detected 
  the 
  error 
  in 
  this 
  arrangement, 
  and 
  the 
  correction 
  extends 
  to 
  Cimoliasaurus 
  as 
  well. 
  

  

  ELASMOSAURUS 
  ORIENTALIS, 
  Cope. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  two 
  vertebrae. 
  The 
  first 
  resembles 
  both 
  the 
  twelfth 
  from 
  the 
  first 
  dorsal 
  of 
  the 
  cervi- 
  

   cal 
  series 
  of 
  Cimoliasaurus 
  magnus, 
  or 
  the 
  fifth 
  from 
  behind, 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  of 
  Elasmosaurus. 
  Its 
  large 
  size, 
  lateral 
  

   longitudinal 
  angle 
  and 
  small 
  neural 
  canal 
  refer 
  it 
  with 
  more 
  probability 
  to 
  the 
  latter 
  genus. 
  It 
  appears 
  to 
  belong 
  to 
  

   a 
  species 
  possessing 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  the 
  Cimoliasaurus 
  magnus, 
  having 
  the 
  quadrate 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  

   cervicals 
  of 
  that 
  animal, 
  and 
  lacking 
  entirely 
  the 
  compression 
  of 
  the 
  centrum 
  and 
  lateral 
  concavity 
  of 
  the 
  E. 
  platyurus. 
  

   The 
  parapophyses 
  are 
  stronger 
  and 
  slightly 
  more 
  descending 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  fifth 
  cervical 
  of 
  the 
  latter, 
  again 
  resembling 
  

   the 
  more 
  posterior 
  vertebra 
  of 
  C. 
  magnus 
  Leidy. 
  The 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  parapophyses 
  are 
  more 
  elongate 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  cor- 
  

   responding 
  vertebra 
  of 
  C. 
  magnus; 
  the 
  process 
  was 
  directed 
  downwards 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  of 
  45°, 
  from 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  the 
  in- 
  

   ferior 
  aspect. 
  The 
  inferior 
  plane 
  is 
  slightly 
  concave, 
  with 
  two 
  venous 
  foramina, 
  each 
  in 
  a 
  strong 
  groove 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

   of 
  a 
  narrow 
  median 
  rib. 
  The 
  lateral 
  surface 
  is 
  nearly 
  vertical 
  and 
  slightly 
  concave 
  to 
  the 
  strong 
  longitudinal 
  angle. 
  

   Above 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  face 
  is 
  oblique 
  concave 
  for 
  a 
  width 
  equal 
  to 
  that 
  below. 
  The 
  articular 
  faces 
  are 
  transverse 
  ovals 
  

   and 
  slightly 
  concave; 
  their 
  margin 
  not 
  prominent, 
  nor 
  ribbed 
  on 
  the 
  lateral 
  faces. 
  

  

  Lines. 
  

   Length, 
  45 
  

  

  Width, 
  52 
  

  

  Depth 
  to 
  canal, 
  36 
  

  

  Lines. 
  

   Width 
  canal 
  7.7 
  

  

  Length 
  basis 
  of 
  parapophysis, 
  25. 
  

  

  If 
  we 
  estimate 
  this 
  vertebra 
  by 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  lateral 
  ridge 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  the 
  eighth 
  anterior 
  to 
  the 
  last 
  rib- 
  

   bearing, 
  which 
  I 
  call 
  cervicals 
  in 
  this 
  genus, 
  the 
  transverse 
  diameter 
  of 
  this 
  vertebra 
  in 
  C. 
  magnus 
  is 
  

   two-thirds 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  dorsal 
  with 
  diapophyses 
  near 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  centrum. 
  Should 
  the 
  proportions 
  have 
  been 
  

   similar 
  in 
  this 
  species, 
  the 
  diameter 
  of 
  that 
  dorsal 
  would 
  measure 
  6£ 
  inches, 
  indicative 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  American 
  

   saurians. 
  As, 
  however, 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Elasmosaurus 
  the 
  disproportion 
  between 
  the 
  size.s 
  of 
  the 
  caudals 
  and 
  the 
  dorsals 
  

   is 
  less 
  than 
  its 
  ally, 
  the 
  latter 
  have 
  probably 
  presented 
  a 
  diameter 
  more 
  like 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  E. 
  platyurus. 
  

  

  A 
  second 
  vertebra 
  from 
  near 
  the 
  same 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  column 
  of 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  individaal 
  was 
  obtained 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Samuel 
  

   Lockwood, 
  superintendent 
  of 
  schools 
  of 
  Monmouth 
  County, 
  N. 
  J., 
  from 
  Wm. 
  Conovers' 
  pit 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  bed, 
  near 
  

   Marlboro, 
  in 
  that 
  county. 
  The 
  diapophyses 
  are 
  directed 
  downwards 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  of 
  45°. 
  The 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  articular 
  

   faces 
  are 
  not 
  everted, 
  while 
  the 
  inferior 
  presents 
  an 
  open 
  emargination 
  medially. 
  The 
  two 
  inferior 
  foramina 
  are 
  very 
  

   large. 
  The 
  measurements 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  i 
  & 
  v 
  

  

  In. 
  

  

  Lin. 
  

  

  5 
  

  

  9 
  

  

  4 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  4 
  

  

  6 
  

  

  Width 
  of 
  articular 
  surface, 
  

   Depth 
  do. 
  do., 
  

  

  Length 
  centrum, 
  

  

  The 
  name 
  is 
  not 
  given 
  under 
  any 
  supposition 
  of 
  restricted 
  habitat, 
  which 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   E. 
  platyurus, 
  but 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  probability 
  of 
  its 
  greater 
  abundance 
  where 
  its 
  remains 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  than 
  

   elsewhere. 
  ' 
  

  

  Our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  unfortunately 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  two 
  vertebra 
  above 
  described. 
  The 
  first 
  is 
  

   from 
  the 
  lower 
  cretaceous 
  greensand 
  bed, 
  from 
  near 
  Swedesboro, 
  Gloucester 
  County, 
  New 
  Jersey. 
  It 
  was 
  found 
  in 
  a 
  

   tailor's 
  shop 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  block 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  door. 
  

  

  