﻿20 
  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  

  

  (ESTOCEPHALUS 
  PECTINATUS, 
  Cope. 
  

  

  HauropUura 
  peclinata, 
  Cope, 
  loc. 
  cit., 
  1868, 
  218. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  represented 
  by 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  vertebral 
  columns 
  of 
  four 
  individuals. 
  In 
  two 
  of 
  these, 
  vertebral 
  

   centra 
  are 
  discoverable, 
  in 
  one 
  quite 
  definitely. 
  They 
  are 
  slightly 
  constricted 
  medially, 
  and 
  without 
  ridge 
  or 
  

   process. 
  

  

  The 
  neural 
  and 
  haemal 
  spines 
  of 
  superior 
  and 
  inferior 
  lines 
  are 
  similar, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  specimens 
  undistinguishable. 
  

   The 
  dilated 
  portions 
  form 
  nearly 
  equilateral 
  triangles, 
  which 
  stand 
  on 
  moderately 
  short 
  pedicels. 
  They 
  are 
  weakly 
  

   ridged, 
  and 
  each 
  ridge 
  is 
  prolonged 
  into 
  a 
  narrow 
  acute 
  tooth, 
  beyond 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  which 
  eleven 
  may 
  be 
  counted 
  

   on 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  preserved. 
  The 
  longitudinal 
  striae 
  are 
  terminated 
  near 
  the 
  pedicel 
  by 
  two 
  others 
  which 
  cross 
  

   obliquely 
  from 
  each 
  side 
  and 
  meeting 
  present 
  an 
  appearance 
  similar 
  to 
  an 
  overlapping 
  of 
  each 
  margin. 
  The 
  

   edges 
  of 
  the 
  spines 
  form 
  a 
  continuous 
  line. 
  

  

  As 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  species, 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  indications 
  of 
  other 
  processes, 
  nor 
  of 
  dermal 
  scales. 
  

  

  The 
  smallest 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  shows 
  that 
  infront 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  furnished 
  with 
  the 
  peculiar 
  spines 
  described, 
  the 
  

   body 
  is 
  furnished 
  with 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  bristle 
  or 
  hair-like 
  scales. 
  The 
  grooved 
  neural 
  spines 
  are 
  slightly 
  displaced 
  

   anteriorly, 
  and 
  the 
  bristle-like 
  mass 
  looks 
  like 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  their 
  striae, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  easy 
  to 
  find 
  any 
  line 
  of 
  

   demarkation 
  between 
  them. 
  The 
  serrate 
  spines 
  are 
  further 
  forwards 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  than 
  the 
  other. 
  These 
  

   linear 
  scales 
  were 
  arranged 
  as 
  in 
  other 
  genera, 
  in 
  lines 
  which 
  converge 
  forwards 
  to 
  the 
  median 
  line. 
  They 
  are 
  

   somewhat 
  obscured 
  in 
  the 
  specimen, 
  but 
  it 
  cannot 
  be 
  determined 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  continuous 
  on 
  the 
  median 
  line. 
  

   Whether 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  posterior 
  or 
  anterior 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  cannot 
  positively 
  be 
  determined 
  from 
  the 
  specimen 
  ; 
  it 
  

   is, 
  however, 
  most 
  likely 
  the 
  posterior, 
  for 
  near 
  the 
  posterior 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  striate 
  surface 
  a 
  weak 
  pair 
  of 
  

   limbs 
  is 
  given 
  off 
  on 
  each 
  side. 
  On 
  the 
  right, 
  a 
  moderately 
  stout 
  femur 
  is 
  followed 
  by 
  a 
  broken 
  tibia 
  

   and 
  fibula, 
  and 
  by 
  five 
  slender, 
  closely 
  oppressed 
  metatarsals. 
  The 
  last 
  are 
  about 
  2-5 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  space 
  

   between 
  them 
  and 
  the 
  femur 
  :• 
  beyond 
  them 
  a 
  few 
  slender 
  phalanges 
  are 
  moderately 
  distinctly 
  defined. 
  The 
  

   tibia 
  is 
  more 
  distinct 
  on 
  the 
  left, 
  but 
  no 
  tarsus 
  or 
  phalanges; 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  metatarsals 
  are 
  preserved 
  here 
  

   also. 
  Length 
  of 
  limb 
  to 
  end 
  of 
  metatarsals 
  equal 
  to 
  five 
  vertebra? 
  in 
  juxtaposition, 
  measured 
  along 
  the 
  edges 
  

   of 
  the 
  neural 
  spines. 
  The 
  limb 
  has 
  been 
  slender, 
  especially 
  the 
  hand. 
  

  

  The 
  above 
  specimen 
  enables 
  me 
  to 
  assign 
  as 
  the 
  ventral 
  armature 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  a 
  closely 
  packed 
  series 
  of 
  

   V-shaped 
  grooves 
  which 
  lie 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  an 
  obscure 
  vertebral 
  column, 
  on 
  the 
  block 
  containing 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  typical 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  this 
  species. 
  They 
  are 
  not 
  continuous 
  with 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  exhibited 
  on 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  block 
  : 
  

   some 
  of 
  these 
  at 
  least 
  are 
  the 
  doublings 
  of 
  the 
  slender 
  animal, 
  and 
  this 
  ventral 
  portion 
  has 
  been 
  displaced. 
  The 
  

   grooves 
  are 
  like 
  the 
  impressions 
  of 
  haemapophysial 
  rods, 
  vastly 
  more 
  numerous 
  however 
  than 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   vertebra 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  really 
  the 
  dermal 
  armature. 
  Huxley 
  figures 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  block 
  with 
  the 
  

   Urocordylus 
  wandesfordii, 
  but 
  does 
  not 
  refer 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  precise 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  animal. 
  A 
  few 
  well 
  developed 
  ribs 
  are 
  

   preserved 
  with 
  this 
  portion, 
  the 
  only 
  ones 
  I 
  can 
  refer 
  to 
  this 
  species. 
  The 
  vertebrae 
  are 
  partly 
  enclosed 
  in 
  matrix, 
  

   partly 
  impressions. 
  The 
  neural 
  spines, 
  though 
  expanded 
  anteroposteriorly, 
  are 
  less 
  elevated 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  caudal 
  region, 
  

   and 
  have 
  left 
  no 
  traces 
  of 
  their 
  characteristic 
  ribs 
  or 
  serration. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  spines 
  in 
  the 
  type 
  specimens 
  is 
  six 
  in 
  a 
  half 
  inch 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  smallest, 
  just 
  described, 
  ten 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   distance. 
  The 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  spine 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  1.15 
  lines. 
  

  

  MOLGOPHIS, 
  Cope. 
  

   Loc. 
  Cit. 
  1808, 
  220. 
  

  

  This 
  genus 
  is 
  established 
  on 
  remains 
  represented 
  by 
  three 
  specimens, 
  which 
  are 
  two 
  

   series 
  of 
  dorsal 
  vertebrae 
  with 
  ribs, 
  and 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  caudals. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  series 
  

   embraces 
  sixteen 
  vertebrae, 
  the 
  other 
  fourteen, 
  the 
  caudal 
  series, 
  twenty-two. 
  

  

  From 
  its 
  serpentine 
  form 
  this 
  genus 
  may 
  be 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  Dolichosoma 
  of 
  

   Huxley, 
  though 
  a 
  close 
  relation 
  does 
  not 
  exist 
  between 
  them. 
  In 
  the 
  Irish 
  genus, 
  the 
  

  

  