﻿t 
  

  

  0£ 
  

  

  $41 
  

  

  TRANSACTIONS 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  PHILOSOPHICAL 
  SOCIETY 
  

  

  SYNOPSIS 
  

  

  OF 
  THE 
  

  

  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  AND 
  AVES 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  AMERICA. 
  

  

  BY 
  EDWARD 
  D. 
  COPE. 
  

   Read 
  September 
  18. 
  1868, 
  and 
  April 
  2, 
  1869. 
  

  

  PREFACE 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  designed 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  essay, 
  to 
  give 
  descriptions 
  of 
  the 
  known 
  remains 
  of 
  

   the 
  Batrachia, 
  Reptiles 
  and 
  Birds, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  fully 
  made 
  known 
  by 
  

   others. 
  This 
  is 
  left 
  for 
  the 
  day 
  when 
  our 
  knowledge 
  shall 
  more 
  nearly 
  approach 
  complete- 
  

   ness. 
  While 
  the 
  subject 
  is 
  in 
  its 
  infancy, 
  I 
  have 
  thought 
  best 
  to 
  describe 
  only 
  those 
  

   species 
  and 
  types 
  which 
  are 
  new, 
  and 
  those 
  portions 
  of 
  imperfectly 
  known 
  forms 
  which 
  

   will 
  throw 
  additional 
  light 
  on 
  their 
  relations 
  and 
  affinities. 
  In 
  adhering 
  to 
  this 
  plan, 
  I 
  

   have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  add 
  no 
  little 
  to 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  Reptiles 
  already 
  described 
  by 
  my 
  

   predecessors, 
  Leidy, 
  Owen, 
  Dawson, 
  Wyman, 
  Lea, 
  etc. 
  Where, 
  however, 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  

   nothing 
  to 
  add, 
  I 
  have 
  referred 
  to 
  their 
  published 
  descriptions, 
  which 
  are 
  numerous 
  and 
  

   well-known. 
  The 
  literature 
  of 
  the 
  subject 
  will 
  then 
  be 
  found 
  under 
  the 
  respective 
  specific 
  

   heads. 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  Memoir 
  was 
  originally 
  prepared 
  under 
  the 
  title 
  of 
  "Contributions 
  to 
  the 
  

   History 
  of 
  the 
  Vertebrates 
  of 
  the 
  Mesozoic 
  Periods 
  in 
  New 
  Jersey 
  and 
  Pennsylvania," 
  

   and 
  presented 
  to 
  the 
  Academy 
  of 
  Natural 
  Sciences 
  of 
  Philadelphia, 
  for 
  publication, 
  Fifth 
  

   Month, 
  14, 
  1867. 
  The 
  more 
  important 
  parts 
  of 
  its 
  contents 
  were 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  

   embodied 
  in 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  remarks 
  before 
  the 
  Academy. 
  This 
  essay 
  was 
  withdrawn, 
  owing 
  

   to 
  delay 
  in 
  the 
  publication, 
  and 
  the 
  remarks 
  made 
  were 
  not 
  printed. 
  An 
  abstract 
  of 
  part 
  

  

  AMERI. 
  PHILOSO. 
  SOC. 
  — 
  VOf,. 
  XIV. 
  1 
  

  

  