﻿66 
  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  

  

  The 
  dermal 
  plates 
  are 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  Holops 
  obscurus, 
  but 
  have 
  smaller 
  pits, 
  wider 
  intervals, 
  and 
  one 
  margin 
  

   without 
  pits, 
  but 
  smooth 
  and 
  thinned 
  out. 
  

  

  Lines. 
  

   Width 
  ramus 
  where 
  tooth 
  series 
  turns 
  from 
  inner 
  to 
  outer 
  margin, 
  14.5 
  

  

  " 
  interorbital 
  space, 
  14. 
  

  

  " 
  articular 
  facet 
  of 
  mandible, 
  19. 
  

  

  Length 
  dermal 
  bone, 
  25. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  refer 
  vertebrae 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  with 
  certainty, 
  as 
  they 
  resemble 
  so 
  closely 
  those 
  of 
  Holops. 
  The 
  

   species 
  is 
  less 
  abundant 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  latter, 
  and 
  being 
  found 
  with 
  them 
  the 
  vertebrae, 
  are 
  easily 
  confused. 
  It 
  is 
  

   not 
  impossible, 
  for 
  instance, 
  that 
  those 
  referred 
  to 
  H. 
  tenebrosus 
  belong 
  to 
  this 
  animal, 
  as 
  teeth 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  were 
  

   found 
  near 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  and 
  place. 
  There 
  have, 
  however, 
  come 
  under 
  my 
  observation 
  some 
  vertebrae 
  different 
  from 
  

   those 
  of 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  Holopes, 
  which 
  correspond 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  rarity 
  with 
  the 
  present 
  crocodile. 
  A 
  description 
  is 
  

   therefore 
  appended. 
  

  

  First 
  — 
  These 
  are 
  a 
  fourth 
  cervical 
  vertebra, 
  and 
  some 
  long 
  bones, 
  which 
  were 
  presented 
  together 
  to 
  the 
  Burling- 
  

   ton 
  County, 
  N. 
  J., 
  Lyceum, 
  and 
  were 
  procured 
  at 
  Gaskill's 
  excavations 
  near 
  Birmingham 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  county. 
  

  

  The 
  vertebra 
  differs 
  much 
  in 
  form 
  from 
  other 
  species 
  here 
  described, 
  and 
  though 
  absolutely 
  larger 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  

   T. 
  neocaesariensis, 
  the 
  neural 
  arch 
  was 
  not 
  coossified 
  with 
  the 
  body, 
  indicating 
  the 
  immaturity 
  of 
  the 
  individual. 
  

  

  The 
  body 
  is 
  but 
  slightly 
  concave 
  between 
  the 
  planes 
  of 
  the 
  parapophyses, 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  directed 
  down- 
  

   wards 
  ; 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  very 
  short, 
  and 
  their 
  articular 
  faces 
  are 
  directed 
  posteriorly 
  and 
  outwards 
  anteriorly, 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  portions 
  being 
  connected 
  by 
  a 
  high 
  crescentoid 
  ridge, 
  whose 
  anterior 
  margin 
  approaches 
  within 
  three 
  lines 
  

   of 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  articular 
  cup 
  ; 
  behind, 
  a 
  weak 
  median 
  keel 
  connects 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  body 
  plane, 
  which 
  is 
  succeeded 
  by 
  

   a 
  prominent 
  tuberosity 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  posterior 
  shoulder. 
  The 
  anterior 
  parapophysial 
  articular 
  surface 
  extends 
  without 
  

   constriction 
  to 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  cup. 
  The 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  neural 
  canal 
  is 
  broken 
  away, 
  revealing 
  a 
  

   wedge-shaped 
  chamber, 
  which 
  extends 
  posteriorly 
  and 
  outwardly 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  shoulder. 
  

  

  In. 
  Lin. 
  

   Total 
  length, 
  2 
  10. 
  

  

  Length 
  to 
  shoulder, 
  2 
  3. 
  

  

  Width 
  of 
  cup, 
  1 
  8. 
  

  

  Vertical 
  diameter 
  of 
  cup, 
  1 
  6.75 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  to 
  edge 
  of 
  parapophysis, 
  2 
  

  

  Width 
  between 
  parapophyses 
  near 
  cup, 
  1 
  10. 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  " 
  at 
  posterior 
  angle, 
  2 
  1. 
  

  

  Length 
  from 
  post, 
  angle 
  parap. 
  to 
  shoulder, 
  1 
  1.25 
  

  

  Length 
  from 
  post, 
  angle 
  parap. 
  to 
  cup, 
  1 
  2.5 
  

  

  The 
  radii 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  area 
  of 
  articulation 
  are 
  numerous, 
  (34), 
  fine 
  and 
  equal 
  ; 
  the 
  transverse 
  rugae 
  of 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  area 
  are 
  also 
  fine, 
  thirteen 
  in 
  number. 
  

  

  Portions 
  of 
  femur, 
  tibia, 
  humerus, 
  and 
  ribs 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  lot 
  with 
  the 
  above 
  described 
  vertebra 
  ; 
  they 
  

   resemble 
  the 
  cervical 
  vertebra 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  bright 
  green 
  of 
  the 
  matrix 
  which 
  adheres 
  to 
  them 
  externally, 
  as 
  

   though 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  wet 
  ; 
  their 
  size 
  relates 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  their 
  appertainance 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  animal 
  probable. 
  They 
  

   indicate 
  an 
  animal 
  of 
  large 
  size. 
  

  

  The 
  shank 
  of 
  the 
  femur 
  is 
  cylindrical 
  at 
  its 
  middle 
  ; 
  the 
  prominence 
  of 
  the 
  anterior 
  flexure 
  is 
  situated 
  well 
  below 
  

   the 
  head, 
  while 
  the 
  head 
  itself 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  broad 
  as 
  in 
  some 
  species 
  [e. 
  g. 
  Crocodilus 
  Liporcatus). 
  An 
  obtuse 
  ridge 
  

   runs 
  from 
  behind 
  forwards 
  and 
  downwards 
  across 
  the 
  outside 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  shaft, 
  transferring 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  

   steepest 
  face 
  from 
  the 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  front 
  aspect. 
  On 
  the 
  inner 
  face 
  the 
  trochanter 
  is 
  small, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  is 
  swollen 
  

   near 
  the 
  upper 
  edge 
  at 
  the 
  flexure. 
  

  

  Compared 
  with 
  the 
  shank 
  of 
  the 
  femur 
  of 
  Hyposaurus 
  rodgersi, 
  the 
  present 
  is 
  less 
  depressed 
  and 
  lacks 
  a 
  longi- 
  

   tudinal 
  concavity, 
  with 
  obtuse 
  elevated 
  margins, 
  near 
  the 
  superior 
  flexure, 
  which 
  is 
  characteristic 
  of 
  that 
  species. 
  

   For 
  a 
  considerable 
  proximal 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  femur, 
  the 
  medullary 
  cavity 
  is 
  quite 
  small 
  ; 
  at 
  the 
  middle 
  it 
  is 
  much 
  

   larger, 
  and 
  the 
  walls 
  quite 
  thin 
  : 
  measurements 
  are, 
  

  

  