﻿170 
  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  

  

  it 
  was 
  more 
  like 
  a 
  Urodele 
  form. 
  But 
  the 
  vertebrae, 
  interpreted 
  by 
  the 
  zygapophyses 
  

   were 
  procoelian, 
  not 
  opisthocoelian, 
  the 
  diapophyses 
  were 
  long 
  and 
  flattened 
  from 
  above, 
  

   and 
  there 
  were 
  elevated 
  neural 
  spines. 
  Thus, 
  while 
  the 
  elongate 
  curved 
  ribs 
  do 
  not 
  differ 
  

   much 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  some 
  Labyrinthodontians, 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  and 
  other 
  bones 
  are 
  of 
  

   entirely 
  different 
  type. 
  

  

  RHABDOPELIX 
  LONGISPIMS, 
  Cope. 
  

  

  Pterodactylus 
  longispinis, 
  Cope, 
  Proc. 
  Academy 
  Nat. 
  Sci., 
  Phila., 
  1866, 
  p. 
  290. 
  

  

  Recognizable 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  cranium 
  are 
  unfortunately 
  wanting, 
  except 
  a 
  toothed 
  piece, 
  which 
  may 
  belong 
  to 
  

   some 
  peripheral 
  bone, 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  mandible. 
  This 
  is 
  much 
  crushed; 
  the 
  teeth 
  are 
  slender, 
  straight 
  — 
  conic, 
  with 
  

   expanded 
  bases, 
  from 
  the 
  centres 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  colored 
  substitute 
  for 
  bone 
  is 
  wanting, 
  as 
  though 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  hol- 
  

   low 
  pedestals. 
  The 
  teeth 
  show 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  mode 
  of 
  attachment, 
  and 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  continuous, 
  and 
  therefore 
  mere 
  

   processes. 
  Intervening 
  edge 
  very 
  straight. 
  

  

  Lines, 
  

   Greatest 
  depth 
  of 
  bone, 
  3. 
  

  

  Length, 
  embracing 
  four 
  teeth, 
  2.5 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  tooth, 
  .64 
  

  

  The 
  distance 
  between 
  the 
  teeth 
  is 
  nearly 
  equal 
  to 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  each 
  tooth. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  there 
  are 
  innumerable 
  portions, 
  fractured 
  in 
  many 
  directions; 
  some 
  exposed 
  condyloid 
  surfaces; 
  

   numerous 
  vertical 
  views, 
  and 
  thirteen 
  complete 
  or 
  nearly 
  complete 
  profile 
  views, 
  from 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  vertebral 
  

   column. 
  The 
  latter 
  may 
  be 
  divided 
  into 
  those 
  with, 
  and 
  those 
  without, 
  elevated 
  neural 
  arches. 
  To 
  the 
  latter 
  

   belong, 
  perhaps, 
  some 
  elements 
  more 
  elongate 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  vertebrae, 
  and 
  with 
  centra 
  of 
  larger 
  diameter, 
  on 
  which 
  

   no 
  apophyses 
  were 
  visible; 
  but 
  from 
  one 
  extremity 
  a 
  centrum-like 
  prolongation 
  with 
  terminal 
  convex 
  condyle, 
  proxi- 
  

   mally 
  slightly 
  constricted. 
  As 
  these 
  have 
  been 
  destroyed 
  in 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  bringing 
  out 
  other 
  pieces, 
  their 
  place 
  and 
  

   nature 
  are 
  problematical. 
  They 
  have 
  considerable 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  cervical 
  vertebrae 
  of 
  Pterodactylus 
  longiros- 
  

   tris, 
  as 
  figured 
  by 
  Cuvier 
  and 
  Von 
  Meyer. 
  The 
  other 
  vertebrae, 
  with 
  depressed 
  neural 
  arch, 
  being 
  probably 
  caudal, 
  

   will 
  be 
  described 
  later. 
  

  

  Of 
  vertebrae 
  with 
  elevated 
  neural 
  arch, 
  there 
  are 
  nine 
  profiles, 
  of 
  which 
  four 
  have 
  the 
  neural 
  spine 
  a 
  carina 
  less 
  

   elevated, 
  and 
  five 
  have 
  much 
  elevated 
  apophyses. 
  In 
  all 
  of 
  these 
  the 
  positions 
  of 
  ball 
  and 
  socket, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  

   different 
  zygapophyses, 
  are 
  very 
  distinct. 
  None 
  of 
  them 
  have 
  hypapophyses. 
  The 
  centrum 
  bearing 
  the 
  posterior 
  artic- 
  

   ulation 
  or 
  ball 
  is 
  considerably 
  produced 
  backwards 
  and 
  constricted 
  slightly 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  ball, 
  though 
  the 
  diameter 
  

   of 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  small, 
  both 
  it 
  and 
  the 
  anterior 
  socket 
  being 
  evidently 
  transverse. 
  The 
  posterior 
  or 
  despectant 
  zyga- 
  

   pophysis 
  extends 
  as 
  far 
  over 
  the 
  centrum 
  as 
  its 
  condyloid 
  extremity, 
  in 
  one 
  vertebra 
  farther, 
  while 
  a 
  laterally 
  

   expanding 
  ridge 
  marks 
  the 
  anterior 
  or 
  surspectaut 
  zygapophysis. 
  These 
  vertebrae 
  are 
  perhaps 
  anterior 
  dorsals, 
  

   while 
  those 
  with 
  elevated 
  neural 
  spines 
  are 
  median 
  dorsals 
  and 
  lumbars. 
  If 
  this 
  identification 
  be 
  correct, 
  then 
  

   vertebrae 
  with 
  more 
  compressed 
  centra, 
  hereafter 
  mentioned, 
  are 
  probably 
  lumbars. 
  

  

  Lines. 
  

  

  Length 
  centrum, 
  supposed 
  anterior 
  dorsal 
  (No. 
  8), 
  4. 
  

  

  " 
  neural 
  crest, 
  3. 
  

  

  " 
  at 
  base 
  neural 
  arch, 
  2. 
  

  

  Depth, 
  total, 
  3. 
  

  

  " 
  centrum 
  from 
  anter. 
  zygapophysis, 
  2. 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  anterior 
  to 
  condyle, 
  0.75 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  supposed 
  dorsals, 
  one 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  in 
  its 
  less 
  elevated 
  neural 
  arch, 
  and 
  in 
  its 
  long 
  narrow 
  neural 
  

  

  