﻿180 
  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  

  

  process. 
  In 
  this, 
  these 
  animals 
  resemble 
  the 
  Testudinata, 
  but 
  in 
  this 
  only, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  prootic 
  in 
  front 
  as 
  in 
  them. 
  In 
  all 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  order 
  I 
  have 
  seen, 
  it 
  

   is 
  characterized 
  by 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  an 
  oval 
  pit, 
  with 
  mouth 
  making 
  a 
  strong 
  angle 
  with 
  

   the 
  surface. 
  It 
  is 
  situated 
  just 
  in 
  front 
  of, 
  sometimes 
  within 
  the 
  margin 
  of, 
  the 
  meatus 
  

   auditorius 
  externus. 
  Its 
  use 
  is 
  uncertain, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  some 
  probability 
  that 
  it 
  received 
  

   the 
  extremity 
  of 
  an 
  osseous 
  or 
  cartilaginous 
  styloid 
  stapes. 
  A 
  groove 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  suspensorium 
  would 
  accommodate 
  such 
  a 
  rod, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  position 
  nearly 
  similar 
  to 
  

   that 
  which 
  it 
  occupies 
  in 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  Ophidia. 
  Nevertheless 
  its 
  extremity 
  would 
  have 
  

   to 
  be 
  a 
  little 
  recurved 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  enter 
  the 
  pit 
  in 
  question. 
  

  

  In 
  both 
  families 
  of 
  the 
  order 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  zygomatic 
  or 
  squamosal 
  arch, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  

   doubtful 
  whether 
  any 
  malar 
  arch 
  exists. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  connection 
  by 
  malar 
  or 
  quadrato- 
  

   jugal 
  posteriorly. 
  

  

  The 
  chevron 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  caudals, 
  as 
  is 
  well 
  known, 
  are 
  highly 
  developed. 
  They 
  re- 
  

   semble 
  those 
  of 
  some 
  Saurians. 
  This 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  character, 
  for 
  these 
  elements 
  do 
  not 
  

   exist 
  in 
  the 
  Ophidia, 
  where 
  hypapophyses 
  takes 
  their 
  place. 
  A 
  structure 
  somewhat 
  re- 
  

   sembling 
  the 
  latter, 
  seems 
  to 
  exist 
  in 
  Elasmosaurus. 
  

  

  The 
  parietal 
  fontanelle 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  seen 
  in 
  Lacertilia 
  and 
  Sauropterygia. 
  

  

  The 
  six 
  characters 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  resembles 
  the 
  Lacertilia 
  are 
  shared 
  by 
  at 
  least 
  one 
  

   other 
  order 
  of 
  Reptiles. 
  In 
  its 
  lacertilian 
  characters 
  it 
  approaches 
  nearest 
  the 
  Varanidae, 
  

   which 
  themselves 
  offer 
  some 
  approximations 
  to 
  the 
  Ophidia. 
  The 
  elongation 
  of 
  the 
  

   prootic 
  anterior 
  to 
  the 
  internal 
  ear 
  is 
  a 
  character 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  slender-tongued 
  lizards, 
  and 
  

   the 
  long 
  superior 
  nostrils 
  and 
  lack 
  of 
  malar 
  arches 
  belong 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  Varan'. 
  

  

  The 
  singular 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  opisthotic 
  is 
  supported 
  is 
  only 
  paralleled, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  

   I 
  am 
  aware, 
  by 
  the 
  Ophidian 
  family 
  of 
  the 
  Tortricidae, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  similarly 
  projected 
  

   from 
  the 
  grasp 
  of 
  the 
  prootic 
  and 
  exoccipital, 
  as 
  suspensor 
  of 
  the 
  quadratum. 
  In 
  Oylin- 
  

   drophis 
  the 
  parietal 
  and 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  supraoccipital 
  enter 
  the 
  connection 
  also. 
  

  

  With 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  limbs, 
  Cuvier 
  says, 
  " 
  that 
  very 
  few 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  extremities 
  of 
  

   Mosasaurus 
  have 
  been 
  found, 
  and 
  their 
  rarity 
  was 
  such 
  that, 
  for 
  a 
  moment, 
  he 
  was 
  led 
  to 
  

   doubt 
  whether 
  the 
  animal 
  possessed 
  limbs." 
  He 
  states 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  soon 
  undeceived 
  by 
  

   recognizing 
  a 
  bone 
  of 
  the 
  pelvis 
  which 
  certainly 
  belonged 
  to 
  Mosasaurus. 
  The 
  bone 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  pubis, 
  resembling 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Monitor, 
  as 
  figured 
  in 
  the 
  Ossemens 
  Fossiles. 
  

   Cuvier 
  further 
  says, 
  that 
  among 
  some 
  fossils 
  from 
  Seichem 
  he 
  detected 
  a 
  scapula 
  resem- 
  

   bling 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Monitor 
  ; 
  and 
  subsequently 
  received 
  drawings 
  from 
  Maastricht 
  of 
  a 
  cla- 
  

   vicle 
  resembling 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  common 
  Lizard, 
  and 
  also 
  a 
  coracoid 
  bone. 
  From 
  the 
  specimens 
  

   and 
  figures 
  Cuvier 
  supposes 
  the 
  shoulder 
  of 
  the 
  Mosasaurus 
  to 
  have 
  exhibited 
  a 
  close 
  re- 
  

   semblance 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Lizards. 
  After 
  remarking 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  procure 
  

   any 
  long 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  limbs 
  of 
  Mosasaurus, 
  lie 
  expresses 
  his 
  views 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  certain 
  

  

  