﻿222 
  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  

  

  Where 
  the 
  dorsal 
  series 
  of 
  the 
  CI. 
  propython 
  is 
  interrupted, 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  have 
  increased 
  in 
  the 
  strength 
  of 
  

  

  their 
  processes 
  rather 
  than 
  diminished, 
  and 
  I 
  consider 
  an 
  addition 
  of 
  ten 
  to 
  he 
  below 
  rather 
  than 
  above 
  the 
  mark. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  caudals 
  there 
  are 
  preserved 
  forty-four, 
  all 
  with 
  the 
  chevron 
  bones, 
  and 
  none 
  with 
  diapophyses. 
  I 
  have 
  added 
  

  

  nine 
  for 
  those 
  without 
  chevron 
  bones, 
  while 
  the 
  interruptions 
  in 
  the 
  series 
  readily 
  justify 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  seven 
  

  

  more. 
  The 
  lost 
  series 
  is 
  estimated 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  M. 
  giganteus, 
  adding 
  relatively 
  to 
  the 
  increase 
  observed 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  series 
  preserved. 
  The 
  length 
  may 
  be 
  estimated 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  Inches. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  cervicals 
  and 
  dorsals 
  (average), 
  37| 
  

  

  Remaining 
  vertebrae 
  with 
  diapophyses, 
  90 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  without 
  " 
  30 
  

  

  The 
  cranium, 
  14| 
  

  

  Total, 
  fourteen 
  feet, 
  3| 
  inches, 
  171f 
  

  

  The 
  ophidian 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  vertebras, 
  however, 
  leads 
  me 
  to 
  suspect 
  that 
  the 
  length 
  will 
  be 
  hereafter 
  found 
  to 
  

   to 
  be 
  considerably 
  greater. 
  The 
  relative 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  cranium 
  above 
  given, 
  is 
  not 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  Iguana, 
  while 
  

   its 
  dimensions, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  cervical 
  vertebras, 
  are 
  not 
  relatively 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  existing 
  serpents. 
  If 
  the 
  

   Ophidian 
  characters, 
  therefore, 
  were 
  as 
  strongly 
  exhibited 
  in 
  the 
  vertebral 
  series 
  as 
  I 
  suppose, 
  the 
  length 
  would 
  be 
  

   twenty 
  feet, 
  at 
  the 
  least. 
  

  

  The 
  discoveries 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  vertebral 
  column 
  of 
  the 
  M. 
  missuriensis 
  prove 
  Cuvier's 
  estimate 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  much 
  too 
  low; 
  while 
  Goldfuss' 
  estimate 
  for 
  the 
  former 
  is 
  probably 
  as 
  much 
  behind 
  nature 
  as 
  Cuvier's 
  is 
  

   behind 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  cups 
  and 
  balls 
  are 
  transversely 
  oval, 
  or 
  slightly 
  heart-shaped, 
  and 
  the 
  centrum 
  expands 
  gently 
  to 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  

   the 
  ball 
  . 
  The 
  latter 
  is 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  strong 
  and 
  wide 
  groove 
  except 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  neural 
  canal. 
  The 
  ex- 
  

   tremital 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  centrum 
  are 
  delicately 
  striate, 
  while 
  the 
  distal 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  diapophyses 
  and 
  zygapophyses 
  are 
  

   very 
  rugose 
  throughout 
  the 
  whole 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  vertebral 
  column. 
  This 
  portion 
  terminates 
  by 
  a 
  slight 
  rim 
  round 
  all 
  

   the 
  articular 
  faces. 
  The 
  neural 
  spines 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  veretbrae 
  or 
  the 
  parts 
  preserved, 
  do 
  not 
  present 
  rugosity, 
  but 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  caudal 
  vertebrae 
  are 
  striate 
  to 
  the 
  anterior 
  and 
  posterior 
  margins, 
  and 
  are 
  distally 
  deeply 
  grooved, 
  the 
  

   grooves 
  meeting 
  on 
  the 
  median 
  line 
  in 
  front. 
  The 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  spine 
  is 
  truncate, 
  and 
  longitudinally 
  ovate; 
  like 
  the 
  ball 
  

   of 
  the 
  vertebra, 
  it 
  is 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  groove, 
  and 
  below 
  this 
  by 
  a 
  smooth 
  space 
  above 
  the 
  extremities 
  of 
  the 
  grooves. 
  

   The 
  knobs 
  representing 
  diapophyses 
  are 
  very 
  rugose. 
  

  

  The 
  diapophysis 
  of 
  the 
  axis 
  is 
  horizontal, 
  the 
  posterior 
  position 
  is 
  directed 
  upwards 
  in 
  the 
  fourth, 
  and 
  is 
  nearly 
  

   vertical 
  on 
  the 
  fifth, 
  forming 
  an 
  L-shape 
  with 
  the 
  inferior 
  portion. 
  On 
  the 
  seventh 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  first 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  

   now 
  vertically 
  elongate 
  superior 
  extremity. 
  On 
  the 
  tenth 
  it 
  first 
  ceases 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  cup, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   eleventh 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  more 
  prominent 
  than 
  the 
  upper 
  posterior 
  angle 
  of 
  the 
  vertical 
  face, 
  giving 
  it 
  a 
  slightly 
  sigmoid 
  form. 
  

   The 
  diapophysial 
  face 
  now 
  regularly 
  shortens; 
  on 
  the 
  fourteenth 
  its 
  length 
  is 
  equal 
  to 
  its 
  projection 
  from 
  the 
  centrum 
  

   below. 
  

  

  The 
  chevron 
  bones 
  are 
  likewise 
  striate, 
  the 
  haemapophysial 
  portions 
  very 
  delicately, 
  the 
  spinous 
  portions 
  coarsely. 
  

  

  The 
  striae 
  cease 
  abruptly 
  near 
  the 
  tip, 
  whieh 
  looks 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  rough 
  stick 
  which 
  has 
  borne 
  a 
  ferule. 
  The 
  hinder 
  

  

  face 
  of 
  this 
  portion 
  is 
  grooved, 
  but 
  not 
  so 
  largely 
  as 
  the 
  front; 
  the 
  branches 
  present 
  an 
  angle 
  on 
  their 
  inner 
  anterior 
  

  

  aspect. 
  

  

  Lines. 
  

  

  Length 
  axis, 
  18.8 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  without 
  proc. 
  odontoVdeus, 
  14.8 
  

  

  Width 
  of 
  diapophyses, 
  1G 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  ball, 
  7.5 
  

  

  Depth 
  " 
  " 
  6 
  

  

  " 
  centrum 
  and 
  attached 
  hypapophysis, 
  10.3 
  

  

  " 
  same 
  with 
  free 
  hypapophysis, 
  14.3 
  

  

  Length 
  of 
  " 
  " 
  8.3 
  

  

  " 
  " 
  sixth 
  cervical, 
  centrum 
  (without 
  ball 
  1 
  , 
  12.3 
  

  

  