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  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  BATRACHIA, 
  REPTILIA 
  

  

  point, 
  it 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  latter 
  in 
  the 
  greater 
  transverse 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  cup 
  and 
  hall; 
  these 
  are 
  transversely 
  oval; 
  in 
  

   the 
  P. 
  littoralis 
  sub-triangular 
  ovate; 
  the 
  centrum 
  is 
  naturally 
  less 
  constricted 
  and 
  broader 
  hi 
  the 
  former. 
  The 
  articu- 
  

   lar 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  zygapophysis 
  is 
  broadly 
  ovate 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  halidanus, 
  narrowly 
  so 
  in 
  the 
  smaller 
  species; 
  while 
  there 
  are 
  

   indications 
  of 
  similar 
  posterior 
  hypapophysis 
  in 
  both, 
  the 
  anterior 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  halidanus 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  smaller. 
  

   As 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  species 
  described 
  by 
  Owen, 
  the 
  cup 
  and 
  ball 
  are 
  more 
  transverse 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  noticed 
  in 
  the 
  

   British 
  Fossil 
  Reptiles, 
  approaching 
  that 
  figured 
  by 
  him 
  in 
  PI. 
  3, 
  fig. 
  22-4; 
  the 
  ball 
  has 
  not 
  the 
  oblique, 
  up-looking 
  

   profile 
  of 
  that 
  species, 
  but 
  forms 
  a 
  nearly 
  regular 
  arc, 
  with 
  its 
  posterior 
  margin 
  superiorly 
  a 
  little 
  behind 
  its 
  position 
  

   inferiorly. 
  The 
  hypapophysial 
  ridge 
  is 
  considerably 
  interrupted 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  typhosus, 
  while 
  P. 
  littoralis 
  agrees 
  with 
  

   the 
  P. 
  toliapicus 
  in 
  having 
  it 
  continuous. 
  The 
  two 
  last 
  named 
  species 
  differ 
  in 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  their 
  hypapophyses. 
  

   In 
  the 
  American 
  species 
  both 
  are 
  large, 
  especially 
  the 
  posterior; 
  in 
  the 
  English, 
  the 
  anterior 
  process 
  is 
  weak 
  or 
  want- 
  

   ing; 
  the 
  ridge 
  connecting 
  the 
  zygapophyses 
  disappears 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  toliapicus, 
  continues 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  littoralis. 
  The 
  general 
  

   proportions 
  of 
  the 
  centrum 
  are 
  slender 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  toliapicus, 
  and 
  not 
  so 
  stout 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  porcatus, 
  Owen. 
  

  

  The 
  diapophyses 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  halidanus 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  pedunculate 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  typhosus, 
  though 
  they 
  are 
  separated 
  above 
  by 
  

   a 
  notch 
  from 
  the 
  vertical 
  ala 
  which 
  descends 
  from 
  the 
  zygapophysis, 
  which 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  find 
  in 
  the 
  P. 
  littoralis. 
  They 
  

   approach 
  near 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  cup 
  in 
  their 
  transverse 
  extent 
  below. 
  

  

  The 
  horizontal 
  ridge 
  between 
  the 
  zygapophyses 
  is 
  strongly 
  marked, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  specimen 
  in 
  hand 
  comes 
  off 
  from 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  vertical 
  ala 
  below 
  the 
  zygapophyses, 
  rather 
  than 
  from 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  that 
  process, 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  littoralis. 
  The 
  neu- 
  

   ral 
  canal 
  is 
  depressed 
  behind 
  below 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  ball, 
  and 
  has 
  an 
  obtuse 
  epapophysis 
  along 
  the 
  median 
  region 
  of 
  

   its 
  median 
  line. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  ridge 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  hypapophysis. 
  The 
  cup 
  is 
  partially 
  broken, 
  but 
  its 
  transverse 
  diam- 
  

   eter 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  one-fourth 
  greater 
  than 
  the 
  vertical. 
  The 
  transverse 
  plane 
  of 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  zygapophysis 
  

   is 
  transverse. 
  A 
  largo 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  neural 
  arch 
  is 
  broken 
  away. 
  

  

  Lines. 
  

   Length 
  from 
  edge 
  cup 
  to 
  convexity 
  of 
  ball, 
  12.75 
  

  

  Width 
  between 
  anterior 
  zygapophyses, 
  13.5 
  

  

  " 
  cup, 
  8.4 
  

  

  Depth 
  " 
  6.2 
  

  

  Least 
  width 
  centrum 
  at 
  middle, 
  5.3 
  

  

  Width 
  neural 
  canal, 
  4. 
  

  

  Locahty. 
  This 
  serpent 
  was 
  found 
  by 
  my 
  friend, 
  0. 
  B. 
  Kinne, 
  in 
  the 
  excavations 
  of 
  the 
  Squankum 
  Marl 
  Com- 
  

   pany, 
  at 
  Squankum, 
  Monmouth 
  Co., 
  N. 
  J., 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Shark 
  River. 
  The 
  horizon 
  is 
  Eocene. 
  

  

  This 
  animal 
  was 
  probably 
  a 
  sea 
  serpent 
  distantly 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  Boas, 
  and 
  far 
  exceeding 
  in 
  dimensions 
  the 
  Hydro- 
  

   phidse 
  at 
  present 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  Indian 
  Ocean. 
  Its 
  size 
  was 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  largest 
  of 
  terrestrial 
  serpents 
  

   of 
  the 
  modern 
  ei-a, 
  and 
  was 
  probably 
  proportioned 
  to 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  twenty 
  feet. 
  

  

  Certain 
  ovoid 
  bodies 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  with 
  the 
  above 
  by 
  O. 
  B. 
  Kinne, 
  at 
  Squankum, 
  which 
  look 
  like 
  fossilized 
  

   dicotyledonous 
  seeds 
  allied 
  to 
  Leguminosites 
  of 
  Bowerbank. 
  

  

  PAL^EOPHIS 
  GRANDIS, 
  Marsh. 
  

   Dinophis 
  grandis, 
  Marsh, 
  Sill. 
  Am. 
  Jour. 
  Sci. 
  Arts, 
  1859, 
  398. 
  

  

  The 
  largest 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  (if 
  such 
  it 
  be), 
  yet 
  discovered, 
  and 
  represented 
  by 
  a 
  

   single 
  dorsal 
  vertebra, 
  with 
  the 
  neural 
  arch 
  well 
  preserved. 
  It 
  is 
  thus 
  described 
  by 
  

   Marsh. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  centrum 
  is 
  elongate, 
  and 
  considerably 
  compressed 
  behind 
  the 
  middle. 
  The 
  articular 
  cup 
  

   and 
  ball 
  are 
  sub-triangular 
  ovate, 
  and 
  their 
  faces 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  nearly 
  vertical 
  than 
  is 
  usual 
  in 
  ophidian 
  vertebrae, 
  

   the 
  cup 
  looking 
  but 
  very 
  slightly 
  downwards. 
  The 
  neural 
  arch 
  is 
  elevated 
  and 
  massive. 
  The 
  neural 
  canal 
  is 
  broader 
  

   than 
  high, 
  and 
  its 
  floor 
  depressed 
  posteriorly, 
  with 
  indications 
  of 
  a 
  slight 
  medial 
  epapophysis. 
  The 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  canal 
  

   are 
  marked 
  by 
  a 
  sharp 
  longitudinal 
  ridge, 
  which, 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  arched 
  roof 
  above, 
  gives 
  a 
  trifoliate 
  outline 
  

  

  