﻿AND 
  REPTILIA 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  AMERICA. 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  Another 
  specimen 
  embracing 
  fifteen 
  vertebrae 
  without 
  processes 
  or 
  ribs 
  or 
  other 
  parts, 
  resembles 
  this 
  species. 
  

   There 
  is 
  nothing 
  additional 
  to 
  be 
  learned 
  from 
  it. 
  

  

  PHLEGETHONTIA 
  SERPENS, 
  Cope. 
  Sp. 
  Nov. 
  

  

  This 
  batrachian 
  is 
  much 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  last, 
  approaching 
  nearly 
  in 
  its 
  dimensions 
  the 
  Molgophis 
  macrurus. 
  

   It 
  is 
  represented 
  by 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  twenty-two 
  vertebrae, 
  which 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  P. 
  linearis, 
  are 
  devoid 
  of 
  ribs, 
  abdominal 
  

   armatures, 
  dilated 
  neural 
  spines, 
  etc. 
  The 
  series 
  when 
  complete 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  long, 
  as 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  differ- 
  

   ence 
  in 
  size 
  between 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  last 
  of 
  the 
  twenty-two. 
  They 
  are 
  emarginate 
  fore 
  and 
  aft, 
  and 
  much 
  contracted 
  

   medially, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  transverse 
  expanse 
  of 
  the 
  diapophyses. 
  There 
  maybe 
  indeed 
  a 
  diapophysial 
  element 
  beneath 
  

   these, 
  but 
  if 
  so, 
  the 
  two 
  are 
  uudistinguishable. 
  They 
  are 
  connected 
  by 
  longitudinal 
  impressions, 
  indicating 
  the 
  

   existence 
  of 
  the 
  tendinous 
  bands 
  in 
  the 
  longitudinal 
  muscles 
  seen 
  in 
  Amphiuma, 
  or 
  the 
  osseous 
  spicules 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  

   same 
  situation 
  in 
  birds. 
  The 
  neural 
  spines, 
  as 
  indicated 
  by 
  their 
  narrow 
  bases, 
  occupy 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  neural 
  arch, 
  

   and 
  remind 
  one 
  of 
  Amphiuma. 
  Width 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  vertebrae, 
  three 
  lines. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  rare 
  at 
  Linton. 
  

  

  MOLGOPHIS, 
  Cope 
  

   Proceed, 
  of 
  the 
  Acad, 
  of 
  Nat. 
  Sci., 
  1808, 
  220. 
  Transac. 
  Amer. 
  Philos. 
  Soc, 
  XIV., 
  20. 
  

  

  The 
  characters 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  are 
  : 
  Body 
  long 
  serpentine, 
  without 
  dermal 
  arma- 
  

   ture, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  known. 
  Yertebrse 
  large 
  and 
  broad 
  with 
  very 
  prominent 
  zygopophyses 
  

   and 
  moderate 
  neural 
  spines 
  ; 
  ribs 
  large, 
  convex. 
  

  

  jSTo 
  limbs 
  nor 
  cranium 
  can 
  be 
  ascribed 
  with 
  certainty 
  to 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  this 
  genus. 
  

   The 
  ribs 
  are 
  long, 
  and 
  though 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  not 
  bifurcate, 
  there 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  both 
  

   tubercle 
  and 
  head 
  on 
  the 
  dilated 
  extremity. 
  "Where 
  crushed, 
  they 
  display 
  a 
  large 
  

   median 
  vacuity. 
  

  

  This 
  genus 
  differs 
  from 
  OpMderpeton, 
  Huxl., 
  in 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  its 
  dorsal 
  verte- 
  

   bras, 
  which 
  in 
  their 
  projecting 
  zygapophyscs 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  Amphiuma. 
  The 
  lack 
  

   of 
  ventral 
  armature 
  distinguishes 
  it 
  from 
  Otocephalus, 
  while 
  its 
  well 
  developed 
  ribs 
  

   separate 
  it 
  from 
  Phlegetliontia. 
  

  

  MOLGOPHIS 
  MACRURUS, 
  Cope. 
  

  

  Transac. 
  Amer. 
  Philos. 
  Soc, 
  1869, 
  XIV., 
  p. 
  21 
  (part). 
  

  

  MOLGOrHIS 
  WHEATLEYI, 
  Cope, 
  Sp. 
  Nov. 
  

  

  Established 
  on 
  a 
  specimen 
  which 
  exhibits 
  about 
  twenty-five 
  vertebrae, 
  with 
  ribs, 
  and 
  the 
  posterior 
  portion 
  of 
  

   the 
  cranium. 
  No 
  traces 
  of 
  abdominal 
  scales 
  or 
  rods, 
  thoracic 
  shields 
  or 
  limbs 
  are 
  visible. 
  By 
  such 
  negative 
  char- 
  

   acters 
  it 
  is 
  referable 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Molgophis, 
  although 
  the 
  definition 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  as 
  yet 
  incomplete. 
  The 
  present 
  

   batrachian 
  may 
  indeed 
  be 
  ultimately 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  OpMderpeton, 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  also 
  bears 
  resemblance. 
  

  

  The 
  specimen 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  an 
  animal 
  of 
  very 
  ranch 
  smaller 
  size 
  than 
  the 
  M. 
  macrurus. 
  The 
  vertebra 
  1 
  are 
  of 
  

   moderate 
  length, 
  with 
  a 
  low 
  neural 
  spine, 
  and 
  centrum 
  angular 
  at 
  tiie 
  sides 
  and 
  truncate 
  at 
  the 
  articular 
  extremities 
  

   when 
  in 
  place. 
  The 
  ribs 
  are 
  rather 
  short, 
  slightly 
  curved, 
  and 
  apparently 
  hollow. 
  Although 
  the 
  vertebral 
  centra 
  are 
  

   ossified, 
  the 
  elements 
  of 
  the 
  cranium 
  have 
  a 
  larval 
  appearance. 
  These 
  consist 
  of 
  two 
  parallel 
  fiat 
  bony 
  plates, 
  

   which 
  resemble 
  the 
  frontoparietal 
  bones 
  of 
  a 
  frog 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  slightly 
  separated 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  but 
  do 
  not 
  enclose 
  a 
  

   fontanelle. 
  A 
  wedge-jhaped 
  bone 
  extends 
  from 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  front 
  of 
  these, 
  acuminate 
  behind 
  and 
  widening 
  

   anteriorly, 
  in 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  a 
  post 
  frontal 
  bone. 
  In 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  border 
  of 
  each 
  (?) 
  parietal, 
  on 
  its 
  outer 
  

   side, 
  a 
  bony 
  enlargement 
  arises, 
  which 
  contracts 
  outwardly 
  and 
  forward 
  into 
  a 
  narrow 
  element 
  which 
  curves 
  for- 
  

  

  