Merriam— Reptilian Remains from the Triassic. 55 
ArT. VI.—On some Reptilian Remaimms from the Triassic 
of Northern Californa; by JoHN C. MERRIAM. 
ALTHOUGH the Mesozoic of California is remarkably devel- 
oped, both as regards thickness of section and richness of 
invertebrate faunas, it has so far appeared singularly barren of 
those characteristic and often abundant reptilian forms occurring 
in most Mesozoic rocks. Probably the only reptilian remains 
of this age found in California up to this time were collected 
in the summer of 1893 by Prof. Jas. Perrin Smith of Stanford 
University, in the Triassic of Shasta Co. Through the kind- 
ness of Prof. Smith it has recently been the writer’s privilege 
to examine these specimens and prepare the following note. 
The saurian remains, representing two individuals differing 
greatly in size, were found in the black Triassic limestone of 
Shasta OCo., associated with a rich invertebrate fauna made up 
of such forms as Avrcestes, Trachyceras, Atractites, Aulaco- 
ceras and Tropites subbullatus, all characteristically Triassic. 
The more exact stratigraphic relations of the horizon as deter- 
mined by Prof. Smith place it in the upper portion of the 
Triassic. 
Both skeletons are very fragmentary and were so closely 
united with the matrix that in the case of the vertebree success- 
ful preparation was almost impossible. The remains of the 
larger individual, consisting of eight consecutive vertebra, a 
few fragments of ribs, and both coracoids, were imbedded in a 
loose slab about two feet square, and from the position of the 
parts present it might be inferred that they were in their 
natural relative positions. If this is the case the vertebre 
would belong to the anterior part of the dorsal or posterior 
part of the cervical region. The rib fragments next the 
vertebree and evidently belonging to them seem to be from the 
thorax. The vertebra, Fig. 1, which resemble very much 
those of Jchthyosaurus, were very deeply bi-concave, possessed 
separated neurapophyses resting on a distinct facet on either 
side of the deep neural groove, and supported rather heavy 
single headed ribs. The centra are much shortened antero- 
posteriorly, measuring 34-38"™" long by 60™™ high and 70™™ 
broad. Those at the anterior end of the series are somewhat 
shorter than the others. The neurapophyses, as shown in the 
figure, were much thickened transversely by a broad rib run- 
ning from the upper to near the lower end of the process. 
Zygapophyses were preserved on only one spinal process and 
seemed in this case to be small and weak. The rzbs differ 
* Journal of Geology, Vol. ii, No. 6, p. 607. 
