Ch. XXV.] 



CARBONIFEROUS REPTILES. 



397 



Fig. 510. 



the skeletons of no less than three distinct species of air-breathing reptiles, 

 which were described by the late Prof. Goldfuss under the generic name 

 of Archegosaurus. The ichthyolites and plants found in the same strata 

 left no doubt that these re- 

 mains belonged to the true 

 coal period. The skulls, teeth, 

 and the greater portions of 

 the skeleton, nay, even a large 

 part of the skin, of two of 

 these reptiles have been faith- 

 fully preserved in the centre 

 of spheroidal concretions of 

 clay-iron-stone. The largest 

 of these lizards, Archegosau- 

 rus Decheni, must have been 

 3 feet 6 inches long. The 

 annexed drawing represents 

 the skull and neck bones of 

 the smallest of the three, of 

 the natural size. They were 

 considered by Goldfuss as 

 saurians, but by Herman von 

 Meyer as most nearly allied 

 to the Labyrinthodon, and 

 therefore, as before explained 

 (p. 340), having many char- 

 acters intermediate between 

 batrachians and saurians. The 

 remains of the extremities 

 leave no doubt that they were quadrupeds, " provided," says von Meyer, 

 " with hands and feet terminating in distinct toes ; but these limbs were 

 weak, serving only for swimming or creeping." The same anatomist has 

 pointed out certain points of analogy be- 

 tween their bones and those of Proteus 

 anguinus ; and Prof. Owen has observed 

 to me that they make an approach to the 

 Proteus in the shortness of their ribs. Two 

 specimens of these ancient reptiles retain a 

 large part of the outer skin, which con- 

 sisted of long, narrow wedge-shaped, tile-like, and horny scales, arranged 

 in rows. (See fig. 511.) 



Cheirotherian footprints in coal-measures, United States. — In 1844, 

 the very year when the Apateon or Salamander of the coal was first met 

 with in the country between the Moselle and the Rhine, Dr. King pub- 

 lished an account of the footprints of a large reptile discovered by him 



* Goldfuss, Neue Jenaische Lit. Zeit. 1848 ; and Von Meyer, Quart. GeoL 

 Journ. vol. iv. Miscell. p. 51. 



Archegosaurus minor, Goldfuss. Fossil reptile from 

 the coal-measures, Saarbriick. 



Fig. 511. 



Imbricated covering of skin of Arche- 

 gosaurus medius, Goldf. ; 

 magnified.* 



