0. C. Marsh — JYew Belodont Eejotile. 59 



Akt. YIII. — A New Belodont Eeptile (STEG0MUS)/r6»m the 

 CoiinectiGut River Sandstone / by O. C. Marsh. (With 

 Plate I.) 



The red sandstone of the Connecticut valley has long been 

 famous for its footprints, especially the so-called " bird tracks," 

 which are now very generally believed to have been made by 

 Dinosaurian reptiles. These strata, however, like most deposits 

 of similar physical character in other parts of the world, contain 

 few osseous remains, and those discovered here, almost with- 

 out exception, belong to carnivorous Dinosaurs of Triassic 

 types, as the writer has shown elsewhere. 



The Belodontia, one of the most characteristic groups of 

 Triassic reptiles, are almost unknown in the Connecticut river 

 sandstone, a single specimen only having been discovered, and 

 recently named by the writer Belodon validtcs."^ ]^o foot- 

 prints that can be referred to this order of reptiles have yet 

 been found among the thousands brought to light in this 

 region, although a careful search for such impressions has long 

 been maintained, especially in the horizons where they were 

 most likely to be preserved. 



During the past year, a noteworthy discovery has been 

 made in the Connecticut sandstone, within the city limits of 

 New Haven, and it is the main object of the present paper to 

 place this discovery on record, both on account of its local 

 interest and its scientific importance. The specimen found is 

 represented in the accompanying plate, one-third natural size. 

 The fossil shows the impression of the dermal armor of a 

 large reptile, which apparently represents a new genus of the 

 Belodontia. The dermal covering thus preserved is mainly 

 from the dorsal region, although the anterior part protected 

 the back of the neck. ]^o other portions of the dermal armor 

 nor any of the skeleton were found, although a careful search 

 was made at the time of the discovery and subsequently, both 

 at the locality itself and in the vicinity. It is therefore prob- 

 able that the dermal covering here described was torn from 

 the animal after death and before entombment in the coarse 

 sand and gravel then deposited by a strong current, as indicated 

 by the present structure of the sandstone. 



In the fossil represented in the accompanying plate, the 

 dorsal region of the reptile is shown, with the anterior por- 

 tion to the left. The median dorsal line is indicated by the 

 narrow longitudinal ridge, placed nearly horizontal in the fig- 

 ure. In the cervical region, this nearly straight line is broken, 



This Journal, vol. xlv, p. lYO, February, 1893. 



