Sellards — New Gavialfrom Late Tertiary of Florida. 137 



between the backward extending premaxillaries, is distinctive, 

 indicating that this form is to be referred to the family Tomis- 

 tomidse. 



Of the genera regarded as probably referable to the Tomis- 

 tomidse only two are from America, namely Thoracosaurus 

 Leidy and JTolops Cope, both of which are from the upper 

 Cretaceous. The type genus of the family, Tomistoma, is 

 known in Europe from the Miocene of Hungary, Malta and 

 Sardinia, and is represented at the present time by recent 

 species found in Borneo, Sumatra and Molncco. From the 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 2. Tomistoma americana. Fragment of the lower jaw showing that 

 the splenials as well as the dentaries enter into the symphysis of the jaw. 

 Specimen No. 2372. One-third natural size. t/v 



characters that can now be determined it appears that the 

 Florida fossil is congeneric with these old world forms and 

 accordingly the Florida species is referred to Tomistoma, this 

 being the first record of the genus in America. The Florida 

 material derives an added interest, from the fact that it affords 

 evidence of the existence in North America of gavials as late 

 as the Miocene or Pliocene, although the group has since dis- 

 appeared from the Western Hemisphere. The species is 

 clearly distinct from any heretofore described, and may be 

 known as Tomistoma americana. 



The writer is indebted to the officials of the National 

 Museum, and especially to Mr. C. "W". Gilmore, Assistant Cura- 

 tor of Reptiles, for facilities afforded in comparing related 

 recent and fossil species. 



