354 University of Kansas Geological Survey. 



tion has been drawn exclusively, was obtained from just across 

 the line in Nebraska, the species also must occur in Kansas, and 

 has actually been reported from this state by Cragin. For 

 that reason the description has been included with the other 

 Cretaceous vertebrates of this state. 



Desmatochelyidae. 



Desmcttochelyidce Williston. Kans. Univ. Quart., in, 5, July, 1894. 



DESMATOCHELYS. 



Desmatochelys Williston, Kans. Univ. Quart., 1. c. > 



Desmatoclielys lowii. 



Desmatochelys lowii Williston, Kans. Univ. Quart., 1. c. 



Skull. 



The skull was originally complete and in wonderful preserva- 

 tion, having suffered but little from compression. Unfortunately 

 the posterior inferior portion has been so injured that its char- 

 acters are mostly obliterated. 



The parietals are elongate, narrow, gently arched bones, sepa- 

 rated from each other by a distinct suture, and extending back 

 over the supraoccipital for a considerable distance. Taken to- 

 gether, the two bones, exclusive of the supraoccipital projec- 

 tion, form an elongated parallelogram, with a rounded boss or 

 eminence in the middle in front. They send down a rather 

 narrow fore-and-aft plate to join the pterygoids. 



The frontal bones are irregular in shape, though their entire 

 form cannot be made out with certainty, owing to the oblitera- 

 tion of a part of the suture between them and the prefrontals. 

 Posteriorly they unite by a nearly transverse, somewhat con- 

 cave suture with the parietals, and, by an oblique suture run- 

 ning to near the middle of the superior orbital margin, with 

 the postfrontals. The free orbital border is short and gently 

 emarginate. In front, the transverse suture separating them 

 from the prefrontals is very distinct on the outer two-thirds, 

 but obliterated on the inner part. A very careful examination 

 here shows, apparently with certainty, that the suture is not 

 continued inwardly on the same line, but seems to turn forward 



