ORDER CHELONIA. IIOI 



being opisthocoelous and the temporal fossae of the cranium roofed 

 over by bone. The cranium (fig. 1015) is remarkable for carrying 

 several pairs of horn-like processes (on which account the name 

 Ceratochelys has been proposed) ; and the tail was protected by a 

 nodose bony sheath (fig. 10 14), somewhat resembling that of the 

 Glyptodont Edentates. The species of which the skull is shown in 

 the woodcut must have attained huge dimensions. The carapace 

 and plastron are known only by fragments. From the structure of 



Fig. 10x5.— Miolania Oweni. A, Anterior view of cranium; b, Right lateral aspect of the 

 extremity of the caudal sheath ; from the Pleistocene of Australia. Much reduced. (After 

 Owen.) 



the jaws it is inferred that Miolania was herbivorous ; while the 

 form of the terminal phalangeals and the solid caudal sheath are 

 indicative of terrestrial habits. The bones of the pelvis are fused 

 into an innominate bone, and some of the cervical vertebrae had two 

 transverse processes. 



It should be observed that Dr Baur dissents from the view that this 

 genus is a Pleurodiran, and would refer it to the Cryptodiran family Tes- 

 tudinidtz ; but there appear to be several misconceptions in the argu- 

 ments adduced in support of this view. Sir R. Owen does not, indeed, 

 recognise the Chelonian nature of Miolania, and regards it as constitut- 

 ing a distinct group, under the name of Ceratosauria ; but this view is 

 altogether at variance with the facts, and there can be no question but 

 that the genus is a true Chelonian. 



Family Carettochelyid^:. — The last family of the Pleurodira 

 is characterised by the absence of horny shields, and is typically 

 represented by Carettochelys of New Guinea, in which the neural 

 bones are very small and do not touch one another, and the limbs 

 are paddle-shaped. In the Lower Eocene of Northern India we 

 find the extinct genus Hemichelys, which differs from Carettochelys 

 in having seven large neural bones in contact with one another ; the 

 nature of the limbs being unknown. 



Section 3. Cryptodira. — In this section the ossification of the 

 carapace and plastron may be either imperfect or complete, and the 

 two may or may not be connected at their edges ; there is no bony 

 attachment of the pelvis to the plastron ; and as a general rule, the 



