12 ANOMODONTIA. 



A few words are advisable to justify the sense in which the term 

 Anomodontia is employed. In his ' Palaeontology ' ' Owen made the 

 order Anomodontia to include the " families " of the Dicynodontia, 

 Cryptodontia ( Udenodon), and Cynodontia (Oalesaurus, &c), although 

 the definition of the order as thus constituted was incorrect. Sub- 

 sequently 2 the name Anomodontia was restricted to the Bidentalia 

 (Dicynodontia), Cryptodontia, and Endothiodontia ; the Cyno- 

 dontia being raised to the rank of an order under the name of 

 Theriodontia. Although, on account of the definition, there may be 

 some doubt whether the inclusion of the Cynodontia in the Anomo- 

 dontia was nob due to an error, yet the fact that such a classification 

 was published, together with the subsequent use of the latter term 

 in this sense by later English writers, seems to justify its retention. 



It may be mentioned in respect of the African Anomodonts, that 

 the term Karoo system is taken to embrace the four divisions known 

 as the Stormberg, Beaufort, Koonap, and Ecca beds, of which the 

 latter are the lowest 3 . It is probable that the majority of the 

 undermentioned African specimens are from the Beaufort beds, but 

 when there is no decisive evidence on this point they are entered 

 simply as the Karoo system. 



Suborder PROCOLOPHONTA. 



The one known genus of this group appears to present an approxi- 

 mation in several points to the Rhynchocephalia, in which order it 

 was at one time placed by Seeley 4 , although subsequently trans- 

 ferred to the Anomodontia 5 . The skull is characterized by the 

 approximation of the quadrate to the postorbital bar, so as to leave 

 no distinct temporal arcade, and by the roofing over of the temporal 

 fossa. The pterygoids extend forwards to join the vomer, and thus 

 widely separate the palatines ; and the dentition is fully developed. 

 Vertebrae notochordal. Interclavicle T-shaped, like that of the 

 Bhynchocephalia. 



1 Second edition, pp. 255-270 (1861). 



2 Cat. Foss. Eept. S. Africa (1873). 



3 See Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxiii. pp. 142-144. In vol. xliv. p. 240, 

 of the same serial, A. H. Green proposes to restrict the term Karoo to the beds 

 underlying the Stormberg, thus making it approximately equivalent to the 

 Beaufort beds of the earlier scheme. 



4 Quart, Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xxxiv. p. 807 (1878). 



5 Proc. Eoy. Soc. vol. xliv. p. 383 (1888). 



