210 



LAB YRINTHODONTI A . 



Family PEOTRITONID^ \ 



Skull (fig. 29) broad and parabolic, with the small palatines 2 

 lying in the middle line immediately behind the vomers, and sepa- 

 rated from the maxillae ; parasphenoid with a long stalk and a shield- 

 like posterior extremity; teeth smooth, with a large pulp-cavity. 

 Ventral scutes small, pointed, sculptured, and arranged in rows. 



Genus PROTRITON, Gaudry 3 . 



-Syn. Salamandrella, Gaudry 4 . 

 Branchiosaurus, Fritsch 5 . 

 (?) Pleuronoura, Gaudry 6 . 



The type genus. Skull wide, with very large orbits, and some 

 30 bony plates in the sclerotic ; cranial bones very slightly pitted ; 

 no teeth on the parasphenoid, pterygoids, or palatines, but according 

 to Fritsch a few minute ones on the vomers. Median thoracic plate 

 rhomboidal, without a stem, rounded anteriorly, and the middle of 

 the outer surface granulated. Four digits in manus 7 . 



Internal gills were developed in the young, in which there was no 

 ventral armour. 



The identity of Branchiosaurus with Protriton is pointed out by 

 Geinitz and Deichmiiller 8 ; Fritsch 9 also showed that Protriton was 

 founded on a very early larva, and Pleuronoura on a somewhat 

 later larva, apparently inseparable from the form to which he applies 

 the name Branchiosaurus. The same view is also adopted by Cred- 

 ner 10 , who retains, however, the name Branchiosaurus l \ 



Protriton petrolei, Gaudry 12 . 



Syn. Salamandrella petrolei, Gaudry 13 . 

 ? Pleuronoura pellati, Gaudry 14 . 



1 =Branchiosauridce, Fritsch. 



2 See the figure in Zittel's ' Handbuch der Palseontologie,' 1 Abth. iii. Band, 

 2 Lief. p. 370. 



3 Bull. Soc. Geol. France, ser. 3, vol. iii. p. 300 (1875). 



4 Oomptes Eendus, vol. lxxx. p. 442 (1875). — Preoccupied. 



I Sitz. k. bohm. Ges. Wiss. for 1875, p. 72 (1876). 



6 Bull. Soc. Geol. France, ser. 3, vol. vii. p. 72 (1879). 



7 Teste Credner. In the restoration given by Fritsch, the manus is repre- 

 sented with five digits. 



8 See Zeitschr. deutsch. geol. Ges. vol. xxxvi. p. 685 (1884). 



9 Fauna der Gaskohle, vol. i. p. 94. 



10 Zeitschr. deutsch. geol. Ges. vol. xxxviii, pp. 577-578 (1886). 



II See Geol. Mag. decad. iii. vol. iv. p. 276 (1887). 

 13 Comptes Rendus, vol. lxxx. p. 442 (1875). 

 13 Loo. cit. 

 u Bull. Soo. Geol. France, ser. 3, vol. iii. p 300 (1875). 



