132 



SAUEOPTERTGIA. 



The largest known species. Teeth of the type of those of 

 P. br achy dims ; apparently 24 in mandible ; npper ones increasing 

 in size till the ninth. Centra of cervical vertebra (fig. 41) with the 

 costal facets very prominent, subeqnal in size, and deeply hollowed, 

 the terminal faces bordered by a groove, and their central puncture 

 usually surrounded by a mammilla ; the profile much curved by the 

 overhanging of the upper portion. Early posterior cervicals with a 

 descending projection on anterior border of haemal surface. Outer 

 surface of vertebras very coarse and rough. Humerus and femur 

 (fig. 43) with distinct proximal trochanter ; shaft (especially in the 

 femur) long, straight, and expanding suddenly at the distal extre- 

 mity only. 



The following are the dimensions of one of the anterior cervical 

 vertebrae figured by Phillips ; viz. — Length 0,071 (2*8 inches), height 

 0,133 (5-3 inches), width 0,143 (5-65 inches). 



The specific name was applied to a femur (fig. 43) from the 

 Kimeridge Clay of Swindon, and Phillips provisionally associated 

 with this the largest forms of Kimeridgian vertebras. That this 

 reference is correct there seems but little doubt ; and since all the 

 largest remains from the Kimeridgian agree in relative size with 

 one another, and, so far as comparison is possible, show no well- 

 marked characters by which they can be specifically distinguished, 

 the presumption is that most or all of them belong to a single 

 species, and they are therefore all provisionally referred to the 

 present form. It is however, not improbable that some of the 

 smaller dorsal vertebrae may belong to another form. 



The reasons against the employment of the name P. grandis have 

 been already mentioned. The type tooth of Ischyrodon figured by 

 Meyer in the ' Palaeontographica,' vol. vi. pi. ii. figs. 1.-3, which 

 was obtained from the Upper Jurassic of Wiirtemberg, presents all 

 the characters of the teeth of the English Kimeridgian Pliosaurs, 

 and from its large size may be provisionally referred to the present 

 species. If this reference be correct the name P. meriani should 

 supersede P. macromerus. 



Hab. Europe (England [?] France \ and [?] Wiirtemberg). 



39362. The imperfect skull; from the Kimeridge Clay (Upper 

 (Fig.) Jurassic) of Kimeridge Bay, Dorsetshire. The cranium 

 shows the nearly complete palate, but is imperfect 

 superiorly and posteriorly ; while the mandible is nearly 

 entire. Figured by Owen, in his ' Reptilia of the Kimeridge 

 Clay ' (Mon. Pal. Soc), pt. iii. pis. i., ii. (1869), as P. grandis. 



1 Sauvage, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool. ser. (>, vol. viii. art. 6, p. 14 (1879). 



