160 CHELONIA. 



Huxley, T. H. — " Preliminary Note on the Fossil Remains of a Chelonian 

 Reptile {Ceratochelys sthenurus) from Lord Howe's Island, Australia," ' Proc. 

 Roy. Soc.' vol. xlii. pp. 232-238 (1887). — Shows that the skull and caudal sheath 

 referred to Megalania { Varanus), and the whole of the remains described as 

 Miolania, are Chelonian ; and considers them as indicating a Oryptodiran 

 genus allied to the Chelydridce, for which the name Ceratochelys is proposed. 



Boulenger, Gr. A. — " On the Systematic Position of the genus Miolania, 

 Owen {Ceratochelys, Huxley)," ' Proc. Zool. Soc' 1887, pp. 554-555. — Considers 

 that there is no justification for the suppression of the name Miolania in favour 

 of Ceratochelys, and regards the genus as the type of a family of Pleurodira ; 

 the chief arguments in favour of its Pleurodiran affinities being the form of the 

 pterygoids, the complete tympanic ring, the nature of the mandibular articula- 

 tion, and the presence of long transverse processes to the cervical vertebrae. 



Woodward, A. S. — " On the Extinct Reptilian Grenera Megalania, Owen, and 

 Meiolania, Owen," 'Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.' ser. 6, vol. ii. pp. 85-89 (1888). — 

 Gfives a summary of previous observations, and proposes the new name Mio- 

 lania oweni. 



Owen, R. — "On Parts of the Skeleton of Meiolania platyceps (Ow.),' ; ' Phil. 

 Trans.' 1888, pp. 181-191, pis. xxxi.-xxxvii. — After describing several specimens, 

 maintains the view that both Megalania and Miolania are allied forms, and 

 concludes that they represent a Suborder displaying affinities both with Saurians 

 and Chelonians, for which the name Ceratosauria is proposed. That term had, 

 however, previously been employed by Marsh (' Rep. Brit. Assoc' for 1884, 

 p. 765, and ' Nature,' Nov. 20, 1884) for a group represented by the Dinosaurian 

 genus Cerato<saurus. 



Baur, Gr. — " The Systematic Position of Meiolania, Owen," 'Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist.' ser. 6, vol, iii. pp. 54-62 (1889).— Concludes that the genus is Oryptodiran 

 and should be referred to the Tesludinidcs, considering that the cervical vertebrae 

 resemble those of Testudo, and that the roofing of the temporal fossae and 

 closure of the tympanic ring are due solely to dermal ossification. 



Boulenger, Gr. A. — " Remarks in reply to Dr. Baur's article on the Systematic 

 Position of Miolania" ' Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.' ser. 6, vol. iii. pp. 138-141 (1889). 

 — Adduces arguments supporting his previous paper as to the Pleurodiran nature 

 of this genus, most importance being attached to the first two cervical vertebrae 

 (figures of those of other genera being given for comparison) and to the palatal 

 and quadratic regions of the skull. 



Perhaps the acquisition of the plastron may be necessary before 

 we can be absolutely certain as to the Pleurodiran nature of Miolania ; 

 but, in the first place, distributional evidence is very strongly in 

 favour of this view, while the osteological evidence adduced by 

 Boulenger seems still more so. That the genus represents a distinct 

 family there can be no question whatever. 



Miolania platyceps, Owen \ 



Syn. Miolania minor, Owen 2 . 



Ceratochelys sthenurus, Huxley . 



1 Proc. Roy. Soc. vol. xl. p. 315 (1886). See also Phil. Trans, for 18S6 , 

 p. 471 (1887). 2 Loc. cit. 



3 Proc. Roy. Soc vol. xlii. p. 237 (1887). 



