FAUNA— LOWER KEUPER SANDSTONE. 9 



that the arrangement of the scales corresponds very closely 

 with that seen in the foot of the living alligator, " and 

 " many of them run across the foot in oblique lines, as is 

 " common among living crocodiles, leaving no doubt that 

 " they represent the scales and not irregular tubercles 

 " such as are seen in the skin of the Batrachians." He 

 concludes " it is saurian if not crododilian in every 

 " feature." The figure shows a form resembling the fore 

 foot of the Cheirotherium, though only four toes are 

 shown there is a trace of there having been a fifth. 



During the past summer a number of good footprints 

 have been obtained at Storeton from the second footprint 

 bed from the top, and almost every one of them shows 

 these scales. I was fortunately able to examine the foot 

 of a young living crocodile in the free museum, and can 

 confirm Professor Williamson's remarks. 



Now are these the tracks of the Labyrinthodon ? The 

 idea originated when the only bones found in the Keuper 

 indicating an animal of such a size as might be supposed 

 to coincide with that of the footprints, were those of the 

 Labyrinthodon. This, as we know after the discovery of 

 material unavailable to earlier workers, was improbable. 

 Professor Miall, in his report * on the Labyrinthodonts 

 to the British Association, showed this most clearly ; and 

 the statement of Hans Gradow in his recent work on the 

 Amphibia and Reptilia (page 83) seems to decide the 

 matter. He says — " The spoors of Cheirotherium common 

 " in the Red Sandstone of Germany and England, for 

 " instance in 'Cheshire, belong to unknown owners ; both 

 " the large hind feet (which measure nearly half a foot in 

 " length) and the much smaller fore feet had five digits, 

 " the first of which stood off like a thumb. Five-fingered 

 " Stegocephali are unknown." 



* Brit. Assoc. Reports, 1873, p. 243. 



