1890.] Geology and Paleontology. 953 
which requires a diagnosis or description for every name as a necessary 
condition of priority. Thus we find Platychcerops, Protosphyrzna, 
and Hipparion, for which their authors published no separate diagnosis, 
adopted instead of Miolophus, Erisichthe, and Hippotherium, which 
were accompanied by diagnoses when first proposed. We hope that 
in a second edition the work may be made uniform in this respect. 
The Cretaceous Saurians of New Zealand.—Prof. James 
Hector’s explorations in New Zealand have led to the accumulation of 
several tons of blocks of cement-stone containing fossil bones, which 
have been worked out of the hard matrix by Mr. McKay. The general 
result is that portions of 43 individual reptiles, mostly of gigantic 
size, and all of aquatic habits, belonging to at least 13 distinct species, 
have been discovered. These species represent two distinct groups, 
the first being true Plesiosaurians belonging to the genera Plesiosaurus, 
Maurisaurus Hector (gen. nov. allied to Elasmosaurus Cope), and 
Polycotylus Cope ; the other representing probably the order Python- 
omorpha. This order is represented by two distinct genera, Liodon 
Owen and Taniwhasaursus Hector (gen. nov. allied to Clidastes of 
Cope). In addition, there are several fragmentary remains, placed 
provisionally under one or the other of these groups, and two vertebrae 
belonging to an exceptional form of the genus Crocodilus. Lastly, 
there is a single vertebrate from Mt. Potts referred to the genus 
Ichthyosaurus. Plates with descriptions of these interesting fossils are 
found in the Transactions New Zealand Institute, Vol. VI. A fine 
series of these saurians has been recently received in Philadelphia by 
Prof: Cope, who will add them to his private collection. 
A Bison at Syracuse, New York.—A bovine skull was exhumed 
(in laying a sewer) from about ten feet below the surface of the ground, 
at Syracuse, N. Y. The formation was of black swamp muck under- 
laid by clay ; the skull being found at the junction of the two deposits. 
No other bones were found. I append a few measurements: Foramen 
magnum (superior border) to occipital crest, 434 in.; width of con- 
dyles, 5% in.; width of skull between horns and eyes, 10% in.; width 
of skull between meati audit. ext., 95% in.; from foramen magnum to 
end of premaxille, 20 in.; width from zyg. arch to its fellow, 95% in.; 
width-of palatines opposite last molar, 334 in.; width across premax- 
illary bones, 4 in.; length of alveoli, 65$ in.; nearest approach of 
orbits to each other, 103% in.; length of nasals, 8% in.; width of 
nasals, 214 in.; occipital crest to nasal, 10% in.; frontal suture closed 
except 214 in.; circumference of horns at base, 14 in.; length of horn, 
