1893.] Geology and Paleontology. 377 
Ambrosetti describes three new species of fossil reptiles from the Oligo- 
cene of the Parana. He also deserbies more fully three other species 
already named by Bravard, Burmeister, and Scalabrini. The entire 
number are referred to five genera, of which four are reported to be 
‘new. The descriptions of species are quite full, but the new genera are 
not described at all, so that they have, so far, no scientific standing. 
One of them is said to be near to Tupinambis ( “ Podinema” ), and 
the others are crocodiles. Three of them are regarded as near to the 
gavials, and are an interesting addition to the South American fauna, 
if this statement is confirmed. But the author is not yet fully compe- 
tent for the task he has undertaken. He writes of the“ Ameivide,” 
meaning Teidæ, and imagines that Rhamphostoma was proposed by 
Burmeister in the Annals of the Museum of Buenos Ayres! His 
knowledge of classic composition is indicated by his construction of 
‘the abortion Oxysdonsaurus, of which an American grammar school 
boy would not have been guilty. He should have written Oxyodonto- 
saurus, a very awkward name at best. As the genus is not defined, 
however, nobody is under obligation to adopt it.—E. D. C. 
_ On the Systematic Position of the genus Protogonodon. 
—The collection of fossil mammalia in the American Museum from 
the Puerco formation contains among the numerous specimens a few 
upper teeth, and a number of lower jaws belonging to the genus Proto- 
gonodon, Scott! (— Mioclenus Cope, in part). I consider the material 
referable to the genus Protogonodon as the most important in this col- 
lection, as it enables me to probably settle the question as to its phylo- 
gentic position in the system. 
Professor Cope’s type of Protogonodon is a lower jaw with teeth. In 
his description’ of this specimen, he considered it as probably closely 
related to the Condylarthra, but as he was not familiar with the upper 
molars, he placed it in the rather indefinite genus Mioclenus. Later — 
Professor Scott? in his valuable paper on the Creodonta removed the 
M. pentacus from Mioclenus, and established the genus Protogonodon 
for its reception. Professor Scott places this genus among the Condyl- 
arthra, and probably in the family Phenacodontide. 
The series of upper molars in the collection which I refer to Proto- 
gonodon were not found associated with lower teeth, so that their refer- 
ence to this genus is not, absolutely certain. However, as the lower 
1Proc. Philad. Academy, 1892, p. 322. 
*Synopsis of the Vertebrate fauna of the Puerco series, 1888. 
Op. cit. 
