﻿266 
  

  

  THE 
  EXTINCT 
  VERTEBRATE 
  ANIMALS 
  

  

  (ib. 
  PI. 
  29, 
  figs. 
  1-5). 
  I 
  myself 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  looked 
  upon 
  the 
  

   large 
  plates 
  from 
  the 
  Alves 
  region 
  as 
  representing 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   species, 
  characterised 
  not 
  merely 
  by 
  greater 
  size 
  but 
  also 
  by 
  the 
  

   coarseness 
  of 
  its 
  sculpture. 
  I 
  have, 
  however, 
  subsequently 
  found 
  

   that 
  all 
  through 
  the 
  Asterolepiclce 
  the 
  sculpture 
  is 
  coarser 
  in 
  larger 
  

   and 
  older 
  than 
  in 
  smaller 
  and 
  younger 
  specimens, 
  and 
  conse- 
  

   quently 
  I 
  now 
  look 
  upon 
  the 
  Alves 
  specimens 
  as 
  only 
  representing 
  

   the 
  adult 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  (See 
  49, 
  p. 
  285.) 
  

  

  Though 
  generally 
  occurring 
  in 
  a 
  disjointed 
  condition, 
  quite 
  a 
  

   sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  Bothriolepis 
  major 
  have 
  now 
  

   been 
  found 
  to 
  afford 
  us 
  a 
  pretty 
  complete 
  idea 
  of 
  its 
  configuration, 
  

   and 
  this 
  I 
  have 
  attempted 
  to 
  put 
  together 
  in 
  the 
  rectoral 
  figure 
  

   of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  surface, 
  PL 
  viii. 
  Its 
  form 
  is 
  depressed, 
  the 
  dorsal 
  

   surface 
  being 
  very 
  slightly 
  arched, 
  though 
  in 
  small 
  specimens 
  

   a 
  feeble 
  carination 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  line 
  is 
  sometimes 
  observable. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  all 
  British 
  Asterolejndce, 
  and 
  reckoning 
  

   from 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  detached 
  plates 
  some 
  individuals 
  must 
  have 
  

   attained 
  a. 
  length, 
  head 
  and 
  carapace 
  together, 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  foot 
  

   and 
  a 
  half. 
  As 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genus, 
  the 
  tail 
  is 
  unknown. 
  

  

  The 
  largest 
  plates 
  have 
  occurred 
  as 
  yet 
  only 
  at 
  Whitemire 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  Alves 
  district, 
  as 
  at 
  Sweet 
  Hillock 
  ; 
  Carden 
  Hill 
  road-metal 
  

   quarry 
  ; 
  Millstone 
  Quarry 
  • 
  Newton. 
  In 
  the 
  Quarry 
  Wood 
  locali- 
  

   ties, 
  situated 
  more 
  towards 
  Elgin, 
  as 
  at 
  Rosebrae, 
  Oakbrae, 
  and 
  

   Laverockloch, 
  only 
  small 
  specimens 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  as 
  yet, 
  but 
  

   some 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  nearly 
  perfect 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  dorsal 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  are 
  concerned. 
  The 
  original 
  locality 
  is 
  Scaat 
  

   Craig, 
  where 
  fragments 
  of 
  the 
  plates 
  and 
  arms 
  of 
  medium-sized 
  

   specimens 
  are 
  very 
  common. 
  

  

  Bothriolepis 
  cristata, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  (PI. 
  ix. 
  figs. 
  1-3.) 
  

  

  Shortly 
  before 
  his 
  lamented 
  death, 
  the 
  late 
  Rev. 
  Dr. 
  Gordon 
  showed 
  

   me 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  Bothriolepis 
  from 
  Rosebrae, 
  with 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  which 
  I 
  was 
  immediately 
  struck. 
  The 
  body 
  carapace, 
  with 
  

   what 
  remained 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  being 
  removable 
  from 
  the 
  matrix, 
  

   was 
  in 
  a 
  singularly 
  uncompressed 
  state 
  ; 
  the 
  back, 
  having 
  only 
  

   received 
  a 
  slight 
  oblique 
  squeeze 
  from 
  left 
  to 
  right, 
  was 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  

   more 
  lofty 
  in 
  shape 
  than 
  is 
  usual 
  in 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  genus, 
  

   while 
  the 
  matrix 
  showed 
  apparently 
  the 
  impression 
  of 
  an 
  elevated 
  

  

  