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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLV 



Mr. Paul Miller with remarkable success. A photograph of the 

 mounted skeleton is given in one of the plates. 



There are four skulls. The most remarkable feature of the 

 dorsum is the presence of a closed otic notch which resembles a 

 temporal fenestra. In none of the skulls was it possible to 

 determine the sutures and the structure of the skull had to be 

 determined more by topographic features. The structure of the 

 palate is of the stegoeephalian type, though remarkable in some 

 of its features, such as the la rye size of the palatal openings. The 

 vertebra? were preserved practically complete and the vertebral 

 formula is — presacral, 21; sacral, 2; pygals, (i. and chevron 

 caudals, 15 or 16. Fifteen of the vertebral spines are elongated 

 and expanded and serve to support a carapace of shield-shaped, 

 scute-like plates which overlap shingle-like. They greatly 

 resemble in structure the dermal plates of Dissorophus. A dis- 

 cussion of the "carapace in allied forms" is given and the dermal 

 elements of Aspidosannis, Zat nicli //>•. Dissoroplt us are discussed. 

 Plates are suggested by the expanded neural spines of Eucliiro- 

 saurus and Eryops. 



The vertebral column is fully discussed. This includes some 

 unusual features, such as two sacral vertebra' and a well-pre- 

 served atlas which is composed of a single piece. The writer 

 discusses also the significance of the hypocentra and pleuro- 

 centra, one of the most perplexed questions in connection with 

 the extinct amphibia. The pectoral girdle consists of the fused 

 scapula-coracoid, a cleithrum, clavicles and interclavicle. The 

 humerus and its use in diagnosis is discussed at some length. 

 Among the material studied are many humeri, some of which 

 suggest unknown forms of amphibia. Two new families, the 

 Trematopsida' and I )issorophida\ are proposed and the characters 

 given. The paper closes with a discussion of the restoration of 

 Cacops and the description of a peculiar form of reptile in which 

 the vertebra? are intermediate between what is known in temno- 

 spondylous amphibia and reptilia. 



The same writer (10) in a discussion of the faunal relations of 

 the early vertebrates, presented before Section E of the American 

 Association in 1000, gives the relations of the American Permian 

 and Carboniferous amphibian faunas with those known else- 

 where. He reaches the conclusion that the Permian fauna is 

 especially isolated. In his discussion of the Microsauria he says, 

 "It has been assumed on entirely insufficient evidence that they 

 too were all amphibians" — and later: "We may be assured that 

 some of them before the close of the Pennsylvanian were inhabit- 



