BY C. W. DE VIS. 



97 



that the vertebrae at one with thein both structurally and in th«» 

 matrix are of the same family — whence it follows that Megalania 

 was, as originally supposed, a gigantic Monitor, and that the 

 attribution to it of a horned^skull is untenable.* 



Notiosaurus dentatus, Ow. 



To those who, in the fossils above noticed, may see reason to 

 arrive at the same conclusion as the writer, it will at once occur 

 that the founder of the genus Megalania, is also the describer of a 

 | aw which, under other circumstances, he would have identified with 

 that gmus. It fulfills his Cuvierian anticipation * that on the very 

 probable hypothesis that the jaws and teeth of Megalania are of the 

 same type as those of Hydrosaurus, it must have been carnivorous ;' 

 while, to his own question why the jaw may not have pertained 

 to Megalania itself, it affords him no answer apart from its want of 

 accord with an edentulous maxillary. But it seems to the writer 

 that such an identification would probably have been incorrect ; we 

 appear to be instructed by the proportions of the Megalanian bones 

 to expect a dental armature of considerably greater power than that 

 shewn by Notiosaurus. The argument is but weak, but it may 

 serve until we are better informed. 



The separation of Notiosaurus from Varanus is itself of 

 doubtful propriety. The comparative contiguity of a few of the 

 teeth, the character on which the genus was apparently founded, is 

 hardly sufficient for the purpose, since considerable difference in this 

 respect is shewn by the species of Varanus one from another ; no r 

 in this case may we allow mere size, even in excess, the same 

 influence over the judgment as it would be permitted in the case of 

 a v> arm-blooded vertebrate. But since we have at present no clear 

 indication that Notiosaurus is not a good genus, we cheerfully give 

 it the benefit of its discoverer's great authority. It may, however, 

 be added that of numerous lacertian vertebrae under inspection, all 

 those of the Varanidse which are not Megalania, appear to belong to 

 Varanus, and that this genus attained to a very great size is 



* While this is going through the press, the major part of the light side 

 of a pelvis, which ma - without hesitation be ascribed to Megalania, has 

 been aided to the series of its remains. 



