52 



PROF. SEELEY OJX A SMALL LIZARD EROM THE 



5. On Kemaests of a Small Lizard from the Neocomian Bocks of 

 CoMEisr, near Trieste, preserved in the Geological Museum of the 

 University of Yienita. By Prof. Seeley, P.B.S., F.G.S., of 

 King's College, London. (Eeacl December 1, 1880.) 



[Plate IY] 



Professor Eduard Suess, P.M.G.S., recently received from Comen, 

 near Trieste, a specimen showing the hinder half of the skeleton of 

 a lizard which he has desired me to describe. Unlike the two fine 

 slabs from the island of Lesina, preserved in the k.-k. geologische 

 Eeichsanstalt, which are in a pale yellowish limestone matrix, 

 this specimen is from a limestone slab nearly black ; the animal 

 shown upon it has lain exposed for some time in the quarry and 

 suffered by the solvent action of the rain. Prof. Suess mentioned 

 to me that the colour merely indicated one of the many alterations 

 in the limestone, and that, since it was collected by a former pupil, 

 no doubt could attach either to its stratigraphical or geographical 

 position. Prof. Kornhuber does not appear to have been quite cer- 

 tain as to the position of the Lesina rocks in the Cretaceous series : 

 but while I was in Yienna, Professor Pisani mentioned to me that 

 he had identified thirteen species of fish with Upper rTeocomian 

 species ; and as fish constitute the chief fossils of the deposit, this 

 must be held conclusive evidence of the geological age of these 

 lizards. 



This new fossil (PI. IY. fig. 1) at first sight presents a considerable 

 resemblance to the Hydrosaurus lesinensis of Kornhuber, as was 

 pointed out to me by Prof. Suess ; but the differences are so 

 remarkable and important that I find myself unable to include it in 

 the same genus. The specimens in the Museum of the Imperial 

 Geological Survey were shown to me by the Director Pranz Bitter 

 von Hauer. They are admirably preserved, and, as Kornhuber has 

 stated, appear to indicate an animal with 9 cervical, 30 dorsal, and 

 2 sacral vertebrae, and a tail of which only the 24 anterior vertebrae 

 are preserved. The type is distinguished by the remarkable stoutness 

 of the dorsal ribs, by the very long and large neural spines and early 

 caudal vertebrae ; and it possessed well-developed limbs, of which the 

 hinder pair were much larger than the anterior pair. The specimen 

 which I have now to describe has only the hindermost 12 dorsal 

 vertebrae preserved. There are presumably 2 sacral vertebrae ; and 

 then succeeds the tail, of which about 65 vertebrae are preserved 

 or indicated by impressions ; and it is probable that more remained 

 in the slab which had been adjacent but was not collected. 



The length of the 12 dorsal vertebrae is about 55 millims. ; and 

 the remainder of the vertebral column, as preserved, measures along 

 the curves of the tail nearly 200 millims. The dorsal region is ex- 

 posed so as to display the attachment of the ribs. The ilium is the 



