EATJNA OP THE GOSATJ FORMATION. 



685 



character is probably abdominal, or at least was not placed in a po- 

 sition so exposed on the sides of the body as the larger and thicker 

 scutes. One of the plates, as preserved, is 6 centim. long, less than 

 5 centim. wide, has the margin rounded, and not more than J centim. 

 thick (PI. XXXI. fig. 11). It shows the fibres crossing somewhat 

 obliquely, so as to define slightly rhombic areas. This structure is 

 suggestive of the transverse crossing of the fibres in ivory ; but I 

 have no evidence whether it extends into the substance of the bone. 



Another plate of about the same size appears to be rather 

 thicker, and, though retaining traces of the cross angular mark- 

 ings, has the surface of the scute a good deal pitted and marked in 

 lines with fine vascular perforations. The larger scutes appear to 

 have lost the cross striping and to show a more porous texture. 

 They are remarkable for having the angle on the scute placed so 

 near towards one margin as sometimes to make that side all but ver- 

 tical to the base. The other side covers nearly the whole superior 

 surface of the scute, and presents the curious saddle-shaped form to 

 which attention has already been drawn. One of these scutes is 

 6£ centim. long, and has the angular crest 2| centim. high, while 

 the average thickness of the plate is not much over 1 centim. In 

 another specimen the crest appears to rise considerably higher, and 

 gives evidence of median compression and oblique overlapping ; the 

 base is slightly concave. 



Besides these remains there are portions of ribs, which are slender, 

 straight, flattened, or slightly grooved on one side and convex on the 

 other, with the anterior margin of the bone rounded and the posterior 

 margin compressed to a sharp ridge, These fragments are all short 

 enough to appear straight, and have a width of about 1J centim. 

 There are a few fragments which give some information about the 

 characters of the articular ends of some of the larger limb-bones ; but 

 they are so obscure that I have not felt justified in attempting to 

 describe them ; and there is a fragment which may be a portion of 

 an ilium, of unusual shape. 



Crocodiltjs proavus, Seeley. 



The remains of a proccelous Crocodile, some of which were figured 

 by Biinzel (pi. i.) comprise 2 cervical vertebra?, 8 dorsal, one lumbar, 

 one sacral, an early and a late caudal, portions of two iliac bones 

 (which unfortunately exhibit no characters of value), the proximal 

 end of a femur showing the typical Crocodilian characters in a very 

 pronounced manner, and the ulna and radius. There are Crocodilian 

 teeth which have lateral ridges and striated crowns, and small suc- 

 cessional teeth, and a parietal bone. 



There is also evidence of a minute Crocodile in the articular head 

 of a femur. The fragment is too small for description ; but it 

 obviously indicates a distinct species from the larger remains, as 

 shown by the greater forward curvature of the head, its relatively 

 greater width, and the stronger development of the median crest on 

 the under side of the articular surface. 



