208 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



bony scutes on the integument of the under surface of the head ; in wliich 

 character MicrophoUs has a remote resemblance to Archeyosaurus. Tlie scutes, 

 however, are very difterent in their aspect from those of the last-named genus. 



MicrophoUs has little resemblance with any European Labyrinthodonts, except 

 Metopias, and the singular so-called Labyrlnthoclon BucMandi,'' from the Trias 

 of Warwickshire, to the peculiarities of which the author alluded, proposing to 

 consider it as the type of a new genus, which might be termed Dasyceps." 



On the other hand, there are two southern forms of Labyrinthodonts, which 

 exhibit many similarities to MicrophoUs. These are the Bachyops laticeps of Prof 

 Owen, from Central India, and a new form allied to Brachyops, but distinct from 

 it, from Australia. This last was described and named Bothriceps Australis. 



The author stated that he was not prepared to draw any very decided conclusion^ 

 as to the age of the Karoo- or Dicynodon-beds, from the fact of the occurrence of 

 Labyrinthodont A mphibia in them, inasmuch as the Labyrinthodonts range from 

 the Lower Lias to the Carboniferous Formation inclusive ; and MicrophoUs is 

 unlike any of the Labyrinthodonts whose precise age is known. 



The fragmentary remains of a young reptile, which were found associated with 

 MicrophoUs, were stated by Prof Huxley to be undoubtedly those of a, Bicynodon. 

 Of this, however, and of a small Dicynodont skull from the same locality, he 

 promised to speak on a future occasion. 



The second part of the paper consisted of a description of the structure of the 

 cranium, of the sclerotic ring, of a fragmentary sacrum, and of the humerus of the 

 new species of Dicynodon (1). Murrayi) from near Colesberg, which was charac- 

 terised at a previous meeting of the Society (February 23). Particular attention 

 was directed to the unusually complete ossification of the cranio-facial axis, and to 

 the striking resemblance in the structure of the bony walls of the olfactory 

 apparatus to that which obtains in Birds. Prof. Huxley, in conclusion, gave a 

 sketch of the general proportions of the Dicynodon, so far as the evidence yet 

 obtained allows a judgment to be formed, and particularly alluded to the existence 

 of a long series of caudal vertebrae. Specimens of the fossil-wood found with the 

 remains of D. Murrayi had been submitted to Dr. Hooker, and declared by him to 

 be coniferous. 



2. " On Rhamphorhynchus BucMancU, a Pterosaurian from the Stonesfield 

 Slate." By Thomas H. Huxley, F.R.S., Sec. G. S., Prof, of Natural History, 

 Government School of Mines. 



The author based his account of this Pterosaurian upon a fine fragment of a 

 lower jaw, discovered by the Earl of Ducie in the quarries of Sarsden, near Chip- 

 ping Norton, — on a coracoid bone from the Stonesfield slate, in the collection of 

 the Museum of Practical Geology,— on a large frag-ment of a lower jaw in the 

 Museum of the Society, and a very fine specimen of a lower jaw in the Museum of 

 the Cohege of Surgeons. The ascription of the coracoid to the same species as 

 that to wliich the jaws belong was admitted to be hypothetical, but their propor- 

 tions agree sufficiently well to give probability to the supposition. Furthermore, 

 the author did not suppose it to be absolutely demonstrable that the jaws and 

 coracoid in question, supposing them to be of one species, were of the same species 

 as those Pterosaurian remains discovered by Dr. Buckland in the Stonesfield 

 slate many years ago, and (though never described) named after him Pterodactylus 

 Bucklandi ; but, as a specific name unaccompanied by a description is of no 

 authority, and as there is no evidence of the existence of more than one species of 

 Pterosaurian m the Stonesfield slate, it seemed that the adoi)tion of the specific 

 naine lUuMandi a\'ou1(1 have the least tendency to create confusion. 



These rcuKuns prove that the Stonesfield Pterosaurian belonged to the genus 

 Bhamphovhynchius of Von Meyer, and that it had nearly twice the size of the 

 hassic Dimorphodon macranyx. The mandible of R. Bucklandi is remarkable for 

 its stoutness and the depth of its rami towards the symphysis, which is short and 

 produced into a stout curved median edentulous rostrum. The teeth are similar 

 111 form, fiattened and sharp-])* linted, distinct, and not more than seven hi number 

 on each side : the last tooth is situated rather behind the junction of the middle 

 with the posterior third of the jaw. The author took occasion to refer inci- 



