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ON THE EELATIONSHIPS OF THE SOUTH AFEICAN FOSSIL 
EEPTILES TO THOSE OF OTHEE PAETS OF THE WOELD. 
By E. Beoom, M.D., D.Sc, C.M.Z.S. 
When Cope first examined the American Permian reptiles he recog- 
nised many resemblances between them and the South African forms, and 
at different times between 1878 and his death he published a considerable 
number of tentative classifications of the Permian reptiles of America and 
Africa. In 1878 he proposed the order Thcromorpha to include as sub- 
orders the Pclycosmiria and the Anomodontia. Under the Pelycosauria he 
placed not only all the American Permian types but the South African 
Theriodonts and Pareiasatims, and he believed the whole group to be 
allied to the Bhynchoceplialia. As the result of fuller knowledge the 
types with the temporal region roofed were separated under the name 
Gotylosauria, and the older TheromorpJia, with the name changed to 
Theromora, was held to include the South African Theriodonts and the 
American Pelycosaurs proper. Lydekker, Seeley, Zifctel, and Gadow all 
published classifications on similar Imes, and all agreed in placing the 
Pelycosaurs near the African Theriodonts. 
In 1897 Baur and Case pointed out that Dimetrodon seemed to have a 
skull with two temporal arches, and that the Pelycosauria should for this 
and other reasons be separated from the Theriodonts and placed nearer to 
the Ehynchocephalia. In this most recent writers, including Smith- 
Woodward, Hay, Zittel, Osborn, McGregor, Boulenger, and Broom have 
followed the view of Baur and Case. 
Notwithstanding the strong evidence that can be adduced for placing 
the Pelycosaurs near the Ehynchocephalians, there has always been a 
kind of lingering doubt in the minds of some of us as to whether after all 
the resemblances between the Pelycosaurs and the African mammal-like 
reptiles might not represent some genetic relationship rather than merely 
a parallel similarity. 
During my recent visit to Europe I hoped among other things to be 
able to take a run over to New York to study the Pelycosaurs, but, owing 
to the press of other work, was on the point of giving up the American 
trip when I met Professor Osborn in London, and as the result of our 
