298 
VERTEBRAE OF THE REPTILES 
In the second vertebral system (fig. 2.) the bodies 
are somewhat angular, and their articulating faces 
rather convex or flat on one side, and concave on the 
other ; and in consequence of the angular form of 
the body they are obscurely hexagonal in the dorsal, 
and quadrangular in the caudal ; the annular part 
is united by suture, and the transverse processes 
pass off* horizontally beneath it.* The visceral 
aspect of the body does not, as in the caudal ver- 
tebrae last described, form a ridge, but is either flat 
or deeply sulcated : should this character be per- 
manent, it will serve to discriminate this system 
from the preceding. The vertebrae from western 
Sussex, figured and described by Mr. Murchison 
in the Transactions of the Society (vol. ii. second 
serieSy tab. xv.) are of this kind ; and I am induced 
here to quote the observations made upon them by 
the immortal Cuvier : — “ They are the remains of 
a new species of large saurian, and I am not ac- 
quainted with any similar to them amongst either 
recent or fossil reptiles : nevertheless, as the dif- 
ferent parts of the skeleton of the Iguanodon have 
not yet been found by Mr. Mantell, and these bones 
appear to be from the same formation, it is not im- 
possible that some of them may belong to that 
animal. I can safely affirm, that the vertebrjE now 
submitted to my inspection do not belong to the 
Plesiosaurus ; but whether any of them are referable 
to the Megalosaurus, the specimens of the bones of 
that animal in my possession are too few to enable 
* It is possible that this last-mentioned character, as well, indeed, as 
the others, may vary according to the situation the bones held in the ver- 
tebral column. 
