Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 
145 
equal to half its length. The third phalanx is as long as the second of the 
second digit,, but it is not so broad. The fourth metatarsal is slightly 
shorter than the third and more constricted in the middle. Its first 
phalanx is also slightly shorter than that of the third digit and its second 
phalanx has about the same length as that of this toe, but it is somewhat 
broader. The third phalanx is much shorter and narrower than the 
second. The fourth phalanx is much smaller than the third of the third 
digit. The fifth metatarsal is shorter than the fourth and also more 
slender. Its first and second phalanges are slightly shorter and more 
slender than those of the fourth digit. The third phalanx has the same 
size as the fourth of the fourth toe. All the end-phalanges show a 
terminal thickening. Does this give an indication of the presence of 
claws ? From the above it will be seen that the phalangeal formula of the 
foot is 2, 2, 3, 4, 3. 
The Dermal Covering. 
Large parts of the ventral and dorsal dermal covering have been 
preserved (PI. XYI, XVII, and XXIII). The ventral portion is known 
from the thoracic girdle to the pelvis. It consists of long, acicular, bony 
scutes, which have a ridge running obliquely across them ventral ly. 
Dorsally their posterior margin forms a slight ridge. These scutes are 
arranged in parallel rows, which diverge backwards on both sides of a 
median line (PI. XXIII). Every proximal scute overlaps the proximal 
end of the next distal one in such a way that the distal end of the proximal 
scute passes behind the ridge on the proximal end of the distal one. The 
median line is formed by a row of flat scales. These are the end scales of 
each side series, which broaden out considerably proximally and overlap 
each other alternately. 
Towards the sides of the animal the shape of the scales changes. 
They become shorter and their ridges disappear, so that there only remains 
a small flat bone. Further dorsally they become round and they gradually 
lose their bony composition (PI. XVII). The scales of the side and back 
of Myriodon were not bony but horny. These horny scales are round and 
they may have had a slightly raised centre (PI. XVII). They show on 
the matrix as a brown colouring with an uncoloured centre. The scales 
near the middle of the back were larger than those near the sides. It 
could not be made out whether these scales also occur in rows as the 
ventral ones. 
Near the pelvis the large ventral scales change into the same small 
horny ones as on the back. The change takes place on a line transversely 
across the median line in front of the pelvis (PI. XVI). They are still 
visible at the hinder end of the pelvis, but then they disappear, leaving 
the matrix covered with a general brownish film. The tail was apparently 
naked. 
The hind limbs were covered with small horny scales of the same 
kind as those on the back. The same was probably the case with the 
fore-limbs, but no definite evidence could be obtained. 
Since the appearance of the preliminary description an article has 
been published by R. Broom on portions of Myriodon in the Johannes- 
burg Museum (5). Broom refers the fossils to his genus Rhinesuchus and 
gives them a new specific name. This of course must be regarded as a 
synonym, since the fossils had already been named. It is also impossible 
to refer them to Rhinesuchus since the differences are too great between 
