582 
Mr. De la Beche and Mr. Conybeaee on 
transverse processes throughout the greater part of the dorsal ver- 
tebras, which, together with the whole of the annular part, very 
nearly resemble the corresponding forms in the type alluded to. 
The principal differences are. 
1 st In place of being concave at one extremity, and convex at 
the other end, thus articulating by a species of ball and socket- 
joint, they are slightly concave at both extremities of their body, 
but again slightly swelling in a contrasted curve near the middle of 
the circular area. In these features however, though they differ 
from recent Crocodiles, they agree with one species, at least, of 
those found in a fossil state in England, France, and Germany ; 
and all the fossil species appear to have this structure in the poste- 
rior part of the column. — (See Cuvier O. F. T. 4, and the descrip- 
tion of Crocodilus priscus, in the Munich Transactions.) 
2. They differ from both the fossil and recent species of Crocodile 
in much narrower proportions ; though far less so than do those of 
the Ichthyosaurus. The proportion of the diameter to the length of 
the side being nearly as 5 to 4 in the cervicals, in the middle dorsals 
a little greater, and in the caudals nearly double ; whereas, the mean 
proportion in the fossil Crocodiles we have examined is nearly an 
inversion of the above, the diameter being always less than the side. 
3. The number of cervical and dorsal vertebrae in this animal 
appears to be 46 ; a number almost double that of any recent Saurian 
animal, and greater than even that of the Ichthyosaurus, which does 
not seem to possess above 41. 
4. They farther differ from both recent and fossil Crocodiles in 
having the ribs through the greater part of the dorsal series articu- 
lated only to the end of the transverse processes ; at least, 28 appear 
to be thus circumstanced ; whereas this takes place in the three last 
