48 ON SOME EEMAINS OF A GIGANTIC LAND-LIZAED FEOM AIJSTEALIA. 
description, belong to the type o£ true land-lizards, all belong to species of the ordinary 
average size. The miocene and pliocene formations of the continent, and especially of 
France, have furnished several genera and species *. 
The chief peculiarity of the Australian fossil lizard is its great size ; the vertebrse 
rival in bulk those of the largest living Crocodiles. The ‘ Monitor de la Nouvelle-Hol- 
lande’ {Varanus, Meeeem, Hydrosaurus, Waglee) has thirty vertebree between the skull 
and sacrum. Taking the average length of the vertebra at 3 inches, this would give 
7 feet 6 inches as the length of the trunk of the Megalania ; and were the propoidions 
of the head and tail like those of the great Lace-lizard of Austraha {Eydrosaunis gigan- 
tms, Geat), the total length of the Megalania would be about 20 feet. 
On the very probable hypothesis that the jaws and teeth of Megalania were of the 
same type as those of the Hydrosaums, it must have been carnivorous, and, by its bulk 
and strength, very formidable. 
Desceiption of the Plates. 
PLATE VII. 
Fig. 1. Side view of a dorsal vertebra, Megalania jprisca. 
Fig. 1 a. Side view of a dorsal vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
Fig. 2. Upper view of a dorsal vertebra, Megalania jgvisca. 
Fig. 2 a. Upper view of a dorsal vertebra, HydTosauvus giganteus. 
Fig. 3. Under view of a dorsal vertebra, Megalania lyrisca. 
Fig. 3 a. Under view of a dorsal vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
Fig. 4. Front view of a dorsal vertebra, Megalania frisca. 
Fig. 4 a. Front view of a dorsal vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
PLATE VIII. 
Fig. 1. Side view of a cervical vertebra, Megalania ^risca. 
Fig. 1 a. Side view of a cervical vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
Fig. 2. Vertical section of a cervical vertebra, Megalania prisca. 
Fig. 2 a. Vertical section of a cervical vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
Fig. 3. Under view of an anterior dorsal vertebra, 
Fig. 3 a. Under view of an anterior dorsal vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
Fig. 4. Horizontal section of an anterior dorsal vertebra, Megalania ^risca. 
Fig. 4 a. Horizontal section of an anterior dorsal vertebra, Hydrosaurus giganteus. 
[All the figures are of the natural size, and have been drawn on the stone \vithout 
reversing.] 
* See Laetet, ‘ Notice sur la Oolline de Sansans,’ 8vo, 1851, p. 39 ; Gebvais, ‘ Paleontologie Fraii 9 aise,’ 
pp. 258, 259. 
