84 
[VOL. X, 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
Mebycopotamus dissimilis, Falc. and Cant. 
Since publishing my notes on the Osteology of this genus, in the last volume of the 
“ Records (p. 144), I have had an opportunity of comparing the axis vertebra and the 
astragalus of Merycopotamus with the corresponding bones of Eyopotamus bovinus from 
the upper eocene of Bracldesham, and find that these bones of the two genera are so close 
in form as to be almost undistiuguishable one from the other, and were it not for the 
evidence of the skull and teeth, they would at once be referred to the same genus. I give 
here the dimensions of the axis and astragalus of Eyopotamus, which may be compared 
with those of the same bones of Merycopotamus given on pages 151 and 152 of the last 
volume of the “ Records — 
Axis Vertebra. 
Inches. 
Length of centrum 
... 29 
Width of posterior surface of ditto 
... 1*2 
Depth of ditto 
. ... ... 9'5 
Width across anterior articular facet 
... ... 2-0 
Length of odontoid process 
... 6-8 
Width of ditto 
• ... ... 6-9 
Astragalus. 
Extreme length 
... 23 
Width across tibial trochlea 
. ... ... 11 
Ditto distal extremity 
... 1*3 
Width of cuboidal articular facet ... 
... 0-61 
Ditto navicular ditto 
... 0-66 
Length of calcaneal trochlea 
... 1*3 
Width of ditto 
... 0-7 
I have not had an opportunity of comparing any other of the limb hones of ITycpota- 
mns with those of Merycopotamus, hut the figures of the bones of the foot of the former 
genus seem to be very like the corresponding bones of Merycopotamus. 
The above resemblances serve to shew that Merycopotamus must be a survivor of a 
very ancient type of structure; and also shew that the genus has affinities on the one hand 
as shewn by teeth and limb hones with the Eyopotamidce, and on the other, as shewn by 
its skull and lower jaw, with the Eippopotamidoe. 
Parasuchian Crocodile. 
Mr. Hughes has lately sent in a specimen of a scute of a Crocodilian from the Denwa 
group of the Mahadeva series, collected by him on the banks of the Denwa river. The 
specimen is of importance, as hitherto no fossils have been obtained from these beds. I 
hope ou a subsequent occasion to give a figure of this scute, and therefore at present shall 
only roughly describe it. The specimen is of large size, being at the centre more than an 
inch in thickness; it seems to have belonged to the dorsal series of scutes, and is from the 
right side; it is fractured through its centre, the longitudinal ridge being broken away; 
externally, it i3 convex from side to side; the inner border presents a fiat surface for sutural 
union with its fellow of the opposite side; the posterior border is bevelled away interiorly 
and overlapped the anterior border of the succeeding scute; a great part of the anterior 
moiety has been broken away. The upper surface is deeply pitted, and the peripheral pits are 
expanded into elongated grooves presenting a radiating arrangement. The specimen when 
complete was probably as large as broad, and indicated an animal of gigantic dimensions ; 
the length of the one complete (inner) border is 6'1 inches. The above-mentioned characters 
shew that the specimen belonged to the Amphiccelian Croeodilia so characteristic of the 
