850 
O. J. DE FEJ ÉRVÁR Y 
sauras genera, the genus Palaeovaranus — which has certainly no 
more reason for subsisting than the former ones, — with the genus 
Varanus, whilst giving to the Filhol species, which is undoubtedly a good 
one, the name of Varanus Gayluxi Filh. I shall yet allude to some details 
on the question in the chapter on system and phytogeny, and only wish 
here to examine Lydekker’s treatise published in 1888 under the title 
of «Notes on Tertiary Lacertilia and Ophidia». 1 Allusion was made to the 
fact of Lydekker having, in his Catalogue, synonvmized Filhol’s Palaeo¬ 
varanus with the Helodermatoid Placosaurus of Gervais. The above mention¬ 
ed publication appeared in the same year as, and shortly before, the Cata¬ 
logue, so that it seems surprising to find in this latter one Lydekker express 
himself as follows (p. Ill): «At a still later period Dr. Filhol 2 described 
and figured from the Quercy Phosphorites an imperfect dentary bone 
under the name of Palaeovaranus Gayluxi and suggested that it might be 
the same as the so-called Varanus margaritice/ps; but since this specimen 
appears to belong to a true Varanus, it will be perfectly distinct from the 
latter.» 3 The genuineness of this statement cannot be doubted, it is there¬ 
fore difficult to understand why Lydekker after having advanced such 
an opinion a few months later, in his Catalogue, inscribed this «true Varanus» 
as synonym of Placosaurus ? — Filhol’s original publication on « Palaeo¬ 
varanus » (op. cit.) which unfortunately appears to be a study of very super¬ 
ficial nature, 4 not even containing a real, particular description of the 
fossils, — gives us three figures (Pl. XXVI), two of which (fig. 445—446) 
representing a right femur in dorsal and ventral view, which Filhol refers 
to his « Palaeov. Gayluxi .» Lydekker 5 declared this femur as widely differing 
from Varanus and writes upon the subject in the following terms : «Finally, 
on comparison of a Quercy femur (No. E. 887) with the similar specimen 
figured by Dr. Filhol (op. cit. pl. XXVI, figs. 445—446) under the name 
of Palaeovaranus, I find a marked resemblance to the femur of the Anguoid 
genus Diploglossus and a wide difference from that of Varanus.» In his 
Catalogue Lydekker equally attributes the femur in question to Placo¬ 
saurus . 6 
1 Geol, Mag., New Ser., Dec. Ill, vol. V, London, p. 110-1 IS. 
2 Op. cit. 
3 Nopcsa (op. cit. p. 43) also alludes to Lydekker’s work saying: «Lydekker 
trennt den Palaeovaranus- Femur vom Kiefer und vereinigt ersteren mit Placosaurus. Der 
Kiefer wird auch weiterhin als Typus des Genus Palaeovaranus Gayluxi betrachtet.» 
4 Even the reference to the form described by Gervais as « Varanus margar ilicepsb 
is inaccurate, Filhol mentioning it under the nanm of « Varanus marg ariti ferusv) 
5 Geo]. Mag, op. cit. 
6 See also Nopcsa (op. cit. p. 44): «Lydekker hält Placosaurus für einen 
