372 
G. J. DE FEJ ÉRVÁR Y 
Grive -Bt. -Alba n (Dép. de PIsère), in France. This interesting fossil was 
bought by the Geological Institute for 50 centimes (!) from the «Comptoir 
Minéralogique et Géologique Suisse, Genève» as a Varanus vertebra, and 
proved in truth referable to this genus. After having determined the frag¬ 
ment in question, for greater security’s sake I sent it without further infor¬ 
mation to Mr. F. Siebenrock in Vienna, our present highest capacity in 
reptilian osteology, who returned the vertebra with the definition: «Epis- 
tiopheus von Varanus.)) 
It is owing to the place of its origin that this fossil Varanus 
vertebra deserves first of all especial notice. As has been alluded to,among 
the most interesting fossils obtained at La Grive-St.-Alban, Jourdan already 
mentions the genus Varanus, without however Depéret (op. cit. p. 65 
& 289) either finding the Jourdan original «fragment avec trois dents de 
la mâchoire supérieure», nor any newer remains, so that, as far as I am in¬ 
formed, this would be the second data regarding the occurrence of Vara¬ 
nus at La Grive. 
Considering that as regards V. Gayluxi and V. Hof manni I was obliged 
to limit my investigations to d r a wing s, an exact specific determination 
of the vertebra was not possible. In my opinion however it would no t be 
referable to a new T species, but rather to F. Gayluxi , or perhaps V. Hof~ 
manni , the latter mentioned merely on account of its Miocene origin, 
a morphological comparison with F. Hofmanni appearing as yet of rather 
speculative nature, since no cervical vertebra of this species is hitherto 
known, a connexion with it appearing otherwise doubtful from a geographical 
point of view. Whereas from a biological point of view the fact of Varanus 
Gayluxi having been found at Quere y seems to allow the 
easily justifiable conclusion to the presence of the same species in 
the Département de IT sère also; and, as far as morphologi¬ 
cal characters are concerned, a comparison with those apparent on the 
epistropheus of V. Gayluxi (Textfig. 8a) fails to bring out any 
sufficient cause for separating from this species 
the La Grive remain. As however, on the other hand, no due 
reason could here justify a positive identifica¬ 
tion, I provisionally define the fossil under the name of «Varanus cl? 
Gayluxi Filh.». The epistropheus in question shows the following morpho¬ 
logical conditions : 
Centre of medium length; bluntly, but distinctly keeled on lower 
surface (margo inferior mihi). Condyle medium sized, but slightly 
projecting, the lower hemisphere rounded, the upper one nearly straight, 
the ball being thus directed upwards ; latter one viewed from backwards 
horizontally oval. Processus odontoideus broken, the damaged region pre- 
