FOSSIL VARANIDAE AND MEGALANIDAE. 
449 
p. 47—48, 1908) and Broili (op. cit., p. 211, 1911) deal with this highly 
interesting Saurian but in a very superficial manner, just mentioning it or 
merely referring to some preceeding literary data. They all consider Mega¬ 
lania as a Yaranoid genus or even classify it as a true Varanus-s pecies. 
I shall at least record Mr. Zietz’s publication on his «Varanus warbur- 
tonensis » which appeared in 1899 1 , the remains of which — a few vertebrae - 
I also consider as belonging to a smaller specimen of Megalania prisca 
(see Part I st , p. 862). 
CHAPTER II. SYSTEMATICAL DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION. 
Ordo : Lacertilia. 
Subordo : Platynota ? 
Gers:? 
Familia: Megalanidae Fejérv. n. fam. 
Varanidae Group B, part. Lydekker, Catal. Kept. Ampli. Part 1, 
London, 1888, p. 283. 
Large-sized Lizards, from about 14 feet (4% metres) in length. 1 
Skull massive, relatively small (about as in Varanomorpha and Dolicho- 
sauromorphd) ; pituarv cavity very large; dentition pleur odont; 
teeth pointed (?), strongly serrated, curved backwards (?). 
Vertebrae procot bus, very broad, the dorsal-ones hereby of a 
Tailless-Ba tra chian type ( Bufo for instance) : neural canal very narrow s 
narrower than in any Lacerti li an s, recent or fossil; 
a strongly developed zygosphen and zygantrum present. No dermal 
ossifications. 
Limbs strongly developed. 
Mode of life on dental evidence predominantly carnivorous ; habit 
terrestrial. 
Unique genus and unique species : Megalania prisca Owen. 
Hab. : Australia ; 
Queensland : Condamine River, More ton Bay; Gowrie and King’s 
Creek, Darling Downs. 
Victoria: Melbourne and Cuddie Springs. 
New South Wales : Castleregh River. 
South Australia : Warburton River. 
1 Zietz, op. cit. 
2 I am inclined to suppose a length of even about 5 metres. 
Annales Musei Nationaiis Hungarici. XVI. 
29 
