FOSSIL VARANIDAE AND MEGALANIDAE. 
455 
saurus dentatili). He offers us an excellent description of this interesting 
fossil — accompanied by fine drawings — proving that the remain in 
question was of a La cert ili an and not Crocodilian origin. He did not 
unite however this fragment with Megalania, as, at that time, he thought that 
the Megolanian «jaw was edentolous»; the remains however considered at 
the period mentioned by Sir R. Owen as being skull fragments of Megalania, 
proved since to be chelonian, and it must be regarded as thoroughly 
doubtless that the dentary in question, described by him under the 
name of Notiosaurus, is that of Megalania 'prisca . The fragment was com¬ 
pared by Owen to V aranus giganteus Gray, to which it bears much resem¬ 
blance. The size of the dentary might have been a very considerable one, 
which fact can easily be proved by an approximate reconstruction of the 
fossil. I add to these observations the reproduction of Mr. W. H. Wesley’s 
lithographs accompanying Sir R. Owen’s paper (op. cit. PI. 12), regarding 
the descripiton merely referring to his text, being in this case as complete 
as possible. 
B) Vertebral column: 
1. Vertebrae. The vertebrae are very large, very stout, the 
neural canal very narrow, the cup and the ball rather roundish. The centrum 
is broad and short, sometimes presenting a large and flat margo inferior, 
limited by two converging semilunar excavations 1 ; cava paraglenoide alis 
on dorsal vertebrae might be present (?). 2 Arcus vertebrae stout, vertically 
presenting large surfaces on anterior and posterior part, viz. on the anterior 
large sulci conneetentes and large facies subrhomboidales (Textfig. 32 & 
34c), whilst on the posterior one very broad facies rhomboidales (Textfig. 
35c). Proc. obi. anteriores large, broadly rounded, larger than proc. 
obi. posteriores. Proc. spinosus in dorsal vertebrae from middle region 
of back strongly developed, broad, abruptly rising. Well marked, 
though relatively small zygosphens (Textfig. 32), and corresponding to 
them, two impressions (zvgantra) at both sides of linea medialis on hind 
surface of neural arch (Textfig. 35c). Lacies costales strongly deve¬ 
loped as well as — if present 3 — proc. transversi (Textfig. 35c & d). 
Neural canal provided with distinct crista medialis and cristae late¬ 
rales (Textfig. 355); very narrow, its Right about one sixth of 
vertical diameter of cup, its transversal aperture about one twelft h 
1 Phil. Trans. Voi. 149, Part II, PI. VIII, Fig. 3. 
2 Fig. cit. 
3 For instance on sacral and caudal vertebra. 
