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Show 1904.] TRIASSIC REPTILE TELERPETON ELGINENSE. 471 me to supplement and correct the original description. Further information might doubtless be obtained by developing some parts of the fossil-the region of the shoulder-girdle for instance; but from the great historical interest which attaches to the specimen, it was deemed advisable to preserve the condition in which it left the hands of its original describee. B (Plates X X X . & X X X I . fig. 1).-A nearly complete specimen, minus the tail, from the East Quarry, Lossiemouth, found in 1898, in two slabs. This specimen, lying perfectly flat in the sandstone block, with very little distortion, is important as showing the general proportions, and the exact shape of the skull as seen from above. Part of the left fore limb is exposed, and by chiselling the matrix both hind limbs were brought to light, without the feet unfortunately, the block terminating in a line with the base of the tail. Much of the bone is preserved in this fossil, but in a very friable condition. The skull measures 50 millim. in length, and the pra?caudal vertebral column 13. C (Plate X X X I . fig. 2).-An imperfect skull, much stained by oxide of iron, showing the left orbit, the greater part of the fronto-parietal region, of which very little of the osseous substance is left, and the pulp-cavities of most of the upper teeth. This very important specimen was obtained in the West Quarry at Lossiemouth in 1902. These three specimens have now come into the possession of the Geological Department of the British Museum, and have kindly been placed at my disposal for study by Dr. A. Smith Woodward, who has besides granted me the valuable services of the excellent preparator, Mr. Richard Hall, by whose skill specimen B has been further developed. And in order that I should have before me all the material known to exist at present, Dr. Traquair consented to send on loan to the British Museum the type specimen of Telerpeton elginense now in the Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh*. I beg to express m y sincere thanks to Mr. Taylor, to Dr. A. S. Woodward, to Dr. Traquair, and to Mr. Hall for having enabled me to prepare the account now published. A rapid first inspection of the new material showed that the skull was characterised by enormous orbits, bordered behind by a narrow, imperforate supratemporal roof, a very large pineal foramen, and transversely enlarged, bilobate lateral teeth, characters which at once suggested to m y mind special affinity with the South-African Permo-Triassic Procolophon (Plate X X X I . fig. 3), whilst the dentition at the same time recalled the figures given * The statement in the British Museum Catalogue of Fossil Reptiles, i. p. 295, that this type is preserved in the Museum at Elgin is the result of misinformation. It formed part of the Powrie Collection, which was acquired for the Edinburgh Museum in 1891. |
