Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 16. (Budapest 1918)

Fejérváry, G.J.: Contributions to a Monography on fossil Varanidae and on Megalanidae 16

FOSSIL VA HA NID AK AND M EG ALA NID ATD

. 365 München und Berlin, 1911, p. 211; WERNER, Rept, Ampi., Samml. GÖSCHEN Nr. 383, Leipzig, 1908, p. 72, & BBBHM'S Tierleben, Bd. V, Kriecht,, Leipzig und Wien, 1912, p. 123; DE STEFANO, Sauri del Quercy Coll. ROSSIGNOL, Atti Soc. Ital. Sc. Nat., Vol. XLII, 1903, p. 407. In the characterization of this family as given below with regard to its f o s s i 1 as well as to its recent members, I have entirely followed the excellent definition of it to be found in BOULENGER'S «Fauna of Brit. Ind.» (p. 160—161), only adding a few remarks of mine concerning the zygosphen and zygantrum and LYDEKKERS' observations (op. cit. p. 281) relating to the vertebras,as having greater practical importance in comparison with the Megalanidae and with fossils in general.

1 The skull is provided with incomplete (=open) post-orbital and complete (= joined) bony postfr-onto-squamosal arches; supratemporal fossa uncovered; a single prsBmaxillary bone, very narrow and elongated backwards ; nasals coalesced and narrow; parietal single ; infraorbital vacuity bounded by the pterygoid the palatine and 1 he transverse bones, the maxillary being excluded : frontals entirely surrounding the olfactory lobes of the brain ; there is an interorbital septum composed of fibrous cartilage ; columella crarrii is present

. Teeth largi -sized and dilatt d at the base adhering by it to the inner side of the jaw;

2 no palatine teeth. Vertebra? procoelous ; no zygosphen nor zygantrum; the ventral surface of the dorsal vertebra? is broad, flat, not or but relatively slightly keek d. No dermal ossifications appear on head and body. (Tavicle slender not dilated, interclavicle (=episternunr) anchor shaped. (The tongue is smcoth, very long and slender, bifid, retractile into a sheath at the base. Pupil round; eyelids well developed; tympanum distinct.) Limbs well developed and strong; neck long; tail long, cylindrical or compressed. (Head covered with small polygonal scales. Dorsal scales roundish, juxtaposed, surrounded by lings of minute granules; ventral scales squarish, arranged in cross row

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s. Femoral or praganal pores absent). Largesized carnivorous lizards living on the continent or inhabiting water. (V. griseus DAUD. seems to be chiefly a desert form, whilst V. salvator and nUoticus, owing to the fact of their tail being strongly compressed deserve the name of Water Lizards; the Papuan emerald-green V. prasinus is supposed to be arboreal. Eggs oval-shaped and soft shelled.) A single genus: 1 The characters which could not be recognized on the remains are put in parantheses. 2 Pleurodont type,