On a New Species of Dicynodon ( D. Murrayi ) from near Colesberg, South Africa

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Abstract
For the original specimen from which Professor Huxley first in the spring of last year) obtained evidence of the existence of this species, he was indebted to the Rev. H. M. White, of Andover, who subsequently put the author in communication with the discoverer of the fossil, Mr. J. A. Murray, and the latter gentleman having written to his father, resident in South Africa, obtained for Professor Huxley a large quantity of similar fossil remains. One specimen in particular, having been carefully chiselled out by Mr. Dew, afforded a complete skull of this peculiar and previously undescribed species of Dicynodon. The author described the distinctive features of this skull in detail. Dicynodon Murrayi is distinguished from all the already known species by the following characters:— 1. The plane of the upper and anterior face of the nasal and premaxillary bones would, if produced, cut that of the upper face of the parietals at an angle of about 90°. 2. The supratemporal foossæ are much longer from within outwards than from before backwards, owing partly to the shortness of the parietal region. 3. The alveoli of the tusks, the transverse section of which is circular, commence immediately under the nasal apertrue, and extend forwards and downwards parallel with the plane of the nasal and upper part of the part of the premaxillary bones, and do not leave their sockets until they have passed beyond the level of the posterior end of the symphysis of the lower jaw. 4. The nasal apertures are altogether in front of the orbits. 5. The length of the upper jaw in front of the nasal apertures is certainly equal to one-third, and probably to one-half, the whole length of the skull, which is between six and seven inches. 6. The os quadratum is about half as long as the skull. These structural peculiarities are sufficient to distinguish Dicynodon Murrayi from all others; and the author stated that he should reserve the description of many other anatomical features, which are probably more or less common to other Dicynodons, such as the bony sclerotic, the bony interorbital septum and vomer, the characters of the humerus, of the pelvis, and of the ribs, for another paper, in which other Dicynodont remains would be considered.

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