Holoptychius Hibberti, Ag. Fifeshire coal-field; natural size.
The annexed figure represents a large tooth of the Megalichthys, found by Mr. Horner in the Cannel coal of Fifeshire. It probably inhabited an estuary, like many of its contemporaries, and frequented both rivers and the sea.
Fig. 384.
Archegosaurus minor, Goldfuss. Fossil reptile from the coal-measures, Saarbrück.
At length, in 1844, the first skeleton of a true reptile was announced from the coal of Münster-Appel in Rhenish Bavaria, by H. von Meyer, under the name of Apateon pedestris, the animal being supposed to be nearly related to the salamanders. Three years later, in 1847, Prof. von Dechen found in the coal-field of Saarbrück, at the village of Lebach, between Strasburg and Treves, the skeletons of no less than three distinct species of air-breathing reptiles, which were described by the late Prof. Goldfuss under the generic name of Archegosaurus. The ichthyolites and plants found in the same strata, left no doubt that these remains belonged to the true coal period. The skulls, teeth, and the greater portions of the skeleton, nay, even a large part of the skin, of two of these reptiles have been faithfully preserved in the centre of spheroidal concretions of clay-iron-stone. The largest of these lizards, Archegosaurus Decheni, must have been 3 feet 6 inches long. The annexed drawing represents the smallest of the three of the natural size. They were considered by Goldfuss as saurians, but by Herman von Meyer as most nearly allied to the Labyrinthodon, and therefore connected with the batrachians, as well as the lizards. The remains of the extremities leave no doubt that they were quadrupeds, "provided," says Von Meyer, "with hands and feet terminating in distinct toes; but these limbs were weak, serving only for swimming or creeping." The same anatomist has pointed out certain points of analogy between their bones and those of the Proteus anguinus; and Mr. Owen has observed to me that they make an approach to the Proteus in the shortness of their ribs. Two of these ancient reptiles retain a large part of the outer skin, which consisted of long, narrow, wedge-shaped, tile-like, and horny scales, arranged in rows (see [fig. 385.]).
Fig. 385.