224 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP creating backwards till Dear their ends, and the anterior dorsal rays are free at their ends ; but as the species agrees so closely in other external characters, I feel compelled to retain it in that genus for the present at least. In this connection, I may also mention a species found at Pensacola, which exhibits several characters in common with the species referred to, but repre-sents a distinct genus closely related to Chcenopsetta, Paralichthys and Pseudo-rhombus ; the naso-dorsal side of the rhombic outline is very convex ; the supra-ocular region depressed ; the interorbial area formed by a narrow, scaleless ridge; the caudal peduncle short; the scales ctenoid, and the dorsal and anal fins respectively highest, and convergent far behind and at nearly the same vertical. The species has a height of little less less than half the extreme length ; the head almost a fourth, and the caudal almost a fifth. The first fin rays are the longest and filiform, progressively increasing, and the fin itself commences at a vertical between the orbit and pupil. The rays of the dorsal (70) converge towards the fiftieth ; those of the anal (56) towards the thirtieth. The color is reddish brown, with four ocellated spots larger than the eye ; the first above the longer declining portion of the falciform arch of the lateral line ; the three posterior forming the angles of a triangle ; the anterior two mid-way between the snout and caudal margin, and the posterior on the lateral line. It may be named Ancylopsetta quadrocellatus. On the Characters of the higher Groups of KEPTILIA SQUAMATA-and especially of the DIPL0GL0SSA. BY E. D. COPE. Since it is only by an attentive consideration of the peculiarities of organ-ized beings that their relationships in time present and past can be deter-mined, the more complete that examination the more certain will our conclu-sions be. In the course of preparation of systematic work, the great need of well established bases is often felt, and nowhere more urgently than among the Reptiles. The following abstract, presenting some new views in this de-partment, have been taken from my MSS., as exhibiting some of the stronger points among the multitudinous variations of the reptilian skeleton. Prof. Johannes Muller* has given us the best characters for distinguishing the Ophidia and Lacertilia, viz. : The former having the ali-and orbito-sphe-noid regions osseous the latter membranous ; there being one suspensorium for the quadrature in the first, two in the second. It is true he says Acontias forms an exception, having but one suspensorium, but I have seen the second in a specimen prepared by Herr Will, of Munich, and Prof. Peters showed it to me in a Berlin specimen. Anelytrops, a genus nearly allied to Typhlo-saurus, possesses both, well developed. Aniella, however, appears to consti-tute a real exception to the rule, having but one suspensorium, thus resem-bling the Ophiosaurii or Auiphisbaenia : it resembles the latter so in its elon-gate temporal, continuous with the parietal, the downward prolongation of the latter bone and its close union with the occipital sclerotome, as to connect them closely with the Lacertilia. The true hiatus in the series of Squamata is, in my opinion, to be found between the Ophiosauri and Tortricina. The characters of the skeleton remaining up to the present time, by which Lacer-tilia and Ophidia may be distinguished, are as follows : Lacertilia. Ophidia. Continuity of the parietal and sphenoid Continuity of parietal and sphenoid walls interrupted. walls complete. Rami of the mandible united by suture. Rami united by ligament. From the centre of multiplicity of forms of typical Lacertilia, we can pursue * Tiedemanu and Treyiranus Zeitschr. f. Pbyeiologie, iv. p. 233. [Oct.
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