The Presence of the Remains of Dicynodon in the Triassic Sandstone of Elgin

Abstract

IN my address to the Geological Section of the British Association I was fortunately able to announce a discovery which is of the very greatest interest both to geologists and biologists. As this discovery was made only a few days before the commencement of the meeting at Aberdeen, and after the draft of the address was in type, it does not appear in your columns; I will therefore ask you to insert this note upon the subject. Visiting the “Cutties Hillock” quarry near Elgin early in September, I found that the workmen had recently obtained a new specimen of a reptile, in which the head was preserved. On examining this I found that there were clear indications of two large canine teeth in the upper jaw with permanent pulp cavities. These characters and the general form of the skull left scarcely the smallest doubt in my mind that the remains must belong to a reptile closely allied to Dicynodon. From the examination of a photograph which I submitted to him, my friend Dr. Traquair was able to fully confirm this conclusion, and to lay a preliminary note on the specimen before the Geological Section at Aberdeen. I hope that ere long he will be able to give a complete description of it.