ee PRS Le Wt 44H! Dorkes ff Pbbicctisone “eb. 12 Bb hater Llp C183). “ey : 8] — lbk. « 8 —~29 838). dee « __ e+ —— 2h vu 30 —4S (183g ]. /vne « 24 — 34d « 4bL—S3 (1840). tak « 343 — 420. «FQ DL. Uy) heb Secs oe ¥: / 4X pre ibe So pret, (Sel TRANSACTIONS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. VOLUME II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY, BY RICHARD AND JOHN E. TAYLOR, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET; AND SOLD AT THE SOCIETY’S HOUSE, LEICESTER SQUARE; ‘SOLD ALSO BY LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS, PATERNOSTER-ROW. —1841. CONTENTS. I. On the Quails and Hemipodii of India. . By Lieut.-Colonel Wit1.iam Henry Syxzs, De 8) aS Pets | rrr ay parent II. Descriptions of a few Invertebrated Asseinle sneaiaain at Sit Isle of France. By Rosert Tempeton, Esq., Corr. Memb. Z.S. . . . Bee ote) IlI. On a Remarkable Species of Pteropine Bat. By E. T. coun Esq., F.L.S., PSCOMNABIS bole) el ails nei eet SOL IV. Some Account of the ehitaces of ste irae of South ees iba descriptions of new Genera and Species: founded principally on the collections obtained by Mr. Cuming and Mr. Miller. By Tuomas Bett, Esq., F.R.S., GS. § ZS. . 39 V. Some Observations on the Economy of an Insect destructive to Turnips. By Witi1aM YarreLL, Esq., V.P.Z.8., F.LS., &. . Saray Ohta 54 VI. Mémoire sur une nouvelle Espéce de Poisson du Genre ‘Hither: de la Mer Rouge. Par M. E. Roppeii, M.D., Membre Externe de la Société Zoologique . . 71 VII. On the Genus Octodon, and on its Relations with Ctenomys, Blainv., and Poepha- gomys, F. Cuv. ; including a Description of a new Species of Ctenomys. By E. T. Bennett, Esq., F.L.S., Sec. ZS. . . Se 2a VIII. On the Anatomy of the Lamellibranchiate Caneiienn ‘By se ies Esq., F.L.S. Communicated by Ricuarp Owen, Esqg., F.R.S. . 2. . . . . 87 IX. Descriptions of some New and Rare Cephalopoda. By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian a of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Lon- Givens, . ert ae X. Mémoire sur les Garnanen et mae Gerbilles. ‘Par M. Fue. sabres Prof. de la Phy- siologie Comparée, Membre de l'Institut, &c. &c. Communicated by Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S.,&c. . . a laege ho aS XI. Description of a New Gbres of Maiiiniterds Aare ons saiabane belonging probably to the Order Marsupialia. By Grorce R. WatEeruouse, Esq., Curator to the Zoological Society. Communicated by the Secretary . . . . . 149 XII. Descriptions of several new Species of Insects belonging to the Family of the Sacred Beetles. By J.O. Westwoop, Esq., F.L.S., &c., Secretary to the Entomological Society. Communicated by the Secretary . . . .. =... =.=. ~~. L155 iv CONTENTS. XIII. Osteological Contributions to the Natural History of the Orang Utans (Simia, Erx- leben). By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons. . . . . page 165 XIV. A Synopsis of the Fishes of Madeira ; ahah the abe Sunes Portuguese Names, and Characters of the new Genera and Species. By the Rev. R. T. Lowe, M.A., Corr. Memb. of the Zool. Soc. . . . Sings syd aS XV. Observations on the Genus Galictis (Bell), with the Deconpea of a new Species. By Tuomas Bett, Esq., V.P.Z.S., F.R.S., &c., Professor of Zoology in King’s College? aaeun- 1a Lace? OIL XVI. On a new Bilipenvs of Fishes, allied to ipphidiam. “By Watinan Txpieeoe Esq., Vice-President of the Natural History Society of Belfast. Communicated by the SGRAMIT & Gc pltioy » pe ZAM XVII. Description of a new epee of ei he. By Capt. Ww. C. aren (Bombay Engineers,) in a Letter addressed to the Secretary . . seek fh eile XVIII. Notes on the Anatomy of the Nubian Giraffe. By Ricaen Own, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons . . 217 XIX. On a new Genus of Insectivorous Mammalia. By W. C. L. Martin, Eszq., yo Fa eee Be ey OL] XX. On the Meine y of the ‘Sour ee one Aerts: ‘Bhaw). By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons . . Bice s 8): XXI. Observations upon Palasic Serpents. By Dr. iDasonons Cukeacs, Bengal Medi- cal Service, Corr. Memb. Zool. Soc., M.A.S., &e. . . 303 XXII. Outlines of a Classification of the Marsupialia. By Rigwawe Oien: Hsq.: F. R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons . . 315 XXIII. On the Genus Galeopithecus. By G. R. Wareruouss, Esq. . . 335 XXIV. On the Skull of the North American Badger, Meles Labradoria of Antone By Grorcre R. Wateruoust, Esq., Curator and Assistant Secretary for Scientific Business to the Zoological Society . . 2 a Ode XXV. On the Fishes of the Dukhun. By Lieut. Chiakel W. 1 —s FR. S., &c. 349 XXVI. On the Osteology of the Marsupialia. By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons . . . 374 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. I. On the Quails and Hemipodii of India. By Lieut.-Colonel Witt1am Henry Sykes, E.R.S., L.S., GS. & Z.8. Communicated April 14, 1835. I COULD wish that the amateur naturalist, with his specimen in his hand, might always be able to refer it, without much difficulty, to its family, its genus, and its spe- cies; but am afraid that, in very many instances, generic characters are not yet suffi- ciently exact, clear, defined, and satisfactory, to enable him to do so with the requisite ease. In these cases of difficulty, it is probable that there has been an unqualified ge- neralization in establishing generic characters from a single specimen which furnished the type, or at the most from two or three species. But our rapidly increasing know- ledge of the affinities, habits, and organization of animals will very probably enable naturalists, at no distant period, to give that precision to generic characters which will admit of the object I have contemplated being realized. The early ornithologists (and in this they have generally been followed by those of more recent date) adopted external characters—form for generic, and plumage for spe- cific, distinctions—as the chief guides to arrangement and identity: and in the majority of instances, these appreciable data have established legitimate distinctions which a subsequent knowledge of habits and organization has confirmed. Of the truth of this, Mr. Vigors’s able arrangement of the groups of birds from external organs and form bears ample testimony. But still, in my experience, I found external characters not altogether sufficient when collating species which were not the types of the genus. I in- stance the family of the Tetraonide. It appeared to me that some generalizations were too sweeping ; the form and habits of the typical species seemed to be made too sub- VOL. 11.—PART I. B 2 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE stantive, and required to be put forth with certain explanations, or exceptions, or limi- tations. They might be quite true (indeed for the most part were so) with respect to the typical species, and possibly to a few others of the genus; but were not so to the remaining species, whose deviations in the form of the bill, wing, &c., might not only be appreciable, but be so marked as to justify, in the eyes of rigid systematists, their removal into distinct genera: but which removal, nevertheless, the habits and natural affinities of the birds would not authorize. Some of the Quails I am about to describe afford a conclusive instance of this difficulty : and other instances will appear in the following preliminary observations which I deem it necessary to make in justification of the arrangement I have adopted. If it be asked, what characters justify the union of animals into genera, and what characters should separate them? I reply, that the question necessarily embraces so wide a field of inquiry, that it cannot come within the contemplated limits of this paper: but, for the sake of illustration, I shall offer a few comments, which, if they do no more, will at least show that exceptions have some weight; and these I shall take chiefly from the Tetraonide. If the form alone of the bill is to unite birds, then would some species of Francolins, Partridges, and Quails afford one common type, while other species of these genera would be widely separated. The birds I designate as Coturniv Argoondah and Cot. Pentah would belong to a different genus from Cot. dactylisonans and Cot. textilis, and Cot. erythrorhyncha would stand alone. On this character, Pterocles would probably be removed from the family of Tetraonide, to an intermediate station between it and Columbide. If the form, and number, and size of the toes and nails be our guides, then would Hemipodius and Cryptonyx have the most appreciable characters in Tetraonide : but these might suggest the removal of the former into the family Struthionide and genus Otis; and, indeed, the similarity of the tongue and ceca, and the habits of the Hemipodu and Bustards would partly authorize the change. But so little does the presence or absence of a hind toe influence form, habits, organization, and affinities as a general rule, that I found it absolutely necessary to class Charadrius bilobus and Vanellus Goensis in the genus Vanellus, the former having four toes, the latter only three. There is also no natural affinity between the Bustards and some of the smaller Plovers, particularly Charadrius Philippensis, both with three toes ; yet there is a very close affinity between the latter and the Sandpiper (Totanus) a four-toed bird. Brisson made the combined characters of bill and feet his elements of classification. He says, ‘‘ Les pattes et les becs sont les parties que j’ai choisies pour établir les carac- téres. Le nombre des doigts, &c.” He has twenty-six orders, and his characters, for the most part, produce natural associations: but there are some genera in juxta- position that have little or no natural affinity, such as Jacana and Rallus ; Ciconia and Tringa. Vanellus is removed from the Plovers ; Otis and Himantopus are associated ; and the system would place Hemipodius near Ostralega: it approximates Parus and Alauda; QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 3 and places Bucco and Cuculus in adjoining sections. The Woodpeckers and Parrots are in the same order, and removed only a few sections from each other, although having only one common characteristic, the arrangement of the toes. M. Temminck considers that the form of the wing, whether sharp or rounded, is suffi- ciently valid to characterize a genus ; and he gives the following dictum to distinguish Quails from Partridges generically. ‘‘ J’indiquerai préalablement le moyen le plus sur pour distinguer une caille d’une perdrix. Ce caractére marquant est pris de la forme des ailes. Tous les oiseaux qui composent le genre perdix ont les trois rémiges extéri- eures les plus courtes et également étagées entre elles, et la quatriéme et cinquiéme les plus longues: tandis que chez toutes les espéces qui forment le genre coturnix c’est la premiére ou la remige extérieure qui est la plus longue. J’ai trouvé ce caractére inva- riable dans toutes les espéces.”! Vieillot similarly says, ‘‘ Les cailles se distinguent spécialement de tous les précedens [Colins and Partridges] par la forme des ailes, et de la queue.”’? But, in giving characteristics of the family Gallinacei, he says, ‘‘ Tous, a lexception des Gangas et de |’Héteroclite, ont le port lourd, les ailes courtes et ar- rondies,’’? With respect to another distinguishing external character of the Quails, M. Tem- minck says that they have “‘ les pieds a tarses lisses, sans éperons ou la moindre apparence de tubercule calleux.”4 The males of my specimens, designated by me Cot. Argoondah and Cot. Pentah, are furnished with distinct tubercles ; and the varieties of the same two species, one variety from the Himalayan mountains, and the other from the neigh- bourhood of Madras, equally have them. With the greatest respect for M. Temminck’s judgement, I would submit to him that his generic characters separate from Coturnix three of the species of Quails described in the following pages; two of them having the rounded wing and tubercles of Partridges, but a much higher bill, while the third differs only from his Coturnia in the rounded wing: birds, therefore, which all sports- men unhesitatingly pronounce to be Quails, would be otherwise designated by naturalists, in consequence of variations in characters which do not modify their form or organi- zation. I doubt whether the true objects of science, and the due extension of natural know- ledge amongst the non-scientific part of the community, are likely to be promoted by the multiplication of genera consequent on the above distinctions, and less so by the multiplication of species, when it is possible to avoid it. I would, therefore, always, where it could be done in other genera, as in the case of my Quails, instead of forming new genera to meet the deviations from the type, throw the species into sections, A, B, C, characterized ‘‘ with rounded wing, and tubercles,” ‘‘ with rounded wing, no tubercles,” &c. If we look to habits and manners to afford us generic or specific characters, we should * Pig. et Gall., tom, iii. p. 461. 2 Gal. des Ois., tom. ii. p. 46. $ Tbid., tom. ii. p. 1. * Pig. et Gall., tom. iii. p. 468. 5 In the possession of the Zoological Society. B2 7 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE be careful to point out exceptions and limitations. M. Temminck, in his preliminary observations on the true Tetraones, says, ‘‘ Ils différent en cela des francolins, des colins, et des cailles qui sont oiseaux voyageurs.”' Again he says, ‘‘ Les cailles vivent la plu- part du temps solitaires ; les jeunes se separent desqu’ils se sentent n’avoir plus besoin de la protection des parens ; mais un méme instinct les réunit subitement en association nombreuse, ce qui a lieu vers le temps de leur migration.”? These observations are appli- cable to a single species, Cot. dactylisonans, and with limitation even to this single species. I have compared the common Quail of Europe with specimens from China, from several parts of India, and from the Cape of Good Hope, and am clearly of opinion that they all belong to the same species ; and others have thought the same before me. The only differences I could discover were in the transverse marks on the throat being more or less distinct, the minute spots on the breast more or less numerous, and the colours of the back of the Chinese Quail being brighter than in the other specimens. Numerous specimens varied also a little in size, as is the case equally in European individuals : yet this species, which is migratory in Europe, and which visits the coasts of France and Italy in such incredible numbers, M. Temminck admits to be stationary in the Isle of Roben at the Cape; and I can testify, from more than twenty-two years’ residence in India, that it is found at all times in Dukhun and Goojrat: it is probable that it is also stationary in China. With respect to other species of Quails, we have not any satis- factory accounts that they are migratory ; for though M. Temminck, on the authority, I believe, of Sonnerat, says that Cot. perlata, a native of Madagascar, goes to the eastern shores of Africa, yet as so little of the bird is known that the female remains to be described, it is not unfair to infer that the account of its habits is problematical. As far as my knowledge extends, none of the Quails described in the following pages are migratory from India. With respect to other habits of Quails, M. Temminck says, ‘‘ Les cailles vivent la plupart du temps solitaires.”? Again, “Les cailles sont des oiseaux peu sociables ; le male aprés avoir fécondé la femelle s’en éloigne pour toujours.”4 And further he says, ‘“‘Hormis le temps de l’accouplement ou du voyage on voit rarement deux cailles ré- unies dans un méme endroit.”® Unquestionably the above-described habits, together with M. Temminck’s account of the monogamous character of Quails, are correctly appli- cable to the species Cot. dactylisonans ; but my observation would not justify me in saying that they are applicable to the species tewtilis, Argoondah, Pentah, and erythrorhyncha, the last three of which are certainly always gregarious, and I fully believe polygamous. Even with respect to the first-mentioned species, the statement must be received cum grano salis : for it is notorious to all sportsmen in India, that when one Quail is flushed, a second is within a few paces ; and as I have known thirty brace of Cot. tewtilis killed for a wager in one field of Phaseolus Maz, within an hour and a half, it might hence } tom. iii. p. 106. 2 pp. 107, 108. 3 p. 107. + p. 464. 5 p. 108. QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 5 be inferred that it also is gregarious. There is at all times some risk of misconception in propounding generic characters from habits and manners when we have not a familiar acquaintance with the whole of the species. M. Temminck says, ‘‘ Les véritables perdrix n’habitent jamais les foréts, ils ne se perchent point habituellement.”! Again, ‘‘ Toutes les espéces de perdrix francolins, sur lesquelles je suis parvenu 4 rassembler des notices sures, vivent dans les foréts le long des rividres, se perchent sur les arbres durant le jour, et toujours pendant la nuit.’’? And again, ‘“‘ Les tarses des males sont munis de deux ou d’un seul éperon.””* In India the most common game bird in the country is designated, in books, a Fran- colin; that is to say, the Francolinus Ponticerianus. The males have spurs, and the bird sometimes perches on trees or bushes during the day, and frequently, if not com- monly, during the night : yet it never inhabits forests, but almost exclusively gardens and cultivated lands ; and has the form, air, and (with the exceptions above mentioned) the habits and manners, of the common English Partridge, Perdia cinerea. It is known only as a Partridge; and to call it by any other name to sportsmen in India would be looked upon as puerile pedantry. A living specimen now in the Gardens of the Zoological Society affords European naturalists an opportunity of satisfying themselves how little the bird has the air of a true Francolin. Plumage, which can have little influence in generic distinctions, is of primary import- ance as a specific character ; yet, used without mature consideration and a sound judge- ment, it greatly tends to the multiplication of fictitious species, and the consequent promulgation of error. I have long thought, and daily experience tends to confirm my opinion, that the researches of present and future naturalists will deprive discoverers of many of their honours in establishing new species of birds ; myself, I feel satisfied, amongst others. Ignorant of the difference of plumage between individuals consequent upon sex, upon nonage, and upon annual changes connected with productive develop- ment, books abound with descriptions of supposed new birds which will ultimately merge into previously known species. Mr. Stephens somewhere mentions that the same bird is described under four different names in Dr. Latham’s extensive work. But although plumage cannot supply generic characters, yet the experienced naturalist detects affinities in the extension or prevalence of particular colours or marks: for in- stance, the dagger-shaped stripe down the shaft of the back-feathers of the common Quail is found in Cot. tectilis and in the New Zealand Quail*; in the Cot. excalfactoria it is narrowed to a mere line ; and it is traceable in their congeners the Colins of Ame- rica ; in both species of the Cape Partridge it is broad and distinct, and there is a family plumage in the breast-feathers of these birds in a broad longitudinal white stripe down the shaft, which exactly corresponds with the markings of the Jungle Hen of India: the males have spurs like Francolins, but they have not their air. Characteristic family 1 p. 292. 2 p. 292. 3 p. 299. + New species. 6 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE plumage is seen in the Woodpeckers, although the species are from widely separated countries ; and the Toucans are also remarkable for prevailing colours. The above reflections originated in experiencing difficulties in the arrangement of my Birds of the Tetraonide,—difficulties which I have shown that even M. Temminck’s able elucidation of this family did not enable me to overcome. Naturalists are under great obligations to this distinguished person for the views he has promulgated in different branches of zoology ; but with his acute mind and candour he cannot fail to admit that our daily increasing knowledge will produce trifling modifications in those views, ren- dering them more defined, perspicuous, and conclusive. I will endeavour to illustrate this in some short notices of the genera of his family Tetrao, which appears to afford proof of the truth of the observations of the Rev. L. Jenyns, in his remarks on genera and subgenera!, that in raising subgenera to the rank of genera, sufficient attention should be paid to the necessity for the different groups having an equivalent or equal value. In M. Temminck’s family Tetrao, Cotwrniz is made as substantive a genus as Perdiz? : yet, setting aside difference of size and some trifling differences of habits in some of the species of Quails, I do not know any positive and technical characters applicable to all the species, by which they may be distinguished from the Partridges ; yet the eye will do at once that in which language fails. The Francolins again are not generically separated from the Partridges : yet they have characters (excluding the Francolinus Ponticerianus, which is decidedly a Partridge, although it does occasionally perch and has spurs), in their slenderer form, longer legs and tail, and particularly in their habits, which afford distinctions I think more legitimate than those used to separate Coturnix from Perdia. Lagopus has been separated from Tetrao by Ray, Vieillot, and Dr. Leach; but M. Tem- minck barely sections it from the latter genus. Pterocles is a valid genus ; but from its form, habits, and partly from its organization, I am strongly induced to believe that its natural position is between the Ptarmigans and Pigeons proper. The Heteroclite, it appears to me, will prove a species of Pterocles, with hirsute feet and toes arising from the climate it inhabits. M. Temminck only sections the Colins of the New World from the Partridges ; but with the exception of the Orty« Temmincku (Perdix cristata, Lath.), which has the air and size of a genuine Quail, I agree with Mr. Stephens, who has established the genus Ortyz, that it has a just claim to the distinction. The genera Cryptonyx, Tinamus, and Hemipodius, have characters too marked to render questionable their separation from the ancient genus Tetrao: but to me it appears matter of doubt whether the last genus, from its form, manners, and habits, might not merge into the genus Otis; or at least might be removed to the family Struthionide, and be placed immediately after Otis. Of the genus Hemipodius it will be necessary to say a few words. M. Temminck commences his notice of it with a sentence which is likely to give a ' Proceedings of the British Association in 1833, p. 441, * In his ‘Manuel d’Ornithologie,’ however, it is deprived of its honours. QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 7 wrong impression of the size of the birds constituting the genus. He says, ‘‘ Ces pigmes parmi les oiseaux qui composent l’ordre des Gallinacés!.”” These pygmies, however, by his own measurements of Hem. nigrifrons, pugnaa, nigricollis, thoracicus, tachydromus, and lunatus, are about the size of Cot. textilis, and two inches larger than the Chinese Quail, Cot. excalfactoria. My new species, Hem. Tuigoor, is also as large as Cot. tevtilis; and the smallest of the genus, I believe, Hem. maculosus, is larger than the Chinese Quail. With respect to their habits and manners, M. Temminck says they are polygamous, and live in sterile lands and amongst herbage, and on the borders of deserts: that they prefer running to flying; and prefer to either, conceal- ment in a tuft of grass, to escape pursuit: that they live principally on insects; and rarely touch minute seeds, and never grains. These details are not exactly characteristic of the species that came under my obser- vation, namely, Hem. pugnax, Taigoor, and Dussumieri: the first two species frequent cultivated lands, affecting the localities of Cot. tewtilis; and the last, the thick grass wastes which the Otis fulva delights in: it is also met with in fields. If polygamous, a male and several females should have been found together ; but the first two species were generally solitary when flushed, or at most in pairs, and Hem. Dussumieri always solitary. With respect to food, black Ants and minute coleopterous insects and grass seeds were found in the stomach of several individuals of the first two species, and white maggots, minute insects, and seeds of the Panicum Italicum in the stomach of individuals of Hem. Dussumieri. This last species certainly prefers concealment to flight ; but Hem. pugnax and Taigoor take to wing, although not very readily. Not having been quite satisfied that external characters had enabled me to form a just and precise estimate of generic and specific differences, I sought in internal orga- nization, and in the form of the tongue and the colour of the irides, for additional guides and evidences of affinities or dissimilarities ; inferring that, although similar internal organization, in its functionary results, might not absolutely regulate external form and habits, yet with similar form, or nearly similar form, trifling differences in the organs would be indicative of differences of habits, and would thus probably manifest the proxi- mate or remote relation in which the individual stood to the type of the group. The stomach, the ceca, the proportional length of the ceca to the intestine, the pro- portional length of the intestine to the body, the tongue, and the colour of the irides, were the principal matters to which I turned my attention; but I did not overlook the other organs. My examination extended through one hundred and ninety-eight species of animals, and in most of the species several individuals had the internal appearances carefully recorded : slight sketches were also made of the ceca and tongue, and of any peculiarities in the other organs ; and the colour of the irides was drawn. It would lead me into too wide a field to give in the present paper the general, much ' Pig. et Gall. tom. iii. p. 605. 8 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE less the detailed, result of my inquiries; and it must suffice to say that I quickly found the tongue and the ceca of considerable importance in indicating affinities or dissimilarities between genera. As an instance I may point out the Ciconia leucoce- phala, which at this moment stands in ornithological works of the highest authority, as an Ardea, but which its short tongue at once separated from that genus: and its double short or rudimentary ceca, instead of a single short cecum, and the remarkable colour of its iris contrasted with the prevailing yellow colour in the Herons, afforded further proof of its distinction. To be brief, and yet to afford sufficient evidence of my views connected with the subject of the present paper, I have put into a tabular form some of the characters of the Tetraonide, which I consider likely to assist to give precision in the formation of generic characters ; and I have added those of a Dove and a Pigeon, for the sake of comparison with the organs of Pterocles ewustus. ‘The very close resemblance in the form of the tongue, the ceca, the proportional length of the intestines and ceca, and the colour of the irides in the birds whose affinities are very close, is remarkable, although there are some differences in the form of their bills. The Quails, the Part- ridges, and the Francolinus Ponticerianus, have such trifling variations that the organs noticed may be considered almost identical. When we proceed to the three-toed Hemi- podii, we find with similar tongue and ceca, a more elongated form of bill, and a dif- ferently coloured iris: the tongue and ceca indicate similar habits with the Quails and Partridges ; but the colour of the irides, the form of the bill, and the three toes, mani- fest generic distinctions. Although I possessed many specimens of the Francolinus spadiceus alive, and no doubt subjected them to the usual examinations, I observe that, by some chance, the sketch of the ceca and the proportional lengths of the intestines are omitted in my note-book. I cannot therefore, at this period of time, say whether they correspond with the figure and measurements of those organs in the Partridges and. Quails ; but as the real Francolin differs from them in habits, it is probable that there is sufficient difference in the proportions if not in the form of the organs to establish a generic distinction. Applying the test of all the above characters to Pterocles exustus, it is apparent that it has the aspect, the tongue, and almost the bill, with the air and flight of a Pigeon ; and I observe, pigeon-like, that there is not, in my notes, any mention of a gall- bladder. But when we compare the remaining organs with those of Columba tigrina or Columba Ginas, we find that it has the ceca and iris of the birds of the Partridge family ; but the intestine and ceca are proportionally a good deal longer than in those birds: it may be considered, therefore, intermediate between the Tetraonide and Co- lumbide. I may point out that, with the same form of bill and tongue, the Doves differ from the Columba Gnas in being totally destitute of ceca, the latter having rudimentary ceca; and it is worthy of inquiry to ascertain whether this difference be constant be- tween the Doves and Pigeons proper. QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. Proportional Proportional length of intes- | length of intes- Tris. tine to body. tine to ceca. Coturnix ’ : i é dactylisonans 2:00 to 2°77 | 5°65 to 720) @ Coturnix 2:19 to 2°57 | 6°38 to 6719 textilis Coturnia Argoondah Coturnix Pentah Coturnix erythrorhyncha 2°6 to 2°7 | 7°64 to 7°94 Hemipodius Taigoor VOL. Il. c 10 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE Proportional Name. Tongue. Ceca. length of intes- tine to body. Hemipodius \ Tris. Bill. | jee Feat | { 1:99 to 2:00 | 7°27 to 8-5 ® sae pi Francolinus Ponticerianus 1°94 to 2 \ Francolinus spadiceus INN Columba humilis None, 2:0 to 213 and or mere Col. tigrina specks, | 2°27 to 3°27 _——$— $$ |_| } \ )) \ Columba Ginas ( () 2°75 to 2:90 | 78 to 145 @© es © SS Perdiz picta 2°85 to 3:0 | 5-71 to 6:08 @ aN 0 | ——$_—_—" Pterocles ee ushis n qh 3:0 to 3°47 | 4°5 to 5:08 © = oO QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 1] Having in this paper ventured to call attention to some of the desiderata in the generic characters of part of the Tetraonide, and having ventured to suggest the use of internal organization, as auxiliary to their formation, I will conclude with the assertion, that neither external nor internal characters (excepting size) have enabled me to fix such pre- cise generic distinctions (applicable to all the species) as shall satisfactorily separate the Quails from the Partridges proper ; and that I am reduced to the necessity of believing, with Theophrastus, that they are indeed dwarf Partridges: but as this very character is permanent through all the species', for the convenience of research they may be left with the honours of a family name; and to link the different species of Quails in com- mon ties I propose the following modifications of the generic character of Coturniz, throwing anomalous species into sections. Ordo III. RASORES, Jil. (Gaxuina, Linn.) Fam. Trerraonips#, Leach. (Genus Terrao, Linn.) Genus Corurnix. Rostrum forte, capite brevius ; mandibuld superiore arcuata. Nares laterales, basales, membrana arcuata semiclause, anticé implumes. Pedes tetradactyli; digitis anticis membrana usque ad articulum primum connexis. Cauda brevis, rotundata, recumbens. Oss. Magnitudine utplurimum Perdicis cinerez dimidium paullo superantes. A. Mandibulé superiore parim arcuata; alis acuminatis ; tarsis muticis. 1. Corurnix pactytisonans, Mey. Large gray Quail. Lohah and Lowah of the Mahrattas. Although this species is well described by M. Temminck, I deem it necessary to put into an English dress some details respecting the Indian bird. Bill short, brown, or blackish brown, sharp, wider than high, ,*, to 4 inch long. Tongue fleshy, shortish, broad, but sharp-pointed. Legs pale or flesh-coloured. Tibia 1,4, inch. Tarsi 1 inch.~ Middle toe 1 inch. Nail =2, inch. Hind toe and nail ~7, inch. Trides reddish brown or yellowish brown: in Shaw’s ‘ Zoology’ they are described as yellow. Head chocolate brown, with the feathers tipped reddish. There is a tawny or yellowish stripe over each eye, and a similar stripe down the centre of the crown. Ears reddish brown. Throat gray or tarnished white, but in old males there is a disposition ' Size, although very convenient to separate the Quails from the Partridges, cannot generally be admitted as an element in the formation of generic groups, otherwise the domestic Cat would belong to a different genus from the royal Tiger, and the Shetland Pony would be far removed from the colossal dray Horse. c2 12 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE to blackness under the chin: across the throat are two chocolate or black narrow bands (frequently interrupted in the middle) in a semicircular form, one originating near the gape, the other at the ears. Breast reddish, with one or two black specks on most of the feathers. Belly and vent reddish white. The long feathers of the flanks, under the wings, red chocolate, with a broad yellow stripe down the shaft, and some small blotches of black and yellow on the webs. Back, scapulars, back-neck, and rump, black or deep chocolate-brown, with a longitudinal dagger-shaped yellow stripe down the shaft of the chief feathers, and barred transversely with two or three very narrow yel- lowish bands. Wings brown or gray brown, with short narrow bars or dots of tawny on the outer web. Wing-coverts the same, with the addition of a thread-like yellow line down the shaft. Tail very short, and covered by the rump-feathers. The female is Jarger than the male, and has the bars on the throat frequently obscure or wanting, and the specks on the breast are at times less numerous. Nonage, and the different seasons of the year, produce slight variations in the plu- mage, but not to an extent to render doubtful for a moment the species of an indi- vidual. The black specks on the breast, I think, are more characteristic in general of the male than the female; but I have notes of several males shot in the valley of Sasswur, Poona Collectorate, totally destitute of specks, and some females had them. The usual length of the female of this species, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, is 7+ inches; but I have a female in my possession measuring 8 inches, inclusive of the tail of 2 inches, and in which bird the length from the tip of the bill to the end of the middle toe is 10+ inches. In five birds examined, the intestinal canal varied in length from 13 to 18 inches, the proportional length to the body ranging between 2:0 and 2:77 to 1. Duodenum wide. Colon from 14 to 2 inches. Ceca long and large, club-shaped, with a boss at the end, varying in length in different individuals only from 2-3, to 243; inches, full of green pulp. Liver of two fleshy lobes without fissures. Gall-bladder subreniform, full of deep black-green bile. Gizzard oval, compressed, the digastric muscles ;3; inch thick. Spleen nearly globular, its greatest diameter being -*, inch. Contents of the stomach, grass seeds, insects, much vegetable fibre, apparently the hairy calyces of Dolichos biflorus and the seeds of Phaseolus Aconitifolius. 'The species, indeed, appears omnivorous. They are fond of tufts of grass round ponds, lakes, and in the neighbourhood of water-courses in cultivated lands, and irrigated young wheats. During the monsoon they are in pairs; and in October I have met with young broods unable to fly; the period of incubation, therefore, is during the rains (from June to October inclusive). I never found them congregated in numbers as if preparatory to emigration, and feel fully satisfied that the Bird does not at any season quit any part of India I have been in. QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 13 I have carefully examined and compared specimens from China, India, the Cape of Good Hope, and England, and must pronounce them, in spite of the extraordinary geographical range, to be one species, the differences between the specimens not being greater than are found amongst individuals from the same locality. The Indian Bird has the same cry of Pickerwick, or Peek-wheet-wheet, which, M. Temminck says, in- duced M. Meyer to give it the specific appellation of dactylisonans’. A matter of considerable historical interest is associated with this Bird, as there is the strongest ground for believing that it is the identical species, Tetrao Israelitarum, of whose instinct it pleased the Divinity to avail himself in supplying the famishing Israelites with food in the wilderness. Authors have differed with respect to the real nature of this food; Rudbeck? asserting that it was a Flying Fish, and Ludolph? that it was a Locust: but the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th verses of the 78th Psalm, deter- mine it to have been a Bird. ‘‘ He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls [fowl of wing] like as the sand of the sea: and he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire.” Bochart* and Dr. Harris5 state that the Hebrew word used is Selav, in Arabic Selwee, or Selvai (a Quail), which is constantly rendered by the Septuagint oprvyounzpa, a large kind of Quail. Aristotle, indeed, calls the Rail (Rallus and Crex) Ortygometra: but on the whole it is to be inferred from Bochart that the Greeks used the word rather to indicate the size of the oprv€ than as descriptive of -a different Bird; and Josephus considers optuyountpa and oprvé synonymous, and states that Quails abound on the Gulf of the Red Sea’; and we know that they abound in Egypt, Barbary, Asia Minor, and at certain seasons in Europe, at the present day. There is another mode to connect the bird of Scripture with the Cot. dactylisonans, and this is readily done by the simple fact of its being the only species of Quail that migrates in multitudes ; indeed we have not any satisfactory account that any other species of Quail is migratory. Aristotle mentions the habit ; and Pliny states they some- times alight on vessels in the Mediterranean and sink them! Belon found Quails alight in autumn on a vessel bound from Rhodes to Alexandria; they were passing from the north to the south, and had wheat in their craws. In the preceding spring, sailing from Zante to the Morea, he saw flights of Quails going from the south northwards. Buffon relates that M. le Commandant Godelun saw Quails constantly passing Malta during cer- tain winds in May, and repassing in September; and that they flew by night. Tourne- ' Pig. et Gal. tom. iii. p. 501. 2 Ichthyol. Bibl. $ Comment. ad Hist. Aithiop. p. 108. 4 De Animalibus §. Scripture. ° Natural History of the Bible, p. 317. 6 Lib, ili. cap. i. 14 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE fort says that almost all the isles of the Archipelago are covered with them in certain times of the year. In the commencement of autumn such great quantities are captured in the isle of Capri near Naples, as in former times to afford the Bishop the chief part of his revenue ; and he was called in consequence the Bishop of Quails. M.Temminck says that in spring such prodigious numbers of Quails alight on the western shores of the kingdom of Naples, about Nettuno, that 100,000 are taken in a day. They also arrive in spring in similar numbers on the shores of Provence so fatigued, that for the first days they allow themselves to be taken by hand. Sonnini states that they arrive in Egypt in September. With these facts before us, considering the positive testimony of the Psalmist that the unexpected supply of food to the Israelites was a Bird, and that Bird, agreeably to the Septuagint and Josephus, a Quail,—that only one species of Quail migrates in pro- digious numbers, and that species the subject of the present notice,—we are authorized to pronounce the Cot. dactylisonans to be the identical species with which the Israelites were fed. We have here proof of the perpetuation of an instinct through 3300 years', not pervading a whole species, but that part of a species existing within certain geo- graphical limits; an instinct characterized by a peculiarity which modern observers have also noticed, of making their migratory flight by night. ‘‘ And it came to pass, that at even? the quails came up and covered the camp*.” As might be expected, we see the most ancient and most noble of all historical works and natural history reflect- ing attesting lights on each other. It is probable that these small defenceless birds fly only by night to avoid the attacks of birds of prey ; in crossing seas they must of course continue their flight by night as well as by day. I am aware, however, from personal observation, that the Grus Orien- talis, whose size secures it from the attacks of other Birds, also migrates during the night. M.Temminck thinks it probable that Quails emigrate for food rather than to enjoy a uniform climate ; and in this opinion I coincide, as the great changes of tem- perature in India do not influence the movements of this species, food being abundant at ali seasons. I am not aware that this Bird is used for combats (although a species with tubercles is) in India; and it is not likely the people would warm their hands with it, as is said to be the case in China. From some experience I consider Quails very heating food ; and it is probable the French proverb, ‘‘ Hot as a Quail,” may apply rather to its stimulating properties than to its animal heat. ' 1491 years before Christ. ? Query ‘ night’? 3 Exodus, xvi. 13. QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 15 2. Corurnix TEXxTILIS, Temm. This very handsome bird differs in some trifling respects from M. Temminck’s descrip- tion. Its medium size is a good deal smaller than the common Quail, although indivi- duals frequently attain the magnitude of small specimens of the former. It varies in length, measuring from the tip of the bill over the crown to the end of the tail, inclu- sive of tail, from 6,4, to 7-2, inches: tail 14%; to 1-%, inch. The colour of the bill differs in different individuals from a reddish horn colour to nearly black ; length to the gape +3, inch, depth at the nostril ~ to-*, inch. Jrides dusky red or brown red. The whole upper surface of the bird has a very close resemblance to Cot. dactylisonans, but the colours are generally brighter, and there are more feathers with yellow dagger- like stripes down the shafts. The under surface differs entirely from the common Quail ; and, as I before mentioned, in some matters from M. Temminck’s description. The chin and throat are pure white; the throat has two narrow semicircular black bands across it, and a broad longitudinal black band proceeds from the upper transverse band to the base of the lower mandible. The sides and fore part of the neck and the flanks are rufous. On the centre of the breast, in old males, there is a large patch of velvet black, which ramifies into a multitude of black stripes on the white belly and sides down to the vent. In younger males the black patch on the breast is small or broken into stripes. The female differs in all the colours being less bright, in the absence of the longitu- dinal band under the chin, in the obscureness of the transverse bands, and in the black patch on the breast and stripes on the belly and flanks being broken into dots. A friend, who is a sportsman and an amateur naturalist, has lately written to me from India, that he is satisfied that the Cot. textilis is the male of Cot. dactylisonans. As I possess both sexes of both species, it may be that my friend formed his opinion from finding specimens of females of Cot. teztilis, resembling to a certain extent the fe- male of Cot. dactylisonans ; but they are always distinguishable by the inferior size of the female of Cot. textilis. The males of the two species cannot be mistaken for each other. I observe also, from a note in my journal, that the flesh of this species is brown, that of Cot. dactylisonans being white: this fact alone would indicate a specific differ- ence. In a male and a female examined, the intestinal canal was 11+ inches long; the ceca club-shaped, 1,3; inch long ; from the insertion of the ceca to the rectum 2,3; inches : the proportional lengths have been stated in the tabular view. The remaining organs were as in the other species. Grass seeds, vegetable fibre, and other vegetable matter, apparently the calyces of dif- ferent kinds of pulse, found in the stomach. These birds are met with all over India, and I have seen specimens which were abso- 16 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE lutely identical from Bengal, Madras, and Dukhun. In the monsoon, which is the period of incubation, they are in pairs; but at other seasons they are frequently found in great numbers in the same localities. So abundant are the different species of Quails in Dukhun, that in April 1829, five hundred and seventeen brace were killed in nine days by four guns. B. Mandibuld superiore parim arcuata ; alis rotundatis ; tarsis muticis. 3. CoruRNIX ERYTHRORHYNCHA. Tab. it. Cot. supra saturaté brunnea, infra diluté castanea, nigro (preter ventrem medium) unde- quaque guttata maculataque, scapularium maculis maximis, pectoris guttis minimis ; scapularium tegminumque alarum superiorum albo fasciatarum rhachibus albis, crucem efformantibus ; remigum pogoniis evternis rufescenti fasciatis maculatisque ; fronte ni- gro; strigd frontali utrinque supra oculum productd guldque albis. Fem. Fronte, strigd inde ad utrumque latus ducté, guldque dilute castaneis. Trides obscuré flavo-ochracee ; rostrum rubrum. Long. corporis 5 unc. ; caud@ 1,5. This very handsome bird I have never met with out of the valley of Karleh in the Ghats, frequenting the same ground as the black Partridge, Perdix picta. But there is a single specimen in the British Museum, from whence I do not know. The bill and legs are red, which colour nearly disappears in dried specimens. The tongue is the same as in other Quails ; the wides are of a brownish yellow-ochre colour. The tarsi are totally destitute of any tubercle or rudimentary spur. The whole crown and base of the under mandible are velvet black ; the throat is pure white, and a white bar passes across the forehead and is extended over both eyes to the back head. Whole upper surface of the body and breast rich chocolate brown, studded with lunules of velvet black; the feathers of the scapulars, wing-coverts, and secondaries with large patches of black; a yellow line runs down the shaft, which is crossed by one or two yellow lines. Wings red brown, spotted and barred with faint chestnut on the outer webs. Tail brown, spotted with black and barred with yellow lines. Lower part of the breast, belly, and vent rufous ; each feather of the flanks with a broad spot of black, and tipped whitish. The female differs from the male only in the absence of the black on the head and the white bar across the forehead, the latter being rufous; and in the throat, breast, and under parts being dilute chestnut, which on the breast is brownish. In two males and a female, the intestinal canal was found to vary only from 13 to 13: inches in length, the proportion to the body in these instances being respectively QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 17 as 2°60 to 1 and 2°70 to 1. Canal wide; duodenum barely wider ; from the insertion of the ceca to the rectum 1-8, to 1,4, inch. Ceca thick, club-shaped at the end, vary- ing in length in different individuals from 1,%, to 1-4, inch, and not exactly of the same Jength in the same individual. Ceca full of green pulp. Liver of two lobes, not equal in size ; the left lobe with a deep fissure, and the right lobe ending in a long rounded process, as in the Perdix picta, or black Partridge, a peculiarity not observed in other birds of the Tetraonide, excepting the Hemipodius pugnax. I did not observe a gall- bladder, but traces of gall. Spleen ovate, ;*; inch long, situated on the right side of the proventriculus at its junction with the gizzard. Stomach oval, compressed, mus- cular, digastric muscles ;*, inch thick, constituting a true gizzard. Testes very small, oblong, +45 inch long only. Eggs numerous and very minute. Stomach full of grass seeds, with a few seeds of Ervum Lens. Length of the bird, inclusive of the tail, 6,4; to 6, inches : tail 1,25 to 148; inch: bill to the gape +2 to +3 inch; height at the nostrils .2, to =4, inch: tibie 1,4, inch : tarsi 1 inch: middle toe +8, inch, nail =, inch; hind toe and nail -2, inch, rarely touching the ground. C. Mandibulé superiore valdé arcuata ; alis rotundatis ; tarsis tuberculatis: 4. Corurnrx ARGOONDAH. Rock Quail of Dukhun. Tab. II. Cot. supra rufescenti-brunnea, fasciis angustis dilute ferrugineis notata ; infra sordide alba, fasctis equidistantibus nigris ; fronte mentoque ferrugineis ; strigd superciliari rufes- centi-albidd. Foem. Infra dilute ferruginea ; fascie nulle. Trides fusco-rubre ; rostrum nigrum. Long. corporis 5 unc. ; caude 1-5. There are so many trifling variations in the markings of the plumage of the upper surface of this Bird, that it is difficult to fix upon the exact type. The male is readily distinguished by the numerous transverse narrow black bars upon the breast ; but the young males and the females want these bars, and vary so much in the markings on the back, that with those disposed to manufacture species from plumage alone, the eleven specimens before me from Dukhun would furnish at least four new species. This Bird affords another instance of the insufficiency of the received generic characters of Coturnix to embrace all the species of Quail. It has a bill higher than broad ; and in respect to the common Quail and Partridge the bill is comparatively short: it should therefore be neither Quail nor Partridge. It has the rounded wing, and agreeably to VOL. II. D 18 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE M. Temminck, cannot be a Quail, but may be a Partridge; but having rudimentary spurs it might be a Francolin, save that it never perches. With the size, the air, the internal organization, the general habits, and common characteristics of a Quail, would the objects of natural history be advanced by constituting it the type of a new genus ? I think not, and have therefore preferred throwing anomalous species into sections to instituting genera for them. The following is the description of the sexes in a mature state. Bill black, short, compressed, higher than wide. Upper mandible the segment of a circle. Tongue of the same form as in the other species. Legs and toes reddish. JIrides reddish fuscous. Whole upper surface rufous chocolate brown, barred with lines of yellowish dilute tawny, edged with thread-like lines of black, and every feather freckled with the most minute black dots ; on the scapulars, secondaries, and wing-coverts, are a few scattered and irregular blotches of black: feathers of the head and back neck tipped with black : tail barred with black, brown, and tawny: primary and secondary quills barred with tawny, principally on the outer web: forehead and throat rufous, the latter with a spot of white at the bottom of the rufous: over each eye a line of reddish white, continued to the back neck: ears chocolate brown. Whole under surface of the body white, barred with numerous parallel velvet black bars: a shade of rufous on the thighs and flanks. Under wings uniform pale brown, without spots. The female differs from the male in the whole upper surface of the body being destitute of any marked yellow or tawny bars, or black blotches ; and a superficial view leads to the belief of its being of a uniform rufous brown: but a closer inspection shows that each feather is crossed with thread-like zig-zag lines of black and tawny, composed of the minutest dots. Head brown ; throat and whole under surface dilute rufous light brown, faintest at the vent. Female without tubercles on the tarsi. Both sexes have the feathers of the thighs, vent, and under tail, long and downy. The varieties, in eleven specimens, consisted in adult male Birds being destitute of the black blotches on the upper surface, black bars on the tail, and black tips to the feathers on the back neck, but having the tawny bars. One adult male exactly re- sembled the female on the upper surface in the absence of distinct markings, but had a more rufous shade of plumage. A female had faint black bars on the breast. Had these Birds come to hand as isolated specimens, they would probably have been con- sidered distinct species. There is scarcely any difference in the size of the Birds, males or females. The mea- surements are, bill to the gape ~%, to =%,; depth at the nostrils {°, to 44 inch: tip of bill to end of tail 642; to 645 inches: tail 1,4, to 13 inch: tibie 15% to L4: tarsi =, to 22 inch: middle toe -8, inch, exclusive of nail of =%; inch; hind toe -%, to ; inch, nail -3,. — QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 19 Grass seeds only were found in the stomach. These Birds do not frequent cultivated lands, but are found all over Dukhun on the general level of the country, amidst rocks and low bushes: they rise in coveys of from ten to twenty, or more, from under the feet, with a startling suddenness and bustle ; and the young sportsman is perplexed in selecting his bird. They are gregarious, and I infer polygamous, as I never saw them solitary, or in pairs. Flesh perfectly white. This is the species used for Quail fights by the natives, and not Cot. dactylisonans or textilis. 5. Corurnix Pentau. Mountain Quail. Tab. III. Cot. supra saturate brunnea ; infra rufescenti-albida nigro fasciata ; ventre crissoque albido- ferrugineis ; interscapulio scapularibusque nigro maculatis, plumarum rhachibus dilute flavis ; remigibus brunneis pallide ferrugineo maculatis ; strigd superciliari sordide albd ; mento rufescente. Foem. Infra rufescens, haud fasciata ; plumarum rhachibus albis. Trides ochraceo-brunnee ; rostrum rufescenti-brunneum ; pedes flavescentes. Long. corporis 5-3, unc. ; caude 1+2,. Bill as in the last species, but stouter, and reddish fuscous instead of black ; tongue as in other Quails ; legs yellowish, with ared tinge ; tarsi of males with tubercles. Whole upper surface of a rich reddish dark brown, maculated rather than barred with obscure rufous. The feathers of the scapulars, wing-coverts, and secondaries, are ornamented in a remarkable manner : most of the feathers of the scapulars have a yellow or tawny cross on a velvet black ground, the lines of which cross swell or thicken at the intersection ; the feathers of the wing-coverts and secondaries have one transverse arm of this cross shortened or wanting ; and instead of the whole field of the feathers being black, this colour is confined in most of the feathers, though not in all, to the lower interior inter- section of the arms, the remaining three places of the cross being rufous brown. Shafts of the feathers on the back neck and back white. Tail barred with a few narrow bars of black. A reddish white line over each eye edged with black ; also a faint whitish line going back from the gape. Throat deep rufous. Whole under surtace white, barred with parallel narrow black bars, the bars disappearing towards the vent and the ground colour becoming rufescent. Primary quills spotted on their outer web with tawny. The female differs from the male in the whole of the under surface, from the chin to the vent, being brownish dilute rufous, part of the shaft of each feather being white: in some specimens there is a faint disposition to transverse black bars on the breast. The D2 20 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE upper coverts of the tail have also some yellow dots down the shafts, and the bars of the tail are more obscure than in the male. Like the last species, these birds have the feathers of the thighs, vent, and under tail, long and downy. Length of sexes 62, to 7 inches, inclusive of tail of 1-2, and 1,8, inch: bill to the gape, 14 to 14 inch; height at the nostrils, 2, to =, inch: tibie 1-2, to 148, inch: tarsi 1-4; to 1,8; inch: middle toe +2 inch, inclusive of nail of ;*, inch ; hind toe =, to +z inch, inclusive of nail of =, inch. These birds are met with only on the mountains, on the slopes and sides of which they rise in coveys from amidst reeds and long grass and brushwood, with the same startling whirl, uttering cries of alarm, as Cot. Argoondah. My specimens were shot at 4000 feet above the sea. Some accident has placed out of my reach the notes of the internal organization of this species, but I have not any impression upon my mind that it differed materially from the other Quails examined. A male and female from the Himalayah mountains, belonging to the Zoological So- ciety, are characterized by the peculiarities of Cot. Pentah, and are undoubtedly identi- cal in species with it. Nevertheless, there are trifling discrepancies which are indicative of its distinct habitat ; namely, in the blackness of the bill, greyish cast of the rufous brown of the plumage above, in the deeper tint of the rufous of the throat in the male and female, and in the female being of a uniform rufous below: if anything, the size is also somewhat greater, being from 7,*, inches in the female to 7%, inches in the, male, inclusive of tail of 152, inch. In nine specimens of the same species from the Madras Presidency, probably from the table land of Mysore, the first feature is that of somewhat smaller size and less robust form than Cot. Pentah. Some of them have the black bill and greyish cast of the upper plumage of the Himalayan birds ; others the reddish dark brown bill and rufous cast of the brown plumage of those from Dukhun : all the males have the black transverse bars, and the females the uniform rufous tint below, of the Himalayan variety ; but three of the females have the deep rufous (almost dark chestnut or bay) throat of the male, while three others want this character. Six birds have the black blotches, yellow shafts, and imperfect yellow crosses on the scapulars and secondaries so characteristic of the Duk- hun and Himalayan birds ; while two others have the black blotches, but neither yellow crosses nor yellow shafts; and one specimen is destitute of black blotches, yellow crosses, and yellow shafts, Indeed, in two specimens only, and these are females, are the markings of the upper surface of the bird exactly like Cot. Pentah. One of the birds has so strong a cast of rufous above and below, has also so few spots of black on the scapulars and secondaries, and moreover has a bill approaching so nearly to QUAILS AND HEMIPODIL OF INDIA. 21 that of Cot. dactylisonans, although with a rounded wing, that I should have hesitated to consider it of the same species as the other birds, had it not formed part of the same batch. From these anomalies I would scarcely pledge myself that Cot. Argoondah and Cot. Pentah are absolutely distinct species: but my observations enable me to say that there are reasonable grounds for believing them to be distinct. The above notices of the variations in plumage in twenty-two specimens of the same species from three distinct localities, afford ample proof of the extreme caution requi- site in instituting species in consequence of the absence of certain markings, or on va- riations in plumage and type. Even in those birds of widely separated countries, which resemble each other in every respect excepting in some permanent blotch or blotches of black or white or other colour, or in certain band or bands, I would consider them rather varieties of the same species than distinct species, and would denominate them, from their locality, the China, Dukhun, Himalayan, or Cape variety. M. Temminck! has given drawings of the Perdiw Cambayensis. He says, ‘‘ L’article que nous publions ici peut servir de preuve nouvelle que les publications trop précoces nuisent plus ou moins a l’étude de Vhistoire naturelle.” The accidental loss of a nail to the hind toe of a specimen induced him to consider it a Cryptonyx. I notice the drawings here because they resemble very much my Cot. Pentah, and yet have some of the characters of Cot. Argoondah. The drawings differ from my birds in having a white line down each feather on the back instead of the yellow cross I have described ; in yel- low instead of reddish-yellow legs ; in the lower mandible being yellow instead of brown, and in the upper mandible brown instead of reddish fuscous. The colourings appear to me to be too strongly marked. It is stated to be from Bengal, but no account is given of its habits. I am not quite satisfied that my bird is not intended. M. Temminck’s bird, however, is only 5,3, to 6 inches long, whilst mine is nearly 7 inches. Genus Hemreopius, Reinw. 1. Hemreopius puenax, Temm. M. Temminck’s coloured figure of this bird?, which he obtained from Java, gives a very good idea of it; and his detailed description in the ‘ Pigeons et Gallinacés’, is sufficiently close not to require modification: the only omissions appear to me to be the mention of the yellowish white margins of the end of each feather on the back, and of the rufous of the mid-belly being separated from the black and yellowish white bars of the breast by a defined line. It is necessary to notice also the very rich character of the plumage above, consisting of a multitude of bars of chestnut, velvet black, and yellow white or straw colour. \ Pl. Col. 447. fig. 1 & 2. 2 Pl. Col. 60. fig. 2. 3 tom. iii. p. 617. 22 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE The sexes do not differ in plumage. M.Temminck received several individuals from Java; and as they all resembled each other, he drew the just inference that the female could not differ much from the male. I mention this the more particularly, as the absence of varieties in his specimens will assist to justify me in considering the next- described bird as a new species. The first four quill-feathers are nearly of equal length ; but in some specimens they gradually lengthen from the first to the third, manifesting a disposition to a rounded wing. I never met with Hem. pugnaz in coveys. The birds were frequently in pairs, but mostly solitary. They affect cultivated lands, particularly chillee fields (Capsicum an- nuum), and the resorts of Cot. textilis. Their flight is lazy and short, and they are not readily put to the wing. The remains of black ants, minute coleopterous insects, and grass seeds, were found in the stomach. The flesh is in layers brown and white. The following are the measurements of a male and female: bill to the gape 455 inch and +2 inch; height at the nostrils 2, and ;4,: length, inclusive of tail, 64; and .2, inches: tail 1-2, and 1-4, inch: tibie 1.% and 1,4 inch: tarsi +4 and = inch: middle toe and nail ;, and = inch, nail barely <2; inch; no hind toe nor rudiment of one. The liver consisted of two lobes, each with a ligulate process, as in Cot. erythrorhyncha and the black Partridge. With this exception, the internal organization bore a close resemblance to Cot. teztilis. The intestines were singularly tender, and 11 inches long : the ceca 1+ inch long, club-shaped, and full of green pulp; their insertion was at 14 inch from the rectum. The stomach was very muscular. The testes and ovaries were distinctly marked. The muscular stomach and proportionally long intestines, compared with Otis, would prevent its being placed in that genus ; but its cursorial habits and the form of its bill would justify its displacement from the Tetraonide, and it might come in after Otis in Struthionide. Its pugnacious qualities are quite unknown in Dukhun and even in Java. The Zoological Society has a specimen of this bird from Madras. It would appear, therefore, to have an extended geographical range over the eastern islands and India. QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. 23 2. Hemripopivus Taricoor. Tab. IV. Hem. supra castaneus ; plumis stramineo marginatis nigroque undulatim fasciatis ; tegmi- mibus alarum stramineis nigro fasciatis ; remigibus fuscis ; mento guldque albis ; pec- tore mgro alboque fasciato ; ventre crissoque dilute ferrugineis. Trides pallidé flave ; rostrum nigrescens. Long. corporis 444, unc. ; caude, 1. I was at first disposed to regard this species as the immature bird of the Hem. pugnaz; but finding the manifestations of sex fully developed, and some peculiarities of plumage permanent, I proposed it as a new species: and my opinion has been strengthened, as I before mentioned, by M. Temminck not meeting with it among his specimens of Hem. pugnax. It differs from Hem. pugnaz only in its more slender bill, its white chin and throat, its dilute red instead of rufous belly and vent, and in the colours of the plumage being much less brilliant. It has the same chestnut, black, and straw-yellow bars and bands above, and the same black transverse numerous bars on the breast, although the latter are somewhat more slender than in Hem. pugnar. Its measurements correspond very closely with those of Hem. pugnaz, but the bird on the whole is less robust. I did not remark any peculiarity in the internal organization differing from the pre- ceding species to call for notice. 3. Hemipopius DussumizEr1, Temm. Button Quail of European sportsmen in India. This bird, which is not in M. Temminck’s ‘ Pigeons et Gallinacés’, is very well figured and described by him in his ‘ Planches Coloriées’,! excepting probably that the colours on the back are scarcely dark enough and rich enough. His specimens were obtained from Bengal. Tongue as in the Quails. Irides yellow. Legs whitish. Sexes alike. They affect thick short grass and fields of pulse of Dolichos biflorus, Phaseolus Maz, and Ervum Lens. I never found the bird otherwise than solitary. It is so difficult to flush, that it not unfrequently rises from beneath the feet ; and when on the wing, its flight is so abrupt, angular, and short, that it is generally down ere the gun is well up to the shoulder. The following are the measurements : bill to the gape =% inch; height at the nostrils barely .*, inch: length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail 5.2, to 5, inches : tail 1,s, and 1,5, inch, very narrow and subulate: tibie 1.4; inch: tarsi 44 inch: middle toe and nail +2 inch, nail -, inch. 1 Pl. 454. fig. 2. 24 LIEUT.-COLONEL SYKES ON THE QUAILS AND HEMIPODII OF INDIA. The intestine varied in length only from 8 to 8+ inches, and the ceca from 1 to 13> inch: the latter were inserted into the intestine at 2 inches from the rectum. The liver consisted of two lobes; but there was a deep fissure in the left lobe of one bird. Stomach muscular, oval, compressed ; digastric muscle =*; thick, which was consider- able for the size of the bird. Organs of sex minute. Eggs numerous, very minute. I do not observe any mention of a gall-bladder in my notes. 4 2 VYPURY ONY SPAY WAZ) / y . / / 4 % f .; ~ Po OL DOT 18 A}-1 Lp e Po °% PY = , YOVUPIP A ? VAIO ) / ¢ OV ?YGEDYP BPE ese 16 A CYp 2 2 poo aly Bete ms QVGA as > ° A ¢ TN - 4 rh ry oy ¥ i Wy P oka - - Po f 7 +, e ’ , : a ® - mS eof \ ‘ ® y a ve » x LU . ~ s - . : : 5 . . . & , Pa as = erate “be? ea ie 3 4 : a® c es tng a wr le 2 Zi / / ee AOVOIP (? LBVDOY? UA) P i its Uy. — C fl Vi oe 0 BOG AI SPL. . Ti Lf Pf, Maan ag ly mS a [ 25 ] II. Descriptions of a few Invertebrated Animals obtained at the Isle of France. By Ropert Tempteton, Esq., Corr. Memb. 2.8. Communicated July 28, 1835. THE following paper is devoted to the description of a few Invertebrate Animals which were selected from the specimens I brought home with me from the Isle of France, and of which descriptions, as far I can ascertain, have not yet been offered to the public. Genus Acrinia, Linn. ACTINIA SANGUINEO-PUNCTATA. Tab. V. Figg. 1, 2. Act. flavescenti-rufescens, guttulis punctisque sanguineis confertis per series lonyitudinales numerosas dispositis ornata ; ore guttis ceruleis quinque circundato ; tentaculis viri- descentibus, hyalinis. Reddish brown, or yellow, with longitudinal rows of brilliant red dots, the interspaces being charged with minute concolorous points. The tentacula are subulate, hyaline, greenish brown with pinkish tips: from their base white streaks pass towards the centre, becoming lost in the depression which surrounds the truncate cone bearing the mouth. The mouth is very small, and has five blue patches coalescing and encircling it. The base is lobed, formed of a very fine membrane, which is thrown into folds by a set of internal, apparently muscular, partitions, which radiate irregularly from the centre. This species appears hitherto undescribed. It is exceedingly pretty in the water, but never arrives at a large size, an inch being the utmost limit I have ever found it to attain. It is found on the rocks, beneath low water mark, nearly all round the Isle of France ; but does not appear to thrive well where the water is much agitated by the wind or south-east swell. Genus Xenia, Lam. Xenia DesJARDINIANA. Tab. V. Figg. 3—8. Xen. pallidé livido-cerulea ; polypis 8-, rarivs 9-radiatis. VOL. 1. E 26 MR. TEMPLETON ON SOME INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS Disc livid, or pale blueish, with a small corrugated mouth on a gently raised central eminence. Rays eight or nine, thick, fleshy, the discoid surface with numerous little bodies which resemble the suckers of the Sepie. Peduncle thick, corrugated into annuli when undistended, blueish with some lividity, gradually becoming carnose as it reaches the common soft cortical texture from which the peduncles all spring. On stones below low water mark within the reefs, near Black River, Isle of France, not uncommon. I have named this curious species in honour of my friend M. Desjardins, a distin- guished naturalist, and the indefatigable Secretary of the Natural History Society of Mauritius. The material from which the peduncles arise is spread over the surface of the stones to an extent in many places of more than a foot. It is about the eighth or tenth of an inch in thickness, though it is at parts occasionally much thicker, from the substance diving into the minute hollows of the stone, and yet leaving the outer surface without evidence of the depressions. When cut into it appears composed of irregular tubes interlacing in every possible way, and of various sizes. Among them, and apparently outside of them, I detected a vast number of minute whitish grains, spherical and polished, which I should have reckoned ova, but from the circumstance that little knobs were here and there apparent, which were obviously rudimentary peduncles, leaving no doubt of the mode of growth or propagation. Eight or nine (according to the number of the rays) of these tubes coalescing, and receiving a common cover- ing from the base, form the stem, in the centre of which is found the alimentary canal, a distinct and separate tube, the inner membrane being corrugated and minutely papillated. On tracing these tubes up the peduncle, we find them compressed, so as to become somewhat quadrangular, but easily detachable from each other, a fine cellular tissue alone connecting them. Their inner surface resembles that of the central ali- mentary tube, except that they are destitute of the folds: they continue together until they arrive at the disc, when each separates from its fellows, and is continued into a ray, and ultimately sends a branch into each of the little suckers ; it forms here, how- ever, a cul de sac, there being no communication that I could detect with the external surface. The mouth is a simple fleshy ring when contracted, either forming a slit or three or four irregular plaits, but not more rigid than any other part of the animal. The discs are perpetually in motion, waved from side to side, as if in search of objects ; and the moment anything comes in contact with any part of the rays, the suckers or cilia close in upon it, and the ray doubles up like a finger, and carries the prey to the mouth: if the object be large, two or three of the rays are employed ; and me ta OBTAINED AT THE ISLE OF FRANCE. 27 if its size be such as not to admit of its being swallowed, it is again disengaged and permitted to escape. The back of the rays and of the suckers or cilia is marked with transverse lines, pointing out the positions of the places where the greatest motion ensues on the curving up of these members. Genus ANISOMELUS. Os tentaculis simplicibus octo, per paria dispositis, filiformibus, prehensilibus in- structum. Branchie? simplices, tentaculiformes, pedibus haud multd longiores, in segmentis corporis quatuor anterioribus site. Testa cylindrica, calcarea, erecta, ad basin in saxis immersa. Oxs. Numero et symmetrid tentaculorum, necnon branchiarum simplicitate?, a Terebella ceterisque generibus affinibus distinguitur. Mouth simple, with numerous elongate tentacula surrounding the oral disc. Superior rings of the body presenting ventrally from six to ten small tentacula or cilia, which are, probably, the branchie: the remainder each with a spatulate foot, from which project four spines capable of slight retraction. Forming an erect calcareous tube partially immersed in the coral rock. ANISOMELUS LUTEUS. Tab. V. Figg. 9—14. An. totus pallideé luteus. Yellow. Tentacula eight: one pair very short ; another pair long ; and an interme- diate pair on either side of moderate length : dilating slightly towards their apices, and with transverse folds. Beneath the disc and the roots of the tentacula is a double circle of minute black dots, and a contracted part or neck, which stands out from, and is capable of being received into, the first ring. The rings of the body are only obvious in the undistended state of the animal: the three or four superior have minute arms, re- sembling tentacula, proceeding from them; the lower have on each side a somewhat spatulate foot, declining slightly, and from its apex project four elongate spines, which are capable of a moderate amount of retraction. On the coral rocks, Black River, Isle of France. This minute species forms for itself a thin calcareous tube, which stands up from the surface of the rock, but not a sufficient way to admit of the concealment of the whole body of the animal within it: in consequence, the tube is prolonged into the E2 28 MR. TEMPLETON ON SOME INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS substance of the coral, as becomes at once apparent when the attempt is made to re- move the animal, the least touch breaking sharp off the exterior tube. When anything disturbs it, it immediately retires within the cell, the long tentacula being in many in- stances placed also within, along the side of the animal, but most usually permitted to float about in the water. When it comes out from the tube, it does not project further than about the fourth or fifth foot: it then swings itself from side to side, tossing the tentacula about ; and whenever anything is discovered suitable for its food, the tentacula seize on it, as the Sapajous grasp an object with their prehensile tails, and it is then carried to the mouth, and is swallowed or rejected as the case may be. The tentacula have a vast number of annuli, and in their interior is discovered a tube in which oval globules are distinctly seen moving to and fro, as the motions of the tentacula affect a few adjoining joints. Genus PiraATESA. Os tentaculis seu branchiis numerosis, longé ciliatis, subulatis, simplici serie dispositis cinctum. Testa cylindrica, calcarea, erecta, e saxo parum prominente. Oss. Genus propter tentaculorum branchiferorum dispositionem a Sabella, Cuv., sejun- gendum. Mouth simple, at the summit of a gentle elevation: oral disc with numerous ciliated tentacula. Beneath slightly contracted, so as to form a neck capable of being received within the first ring of the body. Body sharply annulated, the rings bearing each a flat spined pedicle or foot, that proceeding from the second ring being the largest : the last ring, forming the tail, very small and with three pedicles or feet, two lateral and one dorsal. Forming a calcareous tube projecting a little way from the surface of the coral rock. PiRATESA NIGRO-ANNULATA. Tab. V. Figg. 15—18. Pir. brunnea, tentaculis pallidioribus nigro confertim interrupté annulatis. Near Black River, Mauritius, in the coral rock within the reefs. Not being able to find any genus exactly suited for the reception of this little animal, I have, with a considerable feeling of doubt, created one for it. The orifice of the mouth is simply a round opening in the centre of the oral disc, with the edge a little elevated and lined with a flocculent membrane which is thrown into folds, and continues of the same OBTAINED AT THE ISLE OF FRANCE. 29 character down the centre of the body of the animal. The outer surface of the body resembles very much that of the common Lumbricus, but has numerous corrugations over the surface of the rings, which, however, become obliterated in particular motions of the animal. The tentacula have a double row of cilia, arising laterally from the supe- rior surface, which turn in upon anything that is seized, so as to embrace it tightly : but when at rest, they are doubled up into little coils or knots, and are only expanded when the animal is searching for food. When engaged in this occupation, it elevates itself out of the tube, turns the disc down upon the adjacent part of the stone with very deli- berate motion, and examines the surface with minute attention, the tentacula moving about, so as to ensure the entrapping of any minute objects which may rest there. PLATE V. 1, 2. AcTINIA SANGUINEO-PUNCTATA. Fig. 1. The entire animal. 2. The oral disc, with several of the tentacula. 3—8. XeEn1A DESJARDINIANA. 3. Exhibits the appearance of the animal of about twice the natural size. 4. Is an enlarged view, showing the mode of origin from the cortez. 5. Exhibits the posterior surface of one of the rays. 6. The superior surface. 7. A section of the peduncle. 8. A section just beneath the disc, showing the tubes branching off into the various rays. 9—14. ANISOMELUS LUTEUS. Fig. 9. Represents the animal of the natural size. 10. A magnified view. 11. The superior rings, and inferior part of the disc, still more enlarged, to exhi- bit the dots, the neck, the small tentacula, and the feet. 12. A foot, with its spines. 13. Shows the proportion of the tube and globules in the middle of one of the tentacula. 14. The apew of the same tentaculum. 30 MR. TEMPLETON ON SOME INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS. 15—18. PiraTESA NIGRO-ANNULATA. Fig. 15. Represents the animal of the natural size. 16. Gives a magnified view of the animal. 17. Part of one of the tentacula, exhibiting the form and size of the cilia. 18. The tip of a foot with its spines. ee A Templeton, GY bp, * yp onlay bubedg ‘ Sans Loot: Fo fot ks Pah sl josh — ingen Se d fp WR ‘ PF: as 3 linear She Sone AF, ea ee \ y J) £ aia iY a — Swasne, So. 4-2, 5 Cebimin sanguine fiuncla li? 3-8 emit Laspurvrdlen Cad WIA ‘ ‘ 2 } A, * . FI-4S, « Vivalest sin al annulala. III. On a Remarkable Species of Pteropine Bat. By E. T. Bennerr, Esq., F.L.S., Sec. Z.8. Communicated October 13, 1835. A BAT that has just come into the possession of the Society, exhibits a character so striking as to authorize its being especially signalized: and it is with the view of di- recting general attention to so curious a creature that I offer a description and figure of it. To these I shall add occasional remarks on other animals with which it is con- nected by some of the more remarkable points of its external organization. On the first glance at this Bat the attention is arrested by a singular projecting patch of long white hairs placed on each side of the neck in front of the shoulders, and look- ing almost like a mass of white feathers. 'They seem so unlike the rest of the fur and so different from any appearance usually observed in Bats, as to excite a suspicion that they are a deceptive introduction into the skin ; an artificial attempt at the creation of aremarkable object, designed to be mistaken for a natural body of singular interest, yet having no real existence in nature. A close examination is induced by this suppo- sition ; and it then appears that these curious appendages really form part of the ani- mal, and that, however incongruous their appearance and however uncommon their occurrence, they require to be considered with reference to it and to its congeners. The oval patch on either side of the neck occupied by the white and peculiar tufts measures about an inch in its longest diameter, which is from before backwards. The skin is in this part altogether destitute of the ordinary hairs of the body, and has no covering but that which is peculiar to the spot itself. This consists of straight, soft hairs, which diverge in all directions as from a common centre. Those that are situated towards the middle of the patch are longer than the others, and are partly directed forwards and partly backwards, having generally a dorsad inclination: their length is twice as great as that of the longer hairs of the body. The mode of their in- sertion into the skin is unlike that of the ordinary fur: in the latter, the hairs are im- planted either singly or a few only near each other, so that the covering by them be- comes nearly uniform ; in the patches on the sides of the neck the hairs are gathered together into bundles, and are inserted in fascicles into the skin, leaving between the several minor tufts interspaces altogether naked. Each of the separate fascicles con- tains probably from fifty to sixty hairs: and the approximation of these at their base and their divergence towards their tips might almost be regarded as bearing a distant analogical resemblance to the quill and the dilatation of the feather of a bird. The same 32 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON A REMARKABLE character of implantation in fascicles belongs to some of the shorter hairs on the verge of the white patches ; which are also so far influenced by their proximity as to assume a portion of the colour that belongs to those parts, being white at the base and becom- ing towards the tips of the dull pale chestnut tinge that prevails on the body generally. But although in the Bat under consideration the curious arrangement which has just been described exists at perhaps its maximum of development, it is not to be looked upon as being confined to a single species. It is found also, but to a much less extent, in the nearly allied animal, obtained from the same country and by the same collector, to which Mr. Ogilby has recently given the name of Pteropus macrocephalus!. In the latter it is, however, so little conspicuous that it would scarcely fail to be overlooked if the attention were not especially directed to the ascertaining of its existence. The hairs of the sides of the neck in that species are of a pale dull fawn colour, are gene- rally slightly longer than the adjoining ones, and pass insensibly into those of the under surface, which resemble them in all respects except in being paler. There is among them no mass remarkable either for its colour or for its length, or indeed for any extraordinary appearance. Yet among them there will be found, on separating the fur so as to allow of an inspection of its mode of insertion, a part in which the hairs are implanted in bundles ; and it will be seen that the hairs so implanted have a tendency to diverge as from a common centre, which, however, on account of their softness, is by no means striking. The part at which these fascicled and diverging hairs are detected corresponds precisely with that of the white patches that deck the sides of the neck in the species that forms the subject of this communication; and the structure may consequently be safely regarded as analogous. M. Temminck has also described a corresponding structure in another species, designated by him, in his “ Monographies de Mammalogie’2, as the Pter. tittecheilus. He speaks of the males of his Bat as having on each side of the neck a tuft of hairs diverging from a common centre, which are white in the young animal, and become in the adult male (like the adjoining parts) of a bright red and eventually of an orange colour: and he believes that a similar arrange- ment exists also in the Pter. amplexicaudatus. That eminent zoologist is of opinion that the tuft of diverging hairs on the sides of the neck in his Pter. tittecheilus cover a glan- dular apparatus for the secretion of an odorous substance, which may probably afford indications to these animals in the season of their amours: and he suggests as ana- logous cases the cavity on the forehead of Rhinolophus Speoris, Geoff. ; the opening on the chest of Phyllostoma hastatum, Ej.; the little cavity under the throat of Dysopes velox, Temm. ; and the large pouch beneath the chin of Taphozous Saccolaimus, Bj. The view which has been taken by M. Temminck of the purposes for which this apparatus is designed is probably correct: if the possession of it be limited, as he ' Proceedings Zool. Soc., part iii. p. 101. ? tom. i. p. 198. SPECIES OF PTEROPINE BAT. 33 has stated, to the males alone, it can, indeed, scarcely be doubted that he has justly determined its use. A secondary use might perhaps be assigned to it by the supposi- tion that the secretion poured forth from it might serve to sheathe and protect a pro- jecting part of the animal from the friction to which it must be subjected during its passage through the air; and it is possible that some advantage may, in this way, be derived from it: it is worthy of remark too, as bearing in some degree on the subject, that in all the analogous cases just adverted to the secreting organ is placed in front of the body, and generally in situations especially exposed to the impulses of the air. A suggestion that has been made with reference to my species alone, may be mentioned merely to guard others against incautiously advancing the same proposition ; that the bright white tuft might serve to attract night-flying insects within reach of the Bat’s jaws : it was forgotten, at the moment, that the Pteropi feed on fruits. Another suggestion that has occurred as to the use of the largely developed shoulder- tuft in the species under consideration connects itself with a curious point of structure which the animal appears to exhibit. The wings, in the specimen as preserved, are placed so far backwards as to be apparently behind the centre of gravity; and on this account it seems possible that the projecting tufts of hairs, looking almost like little wings, may aid in giving buoyancy to the animal and in sustaining the ill-poised weight of its head and neck. But as there is evident distortion in the mode in which the skin is preserved, it is impossible to determine to what undue extent the wings may have been kept backwards and the neck have been elongated ; and until these points can be ascertained, by the examination of specimens preserved in spirit, no deductions can safely be founded upon them. If the present condition of the specimen should prove to be even a near approximation to the correct form of the animal, the backward position of its flying membranes would justify its separation as the type of a distinct genus, for which the name of Epomophorus might be used. It is possible that the Pter. macrocephalus of Mr. Ogilby might be generically associated with it, asin that animal also the alar membranes appear to be affixed to the body at a more backward point than usual; although by no means so remotely as in my species. The Pter. macrocephalus of Mr. Ogilby has other relations with the Bat which I am now describing. Besides the apparently backward position of the wings, and in addi- tion to the fact, already adverted to, of its inhabiting the same country, it has also the same system of dentition, with a single trifling and anomalous exception. The same system of dentition is also exhibited by another Bat from the same country, the Pter. Gambianus, Og. When describing the two species referred to, Mr. Ogilby remarked that they ‘‘ present some modifications of dentition which have not yet been observed in other species, and which appear to indicate a subgenus, probably representing the common Asiatic forms on this [the western] coast of Africa. These animals have the VOL. 1. F 34 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON A REMARKABLE incisors and canines of the same form and number as the rest of the genus, but there are only three molars in the upper and five in the lower jaw. The incisors are small and regular: the canines of intermediate size: the first false molar in the lower jaw is small and of the normal form, but the second in this jaw and the first in the upper are of the same form as the canines and very little inferior to them in size, so that when the mouth is opened there appear to be four canines in each jaw ; next follows in either jaw a tooth with a large lobe upon the outer edge and a smaller one within, which is of intermediate form between the true and false molars ; after which come two normal molars in the lower and one in the upper jaw. All the molars are separated from one another by a vacant space on each side: this gap is particularly large between the real and spurious canines or first false molars in the upper jaw, the corresponding space in the lower having in its middle the small false molar already mentioned.” These words describe so correctly the form, position, appearance, and number of the canine and molar teeth in my specimen, that it is unnecessary to do more than quote them as fully descriptive of its dentition so far as those teeth are concerned. The incisors, however, present a slight deviation in one respect, which can only be regarded as acci- dental: there are on the left side three of these teeth in the upper jaw. The upper incisors are small, conical, and pointed: the lower are expanded towards their tips, and somewhat lobed. So perfect an agreement in dentary characters between three animals inhabiting the same country, and distinguished by those characters from all other known species, would apparently indicate the necessity of distinguishing them as a separate group: but the dentary characters of the Bats seem to vary so irregularly that it would be hazardous to rely on them alone for generic distinctions. The organs of locomotion, and the appendages to the organs of the senses, furnish, in all their variations, im- portant elements in the construction of the genera of Bats: and with the latter is con- nected even the grand division, indicated also by the form of the molar teeth, into fruit-eating and insectivorous. But the number of the teeth is of far less moment. That of the incisors is notoriously different in the same individual at various periods of its life. The molar teeth also are equally liable to vary by the presence or absence of the first or of the last of the series, either singly or conjointly. In the Pteropide the normal number of the teeth appears to be thirty-four, of which sixteen belong to the upper and eighteen to the lower jaw. In Pteropus, as restricted by M. F. Cuvier, there are four incisors in the upper jaw; two canines ; two false molars ; six true molars; and two small posterior molars: in the lower jaw there are four incisors ; two canines ; two false molars ; eight true molars ; and two small poste- rior molars. This full and perfect set of teeth is liable to modification by omissions in various ways: among the incisors; among the false molars ; and among the posterior SPECIES OF PTEROPINE BAT. 35 small molars. According to these modifications several genera have been proposed ; and others might, doubtless, be created on the same principles and to a considerable extent. Thus the genus Pteropus of M. F. Cuvier has the full number of teeth above mentioned. If the false molars in each jaw be omitted, the dental formula is that of Macroglossus, F, Cuy. If the false molars be retained, and the posterior small molars be omitted, the formula is then that of Cynopterus, F. Cuv. The loss of two incisors from each jaw, and the retention of molars like those of Macroglossus, constitutes the character of the genus Cephalotes, Geoff. The absence of all incisors except two in the upper jaw, and the presence of the full number of molars, belongs to the genus Har- pyia, F. Cuv. The removal from the Pteropine formula of the false molar from the upper jaw and of the small posterior molars from both jaws, would constitute a dentary character for Epomophorus: but it seems to me more advisable to abstain from regard- ing that genus as constituted until better opportunities have been secured for the clear understanding of the organs of flight in the animals apparently referrible to it. In the Bat that constitutes the typical example of this group the head is more length- ened than is usual in the Pteropide, a character in which it accords with the Pter. ma- crocephalus. Its other characters of external form, excepting as regards the position of the alar membranes, are common to it with the remainder of the animals comprehended in the family. In the skin, as preserved, there is no vestige of a tail: but this organ, when it exists in the Pteropi, is in so rudimentary a state as to be easily destroyed or overlooked, and can exercise no perceptible influence on the habits of those species that possess it. The fur of the body is closely set and soft ; and consists of slightly wavy hairs which are generally of a moderate length. It extends along the anterior extremities nearly as far as the wrist, densely covering the limbs; and is equally furnished on the hinder limbs as far as the ancle. The interfemoral membrane is entirely invested with fur ; and a band of short hairs passes along the hinder edge of the flying membranes for some distance from the ancle. On the flying membranes, in the part that intervenes between the bones of the arm and leg, a few very short adpressed hairs are implanted in small distant tufts, as in other species. The hairs of the large humeral tufts are much longer than any of the others, and are perfectly straight ; they are not, however, harsh or rigid, and, when minutely examined, are not found to differ in the type of their construction from the rest of the fur. In this Pteropus, as in other Bats, the hairs of the body generally have a serrated appearance along their margins, when seen under a high magnifying power; and thus exhibit a tendency to become decompounded, which may be regarded as analogous in some measure to the decomposition of the feathers of Birds. But the projecting points of the sides of the hairs in Bats are not the tips of processes laterally given off from a F2 36 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON A REMARKABLE continuous central stem, to which they are attached by their lower extremity: they rather resemble the free extremities of sheaths surrounding the stem of the hair, and slightly lengthened out in an oblique direction, which detach themselves at their tips and there recede, in a greater or less degree, from the common axis. The general eftect thus produced is by no means unlike that which occurs on the lower part of the stem of some monocotyledonous plants, where the sheaths of many abortive leaves follow each other in rapid succession. Such is the appearance observed on the hairs of the body of this Pteropus generally, as well as on those which form the tufts on the sides of the neck. It is, however, variously modified on the hairs of different parts of the body, and even on different parts of the same hair; the seeming sheaths being much more closely set in the middle and towards the base of the hair than near the tip, and the serration in the immediate vicinity of the base being almost entirely obliterated, so as to produce the appearance of annulation rather than of imbedded obliquely truncated cups. ‘The tips of the hairs offer consequently the most favourable opportunity for ex- amining their structure, in as much as the lateral processes which form the serrations become gradually more remote from each other, and eventually assume in many cases an appearance by no means unlike that which characterizes the articulations of some species of Sertularia. In so minute and difficult a subject, seen only by transmitted light, (for the high magnifying power necessarily employed precludes the possibility of observing the hairs as opake objects,) the risk of optical delusion is so great, that it would be unsafe to affirm that they are really jointed. Such, however, is the appearance assumed by the tips of the hairs, and more especially of those which form the fasciculated tufts so often referred to. Each joint seems under these circumstances to be terminated by a process inclined away from the general axis of the hair, the succeeding joint (by which the hair is lengthened out) being attached to its side prior to the divergence of its point. The terminal joint when present has usually the shape of a pointed stylet ; but it is fre- quently wanting in consequence of the injuries to which the fur of the animal is ex- posed: and the mode in which it, as well as the other joints, separates from the remain- ing portions of the axis at its apparent articulations might be regarded as an argument in favour of the actual composition of the hair. This hypothesis is still further sup- ported by the appearances presented by some of the more woolly hairs of the under surface of the body, the tips of which are apparently composed of obconical joints, the narrow part of each joint being attached to the centre of the truncated extremity of that next preceding it. The microscopic characters here described, although common to all the Bats which I have examined, are considerably modified in the different species, and even (as has been seen above) on different parts of the body of the same individual ; in this respect re- ee ee ee - SPECIES OF PTEROPINE BAT. 37 sembling the scales of Lepidopterous Insects, which vary greatly both in form and struc- ture according to their position on the wings. Nor is the serrated appearance in ques- tion confined to the Bats, although more common among them than in other tribes. It is most usual on those hairs which are crisped and woolly, assuming however in the more woolly kinds a totally different character, on which the property of felting pos- sessed by such hairs evidently depends. It is, however, beside my present purpose to enter further into the details of the modifications which occur in the hair of different animals: I content myself with having thus lightly touched upon them, with the view of recommending them to the attention of the practical zoologist, as well as to that of the microscopic observer, who has long been familiar with many of their more remark- able appearances. The subject is well worthy of a careful study, both in a structural and physiological point of view; as an attentive examination of the different modifica- tions, and of the circumstances attending them, is evidently calculated to throw much light on many obscure questions connected with the growth and production of hair. In conclusion of these somewhat desultory observations, I subjoin a description of the remarkable Pteropus which has given rise to them. The general colour of the animal is a dull and pale brown, slightly tinged with rufous. This extends over the whole of the upper surface, but is rather lighter towards the hinder part of the back. On the under surface the colour generally is similar to that of the back, but has somewhat of a grey appearance on account of the lighter tips of the loose hairs that occur in this situation: on the middle of the belly, where the hairs are short, frizzled, and by no means adpressed, they are entirely of a pale ash-colour approaching to white. A line almost equally pale with the middle of the under surface, and equally composed of loose waved hairs, extends along the under surface of the flying membranes immediately behind the fore-arm. The only other deviations from the generally sober colouring of the animal are the remarkable shoulder-knots of white, and a small and inconspicuous patch of short white hairs placed both before and be- hind, at the base of the naked ears. The species may be thus characterized : Preropus Waitet. Pter. pallidé brunneus, posticé pallidior ; ventre albido ; scopd humerali alba magnd. Long. tot. 64 poll. ; capitis, 21; expansio alarum, 12. Hab. in regione Gambiensi, D. Rendall. Oss. Scopa humeralis forsan maribus propria. In naming this remarkable Bat in commemoration of an individual who had no share in its discovery and by whom it was never seen, I may seem, strictly speaking, to have erred ; but it is time that technical zoology should record the name of one who was by 38 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON A REMARKABLE PTEROPINE BAT. no means unversed in its mysteries, and who has long maintained the highest rank as a popular zoologist. Gilbert White, of Selborne, was the first Englishman who ascer- tained the existence of indigenous Bats other than the two known as European to Lin- neus: to that good man and excellent observer be this singular species dedicated ,—a species belonging to one of the few groups of Bats that are of direct utility to the human race, and which, preying not on other animals, rest contented with the simple fruits of their native woods. PLATE VI. Preropus WuiTrEI. PLATE VII. Fig. 1. One of the hairs of the lateral tufts of the neck of Pteropus White, highly magnified. . A portion of the same hair, near its base ; . Another portion, near its middle ; . A third portion, nearer to its tip ; d. The tip: all seen under a still higher power. 2. One of the hairs of the back, magnified to the same extent as Fig. 1. e. A portion of the same hair from its base ; f. Another portion from the middle ; g. The tip: all more highly magnified. 3. Portions, very highly magnified, of one of the hairs from the under surface of the neck. h. The base ; i. The middle ; j. The tip. ao wes rury 8, ee PeererIsee ** Comers Waddell, sc. pol oe: Ve “ hrand, ~ ink bir mi a _— — VI. Mémoire sur une nouvelle Espece de Poisson du Genre Histiophore, de la Mer Rouge. Par M. E. Ruprett, M.D., Membre Externe de la Société Zoologique. Communicated December 8, 1835. MESSRS. Cuvier et Valenciennes publigrent dans le 8" volume de leur ‘ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons,” pages 293 et suivantes, la description des trois espéces du genre Voilier ou Histiophorus qui leur étoient connues, et qu’ils nommérent Hist. Indicus, Hist. Americanus, et Hist. pulchellus. L’objet du présent mémoire est de faire connoitre une quatriéme espéce, que j’ai recueilli dans la Mer Rouge. Elle parait se rapprocher de celle que les naturalistes de Paris indiquérent sous le nom de Hist. Americanus, ce qu’un examen ultérieur de cette espéce peut seul décider ; car ce que ces Messieurs ont publié sur cette espéce est trop incomplet pour comparer et discuter les rapports de ces deux poissons. J’ai recu mon nouveau Histiophore 4 Djetta, sur les cétes d’Arabie : on venoit de le prendre dans les filets. Cependant cela ne devait étre qu’un cas accidentel, car les pécheurs Arabes ne savoient m’indiquer un nom trivial pour un poisson d’une forme si extraordinaire. Les deux espéces connues de la mer des Indes sont faciles 4 distinguer de celle dont je vais donner la description, car le Hist. Indicus est reconnoissable par ses longues et robustes pectorales, dont le prémier rayon est trés large et tranchant, égalant + ou 4° de la longueur totale du corps!. Le Hist. pulchellus se caracterise principalement par V’épine saillante a l’angle inférieur de son préopercule. Enfin ces deux espéces et méme celle nommée Americanus ont la premiére dorsale mouchetée par des taches, pendant qu’a celle que je vais décrire cette nageoire est d’une couleur noire uniforme, dont le bord libre est decoupé en demicercle; c’est méme cette particularité du manque des taches qui m’a fait choisir pour nom spécifique de ma nouvelle espéce le mot de Hist. immaculatus, sous lequel je propose d’introduire dans Je catalogue systematique la dé- scription de la figure que j’ai fait sur le vivant, et dont j’ai déposé le poisson original conservé en alcohol au Musée de Francfort. La forme du corps du Voilier sans taches (Histiophorus immaculatus) est un cylindre allongé, comprimé verticalement, la téte en cone pointu, la queue assez plate, la nageoire caudale formant un grand croissant, dont les pointes sont acutangles. Comme le bout de la machoire supérieure est un peu usé, je prends pour unité de mesure la distance du ! Cuvier, loc. cit., p. 295. 72 DR. RUPPELL SUR UN NOUVEAU HISTIOPHORE. milieu de la pupille jusqu’au bord postérieur de l’opercule, distance non équivoque et qui dans l’espéce en question correspond exactement au plus grand diamétre vertical du corps, qui est vis--vis du commencement de la premiére dorsale ; ce diamétre se trouve six fois et un quart dans la longueur du corps depuis le bord postérieur de l’opercule jusqu’au bord externe du milieu de la caudale, et deux fois depuis le bord antérieur de Vorbite jusqu’a l’extrémité de la machoire supérieure, tel qu’elle est actuellement dans mon individu. La pointe de la machoire inférieure ne s’avance du centre de l’ceil que 14 de la hauteur verticale du corps; les nageoires pectorales n’égalent que 3 de ce diamétre, de sorte qu’elles se trouvent 13+ fois dans la longueur totale du corps. La premiére dorsale, qui commence vis-a-vis du bord du préopercule, est entiérement composée de rayons simples, dont le premier est trés petit, les suivants augmentent en progression reguliére, jusqu’au dixhuitiéme, qui est le plus long et égale trois fois le plus grand diamétre vertical du corps. Les rayons suivants s’accourcissent peu a peu, mais depuis le quarantiéme rayon jusqu’au quarante septiéme, qui est le dernier, ils décroissent trés rapidement, et les quatre derniers sont petits. Ils réunissent la nageoire dorsale 4 rayons simples a la seconde dorsale, composée enti¢rement de rayons branchus, qui sont assez bas, mais dont le dernier surpasse les autres d’un tiers de leur longueur. Vis-d-vis de cette seconde dorsale est une seconde anale, qui lui est absolu- ment égale en forme et en grandeur ; elle est separée de la premiére anale par un espace de la longueur de cette nageoire: cette premiére anale est de forme triangulaire, 4-peu- prés équilaterale, et composée de rayons simples. Les ventrales, situées perpendiculaire- ment sous les pectorales, sont composées de trois rayons non articulés ; le premier est trés court et adossé fermement au second, qui est trés long, aplati, et qui se prolonge depuis la base de la pectorale jusqu’a l’anus. Ce rayon est bordé postérieurement tout le long par une membrane étroite, qui lui réunit 4 sa base le troisiéme rayon, lequel est aussi petit que le premier rayon. Ces ventrales peuvent se cacher dans une rainure, qui se trouve le long du ventre ; la peau en forme une autre ‘le long de la dorsale, mais elle n’est pas assez profonde pour pouvoir recouvrir toute la nageoire. J’ai déja observé que les pectorales sont petites ; elles terminent en pointe, et leurs rayons n’ont rien de particulier. La membrane branchiostege des deux cotés de la téte est réunie sous la gorge et entoure la poitrine sans y étre attachée 4 V'isthme. Toute la peau du corps est garnie d’assez petites écailles qui tombent facilement ; celles de la partie basale de la nageoire dorsale et au devant des ventrales sont toutes pointues. La ligne laterale décrit prés des opercules une petite courbure, qui finit a l’extremité des pectorales ; de 1a elle suit en droiture la moitié de la hauteur du corps; il n’y a pas de caréne, mais deux crétes cutanées des deux cotés de la base de la caudale. Le nombre total des rayons est : See DR. RUPPELL SUR UN NOUVEAU HISTIOPHORE. 73 P.1+ 19. V.3+0. D.47+0,0+47. A.10+0,0+7. C.5417+5. M.B.7. La couleur de la partie supérieure de la téte et du dos est bleu violet foncé ; celle du ventre brille du reflet de l’argent ; l’iris est brun clair avec un cercle jaunatre 4 1’entour de la pupille. Les deux nageoires dorsales, les ventrales, et la caudale sont d’un noir bleuatre uniforme. Les pectorales et les deux anales sont grisdtres ; la premiere anale a de plus une tache noire a sa pointe inférieure. Les deux machoires sont garnies a leur bord d’une bande de granulations fines, qu’on pourroit nommer de petites dents en velours ; il y a au palais un voile membra- neux, qui forme un cul de sac ouvert du coté de l’esophage, et derriére lui sur les cotés est une faible bande de granulations dentaires. La langue et les arcaux branchiaux sont lisses ; 4 ceux ci manquent ces longues pointes en forme de peigne, qui garnissent le bord concave des arcaux branchiaux de beaucoup de poissons de la famille des Scombres. Comme je n’ai recu qu’un seul individu de ce poisson, je ne veux pas le sacrifier pour des recherches anatomiques, qui probablement donneroient les mémes resultats que le Voiher dissequé par M. Ehrenberg, et qui ont été publiés par M. Cuvier. En communiquant la description de ce poisson, je ne puis faire 4 moins d’exprimer mon étonnement que les recherches ichthyologiques sont la partie d’histoire naturelle qui a le moins de cultivateurs, et cependant c’est la branche ou il y a peut-étre le plus d’observations nouvelles a faire, et dont l’étude devrait interesser d’autant plus, que cette classe d’animaux est d’une utilité si éminente pour le genre humain. Lors de la publi- cation de mon premier voyage de la Mer Rouge, j’ai décrit et figuré une centaine de poissons presque tous espéces nouvelles, que j’avois recueilli dans ces parages ; mon dernier voyage m’a fait découvrir dans la méme mer a peu prés le méme nombre de poissons, et j’enrichirai ainsi l’Ichthyologie avec le portrait de deux cents espéces nou- velles ou peu connues. Cependant je n’ai pu me procurer aucun poisson des grandes profondeurs, 4 la capture desquels les pécheurs du pays ne sont pas pratique. Que de découvertes reste-il donc a faire dans ces mers 14! Les excellens ouvrages de Russell et de Hamilton Buchanan sur les poissons de |’Inde, précieux sous bien de rapports, ne contiennent qu’une bien petite partie des productions ichthyologiques de ces parages, et j’espére bien que les traces de ces naturalistes distingués seront bientdt suivi avec rivalité par leurs compatriotes qui ont tant contribué dans ces derniers temps pour faire connoitre les productions naturelles indiennes des autres classes d’animaux. VOL. Il. L Pr vee eve a, ee fe Ad oom 1 ae : s ars ~ f ad ; = 74 DR. RUPPELL SUR UN NOUVEAU HISTIOPHORE. PLATE XV. oe es Ls Lh Hist1opHoRus IMMACULATUS. ‘ Fide a, en yen , ee ae : ph’ ” Vite Poa . i rr ee ids * ; = i , ° = rs yg VUE UA WMLOUYO ’ , f a el Z 4 ie) kya A (TA (ahd MA eect $s. PS APA ADIL STI ES SRN. Creeper oud VII. On the Genus Octodon, and on its Relations with Ctenomys, Blainv., and Poe- phagomys, F. Cuv.: including a Description of a New Species of Ctenomys. By E. T. Bennett, Esq., F.L.S., Sec. Z.S. Communicated December 22, 1835. WHEN early in 1832 I laid before the Society a specimen of a previously unde- scribed Herbivorous Rodent brought by Mr. Cuming from South America, and pointed out the characters by which it was generically distinguished from all the groups that were at that time known, I stated it to be my intention to defer giving a more formal account of it until there should occur, by the death of one of the individuals which were then living in the Menagerie, an opportunity of entering into some details respecting its anatomy, both visceral and osteological. That opportunity has not yet arrived ; and there are, consequently, at my disposal no other materials than those of which I availed myself when characterizing the animal in the ‘ Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence’!, as the type of a new genus, under the name of Oc- todon Cumingii. To these, however, I am induced again to call the attention of zoolo- gists, at an earlier period than I had originally proposed, with the view of elucidating the relations of Octodon with the nearly allied genus Ctenomys, described by M. de Blainville in the ‘ Bulletin de la Société Philomathique’ for April, 1826,? and of which a hitherto undescribed species is contained among the collections made by our excellent colleague, Capt. P. P. King, R.N., during his survey of the Straits of Magalhaens ; as well as with another form which is even more closely connected with it, and which was first made known to science by M. F. Cuvier, in the ‘ Annales des Sciences Naturelles’ for June, 1834°: to the latter M. F. Cuvier has given the name of Poephagomys, the species on which it is founded being the Poeph. ater. The affinity between Ctenomys, Octodon, and Poephagomys was first indicated by M. F. Cuvier, who, in a letter ad- dressed to me in September last (some extracts from which were immediately commu- nicated to the Society’), made known to me the fact that the molar teeth in Ctenomys are destitute of true roots. In the little group which these three genera appear to constitute, the genus Octodon may be regarded as occupying a central station ; if, as is generally admitted, the struc- ture and form of the molar teeth be considered as of primary importance in the arrange- ' Part ii. p. 46. $'p. 62. 3 Seconde Serie. Zoologie. Tome i. p. 321. * Proceedings Zool. Soc., part iii. p. 128. L2 76 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. ment of the Rodentia. The Herbivorous Rodents exhibit more strikingly perhaps than those of the Omnivorous tribe, characteristic forms in the configuration of the crowns of their molar teeth; and the form peculiar to each species or genus among them is not liable, as in the other tribe, to vary with the progress of life, and with the conse- quent extent of detrition which is occasioned by their continued use. The Herbivorous Rodents are, indeed, rodents par excellence ; for in them a provision has been made for the perpetual renewal of the rasping surface of all the teeth. In the Rodents generally the incisors are always growing from their base forwards ; and a never-failing succession of cutting or penetrating edges is thus ensured to them at their tips: their points, in constant process of wearing, are in equally constant process of protrusion. In the Her- bivorous tribe a similar arrangement prevails as regards the molars also. Destitute of true roots, and growing, like the incisors, from an enduring pulp, their crowns, although perpetually wearing away by the grinding and rasping actions which they exert upon the food and upon each other, are never destroyed: as their upper surface is rubbed off the deficiency is supplied from below, and by the continual growth from the base the requisite length of the tooth is maintained, while the crown is always preserved of the due height for mastication and furnished with those ridges and folds of enamel which were originally bestowed upon it, and which are perpetually renewed. The action of these teeth is rather that of rasping than of crushing, and it is in this manner that the food is reduced in the mouth to that state of minute subdivision which is essential to the animals that are provided with teeth of this description. In the animals of the Herbivorous tribe the curious structure of the fauces, originally described by Mr. Morgan in the Capybara, Hydrocherus Capybara, Erxl., and since observed in other Rodents, appears to be most developed: and it is only one among the numerous and beautiful illustrations of the adaptation of various portions of the organization of an animal to each other, to find in combination with a narrowing of the entrance of the pharynx to such an extent as to allow of the passage through it of none but the most minutely subdivided particles, a structure of teeth by which the existence of the means of so minutely subdividing the food should be permanently secured at all periods of the animal’s existence. At the time when Octodon was first made known to science it was remarked, as one of its most distinguishing peculiarities, that the form of the crowns of its molar teeth were, in the two jaws, strikingly dissimilar. But it was not at that time anticipated that the two forms of dentition exhibited by Mr. Cuming’s Rodent would each be found to be characteristic of another nearly allied genus. It is in this manner that Octodon becomes evidently intermediate between Ctenomys and Poephagomys, by having the molars of its upper jaw constructed on the type of those of the former, and the molars of its lower jaw on that of the latter genus. The relations of these several groups, as indicated by their dentary characters, will best be understood by a brief consideration MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 77 of the form of the molar teeth of Octodon, and by a comparison of them with those of the allied genera. The upper molars of Octodon have, on their inner side, a slight fold of enamel, in- dicating a groove which has a tendency to separate, on this aspect, the mass of each tooth into two cylinders. On their outer side a similar fold penetrates more deeply, and behind it the crown of the tooth does not project outwardly to so great an extent as it does in front. If each molar of the upper jaw were theoretically regarded as com- posed of two cylinders of bone, surrounded by enamel on all their aspects except that by which they are broadly united to each other, slightly compressed from before back- wards, and somewhat oblique in their direction as regards the axis of the jaw, the an- terior of these cylinders might be described as being entire, and the posterior as being truncated by the removal of its outer half. Of such teeth there are in the upper jaw of Octodon, on each side, four; the hindermost being the smallest, and that in which the peculiar form is least strongly marked. In Ctenomys the molar teeth, both of the upper and lower jaw, correspond with the structure that exists in those of the upper jaw of Octodon. They are formed on precisely the same type. The exceptions to their perfect similarity consist in their crowns being slenderer and more obliquely placed, whence their emargination becomes less sharply defined ; and in the hinder molar of each jaw being so small as to be almost evanescent, and consisting of a single minute triangular prism. As is generally the case, however, in the dentition of this tribe of Rodents, the relative position of the teeth is in Ctenomys counterchanged in the two jaws ; and the vacancy in the outline of the crown of the molars, which in the upper jaw is external and posterior, becomes in the lower jaw internal and anterior. In the lower jaw of Octodon the crowns of the molar teeth assume, as has been already remarked, a figure very dissimilar from those of the upper, dependent chiefly on the prolongation of both portions of the tooth to the same lateral extent, and on the depth to which they are penetrated on their inner side by the fold or emargination be- tween their anterior and posterior portions. Each of them may be regarded as con- sisting of two cylinders, not disjoined in the middle, where the bony portion of the tooth is continuous on the crown, but partially separated by a fold of enamel on either side, producing a corresponding notch, of which the innermost is the deepest. Placed ob- liquely with respect to the general direction of the jaw, they resemble, in some measure, a figure of 8 with its elements flattened obliquely, pressed towards each other, and not connected together by the transverse middle bars. With the lower molars of Octodon those of Poephagomys, as figured by M. F. Cuvier, agree in structure in both jaws. Octodon thus evidently exhibits, in its dissimilar molars, the types of two genera: the molars of its upper jaw represent those of both jaws of Ctenomys ; those of its lower jaw correspond with the molars of both jaws of Poephagomys. In the absence from any collection to which I have at present access, of a specimen 78 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. of Poephagomys, it is not in my power to pursue further a close comparison between the whole of these three genera. But a few general remarks on them may be offered ; and the comparison may afterwards be limited to that which can be made between the two of which examples are now before me. The general form of the animals of these several groups bears a close resemblance to that of the Water Rat, Arvicola amplibia, LaCép. The compactness of the body is the same ; the head is equally distinguished for its shortness and rotundity ; the limbs are of moderate length ; and the tail, covered like that of the Water Rat with short adpressed hairs, is, similarly with the tail of that animal, of less length than the body. In the proportionate length of the latter member there exists, however, a considerable differ- ence among the types of the three genera: in Octodon the length of the tail is more than one half of that of the body and head taken together ; in Ctenomys it is rather more than a third; in Poephagomys, according to M. F. Cuvier’s admeasurements, it is exactly one third. Another external difference is observable among them in the size of the outward ear: in Octodon and in Poephagomys the auricle is of moderate size and distinctly visible, its length being about equal to the distance interposed between its base and the eye; in Ctenomys it is so minute as to be concealed amid the surround- ing fur. A third external difference among them is of far more importance than either of the preceding, in as much as it is indicative of widely different habits: in Octodon and in Poephagomys the claws are rather long, moderately curved, and acute at their points, a form connected rather with arboreal than with terrestrial habits; in Ctenomys the claws are long, nearly straight, thick, and blunt, and have altogether the character which belongs to those of a burrowing animal. In all the three genera the toes are five in number on each foot: in Octodon and Poephagomys the claw of the inner toe on the fore foot is flattened and nail-like ; in Ctenomys it resembles that of the other toes in its strength, but is shorter and more curved. As the incumbent comb-like bristles sur- mounting the inner claws of the hinder toes are observable in both the animals before me, it is to be presumed that they exist equally in the other also. Between the crania of Octodon and of Ctenomys there are some differences in general form, resulting chiefly from the greater comparative length of the skull of the latter, and from the more ample development of its auditory appendages: the extent of the cellu- lar mass of bone connected with the internal organ of hearing bearing in these two animals an inverse ratio to that of the external ear; and the deficiency of auricle in Ctenomys being compensated for by the enlargement of the auditory cells. On account of the development of these cells in Ctenomys both laterally and posteriorly beyond the occipital ridge, the hinder portion of the craniwm acquires a breadth and squareness which afford a marked base, as it were, to the somewhat lengthened frustrum of a cone formed by the bones of the head and face: the greatest width of the entire mass is in Ctenomys at its hindermost part, while in Octodon the greatest width is at the external eS MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 79 opening of the auditory passage ; behind which, for the short portion of the mass that remains, the cranium shelves away, both on its sides and upper surface, towards the comparatively small flattened face surrounding the foramen magnum and opposed to the neck. With the exception of the abruptness of this posterior shelving in Octodon, the outline of the upper surface of the cranium may be described as constituting in both animals a slight and regular curve ; which is, however, more gentle in Ctenomys than in the one with which it is now compared. The general outline, viewed from above, is in Octodon of an ovate form ; in Ctenomys it resembles that of a lengthened triangle, trun- cated at the apex. If, however, the comparison in the vertical view be limited to that portion of the bony mass which lies anterior to a line crossing the skull at the upper and hinder part of the orbit, the outline in Ctenomys will be found to be nearly paral- lelogrammic, while that of Octodon will resemble a truncated and lengthened triangle, widening posteriorly: a figure which is produced chiefly by the greater comparative breadth of the frontal bones, consequent on the greater width of the ascending ramus of the incisive at the point where it is united with the branch of the maxillary forming the slender line of bone that separates the orbit from the large suborbital foramen. In both these animals, as in most of the tribe, the infra-orbital foramen is single, and attains its maximum of possible development ; involving the whole of the external face of the maxillary bone except a slender process passing to where the malar joins it after limiting the lower edge of the orbit, and of another equally slender process arising from this point to form the anterior margin of the orbit and unite above with the frontal and the ascending ramus of the incisive bone. Excepting in thus limiting below the infra- orbital foramen, and in separating that foramen by a hinder margin from the orbit, the maxillary bone is reduced, in animals of this type, to an alveolar ridge for the entire series of the molar teeth, and to affording capacious space for the implantation and growth of the prolonged roots of the exceedingly developed upper incisor. To the subjoined table of some comparative admeasurements of the crania of these two animals the remark must be prefixed that the individual of Ctenomys is not yet fully adult, as is evidenced by the incomplete state of closure of its anterior fontanelle. Octodon. Ctenomys. In. In. Length ofthe skull] . . . . 2 NE, to tan Shes 1G 1°75 Breadth of the skull at the meatus auditorsi 3 whe meciniss 2) ycoian SETI: 95 Breadth of the skull at the zygomata . . . . . . . 9 1- Distance between the orbits above. . . . . . . . ‘45 4 Diastematic distance, upperjaw, . ....... 4 55 Diastematic distance, lowerjaw, . .. .. ... # °8 “4 Length of the molar series . . . 33 "33 Length of the mastoid process or mass = the iets ats “45 6 80 MR. KE. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. Octodon. Ctenomys. In. In. Greatest. breadth.of, dittomy-y) ota nina a ae) ee 3 Length of the lower jaw, (including the teeth) . . . . 13? 15 Height of the.coronoid process.) }) 4-0-2 3) 4 SP 5 Having thus adverted to some of the more interesting points in the consideration of these animals conjointly, I now proceed to describe individually the two that are con- tained in the Society’s Museum. For the third, to the most important distinctive cha- racters of which I have already alluded while comparing it with the others, I cannot do better than refer to the paper of M. F. Cuvier previously quoted, in which all the neces- sary details respecting it will be found. That able zoologist possessed the opportunity of inspecting the viscera of Poephagomys, the only one of the three genera that has yet been anatomically examined ; and by his sketch, as well as by his description, it appears that the intestinal canal is lengthened, as is usual in herbivorous animals, and that the cecum, as is also generally the case in such animals, is of considerable dimensions: in length it exceeds the stomach, is not greatly inferior to it in circumference at its larger end, and rapidly tapers towards the opposite extremity into a point’. Fam. ARvICOLIDz ? Genus Ocropon. Dentes primores 2, acutati, anticé leves: molares utrinque utrinsecus +, complicati, sub- zquales ; superiores subtransversi, facie antica lata, postica (ob incisuram externam profundam) duplo angustiore, interna in medio uniplicata, plicis a primo ad postre- mum sensim minoribus ; inferiores obliqui, singulo plica externa internaque sub- oppositis coronidem in areas duas obliqué transversales, figuram 8 vel clepsydram quodammodo simulantes, subdispartientibus, plicd externa in postremo vix con- spicua. ' Since the above was written, the Octodon which was then living in the Society’s collection has died: but, by some oversight, I was not informed of the occurrence until long after it had taken place; and the oppor- tunity of anatomically examining the animal was consequently lost to me. From Mr. Martin’s notes of the dissection, however, I learn that the cecum was very capacious, and measured in length more than the sto- mach, the length of the one being 3, and of the other 2, inches ; and that it was sacculated ; its precise form, however, could not be ascertained, the ulceration which had taken place in it having prevented its distension ; that the stomach was of a regular, nearly oval shape, equally rounded at both extremities: and that the small intestines measured 2 feet 6 inches in length, and the large intestines 1 foot 6 inches; making a total length of 4 feet, and being about seven times the length of the body: and that the commencement of the colon was dis- posed in a long loop or fold, its latter portion, with the remainder of the large intestines, scarcely equalling in diameter the small intestines. In all these particulars the alimentary canal of Octodon, like that of Poepha- gomys, accords with the general structure of the same part in other Herbivorous Rodents. The details of Mr. Martin’s dissection will be found in the Proceedings of the Society for July, 1836. MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 81 Artus subzquales, omnes pentadactyli, digitis liberis ; unguibus falcularibus, subcurvis, acutis ; wngue pollicart lamnari. Cauda mediocris, subannulata, pilosa, ad apicem floccosa. Americe Australis incole, terrestres vel arborei, subsalientes. Ocropon CumIneGlI. Tas. XVI. Oct. supra fusco-flavescenti-griseus nigrescente intermiztus, infra et ad pedes pallidior ; caudd supra et ad apicem floccosum nigrd. Octodon Cumingii, Benn., in Proc. Comm. Sci. Zool. Soc., part wi. p. 46. Dendrobius Degus, Meyen, in Nov. Act. Acad. Ces. Nat. Cur., tom. xvi. p. 600. tab. 144. Hab. in Chili, prope Valparaiso. In size and shape the present animal generally resembles the Water Rat, with which it is, systematically, nearly connected. The facial line is regularly and strongly arched, and the muzzle obtusely truncate ; the eyes are small, and seated nearly midway between the base of the ears and the nostrils ; and the ears are of moderate size, thinly covered both within and without with short adpressed hairs, and rounded at the tips. The whiskers are rigid, and the longest exceed the head in length. On the body, which is compactly proportioned, the fur consists almost entirely of straight hairs, lying flat, and varying in length from half an inch to nearly an inch: they become shorter on the limbs and beneath the body, and still more so on the tail and feet. Of the limbs the hinder are somewhat the longest, but the disproportion is by no means so great as might have been inferred from the saltatory habits of the animal. All the feet have five toes ; but the innermost, both before and behind, is very short, and is separated by a wide interval from the rest. Except the thumb of the fore-feet, which has a short, flattened, obtuse nail, all the toes are armed with rather long, slightly curved, sharply pointed claws, partially concealed by long bristly hairs. Of the four outer toes ante- riorly the two intermediate are nearly equal in length, and the two lateral somewhat shorter: posteriorly the three intermediate toes are of nearly equal length, and con- siderably exceed the outer. The tail, although covered rather thickly with short stiff hairs, is distinctly annulated. The general colour of the upper surface and sides is of a brownish gray, intermixed with frequent indistinct and undefined spots and patches of dusky black. It becomes slightly darker towards the rump; and the upper surface of the entire tail, together with its under surface for one third of its length from the tip, is so deep in colour as to approach closely to black. The under surface of the animal is dusky gray, mingled with a shade of brown, lighter and nearly white beneath the base of the tail, and deeper on the breast and neck, where it is almost of the same general hue with the upper sur- VOL. II. M 82 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. face and head. The ears are dusky, with a few stiff gray hairs at their base anteriorly, and some whitish and more closely set hairs on their inner surface. The shorter whiskers are for the most part white, and the longer black. The legs are grayish mixed with brown, becoming of a paler gray towards the feet ; and the claws are deep black. The following admeasurements are taken from a stuffed specimen : In. Length. of the head and body. po.) ee es = G66 Menez thcOthestall sie cermin rhe ae ote Dength of the*heades. 5, a ner Se 166 Length of the muzzle, anterior tothe eyes . . . . ‘66 Length of the longest whisker . . . . . . . . 2 Height ofthe ears 2025.) 206 MN, BG 7B Berandin Of the Cars ii. ota op fe, ii et. an. auf i oat oer Length of the carpus to the end of the longest toe . . ‘75 Length of the tarsus to the end of the longest toe . . 1:25 To Mr. Cuming, to whom I have dedicated this species, the Society is indebted for all the representatives of it that it has yet occurred to me to see. The animal, how- ever, although apparently local, is exceedingly abundant in its native country. Captain King informs me that he has seen thousands of them at Valparaiso: and Mr. Cuming refers to them as being very numerous in that neighbourhood. To the latter gentleman I owe the subjoined information respecting their habits in a state of nature. ‘‘ These animals burrow in the ground, but always under brushwood fences or in low thickets. They are so abundant in the neighbourhood of Valparaiso, that in the high road be- tween that place and St. Jago, more than a hundred may frequently be seen at one time in search of food. Sometimes, but not often, they are observed on the lower branches of the shrubs, and on those which form the fences. They fly at the least alarm, and in running carry their tufted tails bent like a bow. A species of horned Oul, of which I had the pleasure of presenting a specimen to the Society, feeds principally on these pretty little creatures.” Two living specimens, brought from Chili by Mr: Cuming, were placed by him in 1831 in the Society’s Menagerie. One of them has since escaped, but the other remains alive, and is still as active and as lively as it was on its first arrival. In capti- vity they appear rather shy, and have but little playfulness. They readily leap, with great agility and without any appearance of exertion, from the floor of their cage to a narrow perch placed at the height of nearly a foot, on which they remain seated quite at their ease. Their food is, of course, entirely vegetable. These were probably the first individuals of the species that were brought to Europe. They arrived here in 183] ; and were described by me, early in the ensuing year, under the name and with the characters which are still retained for them. In 1833 the ani- mal was again described by Dr. F. J. F. Meyen, in acommunication made to the German OO ——————————— ————— MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 83 Academy on the subject of certain of the animals collected by him during his travels in South America. Regarding it as constituting the type of a new genus, but not aware that it had previously been characterized elsewhere, he proposed for it the name of Dendrobius: and, as he considered the animal identical with the Degus of Molina, an obscure species (like many others noticed by that author), he gave it the appellation of Dendr. Degus: referring to it, as synonymous, the Sciwrus Degus, Gmel. et Auct.; the Myoxus Getulinus, Poepp. ; and the Tamias Degus of several travellers. If, however, Molina’s description of the Degus be correct, | cannot regard his animal as identical with the one under consideration: and even assuming that the name used by that writer is applied (as would seem from Dr. Meyen’s statement to be the case) to Mr. Cuming’s species, it is by no means improbable that it may have rather a generic than a specific value, and that it may not be limited to one animal, but include several allied to each other in outward form. Dr. Meyen briefly adverts to the habits of the species, but his remarks add little to the information furnished by Mr. Cuming and by Captain King. The position assigned by him to the genus,—which he places among the Squirrels, in immediate apposition with Myoxus,—appears to me to be altogether forced, the only important point in which they agree being their arboreal habits: the form of the molar teeth as regards their lamination is altogether dissimilar ; while the absence of fangs to those teeth in the one and their presence in the others indicate a distinction of such high value as to place them in different tribes of the order to which they belong, the one ranking among the Herbivorous and the others being referrible to the Omnivo- rous Rodentia. Genus Crenomys, Blainv. Dentes primores +, acutati, anticé leves: molares utrinque utrinsecus +, postremo sub- obsoleto, ceteris similibus, simpliciusculis, veluti e lamina simplici subarcuata constantibus, in maxillé superiore externé et posticé, in inferiore interné et anticé, laté exsculpta. Artus subequales, omnes pentadactyli, digitis liberis ; unguibus falcularibus, ungulifor- mibus, subelongatis. Cauda breviuscula, subannulata, pilosa. Americe Australis incole, fodientes. Crenomys Brasiiensis, Blainv. Cten. supra nitidée rufus, subtus rufescenti-albidus ; caudd nigrescenti-brunned. (fide Blainv.) Orycteromys sive Ctenomys Brasiliensis, Blainv., in Bull. Soc. Philom., Avr. 1826, p. 62.—Icon. Ibid. Hab. in Brasilia, in provincia Minas Geraes. M 2 84 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. Crenomys MaGeE.Luanicus. Tab. XVII. Cten. flavescenti-fusco-griseus, subtus pallidior ; pedibus cauddque albentibus. Hab. ad Fretum Magellanicum, prope Cap. Gregory. In general form this animal appears, as far as can be judged of from a skin alone, to resemble very nearly the Octodon Cumingii, and to have the same short and broad head, compact body, nearly equal limbs, and sparingly haired tail: the latter member is, however, comparatively shorter, and is destitute of any marked tuft of longer hairs at its extremity. The facial line is probably less strongly arched than in that species ; the eyes are, as in it, small, and seated about midway between the ears and the muzzle ; but the ears are remarkably different, being so short as to be inconspicuous on account of their being buried within the surrounding fur : the short auricle is slightly pointed, closely covered on its outer surface with short hairs, nearly naked within, and furnished at the base of its upper edge with a ridge of stiff short bristles. The whiskers are nu- merous, chiefly white, but having among them, especially at the upper part of the tuft which they form, a few black ones: these are generally longer than the others, and some of them considerably exceed the head in length, their tips reaching as far as the shoulder. The hairs of the body are soft, silky to the feel, wavy towards their base, and straight at their tips; they are generally about three quarters of an inch in length, but some of them exceed an inch and a quarter: beneath the body they are almost en- tirely of the shorter kind ; and on the head they are much shorter, as they are also on the lower part of the limbs. Of the five toes the innermost, both before and behind, is much shorter than the others ; the intermediate the longest ; those that adjoin to the middle one nearly equal to it in length, and of equal length with each other ; and the outer one much shorter, the tip of its claw scarcely reaching so far as the base of the claw of the next toe. All the claws, especially those of the anterior feet, are strong, lengthened, nearly straight on their lower surface, slightly curved towards their tip on the upper, and rounded above: those of the fore feet are contracted below so as to form an edge, while the lateral margins of the hinder claws remain disunited on the under surface, leaving a vacancy within them: the claw of the inner toe on the fore feet is comparatively short, but has the same structure as the others, except in being much more curved. The whole of the claws are of a horny colour. The hairs covering the tail are shorter than those of the feet, and are rather silky, and almost altogether destitute of the rigidity of the hairs on the tail of Octodon: those towards the end unite to form a slight conical tip to the tail, but there is no approach to a distinct tuft. The general colour of the upper surface and sides is a brownish grey, tinged with yellow, and scarcely varied by blackish ; the colour is, in fact, the same as that of Oc- todon, but of a rather lighter tint. The separate hairs are of a dull leaden colour to- MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 85 wards the base, and the tips of most of them are pale brownish ash: the tips of the longer hairs, which are few in number, are almost black. On the under surface none of these longer, black-tipped hairs occur, and the tips of the ordinary hairs being at the same time paler in this situation than on the back, the colour of the belly is consi- derably lighter than that of the upper surface: on the chin and throat it is a pale fawn. On the feet and on the tail the short hairs are almost white. The following admeasurements will aid in the comparison of this animal with Octodon : In. Length of the head and body . . . ...-... ‘75 Rencth otthe tat ai yer ete ee ee. aE Length ofthe head . . . . . See wy ee el Length of the muzzle, anterior to the yess. =. An we men Length of the longest whisker. . . . . . «. . ~ 2°25 PIGIGHiiGEERCICHERR etre sie et Wee 80s Pele a eye dl Breadth of the ears . . . ie ko Length of the carpus to the ond of the lao tae eas ero Length of the tarsus to the end of the longest toe. . . 1°375 Captain King, to whom zoology, among other sciences, is deeply indebted for much valuable information acquired during his various and arduous surveys, made on the subject of this animal the following memoranda. ‘“‘ From the size of the jaw, as com- pared with the abundant remains of this little animal which are scattered over the sur- face of the ground, I think that the present specimen is rather a young one. On exa- mining the teeth I find that it cannot be referred to any of the genera of M. F. Cuvier’s arrangement in his ‘ Dents des Mammiferes’: that to which it approaches most nearly is Helamys ; but it is sufficiently distinct to constitute a new genus. The red colour of the incisive teeth is very remarkable in all the specimens which I have seen. The little animal is very timid; feeds upon grass ; and is eaten by the Patagonian Indians. It dwells in holes, which it burrows, in the ground: and, from the number of the holes, it would appear to be very abundant. “Tt inhabits the East entrance of the Strait of Magalhaens at Cape Gregory and the vicinity.” PLATE XVI. Ocropon CuminGIl. Fig. 1. The skull seen from above. 2. The same seen laterally. 3. The upper jaw, exhibiting the crowns of the molar teeth. 4. The lower jaw. 86 Fig pa 2 3 4 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. PLATE XVII. Crenomys MaGELLANICUS. _ The skull seen from above. _ The same seen laterally. The upper jaw, exhibiting the crowns of the molar teeth. . The lower jaw. ww N S Q SS > S S S ~ & XS &S S SS A WU EP) °F per ry: CHOIPU?, DVT y : Vp A hilt, UIP LE y ia [ 87 ] VIII. On the Anatomy of the Lamellibranchiate Conchifera. By Ropert Garner, Esq., F.L.S. Communicated by Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S. Communicated December 8, 1835. THE molluscous animals, the anatomy of which I propose to describe, whilst they are distinguished from the Tunicata' by their calcareous parts, differ from the Brachiopo- dous Conchifera by being furnished with two lateral lobes to the mantle, secreting a right and a left valve; by having commonly an elastic intervalvular cartilage, and a more simple muscular system to open and close the shells; by having also four fixed, membranous, pectinated organs at the mouth, and four others for respiration, &c. The Anomia I consider to be an intermediate genus between the Lamellibranchiata and the Brachiopoda ; some parts of its structure being more in unison with that of the former, and some with that of the latter. The position of the animal in the shell is neither vertical as in the one, nor horizontal as in the other, but oblique with respect to the disposition of its organs. It agrees with Orbicula in having a divided muscular system, a rudiment of a pedal disc, a short intestinal canal, ovaria ramified in the mantle, the labial and branchial appendages conjoined, &c.; whilst in other respects it resembles the Monomyarious Lamellibranchiata. I would suggest that the fossils called Spherulites are allied to the Anomia, and would intimate how desirable it would be to examine the anatomy of Thecidea, Crania, Placuna, and the different species of Anomia, Terebratula, &c. Some degree of obliquity, and a difference of size in the two valves, is present in many genera of Lamarck’s first division Monomyaria ; whilst, if any inequality exist in those of his second division, Dimyaria, it does not arise from a tendency, as in the former case, to that relative position of the soft parts to the shell, which characterizes the - Brachiopoda, but results from the nature of the hinge. It is unnecessary here to enter upon the affinities of the order, or to describe the growth of shell. In the distant layers of shell in the valves of some Lamellibranchiata I think I see a resemblance to the elongated cellular valves of certain fossil genera and to multilo- cular shells. The figure and size of the foot influence most materially the form of the anterior part of the shell ; whilst that of the posterior is dependent upon the modifications of the siphons. In order to explain the remoteness of the beaks of the valves in some ' I find in some British Twnicata calcareous pieces, under the form of two conical, reticulated tubes, situated in, and projected externally from each orifice of the tunic. These, overlooked by Savigny, were found by Eysenhardt. VOL. II. PART II. N 88 MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE Conchifera, I would observe that it can only happen when there is an erosion or giving way of the cartilage, as the beaks, by means of the cartilage, are always originally in connexion. In Jsocardia, for instance, we see the beaks remote and the valves volute ; and it may be seen that as the cartilage increases behind, it gives way and becomes bi- furcate before. Sometimes this giving way takes place more from one valve than from the other, in which case one valve may be much longer in its beak than the other, as is seen in Gryphea, &c. We cannot account for the growth of some shells, without ad- mitting that the animal has the power of lessening them at certain points ; thus in the under valve of the Anomia, how can we explain the enlargement of the notch, an almost perfect foramen, without admitting such a power, which appears exerted through the influence of the constant currents of water produced by the vibratile cilia of the animal ? The coloration of the valves, of the foot, of the syphons, &c. is produced by a secreted colouring matter, the chemical nature of which is not known, but a similar secretion to which is found in all Mollusca. This secretion has the property of taking a much brighter tint on exposure to light’. It is secreted either from the veins or from venous secreting organs, to be hereafter mentioned*. The markings of the valves appear to be caused by the disposition of the veins of the mantle, and are often inter- rupted, from the cessation of the secretion at certain periods. The varieties in the articulation of the valves, in the cartilage, ligament, and teeth, may be thus explained. When, as in the Cardium, the cartilage is external, and con- vex and prominent above, its compression does not happen from the pressure of the valves, as is the case with the species possessing internal cartilages, but from its bend- ing upon itself. The cartilage of this conformation differs from that of the other by its containing a portion of carbonate of lime in its composition. The teeth are wanting or weak when there is great strength of muscle or cartilage ; when the irregularity of the edge of the valves prevents sliding motion; or when the shell is small, flat, and polished, and hence little exposed to violence; also when the hinge and cartilage are long ; though they are numerous in the long hinge of the Arcacea, compensating for the weakness of the cartilage. We see a distinct pinnate process of the mantle for the pur- pose of secreting the numerous teeth of the Nucula. In those genera which have long fleshy siphons and gaping shells, the cartilage is internal, and situated upon a project- ing process of one of the valves, as in the Mya, by which disposition the shell is not readily quite closed, nor far opened. The shell is only allowed to be opened widely when the lobes of the mantle are conjoined to a small extent, as is done by the internal cartilage of many of the Monomyaria. When, as in the Arca, the foot is thick, we see in the straight hnear hinge, and in the remoteness of the beaks, a provision for the con- ‘ To produce the famous purple of the ancients, it appears only necessary to expose the soft parts of the animal of the Purpura to the influence of the light and air, when its natural brownish secretion becomes of a bright purple colour. * And not from the liver, as Blainville says. es LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 89 siderable opening of the valves by that organ; and in some species the valves them- selves are gaping inferiorly for its exsertion. There is a cartilage between the two small spinous processes of the hinge in the Pholas candidus. In other species of Pholas, which have no rudiment of it, and allied genera, which have a particular character of articulation, I consider the motion of the valves as but a secondary cause in the perforation of the substances in which these ani- mals are found. _ Muscular System. The gland for the formation of the byssus (the existence of which is denied by Blain- ville) may be found readily at the base of the foot (in the Modiola, for instance,) with a duct opening at the bottom of its groove. It is bilobate, and of a dark granular appearance. I consider the foot of the Pecten, Spondylus, &c. to be an organ of pre- hension of the food, collected by the vibratile currents near the mouth. In these it has but one long slender muscle. The uses of the foot as an organ of locomotion are de- scribed by naturalists. One use of the part called the crystalline stilette, I consider to be the giving resilience to the foot. It projects above into the stomach, and is directed inferiorly to the pore by which water is admitted into the foot, as it is in many species. The upper extremity has a small membranous cartilage upon it, called the tricuspid body. In the Anomia the stilette supports a free portion of the mantle; in the other Monomyaria it is absent ; the membrane is always present. The whole appears to be the analogue of the curious tongue of other Mollusca. Some species have two sacs of the mantle, containing sometimes a gaseous fluid, which is probably formed by the secreting organs, with which they are connected. These animals can thus lighten themselves, and easily change their situation at the ebb and flow of the tide. Nervous System. In more than twenty genera examined, I find a great similarity in the Nervous System. Poli, Cuvier, and Blainville are rather incorrect in their description of the nervous system of the Lamellibranchiata. Mangelli describes that of the Anodonta with great accuracy. When a foot is present, there are three ganglia or pairs of ganglia ; when absent, but two. These ganglia are of an orange colour externally, and white within. Two ganglha are situated at the mouth, more or less removed from each other, but always connected by a supra-cesophageal nerve ; they are sometimes on a level with, or before the mouth, sometimes behind it. They give off on each side filaments to the anterior muscle, ten- tacles, lips, and anterior part of the mantle. Each ganglion likewise gives off a twig going to the posterior ganglia, which are situated between the branchie on the posterior muscle. These are united into one, when the branchie are themselves united medianly, as in Mactra, Mya, Solen, &c., but are at a distance from each other, when the branchie are remote ; but in this case, are always connected by a transverse nerve, as in Modiola, nN 2 90 MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE Avicula, Lithodomus, Arca, &c. These ganglia give nerves to the branchie, siphons, posterior muscle, mantle, &c. The anterior ganglia also give off two twigs, which enter the foot and unite into a double ganglion, trom which that organ is supplied with nerves. Only a transverse connecting filament exists when there is no foot. The posterior and pedal ganglia are totally unconnected with each other. The mouth then is surrounded by a ring, of which the part posterior to the situation of the labial ganglia upon it, is double. In the Pecten it appears evident that the labial ganglia are com- pound. There is no visible sympathetic system, though said to exist by some. Digestive System. Poli supposes the tricuspid body to regulate the flow of bile into the stomach ; with which opinion I coincide, from finding its extremities always in the bile ducts. The intestine in molluscous animals gives origin to an abundance of veins, which probably act as lacteals. The first part of it is glandular. Sometimes it is not so long as the animal, at other times twelve times the length. A ridge is generally seen in it similar to what we find in the naked Acephala. This part of the subject has, however, been exhausted by Poli; and we pass to the Circulating System. Bojanus has given a correct description of the circulation in the Anodonta, and has shown it to be less simple than it had been described by Cuvier. The result of the labours of Bojanus has been this: that the real respiratory organs are two dark-coloured spongy bodies, situated at the root of what are generally considered to be the branchie, and which are formed by the meeting of many of the veins of the system. I do not come to the same conclusion. By means of mercurial injections I find that in the Scallop (Pecten maximus) the whole of the venous blood returning from the body does not go immediately to the branchie ; but a large portion of it, that of the ovaries, liver, and intestine, first circulates in part through the two dark-coloured, venous, secreting organs, (lungs of Bojanus,) and in part enters a large sinus or venous dilatation situated upon the adductor muscle, which sinus appears to form the branchial artery on each side, communicating, however, freely with branches from the secreting organs, these last again having a third set of branches entering the branchial artery. The sinus above-mentioned, which likewise exists in the Dimyaria, situated under the pericar- dium, receives in the Pecten also the veins of the mantle in part, one termination of them being directly into the auricles. The branchial arteries are formed by the large branch of the sinus, the branches from the secreting organs, and a few small ones from the mantle and roots of the branchie. The blood from the branchial veins enters the auricles, which have appendages upon them, probably secreting the pericardial liquid. The auricles, which in the Oyster are joined together, here communicate by a channel ; generally they are quite separate. Two semilunar valves exist at the entry of each an a LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 91 auricle into the ventricle ; valves also exist at the origin of the aorte. It is well known that the rectum commonly pierces the ventricle, and that in the Oyster there is an exception to the general rule. In the Anomia the ventricle lies upon the rectum’. In Arca, Lima, and some Pectunculi, there are two ventricles, the rectum passing between them. There is nothing remarkable in the distribution of the arteries. Sometimes, as in Cardium echinatum, the first part of the aorte appears very wide, having strong parietes with numerous fleshy columns on their internal surface. The veins then do not all go to form the branchial arteries; whilst some of the venous blood enters directly the auricles, another portion is first distributed to the secreting organs. There also exists a reservoir, or sinus, or set of very large veins receiving much of the venous blood, and which appears to empty itself both into the veins of the branchie, and into those of the secreting organs. The venous blood from the body in some measure, likewise, enters the auricles. The branchial arteries receive few veins, but the principal supply to them is from the sinus. Some resemblance to a portal circulation is seen in this, though it has not place in the liver, in which the bile is secreted from the arteries. Blood taken from the auricles is almost colourless, separates on standing into a liquid and solid part, and, microscopically examined, presents a curious phenomenon, which appears to have been observed by Mayer ; viz. its globules, which are about the one thousandth part of an inch in diameter, appear with projections upon them, showing an evident motion. The heart is slow in its pulsations ; they are generally from twenty to thirty in the minute. Respiratory System. I am disposed to regard the disposition and form of the branchi@ and siphons as being of great use in the classification of these animals ; for instance, Anomia, Pecten, Arca, Modiola, Unio, Cardium, Cyclas, Donaz, and Mactra, have each a particular disposition of the branchie, sac, of the mantle, valves, siphons, &c. giving rise to particular mo- difications of the course of the aérating currents of water to the branchie. In all the above genera, no complete division of the sac of the mantle exists. However, in Solen, Hiatella, Pholas, &c. a different disposition takes place ; here the branchie are prolonged into the inferior siphon, and as they are not separated from the base of the foot within, nor from the mantle without, the water drawn in through the inferior ori- fice must make its exit by the same, or by the anterior opening. But water is likewise drawn in by the superior siphon, and so gets access to the interior interlaminary spaces of the branchie (oviducts of some) ; and by this superior siphon, the ova, feces, and secretions are discharged*. Here the branchie are often very long, and the siphons 1 I do not find that the rectum in the Mya Pictorum perforates the ventricle to make its exit and re-enter again, as stated by Dr. Grant; Lect. Anat. Comp. Lancet, vol. ii. (1833-4), p. 708. 2 We see this also in the Tunicata. By one orifice water enters the respiratory sac, by the other it is drawn 92 MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE very muscular. We sometimes find small supplementary branchie, as in the Psam- mobia, Pholas, &c. The external pair may be shortened in front, as in Mya, Venerupis, &c. In Pandora the only appearance of the external lamine consists of two very nar- row strips at the base of the others; this is the case also, according to de Blainville, in the Osteodesma, allied to Pandora. Though it is not by the action of the orifices or siphons, or by the relaxation of the closing muscles, and the opening of the valves, that the water is drawn into the mantle, yet these actions accompany the influx; and though the water commonly escapes in a continuous stream from the action of the cilia, a sudden ejection of it frequently takes place, accompanied by a closing of the valves and a contraction of the siphons. Excretory System. The veins of the mantle, which are very numerous, appear to secrete the valves, and often contain quantities of carbonate of lime, visible with the microscope in the form of minute spicule. In the freshwater Muscle, anatomists have been puzzled to account for the appearance at certain times of a greyish matter diffused over the whole body, and entering into all the tissues. The accumulation of this matter in the veins of the mantle has led to its having been considered as the male organs. We know that the shell is more increased at some periods than at others, and this accumulation may precede the deposition as a provision for its accomplishment, or it may be for the purpose of being thrown off by the excretory organs ; as it is about the veins which surround them that the accumulation principally takes place. This grey matter is principally carbonate of lime. | The excretory organs throw off mucus and colouring matter as well as carbonate of lime, which latter is often found in them in the form of concretions; also uric acid. In the Pecten a minute orifice leads directly on each side into them. The oviducts likewise enter them. Above, each excretory sac leads into a single transverse cavity under the pericardium. In the Unio; &c. an orifice close to that of the oviduct leads into a large cavity of the mantle under the pericardium, into which the excretory organ opens by an internal orifice on each side. Bojanus was not aware of this internal opening, or he would not have considered these organs to be lungs. The external orifice is seen to open at the anterior angle formed by the foot and the branchie. The oviduct is also distinct from the sac in Modiola, Mytilus, Lithodomus, &c., whilst in Tellina, Cardium, Mactra, Pholas, Mya, and most others, the ova are discharged into the excretory organs. Generally the orifice of the excretory organs is near the posterior muscle, and the ovi- duct more anterior. The former is often so minute as to be found with difficulty. In the Oyster the vessels do not seem to form a gland, but throw off from their extremities into the external meshes of the branchie. The water drawn in by each opening must make its exit by the same. Those who say the contrary, appear to do so erroneously, unless the water passes through the stomach and intestine, Sa ee LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 93 distributed to the mantle the calcareous matter to the valves, which in a more perfect animal is only got rid of, by being secreted by a glandular organ, and thrown out by an excretory orifice. In higher Mollusca, for instance, we find the coloured secretion in some furnished by the veins of the mantle, in others accumulated into a glandular bag. Swammerdam believed the dark-coloured organs of the Lamellibranchiata to be con- cerned in the formation of the shell, as did Poli, who terms them the testaceous viscera. De Blainville compares them to kidneys ; and I think I have said much to confirm his opinion. An analogous condition may be observed in the Radiata. In the Stellerides the veins of the viscera meet, and become conjoined with a brownish spongy substance, forming two organs, which probably open without, through the dorsal plate or disk, or near to it. From this disk there extends, by the side of the spongy substance into the circular union of the hydroferous canals, a cylindrical calcareous part, which is articulated, and appears to be analogous to the stem of the Pentacrinus, but which has become internal by the formation of the dorsal integument. The naked Acephala being desti- tute of calcareous parts, have scarcely a rudiment of secreting organs ; but in the Gas- teropoda a secreting organ always exists when there is a shell. This organ is evidently formed in them by a tissue of veins. In the Patella it opens by the oviduct and rectum, and is situated over the viscera: de Blainville considers it to be the organ of respiration in these animals. In some Patelliform animals there are two orifices. The orifices in the Chiton are between the branchial processes, not far from the oviducts. Where there is no trace of a shell, secreting organs are not present. In the species of Doris, which have commonly calcareous matter in the integument of the back, the sac described by Cuvier as opening near the anus seems a rudiment. In Bullea aperta, which has a shell, two glands exist by the mouth, though overlooked by Cuvier. It is needless to mention that an organ secreting mucus and calcareous matter is found in all spiral Gasteropoda. It (the mucous sac of authors) sometimes opens near the anus by a duct, as in the Phytivora; or by a large opening at the back of the branchial cavity, as in the Carnivora ; in which latter case the animal probably has the power of breathing air by means of it when out of the water. The mucous sacs of the Cephalopoda, opening by papille on each side the rectum, are traversed by the great veins which secrete into them, from particular appendages on their surface, much muco-calcareous matter. The bile ducts, likewise, pass through the cavity, and secrete into it. In these animals, the blood from the visceral veins seems directed into the hepatic, as was noticed by Cuvier; and I consider their circu- lation to be intermediate to that in which the ovarian, intestinal, &c. blood goes to the liver, and that in which the hepatic, intestinal, and ovarian blood all passes through the excretory organ. No molluscous animal appears to possess absorbents, hence the necessity of the skeleton being external and out of the circulation. 94 MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE Cilia. The vibration which has been noticed by authors on the surface of the intestine of molluscous animals, originates from the passage of that canal being through the secret - ing sacs, into which water is drawn by the action of cilia upon their surfaces. From noticing the appearance on the intestine of the Chiton, I was led to find the two orifices described above, by which the water is drawn in. The beautiful and wonderful phenomenon of the vibration of the minute cilia of the lower animals was noticed by many of the older naturalists, but from the defect of their instruments, was often confounded with the circulation. Raspail has shown that many of the animalcules of Miiller and Baer are merely the vibratile parts of other animals. Home explains the rotation noticed in the embryo of the ovum of the Lamellibranchiata to be caused by a species of Vibrio getting into its interior and feed- ing upon it; and the figures which he has given of this supposed animalcule are those of the branchial processes of the Anodonta. The hydroferous vessels of the Radiata are internally covered with cilia, and it is by these that the circulation in the Beroé is plainly caused. I do not find them in the Crustacea nor in the Cirrhopoda, nor in the aquatic larve of insects. Dr. Sharpey was unable to see them in the Twnicata, but he might have done so with the aid of a more powerful lens. They cover in great num- bers the meshes of the branchie, but are unusually small in those organs. I do not find them on the branchie of the Cephalopoda. They are present in the stomach of the Asterias and Actinia, and the long white threads sometimes seen hanging from the Act. diantha are covered with them. The piercing of rocks, stones, wood, &c. by Lamellibranchiate animals cannot in every case take place by the mechanical action of the valves. The valves of some genera, as the Lithodomus amongst many others, are not at all adapted for such an action. Neither can such perforation be caused by a solvent fluid secreted by the animal ; for what fluid would dissolve so many substances, and yet not injure the animal’s own shell? The fact appears to be, that the phenomenon is caused by the vibratile action of the parts exciting constant currents of water against the substances, aided by its impetus when drawn in down the elongated body of the animal, and in some cases, perhaps, by the rasping of the valves. Often the shell, from its flattened form, or from its fitting closely, cannot act at all. The Patella when sticking to a rock often forms a hole an inch in depth, and this by the action of its ciliated branche ; the hole cannot be made by the shell, as it fits exactly in it, and is of such a figure that no rotation can take place. The Hipponyx, another Gasteropod, forms cavities in the Patella and other shells to which it adheres. The crypts of the Sazicava are not circular; hence M. de Bellevue and Osler in this instance believe them to be formed by the action of the phosphoric acid secreted by the animal, and they suppose this animal to inhabit rocks only which are composed of carbonate of lime ; which last supposition is not, to my own LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 95 knowledge, correct. Turton says the valves of the Teredo do not correspond with the bore, though I think that in this case they do act as mechanical instruments. But the Pholas conoides is often found in hard timber, though its valves do not seem in the least adapted for any boring or filing. Certain Annelides apparently possess this power of excavation. The rocks on our coast are pierced by a minute worm, probably of the genus Diplotis of Montague ; it is strongly ciliated, but its mouth does not appear adapted for making its way into such hard sub- stances. By the currents excited by Vorticelle, &c. it is that the erosion noticed at the beaks of fresh-water bivalves takes place; the lamine at that part being soft, and more distant from each other. We find the valves of the Oyster, Pecten, Lutraria, &c. perforated by small circular apertures leading into internal cavities. Dr. Buckland showed this to depend upon the action of a zoophyte, which Prof. Grant has particularly examined, and named Cliona celata. Dr. Buckland considers the holes to be formed by little borers which the polypes possess ; these, however, do not exist, and I believe the phenomenon to be caused by the action of the cilia of the animal. Freminville, Nilsson, Beudant, Stark, and others, agitate the question as to whether freshwater Mollusca can live in salt water, and vice versd. To ascertain whether respi- ration could go on in the Lamellibranchiata, the habitat being so changed, I took a portion of the branchie of a Mactra, and placed it in fresh water for one minute; the cilia, strongly in action before the experiment, stopped in their vibration, and could not be restored by immersion in sea water. Five grains of common salt were added to an ounce of fresh water, and a portion of the branchie placed in the solution, upon which the vibration ceased. In a solution of ten grains of common salt to an ounce of fresh water, the vibration was continued, as it was also in a solution of twenty grains to the ounce. In a stronger solution it shortly stopped. After a short immersion in the strong fluid, it was restored by the second solution; but a Mactra, of which the branchie were exposed for fifteen minutes to the action of fresh water, did not recover itself though returned to its native element. Sea water, or a solution of even two grains of common salt in an ounce of fresh water, immediately stopped vibration in fresh-water Mollusca. It would seem from this, that the capacity of bearing a change as to the freshness or saltness of the water is very limited in these animals ; for if the cilia cease to vibrate, respiration must stop, as well as the collection of the nutrient particles from the water. Perhaps the inhabitants of estuaries are best adapted to bear a change in this respect ; but what Nilsson and Freminville state respecting the Anodonte, &c. being found in company with Telling, &c. appears very debateable ; the circumstance probably arose at the mouth of a river. The Cardia, Mactre, Amphidesme, &c. found in salt marshes, die when the water becomes concentrated by evaporation, or when it loses its saltness by being mixed with fresh. The Mytili found in fresh-water docks are probably fresh- water species brought from foreign rivers attached to vessels, and which have probably survived their voyage by having kept their valves constantly closed accurately. VOL. I1,—PART II. Oy) 96 MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE Having shown the fatal effect which would be produced by the concentration of the sea water on the branchie of its bivalve inhabitants, it is worth inquiry, how in those animals which, on the retreat of the tide, are exposed to the desiccative action of the sun and air, the evaporation of the water is prevented. Those animals which possess naked ciliated branchie have the power of retracting them into sheaths, when they, like many species of Doris, frequent the bare rocks ; or if this power of withdrawing them does not exist, as in other species of Doris, the Tritonia, Eolida, &c., they take care to cover themselves with the wet Alg@, or to lurk in shady crevices. The Patella in hot days sticks firmly to the rocks, so as to prevent the escape of the confined moisture. The Ascidie frequent pools among the rocks which are not drained at low water. The Actinie, Lobularie, &c. adhere to the dripping under surface of the cliffs, or frequent shady places. The Polypifera either reside in deep water, or find a habitat where the sun does not reach them. Those Lamellibranchiata which, like the common Muscle, are exposed on the bare rocks to the action of the sun and air, have the valves fitting to each other most exactly, preventing all evaporation. When the valves are open at any part, the animal either inhabits deep water, as many species of Pecten, or has the power of burrowing in the mud or sand, when left dry by the ebb of the tide. The Gasteropoda also hide themselves from the sun, though their branchie are not much exposed. Aristotle says they hide themselves during the dog-days. Along the sandy beach we see numerous holes leading to the branchie of different animals, which by boring hide themselves, and protect their organs from the effect of evaporation, as well as obtain a supply of water loaded with nutrient particles. The phenomenon of animal phosphorescence seems almost peculiar to ciliated ani- mals. In an Annelide, which presents the phenomenon very beautifully, covering in profusion the nets of the fishermen when drawn up, I found that the luminosity stopped when the action of the cilia was destroyed; that it was greatest when they were most active ; and that the tremulousness of the light appeared to correspond with an unsteadiness of the vibration. It appears worth inquiry, whether the appearance does not arise from the friction of the cilia upon the particles of water. The experi- ments of Beccaria seem to prove that the light is not owing to any chemical principle, and that it exists in exactly such circumstances as the cilia would continue to vibrate under. Reproductive System. The opinions of Leuwenhoek, Mery, Prevost, and Dumas, &c. on this point respect- ing the different sexes of the Lamellibranchiata are well known ; but there appears every reason to believe that there is no difference in the individuals as to sex, and that the ova are discharged from the ovaries in a state fit to develop; or, in other words, that they are fecundated before they leave the ovaries by testes which are conjoined with those organs. Some authors have mistaken the excretory organs for testes. The ovaries differ much in their situation ; sometimes they form distin¢t parts, sometimes they are LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 97 found in the foot, sometimes they are ramified in the mantle, which last disposition is present in Modiola, Anomia, Lithodomus, Hiatella, and the like. The oviducts open variously in different species, as described above ; the ratio of the difference appearing to be the situation of the ovaries. At an uncertain time before the discharge of the ova from the ovaria, a milky fluid, often pinkish in colour, makes its appearance in the latter, and is itself discharged from the oviducts. This appears to be the male fluid ; when examined with a powerful lens it is seen to contain minute oval bodies, not more, perhaps, than the four-thousandth part of an inch in length, swimming in the thinner fluid, and having a very vivid motion. They do not appear to have caudal appendages, though minute vibriones, as well as vibratile particles of the branchia, may often give rise to the appearance of them. The ova seem to enlarge from the influence of this fluid, and the vitellus becomes coloured by it. The ova are found to present a different shape in different genera; in the Unio they are globular and transparent, about the seventeenth part of an inch in diameter, consisting of a firm shell, in which is contained a clear fluid, with the yolk floating therein. The ova are generally dis- charged from the ducts immediately into the water; but in Unio and Anodonta they are conveyed, enveloped in stringy mucus, from the excretory organs into the inter- branchial spaces (oviducts of Home), where they are further developed, the shell breaking, and the young bivalves being attached by a byssus. It is curious that they are never found in the internal pair of branchia, along the edge of which they are conveyed to the external ones. In summer the ova leave the oviducts, and at the approach of the following spring, the young animals leave the branchie. A curious rotation may at one time be observed of the embryo within the ovum, from the action of the cilia, the rotation taking place seven or eight times in the minute. The young have the power of opening and shutting their valves before leaving the parent shell. Rathke considers them as parasites, under the name of Glochidiwm, in which opinion he is fol- lowed by Jacobson, who considers their appearance to preclude the possibility of their being the young of the animals on which they are found. The valves are triangular, with the ligament at the short straight side, the other two sides terminating in a point, at which we see a process of membrane to each valve, dentated on its exterior surface. Two pointed processes also appear projecting from the inner surface of the valves. There is no foot, and the muscle seems undivided, and allows the valves to be com- pletely opened. But on inspecting a very young Unio, we find that the valves are really commenced by triangular nuclei. ‘The membranes may be the branche, and the other processes appear to be the nuclei of the teeth of the valves. Home does not describe the true oviducts ; Bojanus calls the branchia, uteri, or oval receptacles ; Joerg calls the external ones ovaria, and the internal ones testes. The Anodonta anatina and cygnea are both viviparous ; though Drapernaud, on the authority of Poiret, denies that the former is so. In the Cyclades we always find from ten to twenty of the young fry in the internal branchie ; they are of different size, and are discharged one by one, when they attain 02 98 MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE about the sixth of an inch in diameter. The oviducts in the Cyclades open over these internal branchie, which are only accessible to the water from behind. Three or four of these young animals are inclosed in a membranous case, but the largest are found separate, adhering by a byssus. Turton says, that in the month of June he has found the young animals of the Kellia rubra containing about twelve perfectly formed young ones. In no case does it appear that the ova are discharged from the mouth, as has been supposed, nor by the true anus ; nor is there any duct in those which are viviparous leading from the ovaria to the interbranchial spaces. Diseases and Parasitical Animals. As is well known, it is to a disease affecting these animals that we owe the beautiful ornament of pearls. The subject of their formation has, however, been exhausted by Pliny, Home, Vogt, and many others. Baer has described many of the parasitical animals infesting the Conchifera, especially the fresh-water species. The Aspidogaster conchicola is very common in the pericardium and excretory organs of the fresh-water Muscles. The Nummulella of Carus appears not to be a parasite, but to be formed by the rolling on itself of a branchial process. I found the foot of an Anodonta enormously distended with parasitic ova, which, when ruptured, were each found to contain several young individuals of a species of Distoma. In the foot of another Anodonta I found a parasite (Pl. XX. fig. 12.) presenting the following characters. In the mature state the body is more or less cylindrical in its shape, but varied much at the will of the animal: at one extremity it has two very long appendages, which are spiniferous at their terminations, and which in some individuals have a row of round bodies attached to one side for part of their length ; these appendages are contracted with great rapidity, and are then very short. There is an opening by a circular lip between these append- ages. A contraction separates this part, on which they are situated, from the rest of the body. There appears to be another opening at the opposite extremity of the animal. PLATE XVIII. . Animal of the Psammobia florida in its shell. . The same exposed. . Animal of the Nucula nucleus in its shell. . The same, the left valve removed, and the mantle raised. . Animal of the Corbula striata in its shell. Animal of the Pandora inequivalvis, left valve and part of mantle removed. . Left valve of the same. . Stomach, intestine, heart, &c. of the Solen ensvs. . Stomach, &c. of the Mactra stultorum. . Stomach, &c. of the Cardium echinatum. Fig. BON SOMNAMN _ Fig. 11. 12. 13. Fig. 1. Fig. 1. LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 99 Shows the disposition of the heart, pericardium, excretory organs, &c. in the Anodonta anatina. Shows the gland of the byssus, mantle, oviduct, &c. of the common salt- water Muscle. Shows the disposition of the branchie, &c. in the Cardium edule. PLATE XIX. Animal of the Pecten opercularis, the left valve removed, and the mantle turned up. . Stomach, intestine, liver, ovary, &c. of the Pecten maximus. . One of the ocelli or eyes found on the margin of the mantle of the same, and optic nerve, magnified. . All the blood-vessels of the Pecten maximus, excepting a set of large veins, situated upon the muscle, into which the veins, which are truncated in the figure, enter, and which forms the branchial arteries. . Nervous system of the Venerupis pullastra. PLATE XX. Ova of the Unio pictorum from the ovaries and branchie (1; inch focus). . Valve of a young Unio, showing that its nucleus is of the same shape as the valves of the animals found in the branchie. . Fry of the Cyclas rivicola, taken from the branchie (;; inch focus). . Ova of the Mytilus edulis (; inch focus). . Ova of the Pecten opercularis (; inch focus). . Ova of the Anomia cepa (=; inch focus). . Globules of the blood, from the auricles of the Pecten maximus (; inch 8 focus). . Nummulella? branchial process? (4 inch focus). . Ova and contained young of a species of Distoma (the two magnified figures + inch focus). . Nereis phosphorescens—Syllis, Lam. (2 inch focus). . The head of the same (1, inch focus). . Animal from the ovarium of an Anodonta as seen in the field of the Micro- scope (4 inch focus). . Diplotis hyalina? Montag. (+> inch focus). 100 ze ie SPA TOs SopP wives woes a4 = nHAOwoZ MR. GARNER ON THE ANATOMY OF THE EXPLANATION OF THE LETTERS AND Figures. . Right lobe of the mantle. . Left lobe of the mantle. . Mouth. . Rectum. . Tentacles. Lips. Branchie. Foot. . Anterior muscle. Posterior muscle. Ovary. Superior tube. . Inferior tube. Liver. Heart. Ventricle. Auricles. Anterior ganglia. Posterior ganglia. . Pedal ganglion. Stomach. . Crystalline body. . Intestine. . Pericardium. . Excretory organs. . Right valve. . Left valve. . Cartilage. . Ligament. . Teeth of the hinge. . Glandular sac of the mantle. . Tentacles. . Ocelli. . Byssus. e Gland of the byssus. f. Pedal pore. 9,9- h, h. 1, 1. joj: k, k. l. m, M. n. 0,0. P»P- 7,1. Retractile muscles of the foot. Valves of the mantle. Oviducts. Orifices of the excretory organs. Internal ditto. Retractor muscle of the tubes. Nerves of the tentacles, &c. Supra-cesophageal nerve. Connecting nerves of the anterior and posterior ganglia. Nerves of siphons, brancie, &c. Connecting nerves of the anterior and pedal ganglia. . Orifices of the bile ducts. (Esophagus. . Tricuspid membrane. . Anterior aorta. . Posterior aorta. Veins of the mantle. Hepatic veins. . Branchial veins. Veins connecting the auricles. . Veins of the pericardium, &c. . Branchial arteries. . Smaller veins of the mantle. . Veins from the liver. . Ovarian veins. . Veins of the excretory organs. . Ramuscules of the branchial veins. . Ramuscules of the branchial arte- ries. LAMELLIBRANCHIATE CONCHIFERA. 101 ANATOMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE LAMELLIBRANCHIATA. Lamellibranchiate Bivalve Animals. hind; tubes small, united.... CyTHEREA. foot securiform ; tubes larger and more or less distinct...... Venus—Astarte, &c. foot small; branchie of each united; | branchie mantle | footva- | disunited open | rious... | medianly. mantle only open infe- { tubes gx tentacles very longs not distinct from the branchiw, branchiz all united ; an additional museu- Ss 2 lar system.. .. ANom1A—Placuna. a .. OstREA—Gryphea. <3. Sag & 23 PRE IMANGC |, cevessescnvenssonesonvscdsussdoncee Pecren—Pedum. ~e z foot short, thick, with a disk at the extre- a3 mity, from the centre of which eens a Se tentacles short, se- branchie disunited | pedicellated oval body; ocelli ............... SpeonpyLus—Plicatula. os parate from the medianly ......:... | foot compressed ; no ocelli a= branchiz ......... La foot.. branchie conjoined medianly .......... ceecb ea mantle without separate (foot slender, byssiferous ; tentacles fringed orifices or tubes......... | foot thick, rounded, with a callosity ........ oe . foot compressed, securiform.......... vveesencencnzere +++. PECTUNCULUS. foot oval below, its margin tentacular ; tentacles volute «. NucuLa. foot large, pointed anteriorly, bent at an angle .... «sees TRIGONIA*. foot small, bys- {anterior muscle small; ( byssus di dto its base. Myrixus. siferous ...... | retractile musclesofthe | byssus with a common foot numerous; byssus< corneous centre ......... MODIOLA. mantle with a distinct TAT ge .sccccessseecenens ... | anusfurnished with a long anal orifice......... sesens ligulate valve ......... eee PINNA*, muscles equal, two pairs of retractile muscles only ; byssus rudimentary eve . LirHopomus. | foot large, not byssiferous........ : .. Unto—Cardita, Hyria, &c. mantle widely open ..... sseeeeeeee CARDIUM—Cyprina. mantle with a superior foot ee and discal, byssiferous ; anterior muscle eee See ie a mantle closed foot small, cylindrical, bent at an angle; ‘lips fo- ~ around the] liated ........ aa sssseess CHAMA*, foot or byssus | foot small, sharp ; lip: .. lsocanp1a*—Diceras. branchie not pro- { mantle closed around the foot......... 5 ssseeeeeeeeee LORIPES*—Lucina. duced into the tubes disunited; {foot large, rather falciform ; ’ lower tube......... foot lanceolate... external branchie shortened ; mantle tentacular; labial ten- tacles large ....++.2++esseee+++e. DONAX—Capsa. 3 foot small; external branchize 4 shortened ; ; edge of mantle | simple; tentacles small ...... Psammosra—Soletellina, &c. § — foot moderate; external bran- “5s chiz as long as the internal; <8 tentacles large; margin of the eo mantle entire ..........0s.s.08. TELLINA. rs 3 foot small; branchie equal; Se mantle tentacular.............. AMPHIDESMA. B= branchie { tubes small, partially divided ; <= united foot very long, obtuse......... Cyctas—Cyrena, &c. 5 medianly. | tubes small, united to the ex- tremity; foot very long and pointed .. ........... seeseseeeeee MACTRA. tubes tubes large, foot short and more prominent behind ......... +». VENERUPIS. or less {es lanceolate, prominent be- riorly for the protru- | small; side united into one ......... . Panpora—Osteodesma. sion of the foot ...... | lipslong.) foot larger; branchiw sepa- THC anchesraeceweperarices «ssee4ee CORBULA—Sphenia, Thracia, &e. foot not byssiferous; tubes tubes large and coriaceous . .«. Mya—Anatina, Lutricola, &c. long; lips ) foot byssiferous ; tubes mode small..... | rate sseceeeseeeee HIATELLA—Byssomya, &c. foot long, club-shaped; tubes short .... «+++. SOLEN—Sanguinolaria, &c. two distinct adductor muscles; anterior one situated below a reflected portion of branchie pro- the mantle, uniting the beaks instead of mantle duced into, or a cartilage; tentacles large.........-...+e... PHOLAS—Gastrochena, &c. with two | attached to the body very elongated; adductor muscles produced | lower tube ; mantle foot very | united; end of mantle with two calcare- tubes, or | tubes always | open an-| short, ous pieces; tentacles small; no cartilage siphons .. Lunited ......... teriorly .. | rounded. |_ nor reflected portion of mantle ............ TEREDO. * For the anatomy of those marked with an Asterisk the author is indebted to Cuvier, Poli, or Blainyille. %j ; J , ‘ : . + . La las i SEs ie . . ‘ i ; sake . 2.99% 2 rag ' ‘ - el pa SDs ee hg exited y Ane va" Salat aaa yee Vat (gst 2 Bsa Se eee Be aes ‘ a 7 as " ult anh + Mec ~% p : i “ks ”“ \ + red 4 ; rl 4 ae ~ t ‘ ‘ : ae « i¢ - at a HL P 4 & ) F apab> huh Meer *.% ae ’ —— : = ee ‘ * ‘ bl a o~ " be iw 7 4 . WD) yee ie ee bol.2_ T08. fi: 102. LAT, SC. Mf felts G rn eae Genet: oO “< hol Loot FL 2LL19 pte ~ ? 3 Yt fasts y ! Semsbdemaheaie Gintta’ c os LOT, SC. or eer a) oa oo , at) 5 ani, Zool. Foo lol 2D 20. p. 102. Laie, So. Ebie: Ruse, Ke t amis hamachi ete: 4 fi 10a 4 IX. Descriptions of some New and Rare Cephalopoda. By Ricnarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Communicated February 23rd, 1836. AMONGST other contributions to natural history which have resulted from the la- bours of our zealous Corresponding Member Mr. George Bennett, during his late voyage to Australia, are several new or little known marine invertebrate animals, most of which were taken by means of the towing-net in the open sea, or among the gulf-weed. The value of these specimens, in a scientific point of view, is much increased, by the care with which the circumstances attending the capture of each are registered ; and I now com- mence the fulfilment of a promise to my friend, by bringing a portion of these speci- mens before the notice of the Members of the Society, with such observations as seem to be worthy their attention. The subjects at present under consideration belong to the class Cephalopoda : they are, Ist. A specimen of the Cranchia scabra, Leach. 2nd. Four specimens of a very small nondescript species of Loligo. 3rd. The head and principal viscera of a Decapodous Dibranchiate Cephalopod, from Port Jackson. 4th. Three specimens of a small nondescript species of Octopus. 5th. A very small specimen of the shell of Argonauta hians, Solander, with its inhabitant (Ocythoé Cranchii, Leach) and a large cluster of ova. With respect to the first of these specimens, Mr. Bennett, in his Journal, remarks, “On the Ist of March, fine weather, with light and moderate trade breezes from the south-east, thermometer Fahr. 77° to 80°, latitude 12° 15’ S., longitude 10° 15’ W., at 8 p.m., captured, with the towing-net, several fine specimens of Hyalea dentata, and two species of the Medusa genus ; the latter are preserved in spirits (bottle No. 4, D.). One was very prettily marked with dark red spots.”” The specimen thus distinguished is the Cranchia scabra, now on the table' ; and from the uncommon form which this very remarkable Cephalopod presents, one cannot feel surprised that it should have been re- ferred by its captor to a Radiate family, with which the Cephalopods bear, in more than one respect, an analogical relation. The Cranchia scabra is the species on which the genus dedicated to the enterprising naturalist by whom it was first taken, was founded: it belongs to that tribe of Dibran- ' Pl. XXI. figg. 1—5. VOL. II.— PART II. us 104 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF chiate Cephalopods which have a pair of long peduncles superadded to the ordinary eight arms, and to that family of Decapoda in which the rudimental shell is degraded to the condition of a single horny style, lodged in the substance of the mantle in the middle of its dorsal aspect. The principal external character which entitles Cranchia to rank as a genus distinct from Loligo and Onychoteuthis, is the continuation of the mantle with the dorsal parietes of the head, and a consequent interruption of its free anterior margin at that part : from Sepioteuthis, Sepiola and Rossia, it differs generically (according to the circumstances which modern zoologists have agreed to regard as of generic importance,) not only in the proportions and position of the pallial fins, but in the structure and connexions of the funnel ; and in some points of its anatomy, as will be afterwards described. With respect to the first-named character I would however observe, that species in which the pallial fins are short and terminal in position, and which present the same condition of the internal rudimental shell, the same connections of the mantle, and armature of the suckers, should not be broken up into genera in consequence of differences in the form only of the fins, especially when unsupported by corresponding internal differences of structure ; for when we compare together the different species of the uncinated Ca- lamaries, which form the well-marked genus Onychoteuthis of Lichtenstein, we find that scarcely two species agree in the precise contour of the fins ; and if we examine, with the same view, the numerous members of the group Loligo, as it is now restricted, we shall find several, as the Lol. piscatorum, Lapilaye ; Lol. Duvaucellii, D’Orbigny ; Lol. brevi- pinna, Lesueur ; and especially the Lol. brevis of De Blainville, which closely approximate the Cranchia scabra in the rounded contour and dorsal position of the terminal fins ; so that were it not for the difference in the connections of the anterior margin of the man- tle, the latter Cephalopod, notwithstanding its singular form, could not be separated generically from the Loligines on external characters alone. This condition of the mantle, however, has scarcely been sufficiently attended to in the subsequent location of species in the genus Cranchia. In M. Férussac’s description of one of the most remarkable of these recent additions, e. g. the Cranchia Bonelliana’, it is to be regretted that no mention is made of the adhesion or otherwise of the mantle to the posterior part of the head. The same doubts apply to the claims of the Cranchia car- dioptera of Péron, and the Cranchia minima of Férussac, to rank in the genus in which they have been placed: in the figures given of them by Férussac, the anterior margin of the mantle appears to be free on the dorsal aspect, as in Loligo. In justice, however, to the lamented zoologist who first described the Cranchia Bonelliana, and to whom the scientific world is indebted for a most splendid monograph on Cephalopoda, now in pro- gress of publication, it must be observed, that the limited nature of the observations on the characters of Cranchia, and the imperfection of the specimen upon which Dr. Leach 1 Annales des Sciences Naturelles, tom. iii. (1835) p. 339. SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 105 founded the genus, render it a matter of difficulty and doubt to refer subsequently dis- covered species satisfactorily to it. The desire expressed by M. de Férussac, that addi- tional observations should be made on the typical species, I shall therefore endeavour to fulfil to the best of my ability, from the specimen which Mr. Bennett has transmitted to me’. This specimen is smaller than the one described by Dr. Leach, but presents the same enlarged, expanded, flaccid bag-like form of the mantle, terminated at one extremity by a disproportionately minute pair of fins, and at the other by a head and arms of almost equally diminutive size; so that when the tentacles are retracted, as was the case in Mr. Bennett’s specimen, very little of the ordinary facies of a Cephalopod is presented to the observer. The dimensions of this specimen are as follows : Inches. Lines. From the posterior end of the body to the end of the tentacle out- stretched . 5a at) era eae ae 1 8 ————s root of the tentacle . i Length of the longest arm . UR ae ———— shortest ditto 0 11 SSS STS a 0 2 Breadth of the two united fins whee re 0) 3 Circumference of the thickest part of the body . rie a 0 Leet ih 8 20 PsP A Ri a NAD ia 34 The body or mantle is wrinkled and flaccid, in consequence of the very small space occupied by the viscera ; and these are situated at its anterior part, and not at the bottom of the sac, as in Loligopsis. It is probable that at the reproductive season the enlarged ovarium may fill more or less of the pallial cavity ; but in the ordinary state of Cranchia scabra the disproportion of the mantle to the contained parts is very remarkable, and unique in the class Cephalopoda ; but a similar disproportion between the viscera and pal- lium is found in some of the Pteropoda. The surface of the mantle in Cranchia scabra is uniformly beset with small round spots, ' The following are the observations which M. Férussac makes on the distinguishing characters of the genus Cranchia :— Pour fixer toutes les incertitudes A l’égard du genre Cranchie, et pour lui rapporter sans hésitation l’espéce que nous faisons connaitre, il faudrait que celles qui ont été décrites par le Dr. Leach fussent retrouvées et mieux connues. Le caractére principal qui leur a été assigné consiste dans la forme et position terminales des nageoires. Sous ce rapport, ce genre se confond presque avec les Calmarets, mais ceux-ci en sont bien distingués par la forme de leurs bras tentaculaires, ] n’est séparé des Calmars que par la forme de ces mémes nageoires, qui sont réunies a leur extremité et semblent dépasser celle du sac. Dans les espéces que nous y Tapportons et que nous avons pu observer, le port et l'ensemble des formes les distinguent bien plus encore des Calmars ; mais nous ne pouvons faire la méme observation au sujet des espéces signalées par le Docteur Leach, parcequ’il a négligé de nous donner une déscription complete et détaillée, reproche qu’on peut faire quelquefois a cet habile observateur sans porter atteinte @ sa réputation bien acquise.”—Jbid., p. 346. pP2 106 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF the dark red colour of which had changed in the spirit to a dingy brown; these spots occur also, but of more minute size, on the fins, and on the exterior of the arms and tentacles. A narrow line extends down the middle of the back of the mantle, through the whole length ; this line, when viewed by transmitted light, is transparent, the pa- rietes of the mantle being at that part extremely thin, and containing a colourless pel- lucid style of gelatinous consistency, pointed at both extremities, but of almost uni- form breadth through the whole length, being very slightly contracted in the middle. The diameter of this representative of the gladius is;;th of an inch ; its length is equal to that of the mantle. The surface of the mantle, from which the trivial name of the present species is de- rived, next claimed attention ; on viewing this part under the microscope, it was seen to give off innumerable small flattened processes, varying from a thirtieth to a fiftieth of an inch in breadth, and about a fiftieth of an inch in length, and terminating in two, three, or four sharp-pointed processes ; these give to the outline of the mantle, under the microscope, an irregularly denticulated appearance. The surface of the skin, though ge- nerally smooth, presents several remarkable irregularities in other species of Cephalopods; thus it is beset with branched papille in the Sepia papillata, with more simple obtuse eminences in Sepia mammillata, with tubercles in Sepia tuberculata, with sharp-pointed tubercles in Octopus aculeatus, &c., to which the aculeated lamelle of our subject make a near approach ; it is highly probable that these different cutaneous processes serve to indicate to the Cephalopods possessing them the nature of the surfaces with which they may come in contact, and augment their sense of touch. The terminal fins, which appear to have been lacerated in Cranch’s specimen, were entire in ours ; they are of a regularly rounded form, approximated on the dorsal aspect, and united at their bases, the united part extending about a line beyond the end of the mantle ; they are not supported by cartilages, as in Loligo, but appear to be mere redu- plications of the integument. The head is principally composed of the large lateral prominent eyes ; the circum- ference of the cornea is marked with a circle of closely approximated large dark spots. The arms have the usual conical form; the first or dorsal pair is the shortest, as in most Decapods ; the second and fourth nearly equal, and rather longer than the first ; the third pair is double the length of the first. The first, second, and third pair of arms are united at their bases by an intervening web of greater proportional extent than is usually met with in the Decapodous Cepha- lopods, and which is entirely wanting in the Loligines. In the Cranchia Bonelliana a similar web extends between the corresponding arms for full two thirds of their extent. Between the third and fourth pair of arms there is no connecting web, the interspace being occupied by the thick round stems of the elongated peduncles. All the arms are connected together by the external membranous lip, which gives off eight pointed pro- cesses ; but these, instead of projecting freely, as in most of the Loligines, the Sepioteu- SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 107 this, and Sepia, are tied down or inserted at the internal surface of the base of each arm ; the intermediate portions of the lip form an internal and smaller uniting web, of which the portions between the third and fourth pair of arms are the widest. With respect to the outer web, we may, I think, justly infer, that since in the Octopodous tribe of Cephalopods it forms, in the total absence of the mantle-fins, the sole organ of swimming, so here it is developed, though in an inferior degree, to compensate in some measure for the feeble condition of the terminal fins ; and we may consequently conclude that the locomotion of the Cranchi@ in the watery element is principally in the retro- grade direction. The brachial suckers are pedunculate, and arranged in a double alternate series along the margin of each arm; the interspace is wider than usual, and from the semitrans- parency of the part in this small Cephalopod, the gangliated nerve which supplies the part was beautifully distinct, as seen by transmitted light under the lens, running along the centre of this part. The tentacles are relatively thicker than in any other Decapo- dous Cephalopod, forming a remarkable contrast to the extremely slender and elongated ones in the genus Loligopsis. The suckers, which are irregularly clustered at the slightly expanded extremities, are much smaller than those of the arms, but are also peduncu- lated ; the extremities of the tentacles are fringed on both sides with a thin entire narrow membrane : the nerve which runs along the middle of these parts is a simple opake chord where it is lodged in the stem, but becomes enlarged and knotty at the acetabuliferous extremity. The mandibles were protruded in our specimen to an extent which seemed to have been produced by accidental compression. They were composed of a thin horny sub- stance, of a brown colour, at the sharp-pointed extremities, and along the smooth tren- chant margins, but elsewhere colourless. The jaws were surrounded by a thick, plicated, but not papillose, internal lip, and by the outer thin membranous fold above mentioned. The infundibulum was of small size, and projected in the usual situation from the man- tle ; it differed from the same part in the genus Loligo, in being obliquely truncate at the extremity, in such a direction that the dorsal parietes were folded down at this part, and overlapped the ventral, as shown in the magnified figure. On laying open the ventral parietes of the mantle, we found that the base of the funnel was not articulated by lateral moveable ball and socket joints to the internal surface of the ventro-lateral parts of the mantle, but that its ventral parietes became expanded, thin, and transparent, and were inserted into, and became continuous with, the corresponding parts of the mantle. According to Rathké, the funnel is attached in a similar manner by the adhesion of the ventro-lateral parts of its bases to the corresponding parts of the mantle in the genus Loligopsis. In all the other genera of Decapodous Cephalopods the funnel is articulated to the mantle at the exterior part of its base by two enarthrodial joints, the projection being on the mantle, and the socket on the funnel; both parts of the joint are com- posed of cartilage, covered by a fine smooth synovial membrane; but here we have a 108 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF singular exception to all other enarthrodial joints, for the synovial membrane does not form a shut sac, but is continuous with the mucous membrane lining the interior of the mantle. The convex cartilage is of an oval form in the Cuttle-fish ; in the Calamaries (Loligo) it forms an elongated ridge; in the genus Onychoteuthis the articular ridges commence at the anterior margin of the mantle, and extend one third of the way down the sac, being formed by two thin lateral cartilaginous laminae, placed rather towards the ventral aspect of the mantle ; an elevated groove in the corresponding side of the funnel plays upon each of these ridges ; but in the genus Loligopsis the sides of the funnel adhere to the corresponding cartilaginous lamine ; these which have been supposed to be ano- malous and peculiar to that genus differ from the lateral cartilages of other Decapodous Cephalopods only in their greater length and tuberculated form. In the Cranchia these cartilages are entirely wanting, as in the Octopodous Dibranchiata. With respect to the anatomy of the Cranchia, I can only state that it possesses two gills, which are provided with branchial ventricles, but that these are without fleshy appendages ; and that it has two large inferior salivary glands. The decomposed state of the digestive and generative viscera in the present specimen prevented any satisfac- tory observations being made upon them. From the preceding description it will be evident that the genus Cranchia differs from Loligo in particulars of sufficient importance to justify a generic separation, and that in the attachment of the funnel to the mantle, and in the absence of appendages to the branchial ventricles, it is allied to the genus Loligopsis, which it also resembles in the rounded form and terminal position of the fins. From this genus, however, it is distin- guished by the adhesion of the mantle to the head, by the presence of the infundibular valve, by the comparative strength and shortness of the tentacles, and by the webs extended between the first, second, and third arms. The four specimens of the small species of Loligo, which is the second on the list of Mr. Bennett’s Cephalopods, belong to a species hitherto undescribed, and which, from the peculiar breadth of the head, I propose to call laticeps'. The diminutive size of these specimens, the largest of which measures only 1+ inch from the extremity of the mantle to the end of the outstretched tentacle, suggested at first a denomination indicative of that particular ; but when we reflect that in other genera, as Octopus, there have been found species of still smaller dimensions than the one now described, it may ultimately be discovered, even if adult, to be not the smallest of its genus. Mr. Bennett gives the following note relative to the capture of these small Calamaries :—‘‘ April 5th, fine weather ; wind east by north ; light and moderate breezes ; thermometer 68° to 72°., lat. 29° 17' north ; longitude 46° 57' west : at noon, among a mass of ‘ Sargasso weed,’ took, in my towing net, small Sepie of a fine purple colour with dark red spots.” | Pl. XXI. figg. 6—11. SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 109 The specimens now present numerous spots of a deep purplish brown colour ; according to the number and aggregation of which, the skin is darker or lighter. They occur in greatest number on the back part of the head and trunk ; are wanting on the fins, and on the under surface of the third and fourth pair of arms; and are very sparingly dis- tributed on the under part of the head and mantle, which are consequently of a light colour: the most remarkable disposition of the dark pigment is that which the inner surface of the Ist, 2nd, and 3rd pair of arms presents in the interspace of the suckers, where it is disposed in broad, irregularly shaped, transverse stripes, corresponding to each pair of suckers. As the dimensions of the arms, tentacles, head, body and fins, are accurately repre- sented in the figures (PI. XXI. figg. 6 & 7.) subjoined, which is taken from the largest of the four specimens, they need not here be detailed. The head is slightly compressed, but broad ; supporting anteriorly, arms which are relatively longer than in the Calamaries generally, the second and third pair being nearly equal to the trunk in length. Liaterally the head Supports a pair of large and well-developed eyes. ‘The orifice in the integument leading to the capsule of the eye is spherical, proportionally large, as in Loligo vulgaris, and in the axis of vision: the sclerotica is perforated by a smaller aperture immediately behind the preceding, so that the capsule of the lens is immediately exposed to the external surrounding medium ; the lens is proportionally small, but attached to the ciliary body as in the Sepia: the pig- mentum appeared to be disposed in thick detached portions ; it was lined anteriorly by an opake white substance, which I conceive to be the true retina, although the prin- cipal expansion of the optic filaments is posterior to the pigment. The hyaloid mem- brane was, as usual in this class, a strong and very distinct transparent coat. The body of the Lol. laticeps is subcylindrical and conical, gradually diminishing in circumference till it terminates in a point at the posterior margin of the fins, which do not extend conjoined together beyond this part, as in the Cranchia. The anterior margin of the mantle is free in the whole of its circumference, as in the rest of the genus Loligo. The muscles which connect the head to it posteriorly have their origins extended along a pair of approximate cartilaginous styles placed at the back of the neck : the anterior part of the mantle is secured by the two strong pillars of the funnel. On the inner surface of the mantle at its ventro-lateral aspects, are situated the two elongated cartilaginous ridges, which are articulated, as in other Loligines, to cavities of a corresponding form at the sides of the base of the funnel. The interior of the funnel is provided with the usual valve, attached at the dorsal aspect of the canal. Two thin membranes extend from the head to the back part of the funnel. The terminal orifice of the funnel is oblique, but not to the same extent as in Cranchia scabra: in all the spe- cimens I found four large spots of pigment arranged transversely below this orifice. The fins are terminal and dorsal ; a space of about 1 a line intervenes between their ori- gin anteriorly, whence their bases converge and are united at the apex of the trunk ; 110 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF their breadth and length are the same ; their superior contour is an obtuse angle. Their inferior margin is rounded in the Cranchia cardioptera of Péron, to which the species under consideration has a superficial resemblance ; the terminal fins have a semicircular contour, and their origins are widely separated anteriorly ; they also extend beyond the termination of the trunk: the trunk is broader in proportion to the head, and does not diminish gradually to a point, but is rounded off at the posterior extremity. The Cran- chia minima of Férussac may be at once distinguished from Loligo laticeps by the ex- tension of the trunk beyond the small rounded fins, which gives a trilobate contour to the termination of the body. The gladius is proportionally as well developed in this small species as in the larger Calamaries: it commences by a firm blunt anterior extremity, about one third from which the sides begin to dilate until within the same distance from the posterior end, towards which they converge to a point: the expanded part of the gladius is very con- cave towards the viscera. The mandibles have the usual form, the lower one overlapping the upper; the dark- coloured exposed part is of greater extent than in the Cranchia. They are surrounded by a tumid inner circular lip, minutely plicated transversely ; the external membranous lip presents a free and slightly indented internal margin ; its external margin is produced into eight pointed processes, which, as in Loligo todarus and Lol. Piscatorum, are tied down to the inner surface of the arms, and are without rudimental suckers. Of the arms, the 3rd pair are the longest ; the 2nd, 4th, and Ist pair successively di- minish in length, but in a very slight degree. The suckers are arranged at the margins of the inner surface in a double alternate series, attached by moderately long and slender peduncles, having a lateral insertion ; the diameter of the suckers is half that of the part of the arm which supports them. In the tentacles the suckers are confined to the dilated extremities, as in Loligo vulgaris : they are here arranged in three or four irregular series, and present the following peculiarity :—the peduncles, which are at first filiform, dilate at their commencement, before they are attached to the sucker, like the calyx of a flower ; and the cavity of the sucker is continued in this dilated part (Pl. XXI. figg. 8, 10.) With respect to the anatomy of this minute species, we cannot be surprised that it is in every respect as complex as that of the largest of the genus of which it presents all the external character : just as in the highest class of animals, the harvest-mouse exem- plifies as perfectly the mammiferous type of organization as the elephant. The gills in Loligo laticeps are attached through their entire length by a membrane to the sides of the mantle ; the branchial hearts, to which the above connecting membranes have a re- lation of coexistence, are provided with small fleshy appendages, as in other Calamaries, and indeed as in all the Dibranchiata which have the funnel articulated with the mantle. The divisions of the vena cava, and the extremities of the visceral veins, have thick- ened spongy coats, with a tolerably smooth and equal external surface : the systemic OO, — EEE eee SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 111 ventricle is lozenge-shaped, and elongated in the direction of the axis of the body, but the two lateral angles which receive the branchial veins are not on the same plane, the right being most anterior. The digestive organs presented no deviation worthy of notice ; the anus was provided with the two small aliform valves or appendages. The small species of Octopus' which next comes under consideration, is, like the small Loligo above described, an inhabitant of the Sargasso or Gulf-weed. Two spe- cimens of this Cephalopod were taken on the 5th of April, and the third on the following day, in latitude 30° 31' north, longitude 44° 7' west. Mr. Bennett mentions them as ‘small Sepie@”’ of a purplish colour. The Cephalopods of the genus Octopus are generally found near the coast, where they seek their prey among the rocks, creeping on their eight legs with the body carried above or behind the head ; they are less calculated for living in the open sea than the De- capods, which are provided with an additional pair of fins. That singular oceanic phe- nomenon, the Sargasso or Gulf-weed, serves however, in place of a shore, as a resting- place to the small species now under consideration, and affords food and shelter to in- numerable other curious Invertebrata: indeed an accurate fauna of this floating mass of marine vegetables would be a most interesting addition to Zoology. The largest of the three specimens of Octopus collected by Mr. Bennett measured from the extremity of the sac to the end of the longest arm exactly an inch and a half, the length of the sac or body being barely half an inch. The first peculiarity which may be noticed is in the position and attachment of the eyes, which, instead of being con- tained in a capsule as in the common Poulp, project uncovered from the sides of the head in the form of large dark-coloured spherical bodies: in this structure we are re- minded of the Nautilus, in which the organs of vision not only project from the sides of the head, but are supported on peduncles: the prominence of the eye-balls in the Argonauta, and still more in the Octopus hyalinus, is an approximation to the struc- ture just described in the present species. Those alone, who have witnessed the per- severing activity, power, and velocity of motion exercised by the Octopus when en- gaged in its destructive practices amongst a shoal of fishes, and who have seen it with its beak buried deep in the flesh of a victim held fast in the irresistible embrace of its numerous arms, in an instant simultaneously dissolve the attachment of its thousand suckers, and, disengaging itself from its prey, dart like an arrow from the net that has been cautiously moved towards it for its capture, can form an adequate idea of the acuteness of visual perception and powers of action with which this singular and un- shapely Cephalopod is endowed. In the present species the form of the body is ventricose, but slightly tapering to its ex- tremity ; the mantle is connected by a broad continuation of the integument to the back | Pl, XXI. figg. 12, 13. VOL. II.——PART II. Q 112 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF of the head; the greatest breadth of the body is 4 lines ; the breadth of the head, in- cluding the eyes, is half an inch. Of the eight arms which radiate from the anterior part of the head, the first or dorsal pair is the longest, as is the case in many species of Octopus ; the second pair is nearly. the same length as the first ; the third pair, which is commonly the longest in the Decapods, is here scarcely half the length of the first ; the fourth pair is nearly two thirds the length of the first. The musculo-membranous web which is usually extended between the bases of all the arms in the Octopi, is in this species developed to the ordinary extent between the four dorsal arms only : the webs between the second and third, and the third and fourth arms are very short; that between the fourth pair is wanting. From this peculiarity I propose to name the species Octopus semipalmatus. The suckers are sessile, and are arranged in a double close-set alternate series on the margins of the internal surface of the arms, with a broader interspace than is usually observed (figg. 12, 13. Pl. XXI.) The eyes are of proportionally large size, and present a dark colour, in consequence of the pigment shining through the sclerotic coat. The sclerotic is perforated by a cir- cular aperture in the usual situation ; and as the dermal cornea, which covers the ante- rior part of the sclerotica in the common Poulp, is absent in this species, the capsule of the crystalline lens is exposed, as in the Nautilus, to the sea-water. The funnel has the usual exterior form: it is without a valve; but at the sides of its base there is a struc- ture approaching to the articulation by which it is united to the mantle in the Decapo- dous tribe of Cephalopods. Immediately above the insertion of each lateral pillar there is a small transverse crescentic ridge which rests upon a similar ridge projecting from the side of the mantle (see a, 6, fig. 13. Pl. X XI.) ; neither of these prominences however is supported by cartilage, as in the Decapoda. In the Octopus catenulatus there is a similar structure, but the projection on the mantle is shorter and more prominent ; in the Argonauta the articulation of the sides of the funnel is still more complete, and is constant in all the known species of that genus’. With respect to the anatomy of this small Cephalopod it may be observed, that in the presence of a crop, in the lateral insertion of the gullet into that receptacle, in the muscular stomach, the spiral laminated bag, and the folded intestine, it accords with the generic type of structure presented in the common Poulp (Octopus vulgaris, Cuv.). The ink-bag is similarly buried m the anterior part of an undivided large liver : the biliary ducts are without glandular appendages : the follicles appended to the branchial divisions of the vena cava, are elongated, and hang from the exterior of the vessels ; the branchial hearts are without fleshy appendages; the branchie are connected by membranous bands to the sides of the mantle ; the branchial amine present a zig-zag folding, as in ' The preceding examples of the infundibular joints in the genus Octopus diminish the value of that cha- racter as distinguishing Ocythot from Octopus. See Dr. Leach’s account of Ocythoé Cranchii,—Phil. Trans. 1817, p. 295. SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 113 the Argonaut ; there are fifteen pairs in each gill. The peritonewm, or external mem- brane of the viscera, was remarkably mottled with large purple-red spots: I have ob- served the same disposition of a brown pigment on the peritoneum in the Argonauta'. The pigment which gave the purplish tint to the skin when the animal was alive, appeared to have been driven from the surface; for on removing the cuticle, which was remarkably thick and elastic in this small Cephalopod, only some small brown spots were perceptible in the vesicular rete mucosum : these were aggregated chiefly on the dorsal aspect of the body and head. As the generative organs were scarcely developed in either of the specimens, it is probable that they may not have arrived at maturity, and the species consequently may be assumed to attain a greater size than that of the largest individual in the collection, which measures only 1+ inch from the bottom of the sac to the extremity of the longest arm. ‘The prominence of the eyes, the structure of the funnel, the proportions of the arms, and the partial development of the interbrachial web, will however afford the means of distinguishing this species when it is again met with. The very interesting specimen cf the Paper Nautilus, or Argonaut, which forms part of Mr. Bennett’s collection of Cephalopoda, is thus noted in his journal :— “‘March 7th. Fine weather ; light and moderate south-east trade breezes; therm. from 81 to 84; lat. 4° 43' south, long. 17° 37' west. I did not capture a singlé spe- cimen with the net during the day ; but at 8 p. m. I procured some small specimens of Exocetus, and also an excellent specimen of an Argonauta: on placing it in sea-water it expanded its tentacula, but did not attach itself to the glass, or move about. Early on the following morning I found the animal dead in the glass of sea-water in which I had placed it on the previous night, and on moving the shell to take it out, the soft parts fell out. After the animal was out of the shell, a cluster of ova was seen attached to the in- voluted part of the shell ; somewhat resembling, but in the recent state more beautifully shown than in, the engraving of apparently a similar specimen in the Appendix to ‘Tuckey’s Narrative of the Congo Expedition.’ On placing the shell in spirits, the cluster of ova floated out like a diminutive plant of a pure white colour, presenting a very elegant appeararice. After being preserved a day in spirits, much of this beautiful ap- pearance was lost. The body of the animal was of a dark reddish colour, which colour was also given to the upper part of the shell, either naturally or imparted to it by the animal ; the remainder of the animal was of a dirty white with minute purplish dots ; and the arms were also speckled underneath of a similar colour : the suckers were white. These cephalopodous animals are not (and I consider correctly) regarded as the true inhabitants of the shell, but merely parasitical inhabitants ; and the animal not having * A development of pigment on the serous membrane of the abdomen is observable in many fishes, and in some reptiles, as Anguis fragilis, Ophisarus ventralis, and some species of Lacerta, Cuy., and in Agama atra, where the peritoneal pigment is almost black. Q2 114 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF the power of either producing or reproducing the shell, must be sufficient to decide that the one usually found in it, is not the original inhabitant of the shell.” With respect to the remark with which my friend concludes his observations on the present specimens, I need scarcely observe that there is no doubt that the determination of the power possessed by the Ocythoé of reproducing, or otherwise, the Argonaut shell, would be an ezxperimentum crucis, and settle the long-agitated question. I do not find, however, among the notes left by Mr. Bennett in my charge, any other observations re- specting the Argonaut than those above transcribed ; and the experiments hitherto re- corded touching the reproduction of the shell by the Cephalopod inhabiting it, have been deemed by the experimenters as proving that the shell is the veritable production of the Cephalopod. The shell of the specimen under consideration belongs to the species Argonauta hians of Solander, and the animal is the Ocythoé Cranchii of Dr. Leach, so called on the sup- position of its being a parasitic inhabitant. It is worthy of remark, that in the present, as in every other instance of which I have cognizance, where the Argonauta hiuns has been taken with its inhabitant, the latter has invariably presented characters as speci- fically distinct from those of the Cephalopods inhabiting the Argonauta Argo and Argo- nauta tuberculata as are those of the latter from each other : and the same circumstance holds good with respect to a nondescript species of Argonaut’, taken by Capt. P. P. King in the South Pacific ocean ; in which both the shell and its inhabitant differ specifically from the three recent species hitherto described. I am aware that it has been urged by the advocates of the parasitic nature of the Ocythoé, that the Argonaut shells taken possession of by different species of Ocythoé in different parts of the ocean would be most likely to be also of distinct species : but the constancy of the correspondence between the Cephalopod and the shell, both as to specific peculiarities and size, affords strong pre- sumptive evidence of their relation to each other being something more than mere acci- dental adaptation*. ' This species I have called, from the colour of the animal and its shell, Argonauta rufa. 2 Since the preceding observations were written, the following facts have been added to the natural history of the Argonaut. M. D’Orbigny states that he has observed specimens of the Ocythoé in Argonaut shells, of which the margin of the aperture was entire, and in a membranous or soft state; whence he concludes that the shell had recently received an addition at that part, and that this addition was due to the Cephalopod inhabiting it. It is difficult to assent to the explanation of this fact offered by M. De Blainville*, viz. that the true con- structor had been very recently expelled by the Ocythoé, for in that case the very delicate margins of the shell would surely have been injured by the Cephalopod whilst violently expelling the rightful owner, and usurping possession of the fragile shell. Two experimenters (Madame Power and M. Rang), at different periods, and in different places, have broken and removed portions of the Argonaut shell while inhabited by the living Cephalopod, and have observed that the latter repaired the breaches by a secreted substance, not indeed similar to the originally formed shell, but which one of the experimenters, M. Rang, compares in this respect with the shelly matter secreted by the * Annales d' Anatomie et de Physiologie, Mai, 1837. —— a SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 115 The most interesting circumstance to be noted in Mr. Bennett’s Argonaut, is its di- minutive size, in connection with the large mass of ova which it has formed, excluded Limaces to repair accidental breaches in their shell, and which also differs from the originally formed shell. When, however, fractures occur near the margin of the shell, they are repaired by a substance identical with the rest of the shell, as has been shown by Mr. Charlesworth *; but whether these reparations are due to the Ce- phalopod, or to some yet unknown Mollusk, can of course only be determined when the question is decided respecting the real constructor of the Argonaut. The true use and disposition of the palmated arms of the Ocythot have been determined and described by M. Sander Rang. The base of each of these arms passes out of the shell at the angle between the summit and auricular process of the free margin, and the membrane expands upon the outside of the shell, and meets its fellow at the flattened keel. These expansions are transparent in the living Argonaut, and are compared by M. Rang to the thin lobes of the mantle which the living Cowry spreads over its shell. Thus, when the Argo- naut creeps at the bottom of the sea, it carries the shell above it, supporting it by means of the palmated arms, and moves along, its head being downwards, by means of the other three pairs of arms. M. Rang, who has long devoted himself to the study of Malacologie, and who is allowed by M. De Blainyille to be ‘ parfaitement au courant de l'état de la question,’ derives from the preceding observations a conviction that the Ocythoé is the true constructor of the Argonaut. M. De Blainville, however, sees in the palmated arms only the analogous organs of the claspers at the extremity of the tail of the parasitic Paguri. I have frequently, however, seen Paguri, and especially young ones, in shells very disproportionate to their own size; but I have never observed an analogous disproportion between the Argonaut shell and its occupant. In a series of six small Argonauts, Cephalopods and shells, captured at the same time in the South Pacific Ocean, all individuals of the same species (Arg. rufa, O.), but all differing by slight gradations in size, and of which five are young, and without ova, and totally fill the shell, there is an exact accordance between the size of the shell and the size of the inhabitant ; a corresponding gradation of size is maintained in both. In a series of several small and very young specimens of the Argonauta Argo, which I examined whilst they were tempo- rarily deposited by Madame Power in the hands of Mr. Charlesworth, and which, from the slight difference of size, must have exhibited stages of growth differing at most by a few days only, there was the same exact cor- respondency between the size of the Cephalopod and that of its shell. Now to explain this accordance between the Cephalopod and shell on the parasitic theory, we must have recourse to the supposition that the Argonauts change their shell at very brief intervals : indeed the chief business of their lives would be in that case to hunt out, seize, and dispossess the (assumed, but yet unseen) true constructor of the shell, in order to present so con- stant a harmony in the relative proportion of the Cephalopod and shell which my observations on two series of two different species of Argonaut have shown to exist. On the same occasion that I compared together the interesting series of the young specimens of Argonauta Argo, 1 examined the small vermicular bodies supposed by Madame Power to be the newly-excluded young of the A. Argo; these were, however, young specimens of the parasite of the Argonaut described by Cuvier under the name of Hectocotylus, which in the disposition of its numerous suckers, offers a remarkable resemblance to the arm of an acetabuliferous Cephalopod. I cannot help further observing that the apparent strength of the main argument for the parasitic nature of the Ocytho?, is its real weakness, since it arises from a view of analogy contracted within the artificial limits of the systematist. The argument runs thus: Because the Ocythoé has no muscular attachment to its shell, and because it is said to leave it and return to it at will, and to have no fixed relative position (?) to the shell, and because there is no other ¢testaceous Mollusk in the same predicament, therefore the occupant of the Argonaut shell is a parasite. But surely we are justified in extending our views of analogy in such a question beyond the limits of an artificial group, and we have not to look very far into the animal series before we find, in the Ser- * Magazine of Natural History (New Series), 1837, p. 526. 116 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF from its oviducts, and attached to the shell. When first captured, the ova were pressed down into the back part of the shell; but upon the removal of the superincumbent weight of the animal, it would appear that their own elasticity, combined perhaps with the absorption of fluid, and the coagulation of the albumen by the alcohol, had tended to occasion their protrusion forwards. The longest diameter of the shell is nine lines ; the transverse diameter six lines : the length of the animal, from the fundus of the sac to the end of the longest arm (the se- cond), one inch four lines ; the length of the sac, from its fundus to the free margin at the base of the funnel, five lines. The funnel extends beyond the base or uniting membrane of the ventral pair of arms; it is, as in the other genera of Octocera, unprovided with an internal valve; but is articulated at its base by two lateral joints to the mantle. The account of this structure in the Philosophical Transactions does not convey an adequate or correct idea of what the present specimen of Ocythoé Cranchii presents ; there appears indeed to be a typographical error in Dr. Leach’s description. I find on each side of the base of the funnel, immediately above the insertion of the lateral mus- cular pillars, a small firm fleshy tubercle, above which there is a small depression ; on the inside of the mantle immediately opposite, there is a corresponding tubercle and cavity, but their positions are reversed, the tubercle being above the cavity; thus the promi- nences in the funnel and mantle are reciprocally received into the opposite depres- sions, and the funnel and mantle are locked together by a double ball and socket joint, in the degree of apposition necessary for the complete fulfilment of the vigorous alter- nating muscular actions on which the respiratory function depends (a, b, fig. 14. Pl. XXT.) The arms in Mr. Bennett’s Argonauta hians were not rigidly contracted, as happens generally with those specimens which are immersed alive in spirits ; but were flaccid and flexible, and well adapted for determining their exact proportions and form. The length of the first pair was nine lines ; the number of suckers on each of these was thirty-six ; they extend, as in Argonauta Argo, along the circumference of the terminal membrane, but not to the same distance. I could not trace them with the microscope further than about one third of the way down from the anterior margin of the membrane; while in Arg. tuberculata they may be traced along more than half the circumference of the velum ; pule, e. g., instances of soft-bodied invertebrates secreting as true a shell as the calcareous Argonaut, yet having as little of a muscular attachment or uniform position to the shell, and as much freedom of quitting their shell and returning to it, as the Argonaut. With respect to another argument*, in favour of the parasitism of the Cephalopod of the Argonaut, which, from an imperfect knowledge of the circumstances attending the development of the ova of the Mollusca, was supposed to be afforded by a difference in the size of the ova of the Ocythoé, and of that which Mr. Gray regards as the nucleus of the Argonaut shell; I refer to it only because it has been adopted by M. De Blainville in his résumé of the Argonaut question as valid in favour of the parasitism of the Ocythot: it has, however, since been abandoned by its promulgator, being founded on erroneous premises. (See the Magazine of Natural History, 1837, New Series, p. 247.) * See Proceedings of the Zoological Society for September, 1534. SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 117 and in Arg. Argo they are visible to the naked eye, and extend round the whole of the circumference of the same part. From this disposition of the suckers it would appear as if the characteristic structure of the first pair of arms arose from their extremities being bent back upon themselves and united to the stem by means of a thin membrane. These membranes are most developed in the Mediterranean species, the Argonauta Argo, and have been described by naturalists and poets from Aristotle and Callimachus down to Cuvier and Byron, as serving the office of sails ; the animal being supposed to have the power of rigidly extending the soft fleshy arms which support the membranes, and of maintaining the latter tensely outstretched to meet the breeze. It is scarcely necessary to observe, that the structure of the parts in question is incompatible with this hypo- thesis of the use of the vela in navigating the frail boat of the Argonaut’. In the present species the terminal membranes of the first pair of arms are relatively smaller than in Arg. Argo or in Arg. tuberculata: in the latter they are broader than they are long : in the Argonauta hians they present contrary proportions. In the present specimen in which the vela are beautifully entire, they measure from the commencement of the reflected portion of the arm, (or what would be considered as the end of the arm) to the lower margin of the web, four lines, their breadth is three lines. The length of the second pair of arms is ten lines, the number of suckers, fifty-six ; the length of the third pair eight lines, number of suckers fifty-two ; the length of the fourth pair seven lines, the number of suckers twenty-eight. Dr. Leach observes, in his description of Ocythoé Cranchii, that ‘‘ all the internal or- gams are essentially the same as in the Polypus.”’ (Octopus of Cuvier, loc. cit., p. 294.) We found, however, that the Argonauta hians, like the Argonauta Argo, receded from the naked Octopods, Octopus and Eledone, and approached the Decapods in the struc- ture of the branchial hearts, which are provided with a fleshy appendage ; and in the form of the appendages to the vena cava which are shorter and thicker ; and in the re- lative position of the lozenge-shaped ink-bag, which is not buried in the substance of the liver, but lies in its anterior concavity. The inferior salivary glands are also rela- tively smaller. The following differences, as compared with the Octopus, occur in other internal or- gans which adhere to the type of structure which characterizes the Octopodous tribe of Dibranchiata. The crop increases in width as it approaches the stomach. The lami- nated pancreatic bag is of a triangular form, and not spirally disposed ; the two simple biliary ducts enter at its apex. The two oviducts are devoid of the circular laminated glands which surround them about the middle of their course in the Octopus ; they are also disposed in four or five convolutions as they pass behind the roots of the branchie, and they terminate at a greater relative distance from the base of the funnel. 1 Since the above was written, it has been ascertained by direct observation, that these vela, or rather vela- menta, have not only a relation of coexistence, but one of direct physiological import, to the development of the shell in the Argonauts, serving as the organs both of secreting and of retaining this part. See the observations of M. Rang, Comptes Rendus del Acad. des Sciences, Ayril 24, 1837. 118 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF The affinity of the Argonauta to the Decapodous Cephalopods is further indicated by the inferior development of the mediastinal septum which divides longitudinally the branchial chamber. This septum in Eledone is complete and muscular throughout, ex- cepting a very small proportion of its inferior part. In the Octopus, in which this septum is well described and figured by Cuvier, as the ‘‘ bride antéricure qui lie la bourse a& la masse viscerale',” a greater proportion of the lower part is membranous than in Eledone. In the Argonauta the muscular part of the septwm is reduced to two narrow and delicate strips, which arise from the posterior part of the cranial cartilage, descend obliquely forwards, intercept the termination of the rectum and ink-passage, to which they serve as a sphincter, and then expand in the vertical direction, to be inserted along the middle line of the internal surface of the anterior part of the mantle : a membrane is continued from their upper part to within a short distance of the margin of the mantle ; and another from their lower part extends downwards, and terminates opposite the base of the gills ; the branchial chambers intercommunicate both above and below this sep- tum. In Sepiola the muscles corresponding to the bride antérieure of the Octopus are developed in the same degree as in the Argonauta ; but the membranous part of the septum above them is wanting, while that which is continued from their inferior mar- gins is more complete. In the Calamaries both these muscles and the septum of the branchial chamber are wanting. With respect to the nervous system of the Argonauta, I find in a large specimen of the Argo, that the brain, when viewed from the superior or dorsal aspect, presents, as in Octopus, an anterior, white, flattened, tranversely oblong band, and a posterior raised convex semilunar mass, which terminates by a semicircular border posteriorly, the ex- tremities of which are directly continued, to form or join the posterior nervous collar of the wsophagus. The great lateral nerves of the mantle come off from the posterior subcesophageal mass, precisely as in Octopus ; and instead of extending down in a pa- rallel direction as low as the roots of the gills, as represented in the splendid figure by Delle Chiaie', they diverge, penetrate the short muscles, analogous to the brides late- rales in the Poulp, and terminate in the stellated ganglions opposite the upper extre- mities of the gills, and immediately below the base of the funnel : by some unaccountable error, these nerves, in Delle Chiaie’s figure, which some of our compilers have copied, are made to come off from the optic ganglions. The lateral muscles above mentioned are the analogues of the great shell-muscles of the Nautilus Pompilius ; they are more strongly developed in Loligo and Sepia than in Octopus, but have the same origin in each, the same attachment to the capsule containing the rudimental shell, and are al- ways perforated by the great lateral nerves of the mantle: they are perforated by the corresponding divided and ungangliated nerves in the Nautilus, in which these mus- cles acquire the mawimum of development. In the Argonauta, which has no muscular attachment to its shell, and has no internal festaceous rudiment, the corresponding ' Poli, Testacea Utriusque Sicilia, vol. iii. pars 1™, posthuma, 1826. pers Pe SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 119 muscles have the smallest development, and the mantle-nerves which perforate them are, prior to the formation of the ganglion, relatively the shortest that are met with in the Dibranchiate order. I carefully examined the ova of Mr. Bennett’s small specimen, but obtained no re- sults bearing upon the interesting question before alluded to, the development of the embryo not having proceeded to the degree necessary for the appearance of the shell, supposing it to be formed in ovo. The observations recorded in the ‘ Philosophical Transactions,’ by Mr. Bauer (1817), and in the ‘ Zoological Journal,’ by Mr. Broderip, (vol. iv. p. 57.) are, for the same reason, inconclusive as to this point. The ova of the Argonauta hians were nearly of the same size as those of the Arg. Argo at a similar stage of development, viz. ~1;th inch in length, and th in diameter ; but they are of a more regular oval form, not tapering to the end opposite the attach- ment of the peduncle. Examined with transmitted light, they are composed of an ex- terior, smooth, colourless, transparent, tough, elastic, cortical tunic; next of a more delicate membrane (the chorion), containing a straw-coloured transparent albuminous fluid : in this fluid there was an irregular mass of semi-opake granules, in which was im- bedded an opake dark vitelline body, surrounded by a membrane and pellucid fluid. The form and proportion of the opake vitelline body and its transparent investing mem- brane varied in size and shape in different ova: I have carefully figured one of the most remarkable in this respect (fig. 15), in which for a moment I entertained the exhilarating idea, that the nucleus of the real shell was contained within it: on tearing open the ex- ternal tunic, however, the contained substance turned out to be nothing more than the yolk, separated by an intervening stratum of clear fluid from the transparent membrana vitelli, and the whole substance of the opake mass separated into the flakes, granules, and globules of oil, of which the vitellus is usually composed : there was not a trace of any consistent parts of an embryo, nor the slightest particle of calcareous matter. The mutilated Decapodous Cephalopod, obtained at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and transmitted to me by Mr. Bennett, consisted only of the head and principal viscera, and was consequently too imperfect to allow of its being satisfactorily determined, even as to its genus. But as the suckers were arranged in a double alternate row on each of the short arms, it was evidently not a Sepia of Cuvier, while the denticulated margins of the horny rims of the suckers show that it may have belonged either to the genus Sepioteuthis, Fér., or Loligo, Cuv. As in some species, both of Sepioteuthis and Loligo, the outer lip gave off eight short processes, on the inner surface of which, near their ex- tremity, were three or four small suckers, attached by peduncles, and having precisely the same structure as those of the eight large exterior arms. In this repetition of the ordinary series of cephalic prehensile processes, we may perceive an evident analogy to the internal series of processes (labial tentacles) which exist in the Nautilus. In some species of Calamary, indeed, as in the Loligo Pealii, Le Sueur, the acetabuliferous labial VOL. I].—PART II. R 120 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF processes are more developed than in the present specimen from Port Jackson. In Lo- ligo corollifera, Tiles, these labial processes have been compared by Bojanus to the in- ternal shorter series of tubercles of a Medusa. But this structure illustrates only in a very remote degree the relation of analogy subsisting between the Cephalopods and Radiaries. The structure of the tongue, pharynx, and glandular appendages, presented nothing remarkable. The wsophagus was slender, and continued of uniform breadth, as in the Decapods generally, to the stomach, which presented the usual gizzard-like structure. In the Octopods, as in the Nautilus, the esophagus dilates into a crop’. The rectum in this Cephalopod was furnished with two lateral processes (fig. 16. pl. XX1I.), of a flattened triangular form, and evidently adapted to constitute a valvular apparatus for the protection of the anal aperture. They are attached at opposite sides of this transversely extended orifice by their acute angles, from which a ridge is ex- tended to the middle of the opposite base, so that when the valves are folded down upon the vent (as in the figure above the number of reference,) the ridges fit into the aperture, and accurately close ‘it. In the Cuttle-fish (Sepia officinalis, Linn.) the corresponding processes are of a rhomboidal form, with a thicker ridge on the side next the anal aper- ture, which they are thus adapted to defend against any foreign substances which may obtain entry into the pallial cavity. In Onychoteuthis and in Loligopsis the anal append- ages are long and slender: in the latter genus Rathké* compares them to antenne ; and since in these Cephalopods they cannot act the part of mechanical guards, it may be in- ferred that they perform the function of instruments of sensation, and convey the sti- mulus to contract, to the muscular sphincter which closes the outlet of the alimentary canal. It is interesting to notice the relation of coexistence which these appendages bear to the lateral fins; for they are only present in those Cephalopods which have the power of propelling themselves forward, and in which their use is therefore obvious, as the orifices of the branchial cavity, in which the intestine terminates, are directed forwards. In the Octopods the anus is not provided with these appendages. Of the remaining viscera of the Decapod in question I have only to notice the repro- ductive organs: these were of the female sex, and exhibited the ova both in the ovary, where they were inclosed in reticulate calyces, as in most Cephalopods, and in their passage through the oviduct, where the ova show the true character of their external surface, which is perfectly smooth and polished’. 1 It is evident from this difference of structure in the two groups of Dibranchiata, that Aristotle took his ex- cellent description of the digestive organs of the Malakia either from a Sepia or Teuthis: he says, ‘‘ Mera 6é ro arépa exovow oicopdyoy paxpoy Kal arevdy, éxdpevov Cé rovrov mpdofoy péyay Kat mepupeph dpycOudn.”—Hist. de Anim., lib. iv. ¢. 19. 2 Mémoires de I’ Acad. Imp. de Petersburgh, tom. ii. (1833), p. 169. ‘ Ueber Perothis,’ &c. 3 I am not aware of any modern account of the mode in which the ova of the Cephalopoda are impregnated, taken from actual observation. Aristotle, whose History of Animals is still the richest in details of the habits SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 121 The female organs of generation in the Cephalopodous class present five principal modifications of structure. The ovarium is single in all, but sometimes, as in the Cuttle-fish, it is divided by a septum. 1. In the Nautilus there is one oviduct, which traverses an elongated gland at its ex- tremity : there is also a superadded nidamental gland, which has no connection with the oviduct, but is attached, as in the Pectinibranchiate Gastropods, to the parietes of the branchial chamber. 2. In Sepia, Sepiola, Rossia, Sepioteuthis, and some species of Loligo, there is also one oviduct with a glandular termination ; but the nidamental glands are two separate bodies, detached from the mantle, and having no communication with the oviduct. 3. In Onychoteuthis, Loligo sagittata and some other Calamaries there are two distinct oviducts, each terminated by a glandular organ, and also two separate nidamental glands. 4. In the Octopi and Eledone there are two oviducts, each of which traverses a glan- dular organ, situated about the middle of its course: there are no detached nidamental glands. 5. In the Argonaut the two oviducts are convoluted, and have glandular coats throughout their extent,but without partial enlargements: there are no separate nida- mental glands. and ceconomy of the Cephalopods, gives two descriptions of the act of impregnation. In the fifth book of the Historia Animalium it is stated that the Polypus (Octopus or Poulp), the Sepia (Cuttle-fish), and the Teuthis (Calamary), all copulate in the same manner; the male and female having their heads turned towards one an- other, and their cephalic arms being so coadapted as to adhere by the mutual apposition of the suckers. In this act the Poulps are described as seeking the bottom, while the Cuttles and Calamaries are said to swim freely about in the water, the individual of one sex moving forwards, the other backwards, Aristotle also observes, that the ova are expelled by the funnel, which the Greeks call gvenrfpa; and some, he adds, assert that the coitus takes place through this part. From the position of the terminal orifice of the oviduct at the base of the funnel, and the inclination of the penis towards the same part, the latter supposition derives some probability, especially with respect to the Sepia and Sepioteuthis, in which the male organ is well developed; but in these, as in all other Cephalopods, true intromission is physically impossible. From the dense nature of the external covering which the ova derive in their course along the efferent passages, it is very improbable that they can be impregnated otherwise than internally, and before the nidamental covering is laid upon the thin smooth chorion which invests the ovum externally, prior to its escape from the oviduct : the descriptions of Aristotle may there- fore relate to some such imperfect connexion as takes place in the Salamanders, &c. It is worthy of remark, indeed, that the differences in the situation in which the coitus is said to take place in Aristotle’s description corresponds with the modifications of the locomotive powers in the three genera treated of. It is only, for ex- ample, in the Sepia and Loligo that posterior fins exist, enabling the individuals to swim forwards. The second account of the impregnation of the Malakian ova occurs in tke 12th Chapter of the 8th Book of the Historia Animalium, where the generation of fishes is treated of. ‘‘ When they (fishes) bring forth, the male, following the female, sprinkles the ova with his semen. The same thing happens to the Malakia, for in the genus Sepia, wherever the female deposits the ova the male follows and impregnates them: this possibly hap- pens in like manner to other Malakia, but hitherto it has been observed in the Sepia Mlone.” The ova of the Sepia, however, are precisely those which, of all Cephalopods, from the density and thickness of their coats, are the least likely to receive the impregnating influence after having been excluded. R2 122 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF The Decapod here described presented the second type of the generative organs. The ovarium was of an elongated form, and of great extent ; it was filled with reticulate ovi- sacs, containing ova in all stages of development, and must have occupied nearly the whole of the posterior half of the abdominal cavity. The single oviduct came off from the middle of the left side of the ovary, and descended obliquely to the bottom of the ovary, where it was dilated by a cluster of smooth and polished ova; it was then bent suddenly upon itself, and near the anterior extremity of the ovary entered the terminal gland, which was expanded at its commencement, and after suddenly contracting, gra- dually tapered to its free extremity. The ova presented an oval form, and were three lines in length. The first or membranous portion of the oviduct had thin, semitrans- parent, and very dilatable coats. The two detached nidamental glands were of a longer and narrower form than in the Sepie, but thicker, and of greater relative size, than in the Loligines. They presented the usual transversely laminated structure and anterior longitudinal fissure, in which the glutinous secretion is moulded into the thread-like form, adapted to connect the ova together as they escape from the true oviduct, with which these glands have often been confounded. But besides the above parts, which are evi- dently subservient to the generative function, I found two small, round, flat, fleshy bo- dies attached to the anterior extremity of each of the two nidamental glands. They had no cavity, and were destitute of any duct or outlet, and had no other connection with the nidamental glands than by the cellular tissue. Their texture was compact, with a few minute cellular cavities about the centre: they were of an orange colour. In the Cuttle-fish there is a corresponding body, similarly situated, but single and trilobate, consisting of two lateral slightly compressed conical portions, united by a middle oval lobe (see fig. 19. pl. XXI.). The dorsal surface of the lateral lobes is flat- tened ; the opposite side excavated to receive the superincumbent extremities of the ovarian glands: to these glands the trilobed body is attached by a tough connecting membrane. On making a section of a lobe of the body in question (as in fig. 20.), its texture appears to be dense, and somewhat granular, with minute cells at the centre, which contain a caseous substance. In Sepiola the corresponding body is single, as in the Sepia, and is similarly attached to the anterior extremities of the nidamental glands. In the Loligines, and in the Cephalopod taken by Captain Ross on the shore of Boothia, and which, being the type of a new genus, I have described under the name of Rossia’, there are two fleshy bodies, as in Mr. Geo. Bennett’s Cephalopod. Hach body in Rossia (see fig. 18. hk pl.X XI.) is attached by cellular tissue to the anterior part of the corre- sponding nidamental gland (g g), and is excavated by a deep groove, situated close to the aperture of the gland. From this structure, and the position of the glands, we might infer that they assisted in moulding the nidamental secretion, or in applying it to the ova. If we take into consideration the texture of these enigmatical and hitherto undescribed ' Zoological Appendix to Capt. Sir John Ross’s Voyage. SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA, 123 bodies’, their bright colours, and their relative position to the generative apparatus, we may perceive an evident analogy between them, and the corpora succenturiata, or supra- renal bodies of the vertebrate animals. The preceding dissections, combined with those which I have made from time to time on other Cephalopods, belonging to the genera Sepiola, Rossia, Loligo, Onychoteuthis, Sepia, Octopus, Eledone, Argonauta, and Nautilus, have, in connection with physiolo- gical views, suggested ideas of the natural affinities and formation of the different groups of Cephalopods, which differ in some respects from those expressed in the previous clas- sifications of these highly organized invertebrate animals; and I am induced to offer them to the consideration of zoologists, as they appear to me to be more in accordance with the best principles now recognised in the subdivision of other molluscous classes. The systems of classification of the Cephalopods existing in the best works of the pre- sent day differ from each other in some material points. In one, e. g., no characters of ordinal importance are recognised ; but the class is immediately subdivided into se- veral minor groups, of the value of tribes or families: in other classifications, where a primary division of the class into two or three orders is adopted, the characters are de- rived sometimes from modifications of the locomotive organs, but more frequently from different conditions of the shell: and one can scarcely suppress a feeling of surprise that the modifications of the tegumentary system, the low relations of which are so generally recognized in the subdivision of other classes of Mollusca, should be adopted for the classification of the Cephalopods by so many systematic writers of authority on Malacology. Lamarck (Philosophie Zoologique, 1809,) divides the Cephalopods into three orders ; first, into those which have a multilocular shell ; second, those which have a unilocular shell ; and third, those which are without either. Tt is obvious also that the modifications of the dermal system mainly govern the dis- tributions of the Cephalopoda in both editions of the Régne Animal of Cuvier. In the edition of 1817 the Naked Cephalopods or Seiches constitute the first family, to which the Nautili, Belemnites, Hippurites, Ammonites, Camerines, and even the Argonauts, are severally regarded as equivalent groups. In the edition of 1829 considerations of the affinities indicated by internal organization prevail so far as to lead to the suppression of the group of Argonauts, and its union with the Seiches. The other modifications consist of the additions of families, including the later discovered chambered shells pre- senting new modifications of structure, such as the Actinocamaz of Miller, and the Ca- marines, or microscopic chambered shells. In 1821 Mr. Gray” proposed a classification of the Cephalopods in which a primary division into three orders was distinctly recognised, and names applied to them indi- 1 Cuvier makes no mention of them, and they appear by subsequent anatomists to have been confounded with the nidamental glands. * London Medical Repository, 1821. 124 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF cative of modifications of the shell, which he terms ‘ Protector’. The Seiches, or Naked Cephalopods of Cuvier, are subdivided into two orders, of which the first, under the name of Anosteophora, corresponds with the Poulpes of Cuvier, and with the Octopoda of Dr. Leach’s arrangement of 1817, presently to be noticed ; while the second order, Sepie- phora, is equivalent to the Decapoda of Leach, or to the remaining Seiches of Cuvier’s system. All the Cephalopods with chambered shells are collected together into a third order, under the name of Nautilophora. The reformed classification of the Cephalopoda contained in the Malacologie of M. De Blainville (1825)', though much more truly expressive of the natural affinities of its ob- jects than that proposed by Mr. Gray, still reposes on the insecure basis of tegumentary modifications. The whole of the Seiches of Cuvier are here raised to the rank of an Order, under the name of Cryptodibranchiata ; and the author, guided by the knowledge of their internal organization, rightly uses the characters derivable from the modifica- tions of their internal shell, as indicative merely of the subdivisions of this order. M. de Blainville made also another important step in advance, by separating the Cephalo- pods with microscopic chambered shells, under the name of Cellulacea, from those with siphonated shells, which he terms Polythalamacea. Subsequent researches have since proved that the Cellulacea of M. De Blainville ought to be removed altogether from the class Cephalopoda. The classification of the Cephalopods adopted by M. Férussac in the great work still in progress of publication is essentially the same as regards its pri- mary divisions as that of M. de Blainville, but the nomenclature of M. D’Orbigny is preferred. All the Cephalopods, e.g., without chambered shells, form the first order, under the name of Acetabuliféres ; all those having siphonated chambered shells form a second order, termed Siphoniféres ; and the non-stphonated microscopic chambered shells consti- tute a third order, under the name of Foraminiferes. Now in consequence of the subordinate character on which all the preceding classifica- tions are founded, there is a violation of natural affinities in the formation of the primary groups. The genus Spirula, e. g., as well as the Belemnites, and other congeneric ex- tinct Cephalopods with internal chambered shells, are united, solely on account of the polythalamous structure of their shell, with Cephalopods of an inferior grade of organ- ization, as the Nautilites, while they are separated from those which possess the dibran- chiate or higher type of structure,—a type of structure which the laws of coexistence all but demonstrate to have been exemplified in the Cephalopods with internal chambered shells, first quoted, viz. Spirula and Belemnites. The natural affinities of the Cephalopods seem to have been still less regarded in that distribution of the species in which the Dibranchiate Decapoda are joined with all those Cephalopods possessing chambered shells in one primary division of the class, which M. de Haan’ terms Adherentia ; and in which the Dibranchiate Octopoda are raised to 1 In 1815 this author proposed a binary division of the Cephalopods, which he preferred to term Cryptodi- branches, into Cryptodibranches nus and Cryptodibranches testacées.—Journal de Physique, t. Ixxxiii. p. 244. 2 Monographia Ammoniteorum, &c., 8yo, 1825. be G i ‘ SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 125 the rank of an equivalent section, under the name Libera. The primary division of Cephalopods, proposed by M. Deshayes'’, into the two orders Octopodes and Decapodes, is essentially the same as that of M. De Haan, as the latter group combines the naked or dibranchiate species with the Nautilacea of De Blainville. Thus it will be seen that most of the preceding schemes are based on the modifications of the shell or its analogue, and some of them, as that proposed by M. Férussac, have been published since the modifications of structure in those Cephalopods which inhabit an external chambered shell have been pointed out. It is this circumstance which has chiefly induced me to state here my views of the distribution of the Cephalopods, founded in part on the dissection of the Nautilus Pompilius, and on a comparison of its organ- ization with that of the Cephalopods with internal shells, so far as indications of their structure can be obtained from the hitherto imperfect descriptions of the recent Spirula, and from the remains of the Belemnites. But before I proceed to detail these views I shall briefly adduce the few examples of the classification of the Cephalopods, in which an attempt is made to distribute these highly organized Mollusks into groups founded on considerations of structure of higher importance than tegumentary or testaceous characters. The first classification of this nature is due, as might have been expected, to a highly accomplished classical Naturalist, well versed in the zoological writings of Aristotle. This Naturalist, Schneider, to whom we owe the best translation of the ‘ Historia Ani- malium,’ is the first of the moderns who attempted to revive the philosophical views which guided the Father of Natural History in his distribution of the Mualakia or Cephalo- pods. For this group of Cephalopods Schneider proposed the name of Octopodia, compre- hending therein the species in which two superadded elongated slender arms are present, but which were distinguished by Aristotle from the ordinary eight arms, under the name of ‘ Proboscides.” Schneider* divides the class into two groups, which are characterized as follows :— 1. Pedes octoni breves, promuscides bine, venter pinnatus, ossiculum dorsi. Ex. Sepia, Loligo, Teuthis, &c. 2. Pedes octoni longi basi palmati, absque promuscidibus, pinnis et osse dorsali. Ex. Po- lypus, Moschites, Nautilus (or Argonauta) ; and indicates a third, founded on Rumphius’s description of the Nautilus Pompilius, with the following character : Pedibus lobatis, seu digitatis absque acetubulis. The classification proposed by Dr. Leach’, which in one respect is inferior to Schnei- der’s, is also essentially based on the modifications of the organs of locomotion. In this scheme Dr. Leach leaves entirely out of consideration the chambered shells, and appa- rently restricts the class Cephalopoda to the naked species. These he divides into two ' Encyclopédie Méthod. 1830. ® Sammlung Vermischter Abhandlungen der Zoologie, &c., 8vo. 1784. $ Zoological Miscellany, vol. iii. 1817. 126 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF orders, according to the number of cephalic appendages, the presence or absence of pal- lial fins, and the connexions of the mantle to the neck. The same principles are adopted in the present classification of the Cephalopods in our National Museum ; a third order being added to the Octopoda and Decapoda of Leach, corresponding with the Polythalamacea of M. De Blainville, and characterised, according to the structure of the Nautilus Pompilius, by many short arms destitute of suckers. Weigman, also, in his Handbuch der Zoologie, (1832,) makes each of the two divi- sions of Leach’s Cephalopods equivalent to the Polythalamacea of De Blainville, which he terms Nautilacea. But the general organization of the Octopodous and Decapodous Cephalopods, and espe- cially their respiratory and circulating systems, correspond so closely, and both at the same time deviate so widely from the condition of the corresponding systems in the genus Nau- tilus, that the inequality of the value of the three primary divisions of the Cephalopods adopted in the synopsis of the British Museum must be obvious: characters, moreover, taken from modifications of the locomotive and prehensile organs alone, or associated with such minor particulars of organic structure as are applied by Dr. Leach in his subdivision of the Naked Cephalopods, can only be viewed as indicative of secondary subdivisions of the class. A mature consideration of the relations subsisting between the modifications of the Cephalopodic type of structure presented by the Pearly Nautilus, and the siphonated chambered shell, has led me to perceive that the presence of a siphonated chambered shell of itself is not a character of ordinal importance: the organic conditions which may justly be regarded as indicating ordinal distinctions relate rather to the amount of deve- lopment of the chambered shell, and to its relative position, either as protecting, or protected by, the soft parts of its fabricator. Where the chambered shell is limited to its hydrostatical functions, and is buried, like an air-bladder, in the interior of the Ce- phalopod, and is no longer subservient to its defence, we may infer that an ink-bag will be superadded to compensate for the absence of a large defensive case ; and, at the same time, that the relief from the incumbrance of a shell so developed will be accompanied by an increase of locomotive powers, demanding those modifications of the respiratory and circulating functions which are undoubtedly of ordinal importance. Now as the Nautilus Pompilius presents an inferior or subdivided type of the respi- ratory organs, and as the function of respiration in this species has not the advantage of those superadded hearts for accelerating the course of the venous blood through the gills which the naked and more active Cephalopods’ possess, and as these most inter- esting physiological modifications are related to the size and external position of the shell, I feel myself justified in grouping with the family represented by this existing Si- phoniferous species, the extinct Orthoceratites, Ammonites, and all other Siphonifera of which the soft parts were, in like manner, contained in and protected by a chambered shell. To the group thus characterised I have applied the term Tetrabranchiata, derived SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 127 from the number of the gills in the Nautilus'. The Cephalopods with internal cham- bered shells, heretofore classed with the Siphoniferous Cephalopods which constitute the preceding order, I would join with all the other Naked Cephalopods, to form a second order, under the term Dibranchiata*, having reference to the number of gills, viz. two. This number is constant in all the ‘ Seiches’ of Cuvier, and is associated with the pre- sence of two branchial hearts, besides the single systemic heart, and with an ink-bag : there can be little doubt that the same type of structure is exemplified in the Spirula, from what has been determined respecting its external characters’. The subdivision of the Tetrabranchiata must necessarily be determined by the modi- fications of the shell and calcareous parts of the beak, since, excepting in one genus, no other parts of the animals now remain for the study of the naturalist. With reference to the higher or Dibranchiate order, as extended by the admission of the Spirule and Belemnites, we may with propriety adopt the character afforded by the number of cephalic arms as indicative of a primary subdivision, and include the Dibranchiates having internal chambered shells, with the Calamaries and Cuttle-fishes in a tribe called Decapoda, or those which have two long peduncles superadded to the eight ordinary arms. The character afforded by the internal chambered shell seems hardly of suffi- cient value to separate the Cephalopods having that part, as a third tribe distinct from the ordinary Decapods ; for the difference is at least as great between the minute horny style of the Sepiola and the sepium of the Cuttle-fish, as between this latter and the internal calcareous apparatus of the Belemnite. Moreover, Lamarck’s figure and the descriptions of the Spirula demonstrate so close a resemblance between its lo- comotive organs and those of the Cuttles and Calamaries, as to afford additional rea- sons for not placing them further apart than as families in the same tribe. The tribe Decapopa of the Dibranchiate order of Cephalopods may be subdivided into four families. Of these the Spirulide, represented by the Spirula australis, Lam., must be regarded as next in the order of affinity to the Tetrabranchiate group. The Belem- 1 Memoir on the Pearly Nautilus, 1832, p. 56. ® The introduction of these new words for the primary divisions of the Cephalopods into a science already overloaded with Greek compounds, requires perhaps some apology or explanation. The groups which the terms Dibranchiata and Tetrabranchiata respectively indicate are not equivalent to the orders or primary divisions in any previous classification of the Cephalopods, and I could not, therefore, have adopted the ordinal names of my predecessors without the hazard of ambiguity or error, The order Dibranchiata, e. g. differs from the Cryptodibranchiata of M. De Blainville, and from the Acetabu- lifera of M. D’Orbigny, in the addition of the families Spirulide and Belemnitide; and my Tetrabranchiata dif- fers from the Polythalamacea and the Siphonifera of the same authors, in the absence of those genera in which the chambered and siphonated shells are internal. Under these circumstances, therefore, where a presumed deeper insight into the organization and affinities of a class of animals leads to an actual modification of its subdivisions, new terms for such modified groups seem preferable to the risk of confusion which would arise from applying the same name to two different collections of objects. 5 The discovery by Dr. Buckland, of the remains of the ink-bag in the extinct Belemnites, justifies the con- clusion from the laws of coexistence, that these Cephalopods also possessed two gills and two branchial hearts. VOL. II.——PART II. 5 128 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS OF nitide, including the genera Belemnites, Actinocamax, Pseudobelus, &c., offer the trans- ition from the Spirulide to the Cephalopods in which the internal shell is still calca- reous, but in which the traces of the camerated structure become very obscure. Such is the condition of the shell in the Sepiade, or third family, represented by the common Cuttle-fish (Sepia officinalis, Linn.). Besides the character derivable from the modifi- cations of the shell, the species hitherto observed of this family present lateral fins, ex- tending the whole length of the mantle ; and the marginal horny lining of the suckers is entire, or only minutely denticulated ; but this latter is a character rather of generic than of family importance. The fourth family of Decapodous Dibranchiata, I propose to term Teuthide, from the name rev0oc, applied by Aristotle to the Calamaries or typical genus of the family. The principal character of this family reposes on the horny condition of the shell, the rudi- ment of which exists as a single Jamina, more or less developed, and encysted in the substance of the dorsal aspect of the mantle: the form of the body in this family is mostly elongated and cylindrical, and the pallial fins are generally broad, shorter than the body, and terminal. The genera included in this family may be arranged in two groups, according to the structure of the funnel. In section A, or those in which the funnel is articulated at its base to two internal ventro-lateral cartilaginous prominences of the mantle, may be ranked the genera Sepioteuthis, Bl. ; Loligo, Cuv. ; Onychoteuthis, Lichtenstein ; Rossia, Owen ; Sepiola, Leach. In all these genera, moreover, the funnel is provided with an internal valve. In section B, or those in which the funnel is ad- herent at the ventro-lateral parts of its base to the mantle, may be ranked the genera Cranchia, Leach, and Loligopsis, Lam. The latter genus, besides the common absence or loss of its superadded tentacles, manifests an affinity with the Octopodous Dibran- chiates, in the absence of the valve of the funnel; and in both genera the transition to the same group is indicated by the absence of the fleshy appendages to the branchial hearts. The uninterrupted continuation of the mantle with the posterior part of the head or neck, and the confluence of the pallial fins at their posterior extremities, which Dr. Leach uses as family characters, are indicative of generic distinctions only: the proportional length of the arms is even of still less importance. The tribe Ocroropa, besides the absence of the long peduncles, is characterised by the absence of the pallial fins, and infundibular valve. I subdivide this tribe into the families Testacea and Nuda. Of these the first is represented by the genus Argonauta, and its affinity to the Decapodous group is manifested by the presence of appendages to the branchial hearts, and by the ball and socket articulations of the funnel. The first or dorsal pair of arms support membranous expansions for secreting, repairing, and re- taining the shell. The naked Octopods have all or part of the arms connected at their bases by a broad web ; the first pair being elongated, and gradually diminishing to a point. The funnel SOME NEW AND RARE CEPHALOPODA. 129 is generally attached to the sides of the mantle ; the branchial hearts are without fleshy appendages ; the biliary ducts without follicular appendages ; the shell is represented by two short, brittle, horny or gelatinous styles, encysted in the dorso-lateral parts of the mantle. This family includes the genera Octopus, Leach, and Eledona, Leach. The following is a tabular view of my classification of the Cephalopods :— Classis. Ordines. Tribus. Familie. Genera. Nuda Eledona. Gsininire mg) «chats vieibbhes ces tiie snk Octopus. Wentnven Argonauta. We teen Bellerophon, &c. Loligopsis. Drsrancuiata Cranchia, Oe Pa Teuthide Sepiola. < Rossia. 5 6. 4 Onychoteuthis. Loligo. 8 l Decaropa..... Sepiotcuthis: = } Sepiade...... Sepia. x | zalensnitce. ... » Belemnites, &c. Fs Spirulide ..... Spirula. oO ao Ammonites, &c. \.TETRABRANCHIATA!. . 2.1... 2..000.- Bram ets! tse Nautilide ..... be a oa Orthocera, &c. PLATE XXI. Fig. 1. Cranchia scabra, dorsal aspect ; natural size. 2. Cranchia scabra, ventral aspect ; natural size. 3. Cranchia scabra, head, with the mantle, a, a, laid open to show the attachment of the funnel 6, by means of the muscular membranous processes or ‘brides’, c, c. Magnified. 4. Head and mouth of Cranchia scabra, showing the webs, a, connecting the six dorsal arms; the outer lip, 6, the inner lip, c, inclosing the gaping man- dibles. Magnified. 5. A small portion of the skin of Cranchia scabra, showing the denticulate pro- cesses, highly magnified. 6. Loligo laticeps, dorsal view ; natural size. 7. Loligo laticeps, ventral view ; natural size. 9. A sucker of one of the short arms, magnified. 1 The subdivision and grouping of the very numerous members of this order must repose entirely on a study of the modifications of the shell and other enduring parts; and I have here introduced provisionally the two principal divisions as proposed by M. D’Orbigny, merely for the purpose of citing the principal genera in ex- emplification of the Tetrabranchiate Order. s2 130 MR. OWEN’S DESCRIPTIONS, ETC. Fig. 8 & 10. A sucker of one of the peduncles, magnified. 11. Head of Loligo laticeps ; a, outer lip, b, inner lip ; magnified. 12. Octopus semipalmatus, dorsal view ; natural size. 13. Octopus semipalmatus, ventral view, with the mantle laid open, magnified ; a, the crescentic ridge on the side of the base of the funnel, articulating with b, the corresponding cavity in the mantle : the other parts correspond with those in the common Poulp (Octopus vulgaris). 14, Argonauta hians, Sol., withdrawn from the shell; (three times the natural size of the specimen figured). The mantle is laid open to show the vertical septum, and a and b, the dislocated joint of the funnel of the right side. 15. An ovum of the same specimen, magnified. 16. The anal valves of a Decupodous Cephalopod (an Sepioteuthidis species ?) from Port Jackson. The upper figure shows them closed ; the lower figure, open. Natural size’. 17. The organ of hearing of the Cuttle-fish (Sepia officinalis): both vestibular cavities are laid open, showing the obtuse elastic processes which are in contact with the capsule of the otolithe or calcareous body ; the capsule is laid open on one side. Natural size. 18. Female organs of generation of Rossia palpebrosa, Owen. Natural size. a. Ovum in its reticulate ovisac or calyz. b. Ovisac, in the act of discharging its ovum. c. Discharged ovisacs. d. Oviduct. e. Terminal gland of the oviduct. f.f. Ova passing through the oviduct. g-g. Accessory ovarian or nidamental glands. h. h. Corpora succenturiata. 19. Corpus succenturiatum of the Cuttle-fish (Sepia officinalis). 20. The same; one lobe bisected, to show its structure. ! As this sheet was going through the press, I received from Mr. George Bennett three entire specimens of the Cephalopod from Port Jackson, of which the viscera are described in the preceding pages, proving it to be a species of Sepioteuthis. a V ep kak 43, Oténitii’ Kittle, Oo / fier /, i lelizefed 42g LF L Solos Jomifialadls 444 V5, peg beth. 2 “fin Sule. Zeitter, $c 1S. Vebiae hi Vikas Uy. 10 5 '"D). Mut fe eins. < 5 4 5 é 19H 7 X. Mémoire sur les Gersotses et les Gerpittes. Par M. Frep. Cuvier, Prof. de la Physiologie Comparée, Membre de l'Institut, &c. §c. Communicated by Ricnarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S. &c. Read December 13th, 1836. =“ Des GERBOISES. DES circonstances particuliéres, ayant depuis quelque tems appelé mon attention sur Vordre des rongeurs, je n’ai pas tardé a reconnaitre de nouveau tout ce qui manque a cette branche si importante et si étendue de la zoologie, pourque les élémens qui la constituent aujourdhui puissent étre coordonnés avec régularité ; pourque dans la classi- fication des nombreuses espéces de cet ordre, on puisse appliquer ces régles de la méthode naturelle, hors des quelles il n’y a que confusion et obscurité dans ]’étude philosophique de ces animaux. Sil’on voulait rechercher la raison d’un état de choses si peu favorable a la connaissance de ces mammiféres, tant multipliés par la nature, et qui occupent une place si élevée dans ses vues, on ne la trouverait assurément pas dans les difficultés que ces animaux oppo- sent a leurs observations ; car il n’y en a guére qui ait moins de moyens qu’eux d’échap- per A des recherches assidues. On la reconnaitrait plus surement dans |’influence qu’exercent encore sur les meilleurs esprits les systémes artificiels de classification, et dans l’ignorance ot beaucoup d’entr’eux sont restés des principes de la méthode natu- relle ; qu’ils paraissent méme regarder comme un vain objet d’étude. Nous ne comprenons pas cette persistance dans une voie qui n’a point d’issue, 4 une époque ott la philosophie de son cété, et Vhistoire naturelle de l’autre, ont jeté sur les méthodes une lumiére si vive. Si l’induction est la source la plus féconde de toutes les sciences d’observation, quelle vérité pourrait-on tirer d’un rapprochement de faits par- ticuliers, sans analogies naturelles entr’eux, et tel qu’il existe dans ces systémes ima- ginés, lorsque la science ne faisait encore que de commencer? Evidemment aucune ! Aussi toutes les fois qu’en histoire naturelle des vérités d’un ordre élevé ont été concues, c’est lorsqu’on a eu recours 4 des rapprochemens fondés sur de véritables analogies. Quand Linnzus formait des familles naturelles dans les plantes ce n’était pas 4 cause de son systéme, mais malgré son systéme. Buffon, Storr, Bodaert, Vicq-d’Azir, auraient appliqué toutes leurs forces 4 extraire le moindre rayon de lumiére des genres oi ils placaient les Gerboises, qu’ils n’en seraient pas venus a bout. Vicq-d’Azir, par exemple, avait associé 4 l’Alactaga et 4 la Gerboise, le liévre sauteur du Cap, le Kanguroo géant et le Potoroo, trois animaux qui sont devenus les types de trois genres, et les deux derniers ont du étre transportés dans un autre ordre que celui 132 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. oii il les placait, il ne reste donc plus de ce genre que les Alactagas et les Gerboises, et c’est en effet des rongeurs qui réunissent les caractéres génériques de ces derniéres espéces qu’il a fini par étre formé, et qu il nous est offert dans le meilleur travail qu’on ait publié sur les animaux qui s’y rapportent, celui de M. Lichtenstein, intitulé, Ueber die Springmaiise’, &c. Lorsqu’en 1829, je publiai mon ouvrage sur les dents des mammiféres je n’eu 4 ma disposition qu’un Alactaga de Barbarie de la grandeur du rat, et je donnai ses dents comme type de celles du genre Gerboise, prenant ce genre tel qu’il se trouvait établi. Des lors cependant, il était difficile de se défendre de quelques doutes sur la légitimité de sa formation. On était peu habitué a voir réunis sous la méme dénomination générique des animaux A cing et a trois doigts aux pieds de derriére, comme le sont les Alactagas de Pallas, et la Gerboise proprement dite ; et ce qui ajoutait aux doutes, c’est que Pallas nous apprenait, que sa petite variété d’Alactaga avait une dent de plus que les autres. Je suis loin d’avoir pu faire une étude des nombreuses espéces de Gerboises, que M. Lichtenstein décrit et qu’il partage en trois sections d’aprés le nombre des doigts des pieds de derriére. Toutes n’ont a ces pieds que trois doigts 4 l’état normal, et qui, dans la marche ou le saut, portent sur le sol ; mais il en est qui n’ont que ces trois doigts seulement ; ce sont ceux de sa premiére section ; d’autres, ceux de sa seconde section, ont du cété externe du tarse un doigt rudimentaire de plus, qui ne s’étend point jusques sur le sol, et ceux de la troisiéme ont deux de ces doigts en rudiments, un de chaque cété du tarse, qui ne prennent de part 4 aucun des mouvemens de l’animal. Les dents que j’ai donné pour type de celles des Gerboises, et qui m’avaient été four- nies, comme je viens de le dire, par une petite espéce originaire de Barbarie 4 deux doigts rudimentaires, c’est-d-dire par un Alactaga, sont tout-a-fait semblables 4 celles du grand Alactaga de Pallas, ainsi que j’ai pu le vérifier, et les analogies permettent de penser qu’elles se retrouveraient avec les mémes formes dans toutes les autres espéces de la troisiéme division de M. Lichtenstein. I] y a plus, c’est que les tétes osseuses de ces deux espéces présentent tout-a-fait la méme structure. Je ne connais point la Gerboise tétradactyle de M. Lichtenstein ; mais j’ai pu me procurer les tétes osseuses de deux espéces a trois doigts ; l'une vient de son Dipus hir- tipes (Pl. XXIV. figg. 1—5.), et l’autre d’une Gerboise de Syrie indéterminée ; or elles différent autant par leur structure et par la forme de leurs dents, des tétes d’Alactaga (Pl. XXIV. figg. 6—9.), que les tétes de rongeurs d’une méme famille puissent différer Vune de l’autre. Ce serait donc manquer A toutes les lois de l’analogie, a toutes celles de la méthode naturelle, que de ne pas séparer génériquement des animaux qui se distin- guent par des modifications si profondes de leurs organes principaux, et l’ induction nous autorise aussi 4 considérer toutes les autres Gerboises 4 trois doigts, comme semblables, ' J’ai eu le malheur et le tort de ne connaitre que trés tardifement ce travail, il m’aurait aidé du moins a rendre plus complet ce que j’ai donné d’historique sur la Gerboise dont j’ai publié la figure dans la 63° livraison de mes mammiféres, ee EE ———————— M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 133 pour les caractéres génériques, aux deux espéces qui nous sont connues, et a les reunir avec elles dans le méme genre, auquel nous conserverons le nom de Gerboise (Dipus), comme nous conserverons celui d’Alactaga (Alactaga) aux espéces A cing doigts. Il nous reste actuellement a faire connaitre en détail les faits sur lesquels nos déter- minations reposent. On sait que les trois doigts principaux des Alactagas, ainsi que les trois seuls doigts des Gerboises, ne sont articulés qu’ un seul os métatarsien, et que les deux doigts anomaux des premiers ont chacun leur os du métatarse, d’ot résulte que cet avant-derniére partie du pied est composée de trois os chez les Alactagas et d’un seul chez les Gerboises. Les incisives supérieures et inférieures des Alactagas sont simples ; les supérieures des Gerboises sont partagées dans leur longueur par un sillon. Les dents molaires des pre- miers ont des formes compliquées qui rappellent peu les formes simples de celles des se- condes. Elles sont au nombre de quatre 4 la machoire supérieure, et de trois 4 l’infé- rieure ; mais la premiére de la machoire d’en haut est une petite dent rudimentaire, qui disparait probablement dans les vieux individus ; les autres, aux deux machoires, se font remarquer par les contours, les ondulations profondes ou superficielles et sans régularité, de la lame d’émaille qui les enveloppe, et qui changent d’aspect suivant le degré d’usure des dents. Cette complication et cette irrégularité, rendent si difficile une déscription claire de ces macheliéres que je ne l’entreprendrai pas ; la figure de ces dents en fera comprendre les formes et les caractéres beaucoup mieux que ne le pourrait faire mes paroles. Il n’en est pas de méme des macheliéres des Gerboises, au nombre de trois de chaque cdté de une et de l'autre machoire. A la machoire supérieure elles présentent toutes un pli d’émail rentrant 4 leur face interne, et un a leur face externe; mais ces plis ne se terminent pas directement vis-a-vis l’un de l’autre, ils se dépassent, et ceux de la face externe pénétrent derriére ceux de la face interne. La premiére de ces dents est un peu plus grande que la seconde, qui l’est elle méme un peu plus que la troisiéme. Quelques différences se font remarquer entre les dents de la machoire inférieure ; la premiére des macheliéres n’est pas plus grande que la seconde, et celle-ci au lieu d’un pli en présente deux 4 son cété externe, et la derniére n’en présente qu’un seul qui est de ce méme cété ; elle n’en a point du cdté opposé. Nous ajouterons que pour une téte de Gerboise, d’un quart plus grande qu’une téte d’Alactaga, les dents de la premiére sont d’un quart plus petites que celles de la seconde. Toutes ces dents macheliéres sont a racines distinctes de la couronne. La structure générale de la téte des Gerboises et des Alactagas est évidemment la méme, et se caractérise par la grandeur du crane, la briéveté du museau, et surtout la grande largeur du trou sous-orbitaire, ou plutét de l’ouverture ante-orbitaire ; mais les tétes de ces deux genres différent les unes des autres par des points importants. Ce qui frappe au premier regard lorsqu’on les compare l’une a l’autre, c’est la grande largeur postérieure de celles des Gerboises, causée par le développement énorme de la caisse, et 134 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. de toutes les parties osseuses de l’oreille: cette caisse en effet dépasse de beaucoup Voccipital et s’étend latéralement jusqu’au niveau de l’arcade zygomatique, ce qui n’est pas 4 beaucoup prés chez les Alactagas, ot toutes les parties de l’oreille sont réduites 4 des dimensions assez petites. Une autre différence, est la grande largeur de l’arc max- illaire qui circonscrit extérieurement le trou sous-orbitaire et celle de-la portion du jugal qui borde cet arc, et qui servent l’un et l’autre d’attache aux muscles du nez et des lévres. Chez les Alactagas toutes ces parties sont en quelque sorte linéaires, et n’offrent que d’étroites surfaces aux muscles qui y prennent leur point d’appui. Mais ce n’est pas seulement la partie postérieure du crane qui, chez les Gerboises, sur- passe celle des Alactagas ; toute la capacité cérébrale a chez les premiers une étendue sensiblement plus grande que chez les seconds ; ce qui rend toute la partie antérieure de la téte des uns plus large que celle des autres. Enfin nous noterons encore l’effet de la proportion des macheliéres sur le développe- ment des machoires inférieures qui sont comparativement beaucoup plus courtes chez les Alactagas que chez les Gerboises. Nous terminerons ces notes sur les Gerboises et les Alactagas par la déscription d’une espéce d’Alactaga de Barbarie, peut étre déja indiquée mais non encore admise ; car toutes celles de M. Lichtenstein sont Asiatiques. Shaw, parle sous le nom de Jerboa’ d’une petite espéce de rongeur, fauve en dessus, blanche en dessous, 4 museau obtus, a trés longue queue terminée par une méche de poils noirs, vivant dans des terriers et sautant plutét qu’elle ne marche, dont les trés longues jambes de derriére auraient eu quatre longs doigts et deux tres courts, et dont les pieds de devant n’en auraient eu que trois. A ces traits, tous les naturalistes ont reconnu ceux des Gerboises; mais comme il y avait évidemment erreur dans le nombre que Shaw donnait des doigts, toutes les Gerboises en ayant cing aux pieds de devant et trois ou cing 4 ceux de derriére (trois longs et deux trés courts) on pit faire plusieurs suppositions pour expliquer cette erreur. Je pensai qu’elle tenait sur-tout 4 une faute de typographie ; que le nombre des doigts des pieds de derriére avait été indiqué comme étant celui des doigts des pieds de devant, et je regardai ce Jerboa comme une véritable Gerboise. D’au- tres ont pensé qu’il y avait erreur dans le nombre des doigts des deux pieds, qu’il n’y avait d’exact que les deux doigts rudimentaires des pieds de derriére, et que par la ce rongeur ne pouvait étre qu’un Alactaga ; et aujourdhui qu’il est certain qu’une espéce d’Alactaga existe en Barbarie, cette conjecture me parait la mieux fondée. On peut donc regarder Shaw, comme étant le premier auteur qui ait parlé de cette espéce. Il ajoute a la dé- scription qu’il en donne et que nous venons de rapporter, qu’elle se trouve le plus ordi- nairement dans les sables du Sahara, qu’elle aime les roseaux, et que partout ow on les trouvait, on était sur de la rencontrer. Cette derniére circonstance nous a déterminé a désigner cette espéce par le nom d’Alactaga des roseaux (Alactaga arundinis). Sa longueur de l’origine de la queue 4 l’extrémité du museau est de cing pouces. La ! Voy. en Barbarie, trad. Frangaise, tom. i. pag. 321 et 322. M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 135 queue en a cing et deux ou trois lignes. Les oreilles ont un pouce. Les tarses, du talon au bout des doigts, vingt-deux lignes. Tout le dessus du corps est d’un beau gris fauve, jaunitre sur les cétés et sur la queue, laquelle est terminée par une méche di- chotome, brun-noir d’abord et blanche 4 l’extrémité. Les cdtés des joues, les parties inférieures du corps, la face interne des membres, et les cétés des fesses sont blancs. De grandes moustaches brunes garnissent les cétés du museau. Les incisives sont blanches et unies. Les oreilles sont presque nues. Drs GersBiuces. A cété des Gerboises, viennent assez généralement se ranger dans les Catalogues Méthodiques, des rongeurs de petite taille, 4 longues jambes de derriére, terminées comme les antérieures par cing doigts plus ou moins développés. Ces rongeurs se trouvent designés collectivement par les noms de Jerzoipes', de Grrpities’, de Mrz- RIONES’, et plusieurs d’entr’eux ont eté considérés comme de véritables Gerboises. Les Jerboides forment la premiére division des rats de Pennant, ils viennent imme- diatement aprés les Gerboises, et parmi les quatre espéces que cette division contient, nous trouvons le Mus ramaricinus de Pallas‘, le Mus tasraporius de Pennant’, et le Dipus Canadensis de Davies’, qui depuis ont été classés par plusieurs auteurs au nombre des Gerbilles. En formant ce genre Gerbille, M. Desmarest y admit le Dipus Canadensis dont nous venons de parler, et il lui adjoignit le Dipus gerbillus d’Olivier’, le Mus longipes ou meridianus de Pallas’, et le Dipus pyramidum de M. Geoffroy’, Illiger n’indiqua comme Meriones que le Mus tamaricinus et le Mus meridianus. Dés les premiers momens ce genre fut également admis, et les espéces que dés lors + Pennant, Hist. of Quad., T. ii. p. 172. 2 Desmarest, Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., Table Méthodique des Mammif., T. xxiv. p.22. Paris, 1804. $ Illiger, Prodromus, p. 82. Berlin, 1811. La contestation qui s’est élevée pour refuser 4 M. Desmarest la premiere idée du genre Gerbille n’est point fondée. C’est en 1804 qu’il a proposé le genre, et qu’il l’a nommé ; et ce n’est qu’en 1811 qu’Illiger la établi, en le nommant Meriones. Cette double formation d’un genre qu’avait déja pressenti Pennant n’a rien qui doive surprendre 4 une époque oi il n’existait aucun rapport scien- tifique entre la France et l’Allemagne. Illiger ignorait donc ce qu’avait fait M. Desmarest ; mais ce naturaliste, enlevé si jeune a la science, a rendu assez de services 4 la zoologie pour que la perte d’un nom générique n’affaiblisse en rien la reconnaissance que lui portent les naturalistes. + Glires, p. 322, pl. xix. 5 Hist. of Quad., T. ii. p. 173, No. 370. 6 Trans. of Linn. Soc., T. iv. p. 155, pl. viii. fig. 5 et 6. 7 Bulletin de la Soc. Phil., No. 40, Voy., T. iii. p. 157, pl. xxviii. fig.a, 6, c. - ® Glires, p. 314, pl. xviii. B. ® Catal. des Mamm, du Musée, p. 202, VOL. II1.— PART II- x 136 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. on a cru devoir y rapporter ont été désignées tantot sous le nom générique de Meriones, tantot sous celui de Gerbille. Lorsqu’on cherche 4 se rendre compte des motifs qui ont conduit 4 séparer des Ger- boises, auxquels ils avaient été réunis, les rongeurs que nous venons d’indiquer, pour en former un genre a part, on n’en trouve d’autres que ces différences de physionomie, qui sont toujours pour le naturaliste expérimenté des indices fidéles de différences plus caractéristiques, que l’organisation mieux connue dévoilera quelques jours. En effet, Pennant ne fait pas connaitre les caractéres communs aux rats de sa pre- miére division, autrement que par ce nom de Jerboide, que indique des rapports entre ces animaux et les Gerboises ; et M."Desmarest ne donne 4 son genre Gerbille, comme Tlliger 4 ses Meriones, que des caractéres pris de la forme du museau, des modifications des doigts, de la queue, des oreilles, &c. C’est a dire, que des caractéres qui, pour ces animaux, ne sont rien moins que génériques, zoologiquement parlant. Plutard M. Desmarest ajouta aux caractéres qui avaient été donnés aux Gerbilles, le nombre des os du métatarse, égal chez ces animaux 4 celui des doigts’; par 1a il di- stinguait profondément les Gerbilles des Gerboises ; mais il ne les distinguait pas essen- tiellement des rats, et elles redevenaient, ou plutot restaient de véritables Gerboides. Ce ne fut que lorsque la forme des dents macheliéres commenca 4 prendre le rang élevé qu’elle occupe aujourd’hui parmi les caractéres zoologiques, que M. Desmarest la donna pour nouveau caractéres 4 ses Gerbilles’; il observa, dit-il, sur la Gerbille Egyptienne; mais il n’eut point l’occasion de l’observer sur les autres espéces qu’il admettait dans ce genre, et comme il n’en donna pas la figure, ou fut dans l’impossibilité de se la représenter fidélement, et d’en avoir conséquemment une conception bien claire. Depuis la premiére formation de son genre Gerbille, M. Desmarest a réuni aux espéces dont il le forma d’abord, le Mus tamaricinus de Pallas, et le Dipus indicus de M. Hardwicke, du quel plutard nous avons fait connaitre les dents’ qui sont en effet celles des Gerbilles ; mais alors il ne distingua plus spécifiquement les Dipus gerbillus et Pyramidum, les confondant dans l’espéce qu'il nomma Afgyptiwm. Il avait aussi admis comme Gerbille le rongeur que M. Rafinesque nomme Soriecinus ; mais ensuite il le retrancha de ce genre pour Je ranger parmi les rongeurs Américains, indiqués par ce dernier auteur comme des Gerbilles sous les noms de Leonurus, de Megalops, de Hud- sonius, de Macrourus et de Brachyurus*, lesquels ne sont vraisemblablement pas des Gerbilles. Les espéces introduites secondairement dans ce genre par différens auteurs, avec plus ou moins de fondement, sont le Meriones opimus, décrit sommairement par M. Lichtenstein’; le Meriones apicalis et Musculus, observés au muséum de Berlin, et briévement décrits par M. Kuhl’; le Meriones lybicus, dont le nom se trouve accompagné ! Nouy. Dictionnaire d’Hist. Nat. Edit. de 1817. 2 Mammalogie, p. 319. 3 Des Dents, &c., p. 172. * American Monthly Magzine, 1818, p. 446. ’ Voyage de Meyendorf, Supp. trad. Fr., p. 394. ° Beitrage zur Zoolog. p. 70. CQ — M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 137 d’une phrase caractéristique dans la liste de doubles du cabinet de Berlin, par M. Lichtenstein'; une Gerbille de Sénégal, et une espéce du Cap dont je fis connaitre les dents’ ; le Meriones gerbillus, que M. Riippell a décrit et figuré, et qu’il ne distingue pas du Dipus gerbillus d’Olivier’ ; le Meriones robustus, décrit et figuré par le méme auteur" ; le Gerbillus Afra de M. Gray’, qui en donne suffisamment les caractéres principaux ; et enfin le Meriones Schlegelii de M. Smutz’, que ce naturaliste nous fait connaitre par une description détaillée, et d’assez bonnes figures. Bientot aprés son établissement incertain sur les bases qui lui avaient d’abord été données, le genre Gerbilles recut des fondemens plus solides. La description et la représentation des molaires de plusieurs espéces en lui assurant un caractére qui achevait de le circonscrire dans les limites positives, et de mettre 4 peu prés hors de doute la légitimité de sa formation, fit reconnaitre en méme tems que quelques autres espéces y avaient été prématurément reunies, et de ce nombre fut la Gerbille du Canada, que je considérai comme le type d’un genre nouveau, auquel je crus devoir exclusive- ment appliquer le nom de Meriones; mais ce travail n’a pu étre encore général, et toutes les espéces qu’on classe encore aujourd’hui parmi les Gerbilles n’y sont pas recues a beaucoup prés a des titres égaux. Il serait méme fort 4 désirer que les recherches des naturalistes se portassent sur les différens systémes d’organes de ces rongeurs, pour confirmer par des nouveaux rap- ports les conséquences auxquelles les premiéres observations ont conduit, et pour rendre plus complétes et plus exactes, les idées que nous devons nous faire de ces animaux. On n’a point, que nous sachions, de représentation fidéle d’aucune Gerbille. Parmi les figures qui en ont été données, il n’en est point qui ait été dessinée d’aprés la nature vivante ; toutes sont des copies de peaux, plus ou moins habilement préparées, et elles ne font connaitre qu’approximativement la physionomie propre a ce groupe de rongeurs. Les figures les plus anciennement connues sont celles du Mus meridianus, et du Mus tamaricinus ; mais quoique passables, elles n’ont point été faites d’aprés des individus vivans. La figure du Dipus gerbillus d’Olivier est une des plus artificielles qui aient jamais été donnée 4 Vhistoire naturelle ; celle du Dipus Indicus, meilleure que la pré- cédente, n’est pas non plus exempte de graves reproches. LEnfin, les figures des Meriones robustus et Gerbillus de M. Riippell, quoique préférable aux autres, ne repré- sentent cependant que des animaux factices, et ce défaut est plus sensible encore dans le Meriones Schlegelii de M. Smutz. C’est pour remplir la lacune que ces figures ont laissées aprés elles que nous donnons celle de la Gerbille de Burton ; elle a été faite d’aprés plusieurs individus vivans rapportés de la haute Egypte par ce voyageur et acquis par la ménagerie. 1 Verzeichniss der Dobletten, &c., p. 5. 2 Des Dents, &c., p. 172. 3 Voyage au Nord de l'Afrique, Atlas, pl. xxx. 4 Idem, p. 75, pl. xxix. * Spicil. Zool., p. 10. 6 Enum. Mamm. Capensis, p. 41, pl.i. etii figs, 1—5. T2 138 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. Quant aux organes en particulier, on ne connait encore des Gerbilles par des figures que la téte du Gerbille de Schlegel, et du Mus meridianus, les dents des Gerbilles du Cap, des Pyramides, du Sénégal et des Indes, et le canal intestinal des Mus meridianus et tamaricinus. On ena de plus décrit les membres, et on a dit quelque chose des sens et des mceurs. Pour ne point laisser notre travail préliminaire incomplet, nous rappelerons les carac- téres qui sont donnés, par ce qui est connu de ces différens organes. Les traits caractéristiques de la téte osseuse, consistent principalement dans la forme oblongue des trous palatins et sous-orbitaux, dans la forme d’écaille de la partie su- périeure de l’os lacrimal, dans la minceure de l’arcade zygomatique qui n’envoie qu’une branche 4 la machoire supérieure, large, élevée, fléchie en dedans, et se terminant sur les cdtés de la téte en une lame mince qui limite le trou sous-orbitaire. La caisse forme un bulbe beaucoup plus grand que chez les rats, &c. (Smutz). Les dents ne présentent pas moins que la téte des caractéres particuliers. Les in- cisives supérieures sont partagées dans leur longueur par un sillon, et leur racine a son insertion immédiatement en avant des premiéres molaires. Les incisives inférieures, sans sillon, prennent racine a peu prés a moitié de la branche montante de la machoire. Les molaires, au nombre de trois de chaque cdté des deux machoires, et qui ont des racines distinctes de la couronne vont en augmentant de grandeur de la premiere 4 la derniére. Dans les individus adultes, celle-ci est simple, celle qui la précéde est com- posée de deux collines transverses, et Vintérieure de trois. Ces traits sont ceux des molaires des deux machoires, seulement, la premiére colline de la molaire antérieure a la machoire d’en bas, au lieu d’étre alongée transversalement, n’a plus que la forme d’un simple tubercle. Dans les jeunes individus, la derniére molaire supérieure a la forme d’un tréfle, et les collines de toutes les autres sont partagées dans leur milieu par une échancrure peu profonde qui ne tarde pas a se trouver effacée. A la machoire inférieure, c’est la premiére colline tuberculeuse de la premiére dent, qui unie a la seconde, présente la figure d’un tréfle et quelquefois cette premiére colline est échancrée en ayant (F. C.). Le canal intestinal, chez le Mus meridianus a environ 16 pouces du pylore 4 l’extrémité du rectum, 10 pour les petits intestins, et six pour les gros ; Vestomac a trois pouces en suivant sa courbure du cardia au pylore ; sa courbure de droite, ou le cul de sac, surpasse celle de gauche, et l’cesophague s’insére presque a sa partie moyenne. Le cecum de la grosseur du petit doigt, est replié en demi cercle, il se termine par une pointe obtuse et d’une structure trés simple. Le poumon gauche est simple, le droit a quatre divisions: enfin, les poils de ce Mus meridianus, étaient de deux sortes, laineux et soyeux. (Pallas.) Les clavicules sont rudimentaires: le péroné se confond avec le tibia dans toute leur moitié inférieure. (Pallas.) Le carpe se compose d’autant d’os qu'il y a de doigts, et il en est de méme du tarse, c’est a dire, qu’il y en a cing aux membres antérieurs comme aux postérieurs. (Desmarest.) Les yeux sont grands, les oreilles ovales, avec un repli transversal au devant du canal auditif, M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 139 les narines sont recouvertes par un repli épais et mobile, le carpe et le métacarpe sont nuds et présentent cing callosités ou tubercules. (Pallas.) Quant aux mceurs, nous savons que les Gerbilles sortent principalement la nuit des terriers qu’elles se creusent qui leur servent de retraite, et ow elles recueillent les épis d’orge et de blé dont elles font provision, et ne dépouillent des grains quils contiennent, que quand toute autre nourriture leur est interdite ; car elles se nourrissent aussi de racines. (Hardwicke.) Les rongeurs parvenus 4 notre connaissance, qui jusqu’a ce jour ont seuls présentés les caractéres essentiels du genre Gerbille, sont: la Gerbille des Pyramides, celle de l’Inde, une du Cap, et une de Sénégal ; enfin, le Gerbillus Afra et le Meriones Schlegelii. Des quatorze rongeurs donnés comme des Gerbilles, il n’y en a donc encore que six qui appartiendraient certainement A ce genre ; les huit autres ne pourraient y étre rap- portée qu’a des titres plus ou moins douteux. En effet, ce que Pallas nous apprend de son Mus meridianus, et de son Mus tamarici- nus ; c’est que le premier a ses incisives supérieures creusées dans leur longueur d’un sillon profond, et que les molaires sont au nombre de trois de chaque cété de l’une et de Vautre machoire; nous voyons en outre, par la figure qu’il en donne’ que la téte osseuse de cette espéce est tout-a-fait semblable a celles des véritables Gerbilles : or, ces rongeurs ont aussi des incisives supérieures sillonnées, et six molaires A chaque ma- choire: il est donc trés probable que le Mus meridianus est une Gerbille, Les proba- bilités ne sont pas 4 beaucoup prés les mémes pour le Mus tamaricinus. Tout ce que Pallas en dit, c’est que ses incisives supérieures sont sillonnées, et nous voyons que son canal intestinal présente les mémes formes, a la méme structure que celui du Mus meridianus. Quant aux faits qui concernent les Meriones Lybicus, M. opimus, M. apicalis, et M. musculus, ils sont encore moindre que ceux qui nous sont connus sur le Mus meridianus. M. Lichtenstein se borne 4 indiquer quelques traits de la figure des deux premiéres, et M. Kuhl ne parle que des caractéres spécifiques des deux autres, en outre, tous deux n’établissent les rapports de ces animaux avec les Gerbilles que par le nom de Meriones quils leur donnent. Il en est & peu prés de méme du Meriones robustus et du Meriones gerbillus de M. Riippell, qui se contente d’en donner la figure et de faire connaitre leurs couleurs et leurs différentes proportions. Malgré tout ce qui manque encore, et tout ce qui serait nécessaire pour établir avec certitude les rapports génériques de ces rongeurs, nous les admettrons, quoiqu’avec plus ou moins de doute, et 4 une exception prés, comme des Gerbilles : tous, si ce n’est le Musculus, sont d’Asie ou d’Afrique, et ancien monde seul jusqu’a présent a donné des espéces 4 ce genre. C'est par ce motif que nous en retranchons cette derniére espéce qui est du Bresil. Les espéces de rongeurs Américaines qu’on a voulu rattacher aux Gerbilles, ont di toutes en étre retirées, et les analogies nous font présumer qu’il doit en étre de méme pour le Musculus. . ) Glires, pl. xxvii. fig. xxv. 8. 140 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. Ces retranchemens ne paraissent pas toutefois empécher ce genre de devenir un des plus riches de l’ordre des rongeurs ; car le nord comme le midi de 1’Asie nourissent des Gerbilles, et on en rencontre dans les parties septentrionales, occidentales, et méridio- nales de |’Afrique ; mais il n’est pas aisé d’établir les rapports de ces animaux entr’eux, et de déterminer exactement les espéces entre lesquelles ils se partagent. Comme dans tous les genres trés naturels de rongeurs, les couleurs des Gerbilles ne présentent point de caractéres tranchés, elles ne différent guére que par de simples nuances du brun au fauve, et ne paraissent pas susceptibles de donner a elles seules de bons caractéres spécifiques : il devient donc indispensable pour diviser les Gerbilles en espéces de recourir aussi comme M. Lichtenstein I’a fait pour les Gerboises, a la taille, aux proportions des membres, a celles des diverses parties de la téte, en un mot, aux modifications spécifiques des principaux systémes d’organes. Si nous examinons sous ce point de vue, les différentes notions acquises a la science sur les Gerbilles, en nous aidant des faits qui nous sont particuli¢érement connus, nous distinguerons d’abord avec beaucoup d’autres auteurs, mais contre l’opinion de MM. Desmarest et Riippell, le Dipus gerbillus du Dipus pyramidum, le premier ayant la taille d’une souris, et le pélage d’un jaune fauve, tandis que le second a la taille d’un lérot et un pélage brun légére- ment roussatre. D’ailleurs nous croyons retrouver le Dipus gerbillus, dans une dépouille de Gerbille, ot la téte osseuse se trouve, et cette dépouille ne différe en rien d’une peau préparée, envoyée au Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, sous le nom de Meriones quadrima- culatus (Ehrenb.) par M. Lichtenstein. Le Dipus pyramidum, dont on trouve deux individus dans les collections du muséum, a tant de rapports par les couleurs et la taille, avec le Meriones robustus de M. Riippell, que s’il n’était pas nécessaire de les comparer par plus de points pour établir avec une entiére certitude leur identité spécifique, nous ne balancerions pas 4 les réunir dans la méme espéce ; nous devons donc regretter que M. Riippell ne nous ait pas mis 4 méme d’établir cette comparaison en ne se bornant pas 4 publier une figure et une description spécifique de le Meriones robustus, figure, que d’ailleurs, nous ne croyons pas trés fidélement enluminée. Nous avons moins d’incertitude sur le Meriones gerbillus de ce savant voyageur ; il représente assez exactement l’espéce de Gerbille que nous avions désignée comme du Sénégal, en faisant connaitre les dents ; et notre opinion se confirme par la possession que nous avons acquise des dépouilles et de la téte osseuse d’une Gerbille qui, comme celle de M. Riippell, vient aussi de Nubie, et ne différe par aucun point de celle du Sénégal. La Gerbille du Cap, dont nous avons fait représenter les dents, le Gerbillus Afra de M. Gray, et le Meriones Schlegelii de M. Smutz appartiennent vraisemblablement 4 la méme espéce. Les trois individus qui ont été désignés de ces trois maniéres venaient de l’extrémité méridionale de l’Afrique, ils différaient assez peu par leurs proportions et leurs couleurs, et ils se ressemblent par les formes de la téte. Quant a la Gerbille de I’Inde, elle ne parait point avoir recu plusieurs dénominations M. F, CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 141 spécifiques ; et si le Mus meridianus a paru se réunir A d’autres espéces, c’est sur des fondemens si légers que nous ne croyons pas devoir nous y arréter. Il résulte de cet examen que les Gerbilles dont les caractéres ne laissent que peu d'incertitude, ou n’en laissent pas du tout, se groupent en six espéces. 1°. La Gerbille d’Olivier, qui ne différe point du Meriones quadrimaculatus d’Ehren- berg. 2°. La Gerboise des pyramides, a laquelle se rattache peut-é@tre le Meriones robustus de M. Riippell. 3°. La Gerbille que je nommerai ‘ pygargue,’ et qui est le méme que le Meriones gerbillus de ce dernier. 4°. La Gerbille Africaine, que je ne distingue pas de celle de Schlegel. 5°. La Gerbille de l’Inde ; et, 6°. Enfin, la Gerbille du midi ou Zird. Nous ajouterons a ces six espéces anciennes, la description des trois espéces nouvelles, la Gerbille 4 queue courte du Cap, la Gerbille otarie de l’Inde, et la Gerbille de Burton du Sennard ; et, enfin, nous donnerons l’indication de deux autres remarquables par leur grandeur; mais dans une note seulement et avec une figure. Nous laisserons comme douteuse toutes celles qui n’ont point été suffisamment caracterisées, pour qu’aucune incertitude ne subsiste sur le genre auquel elles doivent appartenir, et sur leurs différences avec celles qui sont bien connues. Actuellement, et pour terminer ce travail sur les Gerbilles, nous allons faire con- naitre les observations que nous avons recueillies sur les espéces que nous venons de nommer, a l’exception toutefois du Mus meridianus qui ne nous est connu que par ce qu’en a dit Pallas. 1°. La Gersittz Ecypriznne. G. Egyptius, Desmarest. Dipus Gerbillus, Olivier. Meriones quadrimaculatus, Ehrenberg. (Pl. XXV. figg. 1—5.) Cette espéce est en effet, comme le dit Olivier, 4 peu prés de la taille de la souris, la longueur de son corps, du bout du museau a l’origine de la queue est de trois pouces trois 4 quatre lignes, et sa queue est de trois 4 quatre lignes plus longue. Sa couleur aux parties supérieures est d’un beau fauve clair, elle est d’un blanc trés pur aux par- ties inférieures ; les cétés des joues, les membres, une tache au dessus de l’ceil et une au coté de Voreille sont également blancs. Les poils fauves sont tous gris 4 leur origine; mais ces deux couleurs finissent par s’effacer et par faire place A la couleur blanche ; toutefois le gris disparait plutot que le fauve, comme on le voit sur les poils de cétés du corps. Les poils trés courts de la queue sont fauves a sa partie supérieure et blancs a l'inférieure ; ceux de l’extrémité en dessus, s’alongent et prennent une teinte noiratre. De grandes moustaches blanches garnissent les cétés du museau, et quelques soies s’élévent au dessus de l’ceil. Ce pélage est entiérement soyeux. La téte osseuse et les dents ont tous les caractéres propres a celles des espéces de ce genre, comme on le voit par les figures que nous en donnons, seulement, elles sont moins grandes que celles des autres espéces. La Gerbille Egyptienne étant jusqu’a ce jour avec la Gerbille otarie une des plus petites du genre. 2°. La Gersitte pes Pyramipes. G. pyramidum. Dipus pyramidum, Geoffroy. Meriones robustus ? Riippell. (Pl. XXV. figg. 6—9.) L’individu type de cette espéce et rapporté d’Egypte par M. Geoffroy se trouve 142 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. encore dans les galeries du muséum, et un second individu recueilli plus récemment en Egypte, s’y trouve également. En établissant les caractéres de cette espéce d’aprés ces deux individus, on trouve que la longueur du corps du bout du museau a Vorigine de la queue, est de cing pouces, que la queue a cing ou six lignes de plus, que le pélage des parties supérieures est brun, et celui des parties inférieures blanc, que la teinte brune des flancs est plus pale que celle du dos ; que la queue couverte de poils trés courts est brune en dessus et blanche en dessous, et qu’elle se termine par des poils plus longs que les autres et noiratres, mais 4 sa partie supérieure seulement ; enfin que les poils bruns sont gris a leur base, ce qui n’est pas pour les blancs. Tous ces poils sont exclusivement soyeux. M. Geof- froy n’avait donné que quatre doigts aux pieds de devant a l’individu qu'il décrivait, parcequw’il ne tenait point compte du pouce en rudiment ; mais ce doigt existe chez cette espéce comme chez les autres Gerbilles. Aux traites que nous venons de présenter, nous ne pouvons méconnaitre l’intimité des rapports du Gerbille des pyramides avec le Meriones robustus. C’est la méme taille, ce sont les mémes proportions et les mémes couleurs, 4 quelques exceptions prés, que nous serions tenté de n’attribuer qu’d l’enluminure du dernier. En effet, la queue de celui-ci est brune en dessous comme en dessus, et les tous jaunatres de ses teintes brunes semblent repoussés par les analogies. Ces teintes, de plus ne sont pas conformes 4 ce que dit M. Riippell de la couleur des parties supérieures du corps de son Meriones robustus. Voici au reste ce qu’il nous apprend a ce sujet. ‘‘ Meriones corporis colore supra ex griseo et ochraceo fuscescente, notaet obscuriort, laterum candidiori. Gastraeum crura et brachia parte interna sicut podia sordide albescunt. Auricule oblonge, acuminate ; cauda crassa, apice subfloccosa, fusca. Pili subhirsuti.” Cet animal avait six pouces six lignes du bout du museau a Vorigine de la queue, la- quelle avait cinq pouces six lignes. 3°. La GerBILLE pycarcur. G.pygargus. Meriones gerbillus, Riippell. (Pl. XXV. figg. 10O—14.) Je suis malgré moi obligé de changer le nom que cette espéce a recue de M. Riippell qui, le premier l’a complétement décrite ; mais le nom de Gerbille étant celui du genre, ne peut plus étre celui d’une espéce de ce genre. D’un autre cété, cette Gerbille repré- sentait pour M. Riippell, celle d’Olivier, et celle de M. Geoffroy, ce qui certainement est inexact ; mais la figure de son Meriones gerbillus est assez fidélement celle d’une Gerbille du Sénégal dont nous avons fait connaitre les dents, et dont nous avons la dépouille sous les yeux, et nous retrouvons aussi ce Meriones dans une Gerbille qui, comme celle de M. Ritppell, vient de la haute Egypte, et dont nous possédons aussi la dépouille. Il y aentre cette espéce et la Gerbille Egyptienne de grands rapports par les couleurs ; mais elles différent par la taille, et aussi par quelques unes des proportions de la téte. La Gerbille pygargue a cing pouces quatre A cing lignes, du bout du museau a Vorigine de la queue, et celle-ci a huit 4 neuf lignes de plus, tout son pélage est de nature soyeuse. M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 143 Les parties supérieures de son corps, y compris la téte et le museau, sont d’un beau fauve clair qui palit un peu sur les flancs. Toutes les parties inférieures et les cétés des joues jusqu’au dessous des yeux, sont d’un blanc pur, et une tache blanche se remarque au dessus de chaque ceil et derriére chaque oreille. La queue couverte de poils trés courts, est fauve en dessus et blanche en dessous; mais elle se termine par des poils longs qui sont restés blancs dans cette derniére partie, et qui dans l’autre sont devenus bruns. Les poils fauves ont leur moitié inférieure grise, 4 l'exception de ceux des flancs qui sont blancs 4 leur origine ; les poils blancs sont entiérement de cette couleur, et ceux qui sont aux parties postérieures des cuisses débordant de chaque cété de la queue font paraitre le bord des fesses blanc, d’ou j’ai cru pouvoir tirer le nom de cette espéce. On verra comme pour les espéces précédentes, que celle-ci n’est pas moins une Gerbille par les proportions des diverses parties de sa téte osseuse que par la forme de ses dents. 4°, La Gerpitte pr w’InpE. G. Indicus. Dipus Indicus, Hardwicke. (Pl. XXV. figg. 15—19.). J’ai peu de choses nouvelles a dire sur cette espéce. A en juger par un assez grand nombre d’individus déposés dans les galeries de muséum ; cette grande Gerbille, dont tous les poils sont soyeux passerait d’un brun assez foncé a un brun plus clair teinté de fauve, et par le dessin que nous donnons de sa téte osseuse, on acquiert la preuve que sous cet important rapport elle ne différe point génériquement des autres Gerbilles.' 5°. La Gersinte Arricaine. G. Afra, Gray*. Meriones Schlegelii, Smutz. (Pl. XXVI. figg. 5—9.). C’est de cette espéce dont je crois avoir parlé en décrivant les dents comme ayant été rapportée du Cap de Bonne Espérance par Lalande, qui en avait déposé plusieurs individus au muséum dhistoire naturelle ; mais c’est M. Gray qui me semble avoir donné le premier une description reconnaissable, quoique trop soimmaire, et c’est cette méme espéce que M. Smutz, qui ne la connaissait qu’imparfaitement par quelques mots de l’Isis, me parait avoir décrit avec un soin et des détails parfaits sous le nom de Schlegelit. Cette Gerbille, dont je posséde plusieurs individus, a cing pouces six lignes du bout du museau a l’origine de la queue, celle-ci a cinq pouces sept 4 huit lignes. Le ' A en juger par deux tétes qui se ressemblent absolument, provenant, suivant toute apparence, de deux espéces rapporteés par M. Ehrenberg, l'une de Syrie, l'autre d’Egypte, et aux quelles ce savant voyageur aurait donné le nom de Mus ruficaudatus & la premiére, et celui d’Hypudeus obesus a la seconde, il existerait encore deux grandes Gerbilles, qui, par leur taille, surpasseraient celle de l’Inde, mais que je ne puis faire con- naitre autrement que par la figure que je donne de l’une de ces tétes avec ses dents, ne possédant rien autre chose de ces animaux. Voyez Gerbille indéterminée. (Pl. XXVI. figg. 1—4.) * C’est avec raison que M. Smutz se demande ce qu’est cette Gerbille de M. Gray; car outre la description peu circonstanciée que celui-ci fait de cette espéce, il donne comme synonyme le Mus sericeus de M. Temminck, qui n’était point encore connu, et qui n’est peut-Ctre point une Gerbille. VOL. II.—PART II. U 144 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. pélage entigrement soyeux est en dessus d’un brun foncé qui prend une teinte fauve sur les flancs. Les parties inférieures, les tarses, la face interne des cuisses, le carp et la face interne du bras, les cdtés de la téte et le dessus des yeux sont blancs. Les poils des parties brunes sont gris 4 leur moitié cachée, et leur autre moitié est annelée de fauve et de noir, ceux des parties fauves ne different des premiers qu’en ce que les anneaux noirs disparaissent. Ceux des parties blanches ne sont que d’une seule couleur. Tous ces poils sont longs, doux et exclusivement soyeux. La queue revétue de poils courts et serrés est brune en dessus et blanchatre en dessous. De grandes moustaches noires garnissent les cétés du museau, et de plus petites se montrent au dessus des yeux. Les oreilles | semblent proportionnellement plus étendues qu’elles ne le sont chez d’autres espéces. Quoique M. Smutz ait donné de bonnes figures de la téte osseuse de son Meriones Schlegelii, je ne me crois pas dispensé d’en donner une moi-méme, ne fut ce que pour faciliter la comparaison des espéces entr’elles ; c’est méme par ce seul motif qui j’ai cru devoir rapporter les caractéres spécifiques de ce Gerbille Africain, quoique M. Smutz les ait décrit avec tous les développemens nécessaires. 6°. La GeRBILLE A couRTE QUEUE. G. brevicaudatus. (Pl. XXVI. figg. 1O—13.). Cette espéce, dont les dépouilles ont été envoyées du Cap en 1834 par M. Verreaux, et qui sont aujourd’hui en ma possession, différe sur-tout de l’espéce précédente par une taille beaucoup moindre et une queue proportionnellement plus courte ; mais elle en différe aussi par les couleurs. Cette Gerbille a trois pouces six lignes du bout du museau a l’origine de la queue, et celle-ci n’a que deux pouces et demi. Sa couleur en dessus est d’un fauve mélangé irréguliérement de gris par la disposition particuliére des couleurs sur les poils ; chaque poil est gris d’ardoise dans les trois quarts de sa longueur, et d’un beau fauve 4 sa pointe. Lorsque les poils se recouvrent réguliérement les uns, les autres, le fauve domine, et le gris ne parait qu’ou ces poils s’écartent ; mais comme le fauve est peu étendu, le plus léger écartement des poils met le gris 4 nud, et il en résulte ce mélange par taches de fauve et de gris qui constitue la couleur habitu- elle de cette espéce sur la téte, le cou, le dos, et une partie des flancs. Toutes les par- ties inférieures et les cétés de la téte sont blancs, et une bande fauve marque la sépara- tion sans toutefois étre tranchée, des parties supérieures aux inférieures, et ce qui caractérise encore cette espéce comparativement a la précédente, c’est que les poils fauves des flancs sont uniformément colorés, et n’ont point de gris 4 leur origine. La queue est d’une teinte blonde en dessus et blanchatre en dessous. Tout le pélage de cette espéce est soyeux. On verra que cette Gerbille ne différe pas moins par sa téte osseuse de l’espéce pré- cédente que par ses couleurs’. 7°. La GerBiLLe oTariz£. G. otarius. (Pl. XXVI. figg. 14—18.). Jusqu’a présent les parties méridionales de Asie ne nous avaient encore donné ' J’ai recu comme originaire de la presqu’ile de I’Inde, une Gerbille qui ne me parait différer en aucun point de celle-ci. ; M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 145 qu’une seule espéce de Gerbille. Nous en avons recu une seconde de la presqu’ile de Inde: elle y a été recueillie par M. Verreaux, 2 qui nous la devons. Elle se caractérise par la petitesse de sa taille, par la briéveté de sa queue, et sur tout par celle de ses oreilles, d’oi nous avons tiré le nom d’Otarie par lequel nous la désignons. La lon- gueur de son corps, du bout du museau a celle de la queue, est de trois pouces, et la queue a dix-huit lignes ; les oreilles ont 4 peine deux lignes en hauteur et en largeur. Sa couleur, semblable a celles de toutes les Gerbilles, est fauve mélangé de gris en dessus et blanche en dessous, ainsi que sur les cdtés de joues et sur les membres, la queue qui n’est couverte que de poils fort courts est entiérement fauve. Les poils fauves sont gris dans la plus grande partie de leur longueur, le fauve se montre ensuite, et la pointe d’un grand nombre est noire. Les poils blancs le sont entidrement. Les uns et les autres sont soyeux ; il n’y en a point de laineux. La téte osseuse de cette espace se fait remarquer pour la grande largeur de la partie postérieure du crane, comparée a l’étroitesse de la partie antérieure des frontaux. 8°. La Gersitte pz Burton. G. Burtoni. (Plates XXII. & XXIII). Cette espéce nous parait entigrement nouvelle, et comme nous la possedons vivante, nous en publions une figure (Pl. XXII.) exacte, afin qu’on puisse se faire une idée fidéle de la physionomie générale des espéces de ce genre ; nous pouvons également en faire connaitre la téte, les dents et le canal intestinal. Elle a été acquise par notre ménagerie de M. Burton, qui l’a découverte dans le Dahrfur, et nous croyons devoir donner 2 cette belle Gerbille le nom de ce Savant voya- geur par reconnaissance des soins qu’il a mis a enricher la Mazologie de plusieurs espéces tout-a-fait nouvelles et fort curieuses. Cette Gerbille a quatre pouces de l’éxtremité du museau 2 Vorigine de la queue, celle-ci en a trois environ ; la hauteur de Voreille est de six lignes ; la distance du bout du museau a l’angle antérieur de I’ceil est de huit lignes ; la longueur de l’avant bras est également de huit lignes, et il en est de méme de la longueur du tarse. Toutes les par- ties supérieures du corps, le sommet de la téte, le dessus des cuisses, sont bruns ; le dessus du museau, les cétés du cou et les flancs sont fauves jaunatres. Le dessus de Veeil, les cétés du museau jusqu’au dessous de l’ceil, la machoire inférieure, la gorge, le cou, la poitrine, le ventre, la face interne des cuisses et les quatre membres sont d’un blane pur ; la queue épaisse et couleur de chair, est revétue uniformément de poils rares et courts, brunatres en dessus, blanchatres en dessous. II n’y a partout que des poils soyeux. Chaque poil des parties brunes est gris 4 sa moitié inférieure, et partagé en larges anneaux noirs et fauves 4 son autre moitié. Aux parties fauves, les poils ne sont partagés qu’entre le blanc qui occupe leur moitié cachée et le fauve qui couvre leur partie visible. Les poils blancs sont entigrement de cette couleur. Les oreilles en- tiérement nues sont couleur de chair. De trds longues moustaches, quelques unes blanches, Ja plupart noires garnissent les cdtés du museau, et on en voit quelques unes au dessus de l’ceil. La téte osseuse et les dents, comme on peut le voir par les u2 146 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. figures que nous en donnons, ont tous les caractéres du genre. (Pl. XXIII. figg. 1—5.}. Les dents appartenaient a un jeune individu, et leur usure n’avait point encore été portée fort loin. Le canal intestinal (Pl. XXIII. fig. 6.) d’égal diamétre dans toute sa longueur a environ dix-huit pouces du pylore a l’extrémité du rectum ; quatorze pour les petits intestins et quatre pour les gros. L’estomac a quinze lignes de longueur et quatre et demi dans sa plus grande largeur. Son cul de sac, ou sa grande courbure différe peu en étendue de la petite, ce qui fait que l’cesophague s’insére 4 peu de chose prés a sa partie moyenne. Le cecum, qui va en diminuant graduellement de son origine 4 son extrémité, se termine d’une maniére obtuse; il a dix-huit lignes de longueur et trois et demi 4 quatre a sa naissance. Chaque pied a cing doigts, les trois moyens sont a-peu-prés de la méme longueur aux deux pieds et les deux externes sont les plus courts; le pouce des pieds de devant n’est méme qu’en rudiment, et son ongle est plat. Des poils courts et raides garnissent les doigts de chaque cété. L’oreille ovale est garnie d’un épais bourrelet 4 Ventrée du canal auditif, et une lame saillante se montre au dessus. Les narines consistent en deux ouvertures ovales qu’un trés petit mufle environne. La verge épaisse et obtuse se dirige en arriére, et les tes- ticules acquierrent un volume monstrueux. Cette Gerbille, par sa physionomie générale, rappelle singuliérement celle des loirs, elle en a le corps ramassé, la téte arrondie et fine quoique un peu plus lourde, les grands yeux, et presque les grandes oreilles ; mais sa queue n’est point couverte de poils longs et épais, et sans étre aussi nue que celle des rats et écailleuse comme la leur, elle s’en rapproche par les poils trés courts qui la revétent uniformément ; ses allures sont aussi plutot celles des loirs que celles des rats; tous ses mouvemens sont vifs et prompts ; jamais elle ne marche qu’d quatre pattes ; ce que Pallas rapporte déja de son Mus meri- dianus ; mais dés qu'elle s’arréte elle se tient debout sur ses longs tarses, sans pour cela s’aider de sa queue comme les Gerboises, et en retirant contre soi les pattes de devant. Ces pattes ne lui sont point nécessaires pour manger, elle saisit les alimens avec ses dents, rongeant ceux qui sont trop volumineux pour sa bouche, et faisant passer de suite sous ses molaires, les petites graines et tous ceux enfin qu’elle peut moudre immédiatement. J’ai tout lieu de penser que ses membres antérieurs, outre leur usage dans la marche, ne lui servent qu’a fouir. Sa vie est toute crépusculaire ; de jour elle se tient soigneuse- ment cachée, c’est lorsque la nuit arrive qu’elle satisfait 4 ses besoins, qu’elle cherche sa nourriture ; et comme les loirs et les rats, elle peut se nourrir 4-peu-prés indifférem- ment de substances animales et de substances végétales. Plusieurs individus de cette espéce, vivant dans la méme cage, s’étaient mangé mutuellement une partie de la queue. J’ai lieu de penser que ces animaux vivent plutot par paires que par troupes. Tant que les individus réunis par M. Burton ont été plus de deux, ils ont vécu en grande mésintelligence, et se sont constamment battus; la paix a régné dés quils ont été M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. 147 réduits 4 un mile et 4 une femelle, et lorsqu’on partageait en deux le coton dans lequel ils passaient la journée, ils travaillaient de suite a le réunir pour n’en faire qu’un seul nid. Ces animaux montraient de la curiosité et beaucoup de crainte ; mais ils ne s’aperce- vaient pas des mouvemens qui se faisaient méme a une faible distance d’eux ; ceux au contraire qui avaient lieu prés de leur cage, leur causaient un grand trouble et beaucoup d’agitation ; mais 4 l’instant méme ils s’approchaient du point od le mouvement s’était manifesté, en cessant méme pour cela de manger, s’ils s’occupaient a satisfaire ce besoin, et a la répétition du plus léger mouvement, ils fuyaient de nouveau. Au total, ce sont, comme a-peu-prés tous les rongeurs, des animaux d’une intelligence excessivement bornée. L’ensemble des faits que nous venons de rapporter et qui renferme, nous le croyons du moins, les principaux de tous ceux qui sont connus, nous montre d’abord, que sur qua- torze espéces, treize appartiennent aux contrées chaudes, soit de l’Asie, soit de P Afrique, une seule vient du nord de l’Asie; aussi est elle la seule qui ait deux sortes de poils, des laineux et des soyeux ; toutes les autres ne sont revétues que de poils soyeux. Nous voyons en suite que les différences dans la taille et dans les proportions de diverses par- ties sont, comme celles des couleurs renfermées dans des limites assez étroites 3 en troisiéme lieu, il devient évident, par les figures que nous donnons des tétes, qu’a l’ex- ception du développement de la caisse qui peut-¢tre extrémement étendue, comme dans la Gerbille 4 courte queue, ou beaucoup plus restreinte, comme dans la Gerbille pygargue, la forme générale des tétes, et les rapports de leur différentes parties sont absolument les mémes ; et enfin les figures des dents nous démontrent que les seuls changemens importants qu’elles éprouvent, consistent dans la disparition graduelle des sillons qui partagent dans leur milieu chacune des collines dont elles se composent. Terminons par quelques mots sur les rapports naturels de ces animaux. Les tarses un peu plus longs chez ces animaux que chez les rats, l’instinct qui les porte 4 se tenir debout sur leurs jambes de derriére, les terriers qu ils se creusent, leur vie nocturne, mais sur-tout ce que quelques auteurs, trompés par de fausses apparences, on dit de leurs allures, et des rapports qu’ils ont cru apercevoir entr’eux et les Gerboises, ont jusqu’a présent déterminé beaucoup de naturalistes' A regarder les Gerbilles et les Gerboises comme appartenant 4 une méme famille. Or pour peu qu’on étudie avec quelque attention ces animaux, on reconnait bientdt que les rapports des Gerbilles avec les Gerboises est bien moindre que ceux qu’elles ont avec les rats et les loirs. Inde- pendamment de ce que nous venons de dire de la maniére d’étre des Gerbilles, de leurs allures, de leur mode de progression qui n’ont rien de commun avec ce qui s’observe chez les Gerboises, nous ferons remarquer que les formes et les rapports des différentes parties de la téte osseuse, ressemblent autant a ce qu’en ce genre on trouve chez les rats, qu’ils ressemblent peu a ce qu’on trouve chez les Gerboises. Chez celles-ci en effet, autant les os du nez et les frontaux sont raccourcis, autant ils sont alongés chez ‘ Illiger, Prod, p. 81. Fischer, Synops. Mamnif, p- 333. Latreille, Famille Nat. p. 56. &c. 148 M. F. CUVIER SUR LES GERBOISES ET LES GERBILLES. les Gerbilles. Chez les premiéres le trou sous-orbitaire, ou plutot louverture ante- orbitaire, d’une grandeur peu commune et d’une forme circulaire 4 cause du grand écartement de l’arc que forme le maxillaire est linéaire chez les secondes ; chez ces derniéres ce déploiement du maxillaire, en arc extrémement élargi offre une trés grande surface A l’attache des muscles des lévres et du nez, tandis que son extréme étroitesse chez les Gerboises ne permet 4 ces muscles qu’un faible développement, du moins en épaisseur ; et toutes ces particularités propres aux Gerbilles, se retrouvent 4 peu d’ex- ception prés chez les loirs, et surtout chez les rats. Si on ajoute a ces considérations, que la structure des membres, et le canal intestinal des Gerbilles, different peu ou point de ce qui s’observe chez les rats ; que les yeux, et le développement de toutes les parties des oreilles des premiéres rappellent ce que nous voyons chez les loirs, on ne balancera pas a rétablir les rapports naturels des Gerbilles, en les rapprochant de ces derniers animaux et des rats, comme au reste |’avait déja fait en partie mon frére dans la derniére édition du Régne Animal.—Tom. i. p. 203. PLATE XXII. Gerbillus Burtont. Grand. nat. PLATE XXIII. . Le crane de la Gerbille de Burton vue de profil. . Id. vue en dessus. . Id. vue en dessous. . Les dents de la machoire supérieure. . Les dents de la machoire inférieure. . Le canal alimentaire. Fig. aouonk Wd PLATE XXIV. Fig. 1—5. Le crane et les dents de la Gerboise a pieds hérissés. 6et7. Le crane de |’Alactaga, 4 plus grand que nature. 8et9. Les dents du méme animal, cing fois plus grand que nature. PLATE XXV. Fig. 1— 5. Le crane et les dents de la Gerbille Egyptienne. 6— 9. Id. de la Gerbille des Pyramides. 10—14. Id. de la Gerbille pygargue. 15—19. Id. de la Gerbille de l’Inde. PLATE XXVI. Fig. 1— 4. Le crane et les dents d’une Gerbille indéterminée. 5— 9. Id. de la Gerbille Africaine. 10—13. Id. de la Gerbille 4 courte queue. 14—18. Id. de la Gerbille otarie. , CV REBEYY PY Prune “3 * 4% pet Poe. bot: 2,GY. 25 fis 108, ? . Sib . yotdlias Baurtone Trey = oie toa Pot GO Lift 148 an ia \s : Yy y) me vy Se A FES, ous drtifes. LG es Vlaclagea-. We / yoo 44, Gerbllid Coy bint, OC 9 tetl Lypamidim: o OO é é Swaine Je MM. the, Gee A fygeiged, S3AG Geld / J adliittd on Tran Lnot Doorbdi2, GY. LA ptt p : : Swaine sc. i i f “ vA 7 ‘J 4 > - A. tables eo, VZA AP Yroants IAG, Geth Crowded “itd. bipAb, Ye? ¢: Olt, [ 149 ] XI. Description of a new Genus of Mammiferous Animals from Australia, belonging probably to the Order Marsupialia. By Grorce R. Wateruovuse, Esq., Curator to the Zoological Society. Communicated by the Secretary. Read December 18, 1836. Havine, at different times, brought before the notice of the Society two specimens of a small quadruped, apparently undescribed, I will now endeavour to point out its generic and specific characters ; but before I proceed, it will be as well, perhaps, to state what is known of the history of the two specimens in question. The first was procured by Lieutenant Dale, of Liverpool, whilst on an exploring party in the interior of the country at the Swan River settlement, and was discovered about ninety miles to the south-east of the mouth of that river. “Two of these animals,” says Lieutenant Dale, ‘‘ were seen within a few miles of each other ; they were first observed on the ground, and on being pursued, both di- rected their flight to some hollow trees which were near. We succeeded in capturing one of them; the other was unfortunately burnt to death in our endeavour to dislodge it by fumigating the hollow tree in which it had taken refuge. The country in which they were found, abounded in decayed trees and ant-hills.” The second individual, I am informed, was found in Van Diemen’s Land'; and others similar to it have been seen in the act of burrowing or digging at the roots of trees in search after insects. The favourite haunts are stated to be in those situations in which the Port Jackson willow abounds. To the genus of which the present animal constitutes the type, I propose the title of Myrmecobius*. Genus Myrmecosivs. Dentes incisores aH canini Apel pseudo-molares need , molares o— — Ls ; 6 = R=3 — Pedes antici 5-dactyli; digitis tribus intermediis longioribus ; postici 4-dactyli; digitis duobus intermediis interiore longioribus ; externo brevissimo ; unguibus longis, subacutis, subfalcalaribus ; scelides antepedibus longiores. Caput elongatum, rhi- nario producto. Auricule mediocres, ad apicem angustiores et subacute. Corpus gracile. Cauda mediocris. Digiti liberi. ' T cannot help suspecting there is some mistake in this statement, which, it must be observed, I have not received directly from the person who first procured the specimen ; indeed it has probably passed through many hands. Accompanying this specimen there was a skin of another animal (the Perameles Lagotis of Reid) a specimen of which is in Lord Derby’s Museum. This his Lordship received from Swan River. * Muppné, an ant; Bus, life, food, &c. 150 MR. WATERHOUSE ON A NEW The upper jaw is furaished with eight minute, pointed, and slightly compressed in- cisors, the anterior pair of which have their apices only apparent, being on a level with the gum; the three next pairs project slightly from the gum: after these follow two canines, which are of a compressed and pointed form, and have their posterior outline somewhat recurved. The false molares are also compressed ; their form approaches to that of a triangle, having the apex recurved. The first two on each side have an obscure notch anteriorly and posteriorly ; in the next pair these notches are more di- stinct, but the central lobe is less than in the foregoing false molars. The first pair of true molars are small and compressed, they have two minute tuber- cles anteriorly, and two posteriorly ; these two pairs of tubercles are separated by a considerable chasm, on the inner edge of which, and in the centre, another small tubercle is perceived. The second pair of molars are of a larger size than the last- mentioned ; their crown presents nearly a semicircular figure, and consists of several obscure blunt tubercles, arranged in three principal masses; one placed anteriorly, another posteriorly, and the third internally. The third pair of molars are shorter and broader than the second; their crown consists of three large blunt tubercles arranged in a triangle, and disposed in the same manner as the three masses of tubercles of the preceding pair of molars. The fourth pair of molars are of the same general character as the third. The fifth and last pair are very small ; their crown is of a triangular form, and consists of three obscure blunt tubercles, two of which are placed in a line parallel to the occipital portion of the skull. In the lower jaw the incisors are about the same size and form as those of the upper, if we except the front pair, which are large and compressed ; they project forwards, and are somewhat recurved at the apex. The canines and false molars of the lower jaw are also of the same size and form as those of the upper; the last pair of false molars, however, are similar to the preceding pairs. The first pair of molars are minute and compressed, and the portion above the gum consists of three sharply-pointed tubercles arranged in a line. The second pair exceed the first in size, and exhibit three tubercles as before. The three following pairs of molars are of the same character, but they have each four sharply-pointed tubercles, arranged in a line, and some blunt tubercles situ- ated at their base on the external side. The last pair of molars resemble the preceding, excepting that they are of a smaller size, and possess only three sharp tubercles.’ In the lower jaw the posterior false molars have somewhat of an inward inclination, but in the true molars this inclination is more evident ; indeed it appears as if the ex- ternal sides of the lower teeti were opposed to the crowns of the upper; but upon examination we find that the inner side only of each tooth is properly developed, and constitutes the sharply-pointed tubercles above described: the outer side of these teeth consists only of blunt tubercles, which are scarcely elevated above the gum. This form of tooth evidently arises from the inward inclination of the edge of the lower jaw. Owing to the narrow and elongated form of the snout, the incisors are placed late- GENUS OF MARSUPIAL ANIMALS. 151 rally and remote from each other. The space on each side between the last pair of incisors of the upper jaw and the canines is very considerable, and when the jaws are closed is occupied by the lower canines. The false molars of both jaws are also remote from each other and from the canines; in fact, the only teeth which are in positive contact are the two last molars of the upper jaw, and the three posterior molars of the lower. The molar teeth are so little produced that their apices are scarcely visible until the gum is removed ; they are very weak, and the part protruded through the gum consists of small tubercles’. Species. MyrMecosius FASCIATUS. Myrm. colore ochraceo-fulvo, pilis albis sparsim intermiztis ; dorso dimidio posteriore fasciis transversalibus nigris atque albis alternatem ornato; guld, pectore, abdomine, artu- busque interne subflavescentibus ; artubus externé fulvis ; tibiis anticé albescentibus ; caudd fere corporis longitudinem equante, indutd pilis nigris, albis, atque fulvis com- mictis. The reddish hue of the fore part of the body is gradually blended into the black, which is the prevailing colour of the posterior half, and which is adorned with nine white fascie. The first, which is indistinct, commences about midway between the head and the root of the tail, and is interrupted on the back by the ground colour of the body, and so likewise is the second fascia. The third and fourth fascie extend un- interruptedly from side to side of the body; the four following are interrupted on the back by the dark colouring of the interstices, which divides them in an oblique manner, so that they appear to dovetail with each other. The ninth fascia is uninterrupted. The fur consists of two kinds of hair; the under hair is scanty, and of a whitish- grey colour: the upper hair is rather coarse, short and adpressed on the anterior parts: long on the posterior and under parts of the body; the longer hairs on the back are for the most part of a flattened and pointed form ; those on the anterior part of the back are generally black at the base, and of a fulvous colour at the apex. The hair on the head is very short, and of a brownish hue above, being composed of a mixture of black, fulvous, and a few white hairs ; there are a few black hairs springing from the sides of the muzzle and from under each eye. The hair on the tail is long and rather bushy; most of the hairs on the under part are fulvous at the base and white at the tip; on the upper side of the tail they are generally black at the base and white at the apex. In the second specimen which I had an opportunity of examining the colouring is not so bright, and the markings are less distinct, and differ in their disposition. The ' Having found in the animal said to have been brought from Van Diemen’s Land four more molars’ (two in each jaw) than in that brought by Lieutenant Dale, I thought it advisable to take the former as my guide in describing the dentition. VOL. II.—PART II, x 152 MR. WATERHOUSE ON A NEW two foremost fascie extend, over the back, from side to side of the body, and are rather indistinct, especially on the back ; behind these fascie there is a single pale line on one side of the body, which extends to the middle of the back, where it is met by two similar lines, or fascie, which have their origin on the opposite side: behind these, again, there are three distinct uninterrupted fascie, the last of which is about half an inch from the root of the tail. All these fascie are of a deep cream-colour ; and it must be observed that anterior to the foremost of them, there are some very obscure indications of fascie, consisting only of a few white hairs arranged in lines on the side of the body. . The latter half of the back in this animal, as in the last, is black, but it is more thickly interspersed with white and reddish hairs; the} anterior portion of the back is interspersed with black and white hairs (or, rather, the hairs are spotted with those colours), but its general hue is fulvous. The legs are of a buff colour. The chin, throat and under parts of the body are of a dirty yellow-white tint, approaching to a pale buff colour, on the posterior part. In. Lin. Length from nose to the root of the tail (measuring along the curve ofitheshacky gi i522%osy,Jo at Pe eee a ee | Length of tail (measured to the aid of i es Length of hind foot, to the end of the claws Length of the longest claw (which is that next the inner vanebe Length of fore foot to the end of the claws Length of the ear . : Width of ditto at the base . : Length from the nose to the anterior pakon A flac ear . Length from the nose to the eye . Or ooronwno aN With respect to the affinities of the genus Myrmecobius, I have much satisfaction in finding that my original conjecture’ (as to its being allied to the genus Phascogale) is in a great measure borne out by the structure of the skull, which I have since had an opportunity of examining, and have compared with drawings of that of the latter genus. Viewing the skull of Myrmecobius and that of Phascogale from above, we perceive a considerable degree of resemblance: the skull of Myrmecobius, however, differs in several points from that of Phascogale. But let us in the first place compare the skull of this latter animal with the crania of other species of the Dasywride,—a group in which I include the genera Thylacinus, Dasyurus, and Phascogale. If,we place side by side the skulls of the various species of these three genera (com- ' See Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Part IV., 1836., p. 69. oe _“? On GENUS OF MARSUPIAL ANIMALS. 153 mencing with the skull of Thylacinus, and ending with that of Phascogale), we can trace in the teeth.a gradual blending of the carnivorous structure into the insectivorous ; and as the skulls are modified accordingly, I shall confine my observations to the latter, my object being to show that the skull of Myrmecobius differs from that of Phascogale, chiefly in those points of structure, to which a gradual approach may be traced through species allied to the latter genus. In Thylacinus we perceive a great width and strength in the zygomatic arch, a con- siderable contraction of the cranial cavity (especially at its posterior part), a great de- velopment of the interparietal ridge and an abrupt termination of the skull immediately behind the zygomatic arch. In Dasyurus Ursinus the same general characters also obtain, but the parietals extend somewhat further back. In Das. Maugei we have still a considerable contraction of the skull in the centre of the temporal fossa, but there is a much greater lateral development of the parietal bones, indicating a more voluminous cavity for the reception of the brain ; they also extend further beyond the zygomatic arch, and dilate at their junction with the occipital bone ; the interparietal ridge is also com- paratively feeble. In the genus Phascogale this ridge is quite lost, the skull is less contracted in the middle, the parietal bones are more developed, and the cranial cavity is still more voluminous ; the upper surface of the skull is therefore more evenly convex. In the genus Myrmecobius the interparietal ridge is also wanting ; the frontal bones are very broad, and together form almost a square, and the cranial cavity exceeds that of Phascogale ; the posterior ridge of the orbital margin forms an acute process, which is not seen in the last-mentioned genus, but which occurs both in Dasyurus Ur- sinus and Thylacinus cynocephalus, although in these species the temporal bones are remarkably contracted. The hinder angle of the lower jaw in all these animals is pro- duced into an elongated process. Although in the structure of the skull the animal here described evinces an affinity to Phascogale, it differs from that genus in the want of a thumb to the hind feet, and in the strength and larger size of the claws of the fore feet, which are shaped somewhat like those in the genus Herpestes, and are evidently suited to burrowing. The fore- legs are also stouter in proportion, and the feet are stronger. In their narrow and pointed shape, the ears resemble those of Perameles nasutus, and differ from those of Phascogale; they also differ in being tolerably well clothed with hairs both externally and internally. I imagine that in the present animal I can perceive a slight approach to the Edentate Marsupialia, or the Monotrémes of Cuvier, and think that, analogically, it may be com- pared to the genus Tupaia among the true Insectivora, bearing a somewhat similar con- nection with Echidna and Ornithorhynchus, to that which exists between the last-men- tioned genus and the genera Erinaceus and Mygale. That there is a greater dissimi- larity in structure between the genus Myrmecobius and the Monotrémes, than between Tupaia and Mygale, must be allowed ; we are, however, in a measure prepared for this, x2 154 MR. WATERHOUSE ON A NEW GENUS, ETC. by the comparatively sudden transitions from one form to another which we find in the Marsupialia, which group, we must also bear in mind, stands low in the grade of or- ganization among Mammalia. Fig. 1. Plate XXVII. Myrmecobius fasciatus. Plate XXVIII. Cranium of Myrmecobius fasciatus seen from above. Cranium seen laterally. Palate and teeth of upper jaw. a. Posterior molar of upper jaw magnified. b, c, d, and e. The four preceding molars magnified. Teeth of the upper jaw magnified. Teeth of the lower jaw magnified. a. Last molar but two seen from above. Half the lower jaw seen from above, with the teeth as seen in first specimen. Side view of the same. Under side of left fore foot. a. Side view of claw of fourth toe. Under side of right hind foot. a. Claw of the inner toe. EE a —_—— VA PDIP DL PHO rucihyy 2 4 of fe oye gy 2 IT UML tO Vey 6 Pip Poe PEO aes cel ll = aeons ” 2 off Ag Swarne fe, t.Joc: bet. 2, Vy. Or SOO Mand: ' é CRP a. ao ~ ' / 3; Aaa am ey (yy Men aa A [ 155 ] XII. Descriptions of several new Species of Insects belonging to the Family of the Sacred Beetles. By J. O. Westwoop, Esq., F.L.S. &c., Secretary to the Entomological So- ciety. Communicated by the Secretary. Read January 24, 1837. THE family of the Sacred Beetles has attracted the attention of the admirers of Na- ture from the earliest ages, not only on account of the circumstance of the insects of which it is composed having formed portion of the many objects ‘‘ qualia demens Aigyptus coluit,” but also from the extraordinary habits of the insects themselves, which were indeed the cause of their being selected by the Egyptians as objects of worship. But this group of insects has, in more recent times, been regarded by naturalists with interest, from its having led to the publication of the most philosophical work which has for a great length of time appeared upon the relations and natural distribution of the Animal Kingdom, the ‘ Hore Entomologice ;’ in the preface to which work the author expressly states that it was with the view of ascertaining the real situation in nature of the Scarabeus sacer, that he undertook the task of endeavouring to arrange animals upon a plan which appeared more in harmony with their real relations, than that developed in any previous system. How far this has been effected time and a more perfect acquaintance with the objects of the animated world will prove. It will be sufficient here to state, that the genus Scarabeus of Linnzus was strictly analysed and divided into two parallel columns, each containing five families, and that two genera composing the restricted family Scara- beide were also analysed, namely, Scarabeus and Phaneus, the former being divided into five types of form, and the latter (as far as was then known) into four, an evident hiatus existing between two of the types of form, which it was supposed by the author would eventually be filled up by insects possessing certain characters, which he therein indicated. The two groups thus analysed have been subsequently held up by the supporters of the doctrines of the Hore Entomologice as evidences of the correctness of such doc- trines, and as illustrations of the practical application of the theory to the lowest groups, namely, genera and subgenera. Confining ourselves to the restricted family Scarabeide of MacLeay, it will be seen that this author gives no indication of the five, or other number of genera, of which he considers that the family consists ; and it is only by looking through the various observations upon the family in different parts of his work, that we find, in addition to the two genera mentioned above (Scarabeus and Pha- 156 MR. WESTWOOD ON SOME NEW neus), the genera Onitis, Onthophagus, Copris, Canthon and Ateuchus casually noticed ; there being no analysis of the family Scarabeide itself. The genus Scarabeus itself, as restricted in the Hore Entomologice, has for its es- sential characters, the tibie of all the legs furnished with a single spur ; the head subtri- gonate or, rhomboidal, never cornuted ; the elypeus radiated, bidentate or emarginate ; the thoraz elliptical, margined, often impressed on each side with a puncture, which is occasionally indistinct ; broader than the abdomen ; the anterior tarsi often obsolete, &c. The genus thus characterised is divided into the five following subgenera or types of form: 1. Heliocantharus ; 2. Mnematium; 3. Pachysoma; 4. [Wanting] ; 5. Gymno- pleurus. Since the publication of the Hore Entomologice the family has received but little ad- dition. It will be essential, however, with a view to the discovery of the relations of the insects about to be described, that the student should be put in possession of what has been done by subsequent writers. The description by Mr. Kirby of a remarkable insect from Soudan, ‘‘ forming a distinct and new type in the genus Scarabeus”’ of MacLeay, under the name of Scarabeus femoralis, in the ‘ Zoological Journal,’ must be regarded of the first importance, as interfering with the distribution of the types of form composing that genus given in the Hore Entomologice ; whilst the same author, whose knowledge of the Scarabai is fully admitted by Mr. MacLeay, observes that ‘in Copris, MacLeay, I seem in my own cabinet to possess ten or twelve distinct types ; and in Phaneus, the fifth type, which Mr. MacLeay regards as containing insects resembling all the other types, appears to me rather divided into two; one formed by Phan. carnifex, vindex, igneus, &c., and the other by Phan. splendidulus, floriger, Kirbii, &e.”* Latreille has done little towards the recent elaboration of this group of insects. The following short synopsis will show his distribution as given in the Second Edition of the Régne Animal. CopropPHaGi. Sect. 1. Corresponding with the family Scarabeide, MacL. A. Corresponding precisely with the genus Scarabeus, MacL., containing the genera Ateuchus,” Weber, with Heliocantharus and Pachysoma as sections, but entirely omitting Mnematium. 1 Introduction to Entomology, vol. iv. p. 400. 2 The generic name Ateuchus, as proposed by Weber, was intended to designate all the unarmed, unscutel- lated, long-legged Coprides of Fabricius, including the sections in this Table indicated under the letters A and B, a; having the Scarabaus sacer as the typical species (Ent. Syst. i. p.62.). The genus having been subse- quently dismembered, the name has properly been retained by the French authors for the Sacred Beetles; but as the names Scarabeus and Heliocantharus ought to be given to those insects, the name Ateuchus must sink as a synonym, and not be employed as Messrs. MacLeay and Vigors (Zool. Journ. No. 8.) propose to employ it as the generic name for some of the species belonging to Section B, a, in the above Table. SPECIES OF SACRED BEETLES. 157 Gymnopreurus, Illig. B. Intermediate tibie with two spurs, basal joint of labial palpi always larger than the following. a. Four posterior tibie not dilated at the tip, nor in the shape of an elongated triangle. Genera Sisyphus, Latr.; Circellium, Latr.; Coprobius, Latr.; Che- ridium, St. Farg. & Serv. ; Hyboma, St. F. & Serv. ; Eurysternus, Dalm. (Zischrotes, St. F. & Serv.). b. Four posterior tibie dilated at the extremity, and of an elongated triangular form ; head and thoraz often cornuted in the males. Genera Oniticellus, Onthophagus, Onitis, Phaneus and Copris. Sect. 2. Corresponding with the family Aphodiide, MacL. A modification of this distribution, arising from the discovery of another remarkable insect, Ateuchus Adamastor, is given in the Encyclopédie Méthodique by Messrs. Serville and Saint Fargeau as follows : CopropPHaci. A. Corresponding with the Scarabeide of MacLeay. * Scutellum wanting. + Four posterior tibie subcylindric, not dilated at the tips. Genera Ateuchus, Gymnopleurus, Hyboma, Sisyphus. +t Four posterior titie, short, dilated at the tips. Genera Onthophagus, Phaneus, Copris, Cheridium. b. Scutellwm small but distinct, or represented by a space. Genera Onitis, Oniticellus, Aischrotes. B. Corresponding with the family Aphodiide, MacL. The genus Ateuchus, here no longer characterised by the presence of a single spur on each intermediate tibia, is thus distributed into sections. I. Clypeus trilobed with six points, &c. (Heliocantharus, MacLeay.). 1. Four posterior tibie obliquely truncate, prolonged into an inarticulate spur. (Sacer, &c.) 2. Four posterior tibie truncated at the tips, the posterior pair having a single spur. A. Intermediate tibie with a single articulated spur. (Semipunctatus, laticollis, &c.) B. Intermediate tibie with two articulated spurs. (Ateuchus adamastor, Sp. Nov. Cap. Bon. Sp.) II. Clypeus not trilobed, four posterior ¢ibie truncated. 158 MR. WESTWOOD ON SOME NEW 1. Four posterior tibie, with a single spur to each. (Pachysoma, MacL.) 2. Intermediate tibie with two spurs, posterior with one. A. Clypeus bidentate, thorax truncate behind, abdomen rounded. (Bacchus.) B. Clypeus 2—6—dentate, thorax rounded behind, abdomen square. (volvens, triangularis, &c.) The establishment of the genus Anamnesis by Mr. Vigors (in the eighth Number of the ‘ Zoological Journal’), and Deltochilum by Eschscholtz (in the Entomographien), have indicated the existence of two groups very nearly allied to Hyboma. Megathopa Eschscholtz, is closely allied to Circellum ; Scatonomus, Erichson, to Coprobius ; Drepa- nocerus, Kirby, to Eurysternus and Dendropemon, Perty ; Enicotarsus, Guerin, to Oni- ticellus. Such, as far as I am aware, are the only modifications suggested relative to the distribution of the Scarabeide, or additions made to the rest of its published genera since the publication of the Hore Entomologice. From a review of the two tabular sketches of the family presented above, it will be seen that indications in both are given of the separation of the family into sections from the general structure of the four hind legs; and it appears to me that a distribution founded upon such a character must be strictly natural, that is, with reference to the natural ceconomy of the species of which the two groups are composed, all the long- legged species being strictly ‘“pilularii” or dung-rollers, the habit being as strongly developed in the Sisyphi and Coprobii as in the Scarabei of MacLeay. We have seen that the essential character of the genus Scarabeus consists in the in- termediate tibie being only provided with a single spur : it appears to me, however, that if this be really the character of the genus, those Scarabei must be excluded which may be strictly said to have no spur on the intermediate tibie (Section I. 1. of Saint Fargeau and Serville). How far this observation, together with the description of the Scarabeus femoralis, may render necessary the modification of the characters of the genus Scarabeus, must be left for others more competent to the task than myself to decide. I will only observe that the Ateuchus adamastor of Saint Fargeau and Serville, and the insects hereinafter described, appear to be so intimately connected with species of the genus Scarabeus, MacLeay, that in my humble opinion the points of connexion between them and Scarabeus are far too numerous to be overweighed by their possession of a pair of spurs on the middle tibig, which alone separates them from that genus ; while at the same time the characters of Ateuchus adamastor and the insect first hereinafter de- scribed seem even to render necessary an extension of the characters of the subgenus Heliocantharus, with which they entirely agree, except in the possession of a pair of spurs on the intermediate tibia. I have, however, provisionally regarded these, as well as the others, as distinct types, and which a further analysis of the long-legged Scara- beide may perhaps prove to be essential. SPECIES OF SACRED BEETLES. 159 ScELiAGEs'. Corpus latum subdepressum. Caput subtrigonum planum, clypeo trilobato, lobo intermedio valdé emarginato, apicibus emarginature obtusis, lobis intermediis obliquis angulis haud productis. Antenne 9-articulate, clava subglobosa, articulo 1mo longissimo, 2ndo brevi, 3tio paullo longiori, tribus proximis brevibus subzequalibus sed sensim latioribus, 7mo magno inferne producto, articulos duos terminales in sinu ejus includente, ultimo 8vo mi- nori. Labrum membranaceum transversum ciliatum, lateribus incurvis. Mandibule elongate, plane, submembranacee, intus ciliate. Mazille elongate ad apicem lobis duobus membranaceis terminate, lobo supero maximo ciliato. Palpi maxillares breves subfiliformes, 4-articulati, articulo basali minuto, reliquis longitudine cres- centibus, ultimo longo obovato. Mentum valde pilosum oblongum anticé attenuatum, margine antico fere recte truncato. Labium bipartitum, ciliatum, membranaceum. Palpi labiales abbreviati, 3-articulati, pilis rigidis obtecti, articulis magnitudine de- crescentibus, ultimo minuto. Thorax (seu Pronotum) latior quam longior, postice abdomine paullo latior, lateribus rotundatis. Mesosternum magnum, prominens, et inter pedes intermedios (basi subdistantes), elevatum. Elytra cum lateribus ad basin integris. Tibie antice magne, pone medium intus curvate, externé dentibus quatuor obtusis, interne serrulate, ad apicem calcari minuto instruct, etarsate. Pedes 4 postici elongati ; tibiis extus vix spinosis, intermediis bicalcaratis (calcaribus obtusis et mobilibus) posticis 1-calcaratis, calcari longo acuto. Tarsi 4 postici forme ordinariz, pilosi 2-unguiculati. Abdomen depressum. Scexiaces lopas. Scel. ater, nitidus, levis, clypei dentibus duobus intermediis obtusis subelevatis, capite antice punctatissimo, thorace levissimo, elytris punctis nonnullis minutissimis wrregularibus, strusque sex longitudinalibus simplicibus, fere obliteratis; tibiis anticis intus et extus ser- rulatis, latere externo obtuse quadridentatis ; tibiis intermediis extus spinis duabus mi- nutis acutis, posticis tribus. Long. corp. circiter 10 lin. Habitat in Africa australiori. In Mus. Rev, Hope et P. Walker, Equ. Obs. Congenericus videtur Ateuchus Adamastor, Enc. Meth. x. p. 351. ANOMIOPSIS*. Pedes elongati, tibiz intermedie curvate bicalcarate, calcaribus mobilibus interno elon- 4 ' Zredeayes, cruris fractio. > "Avduouos, dissimilis; et” Ovus, facies. VOL. II,—PART II, y 160 MR. WESTWOOD ON SOME NEW gato acuto, externo breviori spatuliforme. Turst pedum anticorum obsoleti, quatuor posticorum depressi, setosi, unguibus nullis. Palpi maxillares, filiformes ; arti- culis tribus ultimis longitudine fere equalibus ; labiales difformes, articulo 2ndo maximo transverso-ovato, ultimo minutissimo precedente interné et oblique inserto. Obs. Species duas, hisce characteribus, in hac familia insolitis, gaudentes, adhuc vidi, at- tamen aliter inter se tantim discrepantes ut typi formarum diversarum forsan ha- berentur. Sect. 1. Clypeus antice cornubus duobus porrectis depressis ; thorar transversus linea impressa longitudinali et puncto utrinque ordinario, marginibus lateralibus pilosis ; abdomen parvum semicirculare. Tibi antice dilatate obtusé 4-dentate. Anomiopsis DioscoripDEs. An. ater aitidus punctatissimus, elytris 6-punctato-striatis, capitis thoracisque lateribus, femoribus anticis tarsisque quatuor posticis longé rufo-hirtis. Long. corp. 13 lin. Habitat ? {n Mus. Patr. Walker, Equ. Descr. Caput latum transversum, lateribus posticé subrotundatis ; clypeo in lobos tres diviso, lateralibus parvis ; intermedio anticé valde porrecto bifido, punctato, capitis parte postica sublevi. Antenne longiores, 9-articulate, clava elongata, sat gracili, articulis 3, 4,5, et 6 longitudine decrescentibus; 6to interne subproducto, ultimis tri- bus subzequalibus ; Labrum membranaceum antice emarginatum, dente parvo medio; lateribus incurvis ; Mandibule subtrigone obtuse plane subcoriacez. Mazille cor- new, lobo terminali obtuso, palpis maxillaribus 4-articulatis, articulo 1mo parvo, re- liquis tribus filiformibus longitudine fere zqualibus. Mentum subconicum lateribus ad basin rotundatis apiceque emarginato. Labium membranaceum ciliatum bipar- titum ; Palpis labialibus difformibus valde setigeris articulo 1mo obconico, 2ndo magno, externe valde producto obliquo, 3tio minimo ovali ante apicem latera- lem supra inserto, inde parte producta setisque articuli precedentis subtus incon- spicua est. Thorax transversus disco subconvexo, linea longitudinali centrali punctisque duobus lateralibus impressus, punctatissimus, lateribus rufo-hirtis. Ely- tra thorace paullo angustiora, semicircularia, nigra nitida punctatissima striisque sex punctorum majorum in singulo impressis. Tibie antic valide, obtuse 4-den- tate, apice calcari unico acuto instructe, tarsis nullis; ¢bie intermedie extus curvate, serrulate, ad apicem calcaribus duobus instruct, calcari interno elon- gato acuto, externo obtuso spatuliforme : tibie postice sublineares fere recta, ex- terné serrulatz, ad apicem calcari unico elongato acuto interné instructe : tarsi 4 postici compressi 5-articulati, longé rufo setigeri, articulo ultimo ovato ; unguibus nullis. SPECIES OF SACRED BEETLES. 161 Sect. 2. Clypeus trilobatus lobo intermedio emarginato, angulis lateralibus paullo pro- ductis, obtusis. Caput cornu elevato verticali armatum. Thorax impressione centrali valde irregulari et puncto utrinque ordinario ; angulis posticis reflexis. Tibia antice graciles, externe subsinuate. ANOMIOPSIS STERQUILINUS. An. ater nitidus punctatissimus conveaus, elytris semicircularibus, striis sex simplicibus in singulo, thoracis lateribus tibiisque quatuor posticis serrulatis ; capite, thorace, tarsisque breviter rufo-hirtis. Long. corp. 10 lin. Habitat 2 In Mus. Patr. Walker, Equ. Dezscr. Caput mediocre subtrigonum, clypei lobis tribus, duobus lateralibus vix di- stinctis, intermedio majori emarginato, angulis anticis paulo productis et obtusis. Capitis vertex cornu brevi acuto elevato. Trophi fere ut in precedenti. Thorax transversus, abdomine vix latior, lateribus rotundatis serrulatis breviter rufo- hirtis, angulis posticis reflexis, disco elevato et in medio impressione lata et irregulari antic’ in tuberculos duos rotundatos terminato ; punctatissimus. Ely- tra convexa semicircularia, punctatissima ; lineis 6 longitudinalibus leviter sin- guloimpresso. Tibie antice graciles, margine externo subsinuato, nec dentato, calcari parvo acuto unico terminali. Tibie intermedi extus curvate, serrulate, apice paulo dilatato, bicalcarate, calcari interno brevi obtuso, externo elongato acuto. Tibie postice elongate fere recte serrulate, calcari unico elongato acuto ad apicem interné instructe. Tarsi antici nulli, 4 postici depress! setigeri, unguibus nullis. Obs. The two insects last above described present such a total diversity of habit and form, that unless minutely investigated they would certainly be considered as two distinct types of form which ought to be placed widely apart. When, however, we examine them in detail, they are found to agree in several very remarkable peculiarities, such as the form of the labial and maxillary palpi, the structure of the middle and posterior tibie, tibial spurs, and tarsi, so that it is impossible to do otherwise than place them in the same genus, although certainly differing far more widely from each other in habit than the other groups or types of form of Scarabeus, which are established almost entirely upon variations of habit. It must, therefore, be considered a very remarkable circumstance, that whilst amongst the Scarabeide in general, the uniformity in the structure of the trophi is so great that we find the remark applied to them, ‘¢Instrumentis in cibariis haud valida patet distinctio,” these two greatly diversified forms should possess not only a similarity of organization in these parts, but that this organization should be so anomalous ; for it is in vain that we look throughout the insect world for labial palpi of a form analogous to that in these two species ; but it is ¥2 162 MR. WESTWOOD ON SOME NEW still more remarkable that the same identity should exist in several other curious cha- racters of the two insects as above detailed. In the former species (A. Dioscorides) we find a striking approximation to the form of the Pachysome (Scarab. Aisculapius and Hippocrates); but the second species (A. Sterquilinus) recedes from every known species of long-legged Scarabeide in having the head cornuted and the surface of the thorax irregularly channelled. In Hyboma carinata (Westw. in Mag. Zool. & Bot., October and December 1836), we indeed find the latter character, and this genus is also assimilated to Anomiopsis in the structure of the antenne ; but in comparing the figures which I have here given of Anomiopsis with those of Hyboma carinata, above referred to, and Hyboma Guildingii (Westw. in Brit. Cyclop., Pl. Beetles), it will be evident that the habit of Anomiopsis is decidedly towards Scarabeus. I much regret that I cannot state with precision the real locality of these two per- plexing insects, the late lamented Sir Patrick Walker, in whose collection they were contained, (and who kindly permitted me to describe and figure as well as to dissect the specimens, although uniques,) having purchased them from a dealer, with various miscellaneous exotic species, but including many Javanese insects. PLATE XXIX. Fig. 1. Scrxiacezs Iopas, and details. 1. The insect, of the natural size. 1a. The same, seen laterally. 1b. The same, seen from beneath. 1¢. Labrum. 1 d. Mandible. ie. Mazilla. if. Instrumenta labialia. 1g. Ditto, seen from within the mouth. m. Mentum. 1. Labium. 1, p. Labial palpi. 1 kh. Antenna, seen from below. 1%. Terminal joints of ditto, seen from above. 1k. Anterior tibia. il. Intermediate tibia and tarsus. 1 m. Posterior tibia and tarsus. Fig. 2. Anomiopsis Dioscoripss, and details. 2. The insect, of the natural size. 2a. Labrum. 2 b. Mandible. SPECIES OF SACRED BEETLES. 163 2¢. Maailla. 2 d. Instrumenta labialia, from beneath. 2 e. Labial palpus removed. 2 f. Antenna. 2g. Anterior tibia. 2h, Intermediate tibia and tarsus. 2%. Tarsus detached. 2k. Extremity of posterior tibie and base of posterior tarsus. Fig. 3. ANomiopsis STerQuILINuS, and details. 3. The insect, of the natural size. sa, The same, seen laterally. 3b. Labrum. 3c. Mandible. 3d. Mazilla. 3 €. Instrumenta labialia. 3 f. Labial palpus detached. 3g. Underside of meso- and metathorax. 3h. Anterior tibia. 31. Intermediate tibia and base of tarsus. 3k. Posterior tibia and tarsus. Addend,—Since the preceding memoirwas readI have seen three or four distinct species most closely allied to Anomiopsis Dioscorides, in the Collection of Charles Darwin, Esq., by whom they were collected in the southern part of South America, at Bahia Blanca and Mendoza, where they reside in the excrement of the Rhea. I have therefore no hesitation in now regarding A. Sterquilinus as a distinct sub- genus, for which the name of Glyphiderus' may be proposed, in allusion to the remark- able sculpture of the thorax. ' TAvdw, sculpo; et Aépn, collum. a; = me Toeeneaty B Tage ghee friah ratte ~ mae ere a come gu stage uw) 1) MRE ide ¥atnif . ; #5 ey sinh 16, RAS 5 not 3 st ee at tiger " sit peers AY votive “edie Lot boul at a 5 ee ¥ ~‘‘ Hy ceva orld at Bet iothaae tare gpa popes fet: XL ¥, iP aes 7 sosubuypa , ey ee Aeol . het rod a) Mo ash id oe ar ae Ati oli te Sut TOW det? ‘ * “4 «- ¢ “ ’ : ’ . E | 3 - ‘ sa pt ‘ i j | 7 , ‘ . ? 4 | | >? ; | | , .* | | | . a ; i ‘ Z : oe -. — = “ _ a — 7 - id me : : [ 165 ] XIII. Osteological Contributions to the Natural History of the Orang Utans (Simia, Erxleben). By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Ana- tomy at the Royal College of Surgeons. Communicated October 25, 1836. THE interest which is attached to the Orang Utans, their rarity and limited geogra- phical distribution, and the obscurity which still envelopes the history of the species which appertain to the genus Simia as limited by Erxleben, induce me to offer to the Zoological Society some additional observations on that subject, which I hope may contribute to extend and establish our knowledge of those remarkable anthropoid in- habitants of the forests of the larger islands of the Indian Archipelago. These observations relate only to the skull and teeth,—parts of the osseous system, however, which each day’s experience seems to indicate as the principal points from which the best and surest specific as well as generic differences may be derived. The descriptions are accompanied with drawings of the objects described of the natural size. The first part of this paper describes an interesting stage in the change of the teeth in the great Orang of Borneo (Simia Wurmbii) ; the second part relates to a skull of an Orang in which that change had been completed, but which retains proportions and presents a form apparently specifically distinct from those in any other known species. Hitherto the proof of the immature state of the so-called Simia Satyrus has been de- rived from the discovery of the germs of large permanent teeth, hidden within the cavity of the jaw-bones'. In the specimen now before the Society, (P]. XXX., figg. 1, 2, 3.) some of the permanent teeth have come into use, and have displaced their puny prede- cessors. ' Since this paper was read, the Livraison of the Monoyraphies de Mammalogie of M. Temminck, containing the important observations of its distinguished author on the rich collection of osteological and stuffed specimens of the Simia Satyrus in the celebrated Museum at Leyden, has been published. The wrapper of the Livraison bears date 1835, but reference is made in the text, (p. 122) to a letter received by M. Temminck, from Borneo, bearing date the 5th of October, 1836. It would have been unpardonable in me to have neglected the writings of so great an authority on the subject of the Orangs, had they been accessible at the time when the abstract of the present memoir was published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society. The following is a summary of the observations recorded by M. Temminck on the progress of dentition in the Orang of Borneo. In an individual, 1 foot 5 inches high, all the deciduous teeth are in place; they correspond in number and kind with those of the human subject; but the molars of the lower jaw are larger; none of the permanent teeth are developed. VOL. I1.—PART III. Zz 166 MR. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY My previous observations led to a knowledge only of the size of the permanent teeth, and opportunities like the present were wanting to gain an insight into the amount of deviation from, or resemblance to the human subject which the Orang presented in regard to the order of their development. The skull of the Orang here described belonged to an individual measuring from the verter to the heel two feet, eleven inches; its native habitat could not be ascer- tained with certainty, but I infer from the straightness of the contour of the skull between the orbits and intermaxillary bones, from the position of the foramen magnum occipitale, and the form of the zygoma and position of its suture, that this immature specimen must belong to the large species which inhabits the Island of Borneo (Sima Wurmbii.). By comparing the side view of this skull with that given in Pl. 55, fig. 2., of the First Volume of the Society’s Transactions, it will be seen that a considerable change has taken place in the antero-posterior extent of attachment of the temporal muscle ; the mastoid ridge has, as it were, shifted its place, and retreated, by progressive absorption and deposition, nearer to the occipital plane of the skull. The size of the cranial cavity remains unchanged, but its parietes are thickened, especially at the line of the lambdoidal suture, preparatory to the development of the great ridge which is continued from that part in the adult ; the zygomatic arches are also strengthened, and the superior maxillaries more produced, while the intermaxillaries, having given passage to the crowns of large permanent incisors, appear to have fallen in; the rami of the lower jaw are widened and deepened, and the horizontal portions lengthened in corre- spondence with the growth of the upper jaw. The permanent teeth in place in the upper jaw are the two middle or anterior incisors, and the first and second molars ; the remaining teeth, viz., the lateral incisors, the canines, and the molares, which oc- cupy the place of the future bicuspides, belong to the deciduous series. In the lower jaw both the middle and lateral permanent incisors are in place, as also the first and second permanent molares on each side ; the rest of the teeth consist of the deciduous canines and molares, corresponding to those of the upper jaw, together with one of the lateral incisors which has not yet been shed, but which retains only an insecure attachment in front of the corresponding permanent incisor. In two other individuals a little more advanced in age, the two middle permanent incisors of the upper jaw have come into place, together with the first permanent molar. M. Temminck describes the second molar in these examples as having four tubercles (p. 130.); it is therefore deciduous, and would be replaced by the second bicuspis: the third molar which he describes, is the first of the permanent true molares. In a female Orang, 2 feet, 4 inches, 6 lines high, the following permanent teeth are in place ; the four lower incisors, the two middle upper incisors, the first and second true molares. The permanent teeth yet concealed are the lateral upper incisors, the canines, the bicuspides, and dentes sapientie. In a male measuring 2 feet, 6 inches, 9 lines in height, probably younger than the preceding, the development of the permanent incisors is not so far advanced; the two middle ones of the upper jaw having scarcely pene- trated the gum, the rest of the teeth are in the same condition. OF THE ORANG UTANS. 167 In the human subject the permanent teeth come into place and use in the following order: the first true molares (between the sixth and eighth year) ; the middle lower in- cisors, the middle upper incisors, the lateral lower incisors, the lateral upper incisors, the canines, the bicuspides, (between the seventh and ninth years) ; the second true molares (about the twelfth) ; the third molares (twentieth to thirtieth year). In the Orang Utan we see that the second true grinders are in place before the canines, or bicuspides, or even the lateral incisors of the upper jaw are shed ; but as regards the incisors, there is the same priority in the development of those of the lower jaw as in the human subject. The difference in regard to the development of the molares indi- cates the greater importance of the large grinders to the young frugivorous Orang, as compared with the higher and more omnivorous animal. Tt still remains to be determined in what order the bicuspides, last molares, and canines succeed each other. Judging from the state of advancement which they respectively exhibit, I should suppose that the huge canines would be the last to acquire their full development in the Orang Utan. The intermaxillary bones are still distinct from the maxillaries, and it is probable that the suture is not obliterated until the vascular activity in the neighbouring bone is excited by the passage into place of the permanent canine teeth. The following differences may be observed between the deciduous teeth of the Orang and those of the human subject : the first or front incisors of the upper jaw are twice as large, and the fangs are proportionally flatter and broader ; the lateral incisors very slightly exceed in size those of the human subject, but are directed more obliquely in- wards or towards the middle incisors. he four lower incisors of the Orang are nearly twice the size of those of the human subject, and differ in the relative position of the lateral pair which converge more obliquely towards the middle pair. The canines are also nearly double the size of those of the human subject, and project beyond the level of the cutting surfaces of the contiguous incisors, from which they are separated by a short diastema. The difference in size is much less considerable in the deciduous mo- lares ; it is most marked in the superior development of the second inferior molar of the Orang. The grinding surface of the anterior molars in the Orang is divided into two facets rising towards a middle transverse ridge, while the corresponding part of the grinding surface in the human first deciduous molar of the lower jaw is occupied by a depression. Before proceeding to the description of the cranium of the adult Orang, which I take to belong to an unknown species of Simia, Erxl., I shall premise a few observations on those species, of the existence of which we have evidences from descriptions and speci- mens of the entire individuals, both young and full grown. The two great islands of the Indian Ocean, Borneo and Sumatra, are each inhabited z2 168 MR. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY by a large Orang or Pongo, alike in stature, which exceeds that of any other known quadrumanous animal: they are also similar in respect to the formidable nature of their dentition, but differ in the form of the cranium, and in some minor external characters. The Bornean Pongo, if we may judge from the few specimens undoubtedly from that locality which exist in the Museums of this country, is clothed with loose long hair _of a deep fuscous colour, approaching in some parts to black’, the Sumatran Pongo is covered with loose long hair of a reddish brown colour*. The adult male of the Bornean species has the countenance disfigured by large dermal callosities upon the cheek-bones’. These do not exist in either sex of the Sumatran species. The osteological differences relating to the structure and contour of the cranium have been described in my pre- vious communication on this subject, and I now subjoin figures, of the natural size, of the cranium of an adult male, undoubtedly from Borneo, (Pl. XXXI. and XXXII.) a comparison of which with the figure of the (said to be Sumatran) Orang’s cranium, (Pl. LIII. and LIV., vol. i. Trans. Zool. Soc.) will convey an adequate idea of the osteological difference alluded to. As the teeth in both these large species of Orang closely resemble each other both in form and size, it is impossible to determine from the germs of the permanent teeth in the numerous crania of immature Orangs in our Collections, to which of the species these crania should be referred. But this is certain, that the species called Simia Satyrus by Linneus, and which Fischer inserts in his ‘‘ Synopsis Mam- malium,” in addition to the Sima Abelii and Simia Wurmbii, is an Orang Utan in the immature state, and with the deciduous teeth. All the crania of the young Orangs which I have examined contain in the substance of the maxillary bones, germs of per- manent teeth, which from their magnitude prove that the crania must have belonged to one or the other of the two great species above mentioned ; but the characters of the crania themselves are too feebly developed in the immature state to lead to more than a conjectural determination as to which of the species they may belong. With respect, however, to the cranium, now to be described, (Pl. XXXIII. and XXXIV.) the case is different. The condition of the teeth, which are all of the per- manent series and far worn down, testifies that it is not the skull of a young Orang ; while the size of the cranium, and the size and proportions of the teeth, indicate plainly the existence in Borneo of a species of Orang distinct from the great Simia Wurmbii, and altogether of a more anthropoid character. In this species, which I propose to call Simia Morio, the canine teeth are relatively smaller than in the female Simia Wurmbui ; the whole series of the grinding teeth are smaller, while the superior incisors are nearly as large, and the inferior incisors quite as large, as those of Simia Wurmbit. 1 See the young of this species No. 3, Zoological Society’s Museum, and the specimen in the College of Surgeons. 2 See the adult of this species, No. 2, ibid. 3 See the figure of the head of the male and female of this species, from specimens in the Royal Museum at Leyden, Saturday Magazine, No. 205, Sept. 12, 1835, p. 100. OPE eS OF THE ORANG UTANS. 169 The teeth in the jaws of a quadrumanous cranium may be known to belong to the permanent series, not only by their size and shape, but by the absence of the foramina, which, in an immature cranium, are situated behind the deciduous teeth, and which lead to the cavities containing the crowns of the permanent teeth. The character afforded by these foramina is well displayed on comparing together the cranium of the Simia Morio with one of a young Simia Satyrus, in which the deciduous teeth are present together with the first permanent molares. The deciduous teeth in the young Orang, besides their smaller size, have their fangs more or less protruded from their sockets, and they are thrust apart from one another by the interposition of the osseous particles which are deposited to enlarge the jaw for the lodgement of their large successors ; while in the Stmia Morio the teeth are lodged firmly in the jaws, and with the exception of the charac- teristic interval between the canines and incisors in the upper jaw, and the canines and bicuspides in the lower jaw, are compactly arranged in close contiguity with each other. That the cranium of the Simia Morio here described, belonged to an adult, is proved by the small interval between the temporal ridges at the crown of the skull, corresponding to the extensive surface of origin of the crotophyte muscles ; and by the obliteration of the intermaxillary sutures: that it belonged also to an aged individual is highly pro- bable from the extent to which the teeth are worn down, and from the obliteration, notwithstanding the absence of interparietal and lambdoidal crests, of the sagittal and lambdoidal sutures. The cerebral portion of the skull of Simia Morio equals in size that of the Pongo, and indicates the possession of a brain at least as fully developed as in that species, while the maxillary portion is proportionally smaller ; so that, as the cranium rises above the orbits, and is, like that of the Pongo, more convex on the coronal aspect than in the Chimpanzee, and wants the prominent supraciliary ridge which characterizes the African species, it presents in the Simia Morio altogether a more anthropoid character. There are, however, the rudiments of the ridges which so remarkably characterize the cranium of the mature Pongo. Those which commence at the external angle of the frontal bone pass backwards, upwards, and slightly converge, but do not meet; they gradually diminish in breadth, and, after passing the coronal suture, subside to the level of the skull ; they are then only traceable by a rough line, which leading parallel to the sagittal suture, and gradually bending outwards, rises again to be continued into the lambdoidal ridges ; thus circumscribing the origins of the temporal muscles. The lambdoidal and mastoid ridges are broader and more developed than in the Chimpanzee, but inferior in both respects to those of the Pongo. The inial region of the occiput is almost smooth, and is convex, without the mesial ridge, and strong muscular impressions observable in the Pongo, where a preponderating weight in front calls for the insertion of powerful muscles behind to counterbalance it. The temporal bones join the frontal in Simia Morio as in the Troglodytes niger ; but 170 MR. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY this structure occasionally is present on one or both sides of the skull in Sima Satyrus. The additamentum suture lambdoidalis is present on both sides in the Simia Morio, and the beginning of the lambdoidal suture may be faintly traced, but the remainder is obliterated. Directing our attention to the base of the skull of Simia Morio we observe the occipital foramen to be less posteriorly situated than in the Pongo, but more so than in the Chim- panzee. The plane of the foramen is also less oblique than inthe Pongo. The occipital condyles are as far apart anteriorly as in the Chimpanzee. The anterior condyloid foramina are double on each side as in the Pongo: the carotid and jugular foramina open within the same depression ; they are relatively further apart in the Chimpanzee : the petrous portion of the temporal bone, as in the Pongo, is relatively smaller than in the Chimpanzee ; and the articular cavity, or surface for the lower jaw, forms a larger proportion of the base of the skull. The other characters of the basis cranii correspond with those of the Pongo ; and the smaller size of the meatus auditorius externus is probably associated in both species with a smaller auricle as compared with the Chimpanzee. On the bony palate the relative position of the foramen incisivum corresponds with the development of the incisive teeth, showing the intermaxillary bones to be of larger size in the Simia Morio than in the Chimpanzee: the situation of the sutures joining these bones to the maxillaries is indicated by vascular grooves, but otherwise obliterated ; while in the cranium of a young Pongo of nearly the same size as that of the Sima Morio, the intermaxillary sutures still remain, corresponding to the non-development of the permanent laniaries. It will be interesting to determine at what period these sutures are obliterated in the more anthropoid Simia Morio. The os nasi is a single narrow long triangular bone, slightly dilated at its upper end or apex, with the basal margin entire, presenting no indications of original separation into two parts, as has been observed in skulls of the Chimpanzee. In the contraction of the interorbital space, and the general form of the orbit and its boundaries, the Simia Morio resembles the Simia Satyrus, but the orbital cavity, as before observed, is smaller. In the plane of the orbit and straight contour of the upper jaw, the Simia Morio resembles the Bornean species of Pongo or Simia Wurmbii, rather than the Simia Abelii or Sumatran Pongo. The orbital process of the os male is perforated in the Simia Morio as in the Pongo, by several large foramina. There are one principal and two very small infraorbital foramina on either side ; the upper maxillary bones are relatively smaller, as compared with the other bones of the face, and especially the intermaxillaries, than in the Pongo; a structure which coincides with the smaller proportional development of the canine teeth. The nasal aperture has the same form as in the adult Simia Wurmbiu, being more elongated than in the immature Orang. < \ . ‘ 3 : v. : ? aie + Ps - ‘ 4 GF OLE OLS CA SVAN. LOVU. Sow kot (Ss ft 6 Se del bh hth “ haat Limited by C Zudimande es trams BPEL 550 Vet : NH, fed “ Printed. by C Budimonded © Scharf ded ob lath - ‘ oy JS Jrans:Loot Sor 6 Scharf deh eh lithag Frnted by C Fallmanded. Cf f &. fy LACH AW LSVOTO ¢, 6 Scharf delet itheg Af 7 CHM (AF OTH Sunted by C Hallmandal Fe pra XIV. A Synopsis of the Fishes of Madeira; with the principal Synonyms, Portuguese Names, and Characters of the new Genera and Species. By the Rev. R. T. Lows, M.A., Corr. Memb. of the Zool. Soc. Communicated March 28, 1837. Ord. ACANTHOPTERYGIAN. Fam. Prrcipz. APOGON rex Mullorum, Cuv.— Alcaraz,” Maderensi-Lusitanice. Ouv. & Val. Hist. Nat. des Poissons, ii. p. 148. Mullus imberbis, Linn. Syst. Nat., ed. 12. 1. 496. No. 3. Rarior. Pomatomus telescopus, Risso.—‘‘ Ribaldo preto,” or ‘“‘R. do Alto.” Risso, Hist. Nat., iii. 387. P. telescopium, Cuv. & Val. ii. 171. t.24. Rariss. Serranus Cabrilla, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Garoupa.” Cuv. & Val. ii. 223. t. 29. Perca Cabrilla, Linn. i. 488. No. 33. The smooth Serranus, Yarrell’s British Fishes, i. p.9. Vulgatiss. Is the West Indian appellation ‘‘ Grouper,” derived from the Portuguese name for this fish ? Serranus Anthias, Cuv. § Val.— Imperador,” or ‘‘ Castanhéta.” Ouv. & Val. ii. 250. t. 3h. ** Anthias sacer, Bl.,” Cuv. Labrus Anthias, Linn. i. 474. No.3. Vulgaris. Serranus fimbriatus, nob.—‘‘ Mero.” S. fusco-nigricans, luteo submaculatus, maculis evanescentibus ; subtus croceus : pinnd caudali, dorsalisque analisque parte molli, postice rotundatis, nigris, candido fimbri- atis: spinis pinne dorsalis analisque breviter filamentosis : operculo spinis tribus, latis, distinctis : preoperculo deorsum subsinuato, denticulato : ossibus intermazil- laribus esquamosis. } 3 vel 4 +VII1. ; D.11+15v. 16; A.348; P.18; V.1+5; C. Pappy M.B.7; Vert. 24. S. fimbriatus, nob. in Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc., vol. vi. p. 1. t. 1. S. marginatus, nob. in Proceedings of the Zool. Soc. 1833, i. p. 142. Rarior. From one to two feet and ahalf long. In colour very like a Tench (Tinca vulga- ris, Cuv.); but the sides are mottled, or irregularly spotted with yellow. I have reluctantly changed the name to avoid confusion with Serranus Renee, Cuy. and Val. (Holocentrus eek Lacep.). Serranus fuscus, nob.—‘‘ Badeijo,” or “‘ Badeyja.” VOL, I1,—PART III. 2a 174 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS S. fusco-nigricans, maculis griseis obscuris conflwentibus subvariegatus s. marmoratus : pinnd caudali truncatd, supra sublobatd s. subemarginatd, dorsalique postice angu- latd, analique postice truncatd, nigris : spinis pinne dorsalis analisque simplicibus s. exappendiculatis : operculo spinis tribus ; duobus inferioribus angustis ; superiore ob- soletd, rudimentali, squammiformi: preoperculo deorsum subsinuato, obsolete denti- culato : ossibus intermazillaribus deorsum squamosis. D.11 4 15v. 16; A.34+11;P. i6; V.14+5;C. sve; MB. 7; Vert. 24. S. fuscus, nob. in Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc., vol. vi. pt. 1. Chcetodon Leachii, Bowdich, Exc. in Mad. & Pto. Sto. p. 124 (in part). Rarior. In size, habit, and general colour, very like the last ; but the spots on the sides are light gray, and more confused or indistinct. An excellent fish for the table. Mr. Bowdich’s Chetodon Leachii is a mixture or confusion of the present fish with the following. Polyprion cernium, Val.—‘‘ Cherné,” Sherny or Shern, Anglice. Cuv. & Val. iii. p. 21. t. 42. Cheetodon Leachii, Bowd., Exc. in Mad. p. 124 (in part). Couch’s Serranus, or Serranus Couchii, Yarr. i. 12. Vulgaris. One of the commonest and generally most esteemed fish for the table. It grows to an immense size, often weighing from fifty to one hundred pounds or more. I have Mr. Yarrell’s concurrence to the above reference of Mr. Couch’s Stone- Basse; from which this common Mediterranean and Maderan species appears occasionally to visit the coasts of Cornwall, following pieces of floating wreck or timber. Priacanthus fulgens, nob.—‘‘ Alfaraz,” or ‘‘ Realista,” or ‘‘ Alfonsin de Rolo.” P. caudé integrd, truncatd : pinné dorsali et anali postice rotundatis ; ventralibus cor- port adnatis. D. 9 v.104+13;A.3+4+ 14 v. 15; P. 17—19; V.1+5;C. 18 v. 19; M.B. 6; Vert. 23. P. fulgens, nob. in Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc., vol. vi. p. 1. t. 2. An P. macrophthalmus, Cuv. & Val. ii. 97 ? An P. boops, Eorund. ii. 103? Serranus rufus, Bowdich, Ex. in Mad. p. 122, note? Rarior. Beryx splendens, nob.—‘‘ Alfonsin.” B. ruber : pinnis ventralibus, radiis mollibus duodecim : membrand branchiostegd novem- radiata. D.4+4 14v.15;A.4430; P.1417; V.14+12;C. 2%; MB. 9; Vert. 24. B. splendens nob. in Proc. of the Zool. Soc. 1833, i. p. 142. Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc., vol. vi. p. 1. t.3. Vulgatiss. OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 175 I have reason to suspect the existence of another species in these seas, con- founded under the name of Alfonsin, which may perhaps prove to be the true Ber. decadactylus of Cuvier and Valenciennes. Trachinus Draco, Linn.—‘‘ Aranha do Mar,” Syst. Nat. 1. 435. Cuv. & Val. iii. 238. The great Weever, Yarr. i, p. 20. Rarior. Trachinus vipera, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘ Aranha,”’ Cuv. & Val. iii. 254. Lesser Weever, Yarr. i. 25. Rarior. Sphyrena vulgaris, Ouv. & Val.—‘‘ Bicuda,” Cuw. & Val. iii. 327. Esox Sphyrena, Linn. 1.515. Vulgaris. This is the Spet of Languedoc ; the Sea-pike (Luccio marino) of Italy. It is unknown in Britain. Mullus Surmuletus, Linn.—‘‘ Salmonéta,” Syst. Nat., 1. 496.—Cuv. & Val. iii. 433. Striped Red Mullet, Yarr. 1. 27. Sat frequens. Fam. Triclipz. Trigla Cuculus, Linn.—‘‘ Cabra,” or sometimes ‘‘ Ruivo,” Syst. Nat. 1. 497.—Cuv. & Val. iv. 26.—‘‘ T. pini, Bloch,” Cuv. & Val. T. lineata (Mont.), Flem. Brit. Anim. 1. 215. No. 151. The Red Gurnard, Cuckoo Gurnard, Yarr. 1. 34. Rarior. Pennant’s figure of his ‘‘ Grey Gurnard,” ¢. 54 (1st edition) appears to have been taken from a gray variety of this species, rather than from the true Gray Gurnard (Trigla Gurnardus, Linn.) ; which has the pectoral fins short, and the sides of the dorsal groove unarmed. But neither this variety nor species occurs in Madera. However, in April i827 I once saw several specimens of another gur- nard, taken in a sean upon the sandy beach of the Picdade, near Canical, at the east end of the island, which, from their large blue pectoral fins, were probably the Trigla Hirundo, L., or Sapphirine Gurnard. But at the time I unfortunately neglected to examine or preserve them, and the species has neither since occurred to me, nor do the fishermen appear at all acquainted with it. Scorpena Scrofa, Linn.—‘‘ Carneiro,” Linn. 1. 453. Cu. & Val. iv. 288. Vulgaris. Sebastes imperialis, Cuv. &§ Val. ?—‘‘ Boca negra,” or ‘‘ Pai de Gato.” S. rostro subproducto, acuto : corpore oblongo, rubro, fasciis quinque verticalibus oper- culoque fuscis ; guld intus nigrd: spinis preoperculi marginalibus 4 v. 5 validis, subuncinatis, distinctis, subequalibus : costd suborbitali equali, subinermi s. obsolete dentatd : pinnarum pectoralium radiis duobus primis octoque ultimis simplicibus ; no- vem intermediis ramosis. D.12+ 13; P.19; V.14+5;A.3+46;C.16; M.B.7; Vert. 25. Sebastes imperialis, Cuv. & Val. iv. 336? ** Scorpena dactyloptera, Laroche.” —Risso, Hist. Nat., iti. 369. Rarior. 2a2 176 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS Of the five nearly equal preopercular spines, the uppermost but one is still decidedly the largest. In almost every point, indeed, the Maderan fish answers to the description above referred to in the Histoire Naturelle of MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes. A specimen examined had, however, seven cecal appendages ; and the number of vertebre is certainly only twenty-five in the Maderan fish ; whilst the remark at p. 339 of Cuvier and Valenciennes upon their Sebastes imperialis, ‘‘ Son squelette ressemble a celui de la sébaste du Nord, a l’exception des légers détails de la téte,” seems to intimate that the number of the vertebre in their fish, (Seb. imperialis,) was the same as in S. Norvegicus, namely thirty-one. Sebastes Kuhlii, nob.—-‘‘ Requeime.”” S. rostro subproducto, acuto: corpore subovali; dorso antice gibbo ; rubro, maculis olivaceo-flavis, capiteque strigis flavis picto : ore intus carneo ; guld superne maculd rubra: spinis preoperculi subquinis, inequalibus, abbreviatis: costd suborbitali in- e@quali, dentaté : spind solitarid in corpore supra basin pinnarum pectoralium ; harum radiis omnibus simplicibus. D.124+10;P.17;V.1+5;A.3+6;C. 16; M.B. 7; Vert. 24. Scorpena Kuhlii, Bowd., Exc. in Mad., p.123. Vulgaris. A very handsome, though extremely common fish: its usual size is about a foot long. Sebastes Maderensis, nob.—‘‘ Rocaz.” S. corpore oblongo, dorso antice gibbo, olivaceo-rubro, fasciis latis verticalibus fuscis : capite latissimo, magno ; rostro abbreviato, obtuso : ore guldque intus pallide carneis, immaculatis : spinis preoperculi marginalibus quatuor, rectis, parviusculis, subequa- libus : costd suborbitali inequali, valide spinosa : spinis duabus in corpore supra basin pinnarum pectoralium ; harum radio primo decemque ultimis simplicibus ; quatuor intermediis ramosis. D. 12410; P.15;V.1+5;4.346;C. 2+0; MB. 7. Scorpena Maderensis, Cuv. & Val. ix. 463. Vulgaris. A small pretty species, four or five inches long ; found very commonly in pools left by the tide amongst the rocks. Fam. Scir#2nipz. Pristipoma Bennettii, nob.—‘‘ Roncador,” “‘ Roqueirao,” or “‘ Salmao.” P. dorso pinnisque maculdque operculari olivaceo vel ereo-fuscis : lateribus chalybeis ; ventre argenteo : membrand branchiostegd operculoque intus aurantiis : caudd furcata. D.12+16;A.3+4 12v. 13; P. 17; V.145; C.¢poyaq; MB. 7; Vert. 26. Rarior. From eight to ten or twelve inches long. Except the spot above the angle of _— OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 177 the operculum, immaculate ; the dorsal and caudal fins being of the same uniform, rich olive or yellowish-brown umbre, as the back. The anal fin is paler, and the pectorals are brighter, but of the same tint, which also in some specimens spreads quite down the sides of the body. The sixteenth ray of the dorsal fin, and twelfth or thirteenth of the anal, are double, or forked to their base. Notwithstanding the external differences just indicated, I should scarcely have ventured, in the absence of better materials for comparison, to found upon them a new species, in a genus so intricate as Pristipoma, had they not been corrobo- rated by certain. important anatomical characters, at variance particularly with those assigned by MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes to their P. Rogerii (Hist. Nat. v. p. 254), the species which in other respects appeared most nearly allied to the Maderan fish. Its name is a tribute due to the memory of my much-regretted friend, E. T. Bennett, Esq., late Secretary to this Society. Glyphisodon luridus, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘‘ Castanhéta Ferreira,” Cuv. & Val. v. 475, and ix. 509. Rarior. Heliastes limbatus, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘‘ Castanheta baia,” Cuv. & Val. ix. 511. Rarior. The above slight modification of the name ‘‘ Heliases ’’ is proposed, in deference to the common rules of Greek derivatives. Fam. SparipDz. Sargus Rondeletii, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘‘ Sargo,” Cuv. & Val. vi. 14. t. 141. Vulgaris. Sargus Salviani, Cuv. § Val.—‘ Seifia,” or ‘‘ Sargo amarello,” Cuv. & Val. vi. 28. t. 142. Rarior. Charax cervinus, nob.—‘‘ Sargo Veado.”’ C. oblongiusculus, utrinque subattenuatus, purpurascenti-aureo-fuscus, strigis vertica- libus quinque fuscioribus, earum interstitiis latioribus: rostro producto: labris tu- midis, crassissimis : dentibus incisoribus superioribus duodecim vel undecim ; infe- rioribus octo vel novem ; molaribus parvis, paucis, biseriatis : pinnis verticalibus lati- usculis ; dorsali antice elevata. D114 12; A.3411; P.15;V.145; C0. SH; MB. 6; Vert. 24. Rarior. Pagrus vulgaris, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Pargo,” Cuv. & Val. vi. p. 142. t. 148. The Braize or Becker, Yarr. i. 102. Vulgaris. Pagellus centrodontus, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Goraz,” Cuv. & Val. vi. 180. Aurata massiliensis, Risso, Hist. Nat., iii. 357. No. 269. The Sea Bream, Yarr. i. 107. Vulgatiss. Pagellus acarne, Cuv. § Val.‘ Bezugo,” Cuv. & Val. vi. 191. Vulgaris. Pagellus rostratus, nob.—‘‘ Bica.” P. roseus, immaculatus ; corpore ovali, subanguloso ; dorso elevato, carinato: rostro 178 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS subproducto, ore prominente ; dentibus molaribus biseriatis : preoperculo basi angu- lato ; limbo punctato et striato, striis rectis, equidistantibus : lined laterali utrinque curvatd, antice immaculaté. 8v.4+I1X Rara. The teeth are truly those of a Pagellus, those in front exactly resembling the front teeth in Pagel. centrodontus. In other respects it much resembles Pagrus orphus, Cuv. & Val. vi. 150. t. 149. Cantharus griseus, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Choupa,” Cuv. § Val. vi. 333. Pagrus lineatus, Flem. Brit. Anim., p. 211. No. 138. The Black Bream, Yarr. i. 114. Sat frequens. Box vulgaris, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Boga,” Cuv. & Val. vi. 348. t. 161. Sparus Boops, Linn. i. 469. Vulgatiss. Box salpa, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Saléma,” Cuv. & Val. vi. 357. t. 162. Sparus Salpa, Linn. 470. Vulgaris. One of the handsomest but most worthless of fishes. Oblada melanura, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Dobrada,” or ‘‘ Dobradiga,’’ Cuv. & Val. vi. 366. t. 162 bis. Sparus Melanurus, Linn. i.468. Vulgaris. This fish has the rather anomalous character of having the lower lobe of the caudai fin larger, or with one more long ray than the upper. Fam. Manip. Smaris Royeri, Bowd.—‘‘ Bocairao,” or ‘‘ Boqueiraio.”’ Sm. Royeri, Bowd. Exc. in Mad., p. 123. f. 26.—Cuv. & Val. vi. 421. Sm. insidiator, Cuv. & Val. vi. 414. Sm. angustatus, Cuv. & Val. (Scizna angustata, Soland. Park.) vi.421. Vulgatiss. There can be little doubt that the above three synonyms belong to one and the same species, viz. the very common Bocairao of Madera, of which the follow- ing is the correct fin-formula : D.13v.12+10v.9; A.3+ 10; P.18v.17; V.1+5; C.17; M.B.6; Vert.24. The Portuguese name, signifying ‘‘ a gulph, whirlpool, pit, abyss, or swallow,” (Vieyra), is probably derived from ‘‘ Boca,” ‘‘a mouth, hole, or opening,” V., and no doubt refers to the peculiarly protractile mouth, instead of ‘‘ denoting that it is found in deep waters,” as supposed by Bowdich. Fam. Bramips, nob. in Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc. Gen. Potymrxta, nob. Corpus elliptico-oblongum compressum ; squamis asperrimis, sat magnis. OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 179 Caput parvum, declive, nuchaque squamosum, epunctatum. Rostrum brevissi- mum, obtusum, nudum: maxilla inferiore squamos4, cirrisque geminis longis, symphysi subtus affixis. Ossa intermaxillaria, omnia palati, dentaria, linguaque dentibus minutis creberrimis scabra. Operculum inerme, rotundatum, squamo- sum. Preoperculum squamosum ; limbo inferiore anguloque nudo, striato, mar- gine eroso-denticulato. Interoperculum nudum, minutissime denticulatum. Pinna dorsalis et pinna analis nude, antice elevatz, spinis debilibus, inconspicuis, brevibus, paucis ; basi in sulco sita, squamisque marginalibus sulci utrinque celata. Pinne ventrales septem-radiate ; radio primo simplici, at molli, articu- lato. Cauda furcata. Membrana branchiostega quadriradiata. Polymixia nobilis, nob.—‘‘ Salmonéta do Alto.” Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc., vol. vi. p. 1. t.4. Rarior. This curious new genus is perhaps more closely allied to the Percide than to the true Chetodontide. Viewed as one end of an osculant group, connecting these two families together, by means of the old-established genus Brama, BL., and the following new one Leirus, nob., it is an interesting addition to our ca- talogues, to which it is only most extraordinary that it has not sooner been ad- mitted, being far from uncommon, and a well-known market-fish, deservedly held in the very highest estimation for the table. Brama Raii, Cuv. & Val.‘ Freira,” Cuv. & Val. vii. 281. t. 190. Brama marina, Flem., i. 210. No. 135. Ray’s Bream, Yarr. 117. Toothed Gilt-head, Penn., Brit. Zool., Ed. 1™ iii. 243. t.48. Rarior. Gen. Lrirvus, nob. Corpus ellipticum, compressum, squamis deciduis, levibus, parvis. Caput parvum, declive, nuchaque nudum, punctato-gelatinosum. Rostrum brevis- simum, nudum, truncatum. Os parvum: maxilla superior obtusissima, inferiore brevior, truncata. Dentes minuti, simplices, in utraque maxilla uniseriati: pa- latini nulli. Opercula inermia, squamosa, marginibus serratis. Pinna dorsalis et pinna analis squamose, postice latiores. Cauda subfurcata. Membrana branchiostega septemradiata. Leirus Bennettii, nob.—‘‘ Leiro.”” Proc. of the Zool. Soc. 1833.1. p. 143. Trans. of the Cam. Phil. Soc., vol. vi. p.1. t.5. Rarior. Another new and very distinct genus, closely allied to Brama, and through it to the preceding genus Polymizia ; whilst on the other hand it approaches the true Chetodontide in more points than even Brama does. Each of these three 180 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS genera, however, offers characters so much at variance with those of other constituted families, whilst they possess collectively so strong an air of family resemblance amongst themselves, that I have not hesitated to consider them as the nucleus of a new small family group, for which, in the Cambridge Transac- tions, I have proposed the name of Bramide. Fam. Scomsrip2. Scomber scomber, Linn.—‘‘ Cavalla.”’ Linn. i. 492. No. 1. S. scombrus, Cuv. & Val. viii. 6. The Mackerel, Yarr. i. 121. Vulgatiss. Thynnus vulgaris, Cuv. § Val.—‘* Atum Rabilha,” Cuv. & Val. viii. 58. t. 210. Scomber Thynnus, Linn. 1. 693. No. 3. ; The Tunny, Yarr. i. 134. Vulgatiss. Three other species or varieties of Tunny proper are distinguished by the fishermen, under the names of ‘‘ Atwm Patudo,” ‘‘ Atum Albacora,” and ‘‘ Atum Avoador.” Thynnus pelamys, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘‘ Gaiado,” Cuv. & Val. viii. 113. t. 214. Scomber Pelamis, Linn. i. 492. No. 2. The Bonito, Yarr. i. 140. Vulgatiss. Gen. ArLurus, nob. Corpus elongatum, compressum, capiteque cute coriaceo, retrorsum echinato-scabro asperrimum: abdomine carinato: postice utrinque planum, simplex s. ecarinatum. Caput magnum, simplex, inerme. Rostrum brevissimum. Apertura branchialis rictusque vastissima. Operculum et Preoperculum inermia, plana, integerrima. Mazilla superior inferiore brevior. Dentes exteriores in utraque maxilla unise- riati, zquidistantes, compressi, subrecurvi, serrati; quibusdam prelongis: inte- riores in superiore (intermaxillares) anteriores iii—v, ad apicem positi, maximi ; posteriores (s. Vomeris) i—iii, palatique plures, uniseriati, minores. Pinne dorsales du: prior angusta, spinis debilibus, brevibus, subzequalibus : secunda triangulari, antice elevata, postice in pinnulas spurias subsecedente. Pinna analis secunde dorsali simillima. Cauda furcata. Membrana branchiostega septem-radiata. Ceca plura. Vesica aérea parva. Aplurus simplex, nob.—‘‘ Escolar.”—Tetragonurus ? simplex, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1833. i. p. 143. A, tota purpureo-fusca ; 3. ad 4 v. 5 pedes longa; muriculato-squammulosa ; s. squam- mulis in spinellas subradiantes, adpressas, postice abeuntibus, retrorsum scaber- rima, quasi furfuracea. OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 181 D. 14v. 15—3,—II; A. 33,—II; P. 14; V.1 + 5; C. fere 20; Vert. 32. Rarior. The flesh of this very singular species is said to be extremely rich, and the bones, it is affirmed, abound in an oil or marrow, which, when they are sucked incautiously, produces speedy diarrhcea. The fish is not uncommonly brought into the market, where its flesh is sold by the pound; but it is seldom seen ex- cept at the tables of the Portuguese. Its place in the system seems to be next Thyrsites, Cuv. & Val. Prometheus atlanticus, nob.—‘‘ Coelho,” v. ‘‘ Peize Coelho.” Gempylus Prometheus, Cuv. § Val. viii. p. 213. t. 222. (piscis junr.) Solandri, Cw. & Val. viii. p. 215. (piscis adult.) (Scomber macrophthalmus, Soland.) Cuv. & Val. Vulgatiss. Lepidopus argyreus, Ouv. § Val.—‘‘ Espada,” v. “ Peixe Espada,” Cuv. & Val. viii. p. 223. t. 223. LL. lusitanicus, Leach. Zool. Misc. ii. p. 7. t. 62. ~ Lepidopus or peite espada, of the Tagus, Bowd. Ex., p. 10. f. 1. The Scabbard-fish, Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 176. Rarior. Gen. ALEPISAURUS, nob. Corpus elongatum, attenuatum, capiteque omnino nudum, valde compressum ; postice utrinque carinatum. Rostrum productum. Rictus magnus, pone oculos longe diductus. Opercula inermia, integra; operculo et suboperculo radiato-striatis. Intermavillaria ser- rulata. Palata dentibus uniseriatis, validis, compressis, subrecurvis, quibusdam prelongis armata. Pinne dorsales due: prior alta, a nucha longe per dorsum producta : posterior parva, triangulari adiposd. Ventrales parve, abdominales. Analis parva an- gusta, antice alta. Caudalis magna, furcata (lobo superiore producto). Membrana branchiostega septem-radiata. (Ceca vesicaque aéris nulla). Alepisaurus ferox, nob.—‘‘ Golpim,” “‘ Cavallo,” or “* Bicuda da India,” Proc. of the Zool. Soc. 1833, i. p. 104. Trans. Zool. Soc. i. p- 128. t. 19. (imperfect). Id. p. 395. t.59. Rariss. Two more specimens have occurred in the spring of the present year ; one about two feet, the other about three feet and a half long. The fin-formula was : In the smaller specimen, : : : : 9+ 1X D.46; A.15; P.14; V.9; rims In the larger specimen the dorsal fin was injured at the hinder end, and had only thirty-nine rays left. The others were, E - : 9 + IX SUR 2 Veo; Coe ee VOL. II.—PART III. 28 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS In each the branchiostegous membrane was on both sides seven-rayed ; and the joints of the spine, which was soft and flexible, or almost merely cartilaginous, and when dry fragile, thin, and light almost as tissue-paper, were in number fifty. The viscera are singularly simple. The stomach is a vast, oblong, simple, black sac, filling the whole abdominal cavity (when distended with food) from one end to the other. The intestine is perfectly straight and simple, originating remarkably forward, even from the very entrance into the stomach or esophagus, with no trace of ceca at the pylorus. The liver is small; and there is no air- bladder. This remarkable simplicity of interna! organization reminds one strongly of the Blenny family (Gobide) ; to which there are not wanting points also of external resemblance, such as the general smoothness, want of scales, feebleness of the fin-rays, &c. (Confer Anarrhichas.) The stomach of these two individuals was found completely gorged with food. In that of the smaller I found specimens of three distinct species of Hyalea, of Carinaria mediterranea, a Limacina, Cranchia, Loligo ; and various pelagic Iso- podous Crustacea in great numbers. Of fishes, it contained two small speci- mens of Capros aper, Lac.; two of the young of some Shark (Squalide), too much decomposed to be made out; and a single specimen of the fry of its own species! only two inches and a half long, but perfectly formed and entire, except the tail-fin, which was quite decomposed. The teeth, it is highly interesting to observe, had attained, even in this minute specimen, their full development, especially in size, being even proportionately larger than in the more full-grown specimens. In the lower jaw there is a pair of moderately-sized ones at the tip; and at some distance behind these there is another pair of vastly larger size, locking between two corresponding pairs, one behind the other, in the upper jaw. In the upper jaw there is a pair, a little backward from the tip, of large moveable teeth, placed close together, side by side, one upon each palatine bone, near its anterior symphysis ; and at some distance behind these, so as to allow the long pair of the lower jaw to lock into the interval, a smaller pair further apart; each tooth of the pair being exactly opposite the other. The rest of the teeth are exactly as in the larger specimens. The stomach of the larger of the two individuals above-mentioned contained three specimens of Capros aper, Lac. ; two small ones of Sphyrena vulgaris, Cuv., four or five inches long ; a pretty large Garoupa (Serranus cabrilla, Cuv. & Val.), five or six inches long; the beak of a Cuttle-fish; a Hyalea; and an Idotea. I have had no opportunity of accurately examining the ‘‘ Sword-fish” of Ma- dera, which is occasionally taken, but have no reason to doubt its being the true Xiphias gladius, L. It is called by the Portuguese ‘‘ Peiwe Ayulha;” though the fish more commonly known by that name is the Gar-fish (Belone vulgaris, Cuv.). OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA, 183 Nauerates ductor, Cuv. § Val.—* Romeiro,” Ouv. & Val: viii. p. 312. t. 232. Gasterosteus ductor, Linn. i. 489. No. 2. The Pilot-fish, Yarr.i. 149. Rarior. Lichia glaycos, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘* Ranhosa,’”’ “‘ Tronbeta,” or ‘‘ Pelumbeta,” Cuv. & Val. Vili. 358. ¢. 234. Scomber Glaucus, Linn. i.494. No.5. Vulgatiss. Caranx Cuvieri, nob.—‘‘ Chicharro.” C. corpore graciliore; linee lateralis anguste parte posteriore rectd, anteriori cur- 3 vatd equali ; scutellis 94 ad 99 armatd. OCuv. & Val. ix. p. 18. Seriola picturata, Bowd. Exc. p. 123. f. 27. (pessima.) Vulgatiss. First properly indicated as a distinct species from the common Horse Mackerel of the British Channel (C. trachurus, L., Yarr. i. 154. Cuv. & Val. ix. 11. t. 246.), by MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes, as above cited. Caranx luna Geoffr., Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Enxaréo,” Cuv. & Val. ix. 80. Citula Bancksii, Risso, Hist. Nat. iii. p. 422. No. 338. f.13. Rarior. Temnodon saltator, Cuv. &§ Val.—‘‘ Anchova,” Cuv. & Val. ix. 225. t. 260. Gasterosteus Saltatrix, Linn. i. 491. No. 7. “* Horse Mackerel of New York, U.S.” (Cuv. & Val. loc. cit. p. 230.) Rarior. Coryphena hippurus, Cuv. § Val. 2—‘* Dourado,” Cuv. & Val. t. ix. p. 278. & 266.2 An 3 potius C. Hippunoides Rafin. ? See Cuv. & Val. vol. ix. 287. Rarior. The only specimen I have seen was twenty-two inches and a quarter long. Zeus Faber, Linn.—‘‘ Peize Gallo,” Linn. i. 454. No. 3. Cuv. & Val. x. p. 6. The Dory, or Doree, Yarr. i. 162. Sat frequens. Not inferior in flavour to the common European or English John Dory, from which it differs in no point whatever of external character. Capros aper, Cuv. &§ Val.— Tinta em pé,” Cuv. & Val. x. p. 30. t. 281. Zeus aper, Linn. i. 455. Zeus Childrenii, Bowd. Exc. in Mad. p. 124. The Boar-fish, Yarr.i..169. Vulgaris. Lampris lauta, nob.—‘‘ Peixe Cravo.” L. lingud levi: membrand branchiostegd sexradiatd: caudd ecarinatéd : vertebris 69. D.1+54;A.1439;P.14+25;V. 16 ;C. 5 +%. M. B. 6 utrinque ; Vert. 49. In another specimen the fin-formula was D.1+4 54; A.1+41;P.1+ 24; V.17. Rarior. The general agreement of this fish with the descriptions of L. guttatus, Retz, is very close ; and to that species, notwithstanding certain important differences, I had formerly referred it, known, as it long remained to me, only by the exa- 232 184 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS mination of a single specimen. MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes, however, state, in the 10th volume of their Histoire, the number of the vertebrz in that species to be only forty-three. I have also lately obtained the fin-formula of another specimen, and ascertained the smoothness of the tongue to be constant in several more of the Maderan fish. The strongest grounds for its specific distinction from the old-established species are, that the only specimen ex- amined as to these two points had six vertebre more, and one branchiostegous ray less, than L. guttatus, Retz, is described to possess. It may, however, pos- sibly prove identical with L. guttatus of Nilsson and Faber, which had also only six branchiostegous rays. Fam. Mue1.ipz. Atherina presbyter, Cuv. & Val.—‘‘ Guelro,”’ Cuv. & Val. x. 439. The Atherine, or Sandsmelt, Yarr.i.214. Vulgatiss. It is a curious fact that the Atherine of the Canaries is, according to MM. Cu- vier and Valenciennes, a different species from that of Madera, viz. the true A. hepsetus, L. Mugil chelo, Cuv.—‘‘ Tainha da moda,” Cuv. R. An. ii. p. 232. Cuv. & Val. Hist. xi. p.50. M. cephalus, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 329. t. 66. No. 158. M. labrosus, Risso, Hist. Nat. iii. 389. No. 304. The Thick-lipped Grey Mullet, Yarr. i. 207. IstD. 4; 2nd1+8;A.34+9;P.1417;V.1+5;C. Rarior. This fish is altogether more slender and shapely than the next species; but is at once distinguished by its perfectly smooth and even upper lip, which is also smaller and thinner than in M. corrugatus, and has the edge very di- stinctly ciliated. The suborbitaries are more slender, narrow, and strongly cre- nulated, but not notched, yet showing just the ends of the maxillaries when the mouth is closed. Several scales above the axil of the pectoral fins are more pointed than the rest, but not enlarged or elongated. Mugil corrugatus, nob.—‘‘ Tainha.” M. labro superiore lato, crassissimo, antice corrugato : intermawillarium extremitatibus, ore clauso, conspicuis: suborbitariis subemarginatis, minutissime crenulatis : fora- minibus nasalibus approximatis. 3v.4+1+4 VI. 3v.4+1+4 VI’ M.B. 6; Vert. 24. a AVS +TH VI, IstD.4;2nd1+8;A.3+9;P.14+17;V.1+4+5; Ci Sie M.B. 6; Vert. 24. Vulgatiss. There is no enlarged or pointed scale above the pectoral fin, or adipose veil at the fore and hinder edge of the orbit, in this species, which is the common ‘‘ Tainha,” simply so called, or Gray Mullet of the island. The ends of the OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 185 maxillaries appear altogether below the commissure or canthus of the closed mouth, as in M. labeo, Cuv. & Val., or M. chelo. Fam. Gozips. Blennius palmicornis, Cuv. § Val.—‘‘ Caboz,” ‘‘ Frade,” or “ Peixe frade,” Cuv. & Val. xi. p. 214; haud Yarr. B. pholis, Risso iii. 232. No. 119. : ‘ 4 iQ 54+Vl, D.B8 3 Atl FIV. 2 1s 0. oe: M. B. 6. Vulgaris ; cum Sal. atlantico, inter rupes ab estu relictas. About six inches long. My specimens certainly belong to this species. B. parvicornis, Cuv. & Val. xi. p. 257. D. 32. A, 21. P. 13. V.2.-C. 138. Blennius inequalis, Cuv. & Val. xi. 230. Rariss. A single specimen only, 23 inches long, has occurred, which I had not an opportunity of examining, but which, judging from Miss Young’s notes and drawing, must be referred to B. inequalis rather than to B. trigloides, Cuv. & Val. In this figure the upper tentacle is placed upon the vertex, behind rather than between the eyes ; so that I am not entirely free from suspicion that it may prove an imperfectly observed B. Montagui, Flem.; and this rather than B. Artedii, Cuv. & Val., though the latter has been established from Maderan specimens’. Pholis levis, Flem., Cuv. & Val. t. ix. p. 269. _Shanny, or Smooth Shan, Yarr. v. i. p. 230. Salarias atlanticus, Cuv. § Val.—*‘‘ Cavallo,” Cuv. & Val. xi. 321. Vulgatiss. Always characterized by an orange-red patch in the middle of the pectoral, and on the upper and lower parts of the caudal fins. Tripterygion nasus, Risso. Risso iii. 241. No. 131. Cuv. & Val. xi. 409. D.3—17—(2 + 10); A.2+4 25; P.16; V.2; C.5s7ain: MB. 6. Longit. 2-4, unc. Rariss. Gobius niger, Linn.—Cuv. & Val. t. xii. p. 9. Black Goby, Yarr. v.i. p. 251. Fam. Lasripz. lulis turcica, Risso.—‘‘ Peize verde,” Risso, Hist. Nat. iii. p. 312. No. 212. f. 21. La Girelle turque, Cuv., R. Anim. ii. p. 258. Vulgaris. ‘ Messrs. Cuvier and Valenciennes’ list of Blennies, in their 11th volume, contains the following species from Madera: B. trigloides, p. 228. B. Artedii, p. 231. B. parvicornis, p. 257. 186 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS lulis speciosa, Risso.—‘‘ Peiwe de Rolo,” Risso, ili. p. 311. No, 211. f. 20. Rariss. lulis Giofredi, Risso.—‘‘ Peixe do Rei,” Risso, iii. p. 310. No. 210. La Girelle rouge, Cuv. R. An. ii. p. 257. Vulgaris. Crenilabrus caninus, nob.‘ Peixe Cao.” C. ruber: pinnd anali trispinosd, albidé, immaculaté ; dorsali flava, antice rubescente nigroque maculatd ; pinnis pectoralibus carneis, basi flavis ; caud@ radiis exterioribus rubris ; mediis flavis, interstitiis nigris. D.12+10v.11; A.3+413.v.14; P.17; V.1+5; C.16; M.B.6; Vert. 28. Vulgaris. From twelve to sixteen inches long. Of a nearly uniform deep bright ver- milion, with an obscure olivaceous band over the head, from the front corner of one eye to the other, and a black patch, extending some way up each side, from the origin of the anal fin. Traces of narrow, dusky, waved, vertical bands are also seen, low down along the sides or belly. The head and opercula are a little variegated with yellow. The large patch on the first three or four spines of the dorsal fin is dark violet, or black. The caudal fin has the rays red or yellow, with the interstices black ; so that the tail appears in the middle longi- tudinally barred alternately with black and yellow. The flesh of this fish is as indifferent as its outer colouring is brilliant. Crenilabrus pictus, nob.—‘‘ Trombetao.” C. capite nuché guldque ceruleis, inter oculos fasciis flavis flecuosis : corpore rubes- cente, ceruleo variegaté ; maculd supra lineam lateralem ceruleam ad basin caude fuscd: pinnis pectoralibus ‘citrinis, basi maculd ceruleo-nigrd ; dorsali analique flavis aurantiisve, plus minusve rubris, immaculatis, nigro-ceruleo marginatis ; cau- dali basi aurantid, dimidio posteriore nigro-ceruleo. D.174+ 8.v.9; A.3+4+11.v.12;-P.15; V.1+4+5; C.15. Rariss. I propose this as a species not without diffidence, a single example only having yet occurred. In so intricate a genus as the present, it is better to err by over distinguishing than confounding ; and, in the present state of ichthyo- logical knowledge, to labour to supply those who may have hereafter means of judging the materials for coming to a sure decision, by separately registering every variation, which cannot at present be referred with certainty to its appro- priate type. The evil of an useless name swelling the list of synonyms, every accurate naturalist will readily admit to be far less than the confused entangle- ment resulting from a describer mistaking affinity or similarity for identity. The present fish, in its general reddish tint of body and blue head, reminds one of C. Tinca, Yarr., but differs in the dusky spot above the lateral line at the base of the caudal fin, and the deep indigo spot at the base of the pectoral fins, which is bordered by a crescent-like mark or lunule of brilliant lemon yellow. In this OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 187 last point it approaches C. Boryanus, Risso ; but in the number of fin-rays, and several other points, it seems nearer C. mediterraneus of the same author. Crenilabrus trutta, nob.—‘‘ Truta do Alto.” C. virescens, variegata et maculata ; squamis medio fuscis ; fasciis verticalibus fusco- nigrescentibus : cauda utrinque basi fusco uni-maculata: pinnd anali quinque-spi- nosd, bi- vel tri-maculatd ; dorsali quadrimaculatd. D.17+8; A.5+8; P.14; V.1+5; C.13; M.B.5. C. Trutta, nob. in Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 143. B Var. unicolor ; viridis, subimmaculata. Rariss. Crenilabrus luscus, Yarr.—‘‘ Truta.” The Scale-rayed Wrasse of Couch’s MS., Yarr.i. p. 300. Rariss. The anal fin in the Maderan fish has only five spines. The dorsal fin has a large black patch at the end of the spiny portion, while the root of the tail has a dark patch at its lower or ventral, as well as at its upper or dorsal edge; neither of which characters are noticed by Mr. Couch in his description, quoted by my friend Mr. Yarrell. With these exceptions there is in general a strong agreement ; and especially the peculiarity of the large scales extending up between the rays of the dorsal and anal fins, thus forming imbricated moveable processes, renders most probable the identity of the Maderan with the British species. Xirichthys Novacula, Cuv.—‘* Papagayo,” Cuv. Régne An. ed. 2. ii. p. 262. Coryphena Novacula, Linn. i. 447. No.4. Rariss. Scarus mutabilis, nob.—‘‘ Bodiao.” S. versicolor ; olivaceo-fuscus, vel ruber, vel utroque colore pictus: cauda truncata. D.9 410; A.3+9; P.1+12; V.1+5; C.13; M.B.5. Vulgaris. In the absence of materials for accurate comparison with other genuine Scari, the provisional formation of a new specific name and character, however imper- fect the latter, seems less likely to produce confusion than a doubtful reference of the present fish to an old synonym. It possesses no pretensions, except in brilliancy of outer colouring, to the fame of the celebrated Scarus of the Romans, being one of the worst, if not the very worst, of the Fishes usually brought into the market in point of quality or flavour. Fam. Fistuaripa. Centriscus Scolopax, L.—‘‘ Trombeteiro,” Linn. Syst. i. 415. No.2. Cuv. R. An. ii. 268. The Trumpet-fish. Sea-snipe, Yarr.i.302. Rarior. 188 REV. R, T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS Ord. MALACOPTERYGIANA ABDOMINALES. Fam. Cyprinipa&. Cyprinus auratus, L. Linn. Syst. i. 527. No.7. Cuv. R. An. ii. 272. The Gold Carp, Yarr. i.315. Vulgaris. Domesticated, or rather naturalized in all the tanks, &c. of the island, yet not found in the streams or torrents. Fam. Esocipz. Belone vulgaris, Cuv.—‘‘ Agulha,” or ‘‘ Peive agulha,”’ Cuv. R. An. ii. 285. Esox Belone, Linn. i. 517. No. 6. Gar-pike, or Sea-needle, Penn. The Gar-fish, or Sea-pike, Yarr.i.391. Haud rara. Scomberesox saurus, Cuv.—‘‘ Delphine,” Cuv. R. An. t. ii. p. 285. Saury Pike-skipper, Yarr. i. 394. Exocoetus exiliens (Bl.), Cuv.—‘‘ Voador,” or ‘‘ Avoador,” Cuv. R. An. ii. 287. Risso iii. 446. No. 357. Haud infrequens ; rarior. Fam. SaLMoNnIDz. Saurus Lacerta, Riss—‘‘ Lagarto,” or ‘‘ L. do mar,” Risso, Hist. Nat. iii. 463. No. 371. Rarior. I do not feel by any means secure in the above reference. Besides other dis- crepancies, the following is the fin-formula of the Maderan fish : Ima, D.15; 2da, adiposa; A. 11.v.12; V.9; P.13; C.19; M.B.16.v.17; Vert. 51. Saurus griseus, nob.—‘‘ Lagarto de rolo,” or ‘‘ L. da costa.” S. griseo-fuscus, subimmaculatus, v. fusco subvariegatus : capite granulato et radiato- striato: dentibus in maailld superiore biseriatis ; palatinis, mawilleque inferioris triseriatis. : sto te sign’ 8 el VL | tp Ima, D.12; 2da, adiposa; A.11.v.12; V.8; P.13; C. s4T4vi? M. B. 16; Vert. 60. An Salmo Saurus, Linn. i. 511. No. 14? Rariss. Very distinct from the preceding, whatever it may prove to be from others, when compared by those who have the means of judging. One of the only two specimens I have seen had sixteen branchiostegous rays on the right, and seven- teen on the left side. a OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 189 Fam. Ciupripa. Clupea maderensis, nob.—‘‘ Arenque.” C. oblonga, dorso post caput recto ; abdomine post pinnas ventrales subito adscen- dente: operculis suborbitarioque simplicibus s. levibus: squamis lunatis, serratis : lined laterali distinct: carind ventrali acutissimé: caudd graciliore ; lobis suban- gustatis: pinnis pectoralibus operculo subremotis. D.19; A. 19; V.1 + 7;,P.17; C.19; M.B.6; Vert. 47. Vulgatiss. This, the common Herring of Madera, abounds in the spring and earlier sum- mer months. Clupea sardina, Cuv. ?—‘‘ Sardinha.” C. lanceolato-elliptica, utrinque attenuata, abdomine equaliter curvato: operculis suborbitarioque sulcato-striatis: squamis tetragonis, subdistantibus, lawiusculis, deciduis, margine subserratis: lined laterali obsoleté: caudé abruptd ; lobis sub- abbreviatis, latiusculis: pinnis pectoralibus operculo approwimatis. D.17; A.17; V.1+7; P.16; C. 19; M. B. 7; Vertebre 50 v. 51. La Sardine (Clupea sardina, N.), Cuv. R. An. ii. 319.? Clupanodon sardina, Risso iti. 451..No. 360. Much less abundant ; and scarcely taken, except in stormy weather during the winter months. This species never exceeds six inches in length. The “ Arenque”’ averages eight or ten inches. Ord. MALACOPTERYGIANA SUBBRACHIALES. Fam. Gapip2. Merluccius vulgaris, Cuv.—‘‘ Pescada,” R. An. ii. 333. Gadus Merluccius, Linn. i. 439. No. 11. - The Hake, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 191. No. 81. Yarr. ii. 177. Rarior. Motella tricirrata (Nilss.), Yarr.—‘‘ Abrotea de Poca.” Three-bearded Cod, Penn. iii. 201. ¢.33. No. 87. The three-bearded Rockling, Yarr. ii. 186. La Mustéle commune, Cuv. R. An. ii. 334. Rariss. This species, having only three beards or cirri, can scarcely be properly referred, as it is by Cuvier, to the Gadus Mustela, L., which is described as having five. Phycis mediterraneus (Lar.), Cuv.—‘‘ Abrotea,” Cuv. R. An. ii. 335. Risso, iii, 222. No. 107. Blennius Phycis, Linn. i. 442. No. 7. Phycis furcatus Bowdich (haud aliorum), Eze. in Mad. p. 122. f. 28, male, et cauda casu quodam fissa. Vulgatiss. VOL. II.— PART III. 2c 190 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS A much-esteemed fish for the table when in season, and thought to resemble the Whiting (Merlangus vulgaris, Cuv.) in flavour. Phycis Yarrellii, nob.—‘‘ Abrotea do alto.” P. capite depresso: corpore graciliore, elongato, angusto, pallide cinereo-lilacino : pinnis dorsalibus anali et caudali nigris, albo fimbriatis: prime dorsalis quinque- radiate radio primo producto, elongato, secunde dorsalis radios duplo excedente : ventralibus capite subbrevioribus. Ima, D.5; 2da, 59; A.60; Ps. 23; V.1; C.20, fere; M.B.7. Rariss. The only specimen yet seen was between eight and nine inches long. By the name, I wish not only to offer a public tribute to one of our ablest ichthyologists, but my private acknowledgements to the friend who first drew my attention to this very distinct and pretty species. Macrourus rupestris (Bl.), Cuv.—‘‘ Pagra,” or ‘‘ Lagatricha do mar.”” R. An. ii. 337, note. Lepidoleprus ccelorhyncus, Risso, iii. 244. No. 133. Rariss. Of this most singular fish I have seen but three examples. Fam. PLEURONECTIDA. Rhombus maderensis, nob.—‘‘ Sola,”’ or ‘‘ Solha.” Rhombus, Cuv. R. An. ii. 342. SS.ii. Oculi remoti; superiore subpostico. R. corpore ovali; latere sinistro scabriusculo, etuberculato, olivaceo-fusco, ferrugi- nascente, annellis punctorum albidorum ocellatim picto: pinne dorsalis analisque radiis inclusis, indivisis: dentibus minutis, uniseriatis: maxilld superiore ambitu- que oculorum antice tuberculato-cornutis. in. 10 vy. 11. sin. 6. D. 91953, A/69—#1 5, P. {ae to Tangs We (Soa s'g bs Os, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1833.1. p. 143. Trans. Cam. Phil. Soc. vol. vi. part 1. t. 6. Rarior. I have heard of another ‘‘Sole,” but have not yet obtained a specimen. Fam, CycLopreRiD&. Lepadogaster ?—‘‘ Chupa sangue.” L. Candollii, Risso, ili. 275. No. 169.2? Rariss. Of this very curious little fish I have only obtained a single specimen, which agrees tolerably with the species above referred to, as far as the account there given goes. Without better materials, however, both for description and com- parison, I can by no means satisfy myself even as to the genus of the Maderan fish. The ventral disk is truly double ; or rather there are two, properly distinct and separate ventral disks, as in a genuine Lepadogaster ; but the ventral fins spring from the sides of the first, or anterior disk, and are united by their hinder margins with the pectoral fins, as in Liparis: thus they have no connexion what- OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 191 ever with the second, or hinder sucking-disk. A short fleshy conical cilia, close behind the vent in a groove, reminds one of Gobide. In form this fish resem- bles a good deal Lep. bimaculatus, Yarr. ii. 268 ; but the muzzle before the eyes is considerably longer, broader, and more depressed ; and the dorsal and anal fins are continued nearly to the caudal, though still not joined to it. The fin- formula is, D. 14; A.10; P.25; V.4; C.15. Fam. EcuHEeNneIpDz£. Echeneis ——-—— ?—“‘ Pogador,” or ‘‘ Apogador.”’ Rariss. Of this I have also seen only a single specimen, which I cannot venture to identify positively with any published species ; far less at present to characterize as really new. It approaches nearest to E. naucrates, L. in the truncate tail : while in its uniform dark slaty colour and scaliness it resembles the West Indian species, published in the fifth volume of the Zoological Journal (E. /unata, Bancr.). It differs, however, from both, and approaches E. Remora, L., in having only six- teen lamine to the sucker. The pectoral fins were very obtuse, or even truncate. The specimen was nearly eight inches long. The fin-formula as follows ; : ‘ ; in, SUS Vb D.28; A.24; P.26; V.1+5; Ona? M.B. 8. Echeneis Naucrates, L.?—‘‘ Peixe Pogador.” Linn. 1.466. No. 2.? Rariss. All I know of this fish is from a short note, furnished me by my friend and assistant Miss Young, of a single specimen, seen for a few minutes only, and par- tially examined by her. ‘‘ It was about fifteen inches long, and the sucker had twenty-four pairs of laminz. It was round and thick at the shoulders, yet much attenuated at the tail, where the other species was broad andthick. The tips and edges of the dorsal and anal fins were white.” As to the colour and the shape of the tail, I can only say, that had they dif- fered from the former species in any remarkable degree, Miss Young would no doubt have observed it. Ord. MALACOPTERYGIANA APODES. Fam. Muranip2. Anguilla latirostris, Yarr.—‘‘ Eiro.” The Broad-nosed Eel, Yarr. ii. 298. ; Eels are the only indigenous fresh-water fish of the island. They abound in the torrents, up to the height of about 500 feet above the sea. There are more species or varieties ; but I am not sufficiently acquainted with them at present to attempt their classification. 2c2 192 REV. R: T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS Congrus vulgaris, Cuv.—‘‘ Congro,” Cuv, R. An. ii. 350. Murena Conger, Linn, i. 426. No. 6. The Conger. Yarr. ii. 304. Sat frequens. Murena Helena, L.—‘‘ Moreia,” Linn. i.425. No.1. Cu. R. An. ii. 352. The Murena, Yarr. ii. 308, Vulgaris. Mureena anatina, nob.—‘‘ Moreia Serpente,” or ‘‘ Serpente.” (The Duck’s-bill Murena, or Sea-serpent). M. corpore post caput contracto, dein crassiore, postice attenuato ; purpureo-hepatico, flavo maculato ; maculis longitudinaliter seriatis : capite incrassato, occipite elevato, gibboso ; rostro tenui, elongato, producto, depresso: dentibus acicularibus, rectis, elongatis, numerosis ; in maxilla superiore tri-, in inferiore bi-seriatis : pinne dor- salis radio primo super aperturam branchialem. Sat vulgaris. ‘ Murena guttata, Riss.?2—‘‘ Moreia preta.” M. corpore utrinque attenuato, nigrescente, albo guttato 5, punctato : capite minimo, brevi, acuto: dentibus acicularibus, rectis, elongatis ; i macillé superiore sub- biseriatis ; in inferiore uniseriatis. Risso, iii. 191. No. 77.2? Sat vulgaris. Murzena unicolor (Lar.), Cuv.—‘‘ Morriao.” M. corpore postice attenuato, antice crassiore, hepatino, immaculato, lineis circulart- bus capillaribus, flecuosis, confertissimis picto : capite incrassato ; occipite gibboso ; rostro brevissimo, obtuso: dentibus brevibus, conicis ; in macilla superiore antice tri-, lateralibus bi-seriatis ; in inferiore antice bi-, lateralibus uni-seriatis. Cuv. R. An. ii. 352. M. Cristini, Risso, 11.191. No. 78. Sat vulgaris. Ord. LOPHOBRANCHIA. Fam. SyNGNATHIDE. Hippocampus brevirostris, Cuv.—‘‘ Cavallo,” Cuv. R. An. i. 363. The short-nosed Hippocampus, Yarr. ii. 342. Rariss. Hippocampus ramulosus, Leach.—‘‘ Cavallo marinho.” Leach’s Zool. Miscell. i. 105. t.47. Rariss. Dr. Leach’s figure, though generally good, is deficient in several points, espe- cially in colour, being taken from a preserved specimen. “I had an opportunity of delineating the form, and watching the movements of this most interesting little animal, while living, in a glass of sea-water, for nearly a whole day. No pencil can do justice to its elegance and beauty; and the gem-like brilliancy of its eye especially is quite inimitable by colours. The branched cilie are quite flexible, soft, and floating ; not straight and rigid, as they appear in Leach’s a OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA: 193 figure. Those on the head resemble a stag’s antlers. With the tail curled round a stick placed in the water, it was frequently at intervals employed in making circular sweeps with the head and body round the glass, as if in search of food, or trying its extent, accompanying each sweep with a rapid vibratory flutter of the fin. Ord. PLECTOGNATHI. Fam. GymNoponTID&”. Diodon reticulatus, L.—‘‘ Sapo.” Orbis muricatus et reticulatus, Will. Ichth. p. 155. tab.i. No.7. Lann. Syst. Nat. ed. 10ma, 334. No. 2. Ostracion subrotundus ; aculeis wndique brevibus triquetris raris. Artedi, Gen. 59. No. 16. Syn. 86. No. 19. Diodon Atinga, B. reticulatus, Linn. ed. 12ma, 1. 413. Le Diodon orbe, Lacepede. Rarior. A foot long or more. From the synonyms, this would appear to be the Diodon rivulatus of Cuv. R. An. ii. 367, note. Tetrodon Pennantii, Yarr.—‘‘ Sapo,” Yarr. ii. 347. _T. levigatus, Penn. ed. 1ma. iii. 132. ¢. 20. T. stellatus, Flem. Brit. Anim. i. 174. Pennant’s Globe-fish, Yarr. loc. cit. Rariss. Tetrodon marmoratus, nob.—‘‘ Sapo.” T. pusillus ; corpore supra fusco, maculis majusculis diffusis nigris marmorato, levis- simo, sparsim ciliolato ; lateribus colore in lined longitudinali recta seriato-maculaté abrupte desinente: infra lacteo, immaculato, equi-ciliolato. D.7; A.6; P.14; C.7. Rarior. This pretty little Toad-fish seems nearest allied to T. Spengleri, which is also T. Plumiert, Lac. according to Cuvier, though it cannot safely be referred either to that, or any other species in Artedi, Linneus, or Lacepede. It scarcely exceeds six inches in length. The ciliz are compressed, very short and obscure, being concealed in iittle pits or pores ; those on the belly are regularly disposed quincuncially. The dorsal and pectoral fins are pale: the caudal fin is dark brown, like the upper half of the body, with a pale vertical band near the base. The anal fin is white. Fam. Bacisripa. Balistes forcipatus (List. app. Will.), Art. ‘‘ Peixe Porco.” Guaperya cauda forcipata, pinnis maculosis, e MS. R. Will. Ichth. App. p. 21. iii. tab. i, 22. B. cauda bifurca, pinna dorsi maculosa, Art. Gen. 54. No.3; Syn, 82. No. 3. Le Baliste queue-fourchue, Lacep. Balistes lunulatus, Risso, ii. 175. No. 57.2 Rara. 194 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS Ord. CHONDROPTERYGIAN 2. Fam. SquaLip. Scyllium Artedi, Risso.—‘‘ Leitéo do Mar,” Risso iii. 117. No. 4. f. 5. ‘« Squalus prionurus, Otto,” Cuv. R. An. ii. 386, note 2. Rariss. Carcharias vulpes, Cuv.—‘‘ Peixe Cavallo,” Cuv. R. An. ii. 388. Long-tailed Shark, Penn. iii. 110. t. 14. No. 44. The Fox Shark, Yarr. ii. 379. Rara. Carcharias glaucus, Flem.—‘‘ Tintureira,” Flem. Brit. An. i. 167. No. 13. The Blue Shark, Penn. iii. 109. Yarr.ii.381. Rarior. The ‘‘Marrazo” of the fishermen is probably some species of this genus ; though it may be also merely the following (Lamna cornubica, Cuv.) full-grown, or of large size. 1 have not seen a specimen. The ‘‘ Tubaréo”’ is another large-sized Shark, which I have not seen. From the teeth being described as small, it may prove, perhaps, to be the Basking Shark (Selache mazima, Cuv.). Lamna cornubica, Cuv.—‘‘ Requim” or ‘‘ Nequim,” R. An. ii. 389. The Porbeagle, Penn. iii.117. No. 40. Yarr. ii.384. | Rariss. Galeus vulgaris, Flem.—‘‘ Cacao,”’ Brit. An.i. 165. No. 6. Squalus Galeus, Linn. i. 399. No. 7. Tope, Penn. iii. 111. The Common Tope, Yarr. ii. 390. Rarior. Mustelus levis, Flem.—‘‘ Canéja,” Brit. An. i. 166. No.9. The Smooth Hound, Penn. iii. 116. ¢.16. Yarr. ii. 393. Vulgaris. Notidanus griseus, Cuv.—‘‘ Albufasa”’ or ‘‘ Albufara,” R. An. ii. 390. Rarior. Notidanus cinereus, Cuv.—‘‘ Bica doce,” R. An. ii. 390. ‘‘Le Squale Perlon, Lacep.” M. Young. ** Squalus cinereus, Gm.” Cuv. Rarior. 1 have not seen the specimen, but depend on Miss Young’s identification of one brought to her in May 1835, with “‘/e Perlon, Lac.”, during my absence from Madera. The head of this specimen is at present in the Society’s Museum. Centrina Salviani, Will. Hist. Pisc. p. 58. t. B. 2. A single female specimen only has occurred, measuring 3 feet 3 inches in length. It contained six young ones, from 3 to 3} inches long; they were al- together white, except their fins and tail; the teeth unfortunately were not yet formed. ‘Their dorsal spines were soft and flexible. The branchize were com- pletely external, being exserted through the branchial openings in the form of copious long filaments. Centrina? nigra, nob. “‘Gata nigra,” Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1833. p. 144. Rariss. Scymnus niceensis, Risso.—‘‘ Gata,” Risso, iii. 137. No. 22. f. 4. OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 195 ‘La Leiche ou Liche, Brouss. (Sq. Americanus, Gm.),”’ Cuv. R. An. ii. 392. Rarior. Zygena malleus (Val.), Cuv.—*‘ Cornuda,” R. An. ii.393. Yarr. ii. 406, vignette. Squalus Zygena, Linn. i. 399. No.5. Rearior. Fam. Rape. Torpedo marmorata, Risso.—‘‘ Dromideira,” i.e. Dormideira, Risso, iii. 143. No. 28. f.9. Rarior. Torpedo hebetans, nob.—‘‘ Tromentin.” T. subtus alba, nigro marginata: supra nigrescens, unicolor, punctulis minimis raris, ad marginem anteriorem crebrioribus adspersa: spiraculis majusculis, simplicibus : cauda corporis fere longitudine, via breviore, apice truncaté. Rariss. I should scarcely have ventured to consider this distinct from T. Galvani, Risso, had not Cuvier fortunately supplied a most essential mark of difference, by describing that species “A sept dentelures charnues autour de ses évents.” This character belongs indeed to my T. marmorata, but not to the present spe- cies ; which may, however, also possibly be only a plain immaculate variety of ** La Torpille & taches ceillées,” Cuv. ii. 397, T. narke, Risso, iii. 142. Raia Maderensis, nob.—‘‘ Raia” or “‘ Arraia.” R. corpore exacte rhombiformi': supra scabro, griseo-fusco, maculis pallidis, cinereis, ocellatis, in figuras fasciasve flecuosas, transversales, indistinctas dispositis guttato : rostro brevi haud producto, marginibusque pectoralium anterioribus hispido-scabris ; dorso subinermi, medio tantum fere bi-aculeato: caude@ aculeis triseriatis ; late- ralibus subobsoletis ; omnibus basi simplicibus, recurvis. Haud rara. The upper or dorsal surface of this fish, which is the common Skate of Ma- dera, is rough like a file, especially towards the anterior edges of the pectorals and snout; but otherwise unarmed, except generally two pretty conspicuous prickles about the middle of the back, one close behind the other, and a single prickle at the anterior, and another at the posterior canthus of each eye. All these, as well as those on the tail, which extend no further forward than its root, are recurved, and without the prominent tubercular base, resembling the head of a nail, so remarkable in the Thornback, R. clavata, L., to which this species comes in shape the nearest. The teeth are quite flat and pointless, like those of the “Caneja,” Mustelus levis, Flem. No. 106, supra. The eye is furnished with a most curious and beautiful palmato-radiated nyctitating membrane, of a green- ish or brassy gold-colour, like their lids. I have seen only female specimens ; none exceeding 20 inches long by 14 broad. * Lateribus scilicet omnibus equalibus. 196 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS Trygon Pastinaca, Cuv.—‘* Ratao,” R. An. ii. 399. Raia Pastinaca, Linn. i. 396, No. 7. The Sting Ray, Yarr. ii. 442. Rarior. Myliobatis Aquila, Cuv.—‘‘ Dormideiro,” R. An. ii. 401. Raia Aquila, Linn. i. 396. No. 6. The Eagle Ray, Yarr.ii.445. Rarior. The foregoing list has no pretensions for consideration as a full and perfect catalogue of the Maderan fishes. Having scarcely begun to feel much interest in ichthyology till a period when continual engagement in more serious duties precluded all regular or close attention to the subject, I have been obliged to rely altogether for the capture or collection of the species on the common fishermen, whose indolence a bribe will scarcely stimulate, and whose carelessness is only to be matched by their propensity to imposi- tion and deceit. Thus many of the smaller and rarer kinds no doubt remain to be dis- covered by any one provided with the proper nets or apparatus, and commanding leisure, time, and personal industry for their collection. But allowing for much imperfection from these various causes, sufficient data are, perhaps, here afforded for a tolerably correct approximation to the general character of Maderan ichthyology ; for it is not probable that future discoveries will do more than slightly affect the coordinate value of several amongst the secondary groups (e. g. Tri- glide, Gobide, Labride, Clupeide, Pleuronectide, Murende, Cyclopteride, &c.) ; raising these, perhaps, to a somewhat higher value in proportion to the rest, but not counter- balancing the general preponderance of others (e. g. Scombride, Sparide, &c.), or al- tering the more obvious and striking features of the whole. To exhibit these results, therefore, at once in aclear and convenient form, I have composed the following Table, relying solely on the admirable work of Mr. Yarrell for the British species ; and for the Mediterranean principally upon Risso’s Histoire Naturelle, &c., de ’ Europe Meridionale, corrected, as far as to the middle of the Gobide, by the Histoire Naturelle des Poissons of MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes, and by the second edition of the Regne Animal of Cuvier for the remainder. OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. 197 A Table of the comparative number and distribution of the British, Mediterranean, and Maderan Species of Fishes *. found in Whole number of Species Families. Mets savers atefa 8 +2 Sate Syevee' ay siatd ouch 12 a 7 BOSS =e OP dene 2 Ce Bresalela alan 6 hs ahs ets othe 0 Bole peneteins tots 1 Scombridee : 2. ..2....0% 12 Pee DOG sien 5 ss: +) 4 dy0'0! oe 3 Miners 00.2 oh aetpee 4 Whophidtey Husrseizecpien ober 1 RIODIOGG octane aicoaren avoid 14 See er Re 1l PED: wisbee ke o2 1 ahape eee 75 +9 229 +10 Species peculiar+ to Brit. Med. 0 9 +1 +2 6 5 +4 +3 0 1 0 14 0 8 0 0 0 25 1 8 1 12 0 1 6 26 +1 4 41 0 0 18 150 +5 +6 er et ey ee rd Gta perdae ie ioral sje ea es 2. Malacopterygiane. \ Abdominales ........ Gadi see ates es 19 Pleuronectide.......... 16 Cyclopteride .......... 5 Echeneide ............ 1 4. Malacopt. Murenide .......... +3 __——_—_—_—| —— | | | 5 20 +2 0 35 +2 Species common to aaa. | iat ht 4 1 4 2 0 2 3 0 0 2 1 6 0 0 1 2 0 0 4 0 6 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 4 1 4 0 0 0 25 4 26 ooo © ed. and| Brit. and /Brit. Med. M M 3 bo SCD DKK WhOOw NtUtew eo Reo COFCO OrFOCONSO KK ws * The freshwater fishes are added in smaller figures under the numbers of the marine species; and all fa- milies which have no British or Maderan representatives are omitted. + By peculiar, is meant only not found in either of the other two localities here specified. + No attempt is made to distribute geographically, or even in some cases to enumerate the freshwater Ma- Jacopterygians, or the Raiide, further than Great Britain and Madera are concerned, in the present absence of all accurate knowledge of the South European species of the former, and the inextricable confusion in the synonyms of Raia, Risso. VOL. II.— PART III. 2D 198 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS Tas.e (Continued). Whole number of Species found in Species peculiar to Species common to Families. Brit. from Med. from Mad. Med. and Bate and | Brit. Med, : ed. Yarr. ee & | Lowe. Brit. . . d Mad. and Mad. 5. Lophobranchiz, i. e. Syn- 14 gnathide Gymnodontide Balistidz 6. Plectognathi 7. Chondropt. Ord. I. Sturionide 8. Chondropt. Ord. II. Squalidz i. e.¢ Raiide Petromyzide Chondropterygii It only remains briefly to indicate a few of the chief results above displayed in figures. The first of these is one, indeed, which might have almost safely been anticipated, in consideration of the physical condition of the country ; the small extent of which, its abruptness of elevation above the level of the sea, and the extreme inequality of the surface, are causes combining to reduce its freshwater streams, however copious, to the mere character of rapid rivulets or mountain torrents, and to prevent the natural for- mation of any permanent lakes, pools, or ponds of stagnant water. Thus is excluded of necessity, with the exception of the Eel (Anguilla), the whole race of either perma- nent or temporary freshwater fishes. Bearing in mind this great source of deficiency, and then considering another almost equally influential on the numerical abundance of the species, namely, the perfect uni- formity of these shores in structure and materials, occasioning a corresponding uniform- ity of food and shelter, and encouraging tenants alone of one particular set of habits; it is only matter of surprise that the total number of Maderan fishes is not less than half the whole number inhabiting the rivers, lakes, and seas of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Excluding the freshwater species, as in the foregoing Table, for the purpose of a fair comparison, Great Britain possesses along all its well-searched, varied, and ex- tended shores, only one-third more fishes than Madera. And in the Acanthopterygian or Spiny-finned division the numbers are very nearly equal. But allowing for the absence of the fluviatile species in Madera, by omitting them on OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA, 199 the side also of the Mediterranean and Great Britain, there still remains an essential difference characteristic of the former ; a difference, however, conformable to what there Seems some reason to suppose may prove a general law, namely, a variation in the ratio between the marine Acanthopterygians and the Malacopterygians inversely proportion- able to the latitude. In Britain the marine Acanthopterygians are to the marine Mala- copterygians as low as one and a quarter to one, i. e. nearly in a ratio of equality ; in the Mediterranean they are as two and three-fifths to one ; and in Madera the ratio has increased to three and a half to one. Another curious general feature deducible from the foregoing Table, is that Madera has nearly as many species in common with Great Britain as it has in common with the Mediterranean. For striking off one third part of the whole number of Maderan fishes, which is the proportion peculiar to the island, it appears that one-half of the re- maining two-thirds belongs to the Mediterranean, while the other half is formed of species also found in Britain. Indeed, in several respects, instead of occupying a place, considered ichthyologically, corresponding with its latitude, Madera seems rather to be intermediate between Great Britain and the Mediterranean. It presents us with a very small sprinkling of species (Priacanthus; Pristipoma, Glyphisodon, Heliastes, Diodon, Tetrodon, Balistes) belonging to the tropical forms ; while the numbers of the species, in most of the families, either about equal those of the same families in Britain, or are intermediate between them and the numbers for the Mediterranean. The families of Triglide, Gobide, Clupeide, Cyclopteride, and Syngnathide are, it must be confessed, at present seemingly exceptions to this rule, but exceptions which, I think, will pro- bably not prove to be such ultimately. Gaduside, Pleuronectide, and Raiide are such exceptions, which should rather go to prove the rule. In respect to these peculiarly northern tribes of fishes, Madera takes the place, accordant with its latitude, as lowest in the scale. In one particular the foregoing Table fails to convey a faithful picture of the general character and aspect of Maderan Ichthyology. It does not sufficiently express the de- cided predominance of the Sparidal, Scombridal and Percidal forms above all others. This arises from the profusion in which the individuals of certain species in these fa- milies occur; while the species which compose the other families are in general poorer considerably in this respect. The commonest edible fishes of the island are found in the three families just named, as well as the more gregarious and prolific species. Thus the European visitor on entering the markets, or examining the boats, is struck at once with the almost total absence of the Flat-fishes, Salmonide, and Cod-fish tribe, which more especially characterize our stalls in England, and with the unwonted forms of the Sargus, Pagrus, Pagellus, Box, Oblada, Smaris, Thynnus, Prometheus, Lichia, &c. ; or with the brilliant hues of the Serranus, Beryx, Scarus, &c., or the grotesque deformed Scorpena and Sebastes. This impression will be somewhat different at different seasons. The spring is cha- 2n2 : 200 REV. R. T. LOWE’S SYNOPSIS OF THE FISHES OF MADEIRA. racterized by the commoner appearance of the splendid-coloured Beryz in the streets ; attracting notice no less by its form and hues of silver, scarlet, rose and purple, than by the extraordinary size, and opaline, or rather brassy lustre of its enormous eyes. With this, or even earlier, appears abundantly the common Herring of Madera (Clupea Maderensis) ; and as the season advances the Mackerel (Scomber scombrus, L.) ; the scarlet Peixe Cao, or Dog-fish of Madera (Crenilabrus caninus) ; Carneiro, or Mutton- fish (Scorpena Scrofa, L.), and Requieme (Sebastes Kuhlit); the Pike-like Bicuda, or Spet of the Mediterranean (Sphyrena vulgaris) ; the Sargo (Sargus Rondeletii, Cuv. & Val.), with teeth resembling the human; the elegantly golden-striped but worthless Saléma (Bow Salpa, Cuv.) ; and the plain-coloured Dobrada (Oblada melanura, Cuv.). The Herring and the Alfonsin (Beryx splendens) attain the climax of their season about March or April; the Mackerel in May and June; but the whole, except the Herring, continue throughout most part of the summer and autumn. In May the magnificent Lampris lauta, the beauty of which in the water excites the admiration even of the fisherman, begins to make its occasional appearance in the market ; and what is of far more importance in an economic point of view, the Tunny fishery begins. This last is at its greatest height in June or July; and to it succeeds the capture of the Gaiado (Thynnus Pelamys, L.), which is pursued with such success, that I have some- times watched a single boat, furnished with scarce half a dozen rods, pulling them in at the rate of three or four a minute. With the Gaiado appears in almost equal plenty the Coelho, or Rabbit-fish (Prometheus atlanticus) ; and these continue till the close of the summer by the equinoctial rains of October. The winter months of January and February are chiefly characterized by the presence, close along the shores, of the little Guelro (Atherina presbyter, Cuv.), or Sandsmelt of Madera, of the common Maderan Herring (Clupea Maderensis), and Sardinha (Clupea Sardina, Cuv.?) ; the two last being captured principally after violent gales and storms, when the swollen rivers or torrents carry down much mud into the sea. The following species occur in great profusion, more or less, throughout the year, but still most plentifully in the spring and summer ; viz. Garoupa (Serranus cabrilla, Cuv.) ; Cherne (Polyprion cerniwm, Cuv. & Val.) ; Goraz (Pagellus centrodontus, Cuv.) ; Bezugo (Pagellus acarne, Cuv.) ; Pargo (Pagrus vulgaris, Cuv.) ; Boga (Bow vulgaris, Cuv.) ; Bocairao (Smaris Royeri, Bowd.) ; Ranhosa or Tronbeta (Lichia glaycos, Cuv.) ; Chicharro or Maderan Horse Mackerel (Caranr Cuviert); Bodiaéo (Scarus mutabilis) ; and Abrotea (Phycis mediterraneus, Lar.). The well-known John Dory, or Peixe Gallo (Zeus Faber, L.), and delicate Red Mullet or Salmoneta (Mullus surmuletus, L.), are also taken at all seasons, but more sparingly. The Grey Mullet, or Tainha, is captured very plentifully throughout the year, but most abundantly perhaps in June. { 20k J XV. Observations on the Genus Galictis (Bell), with the Description of a new Species. By Tuomas Betz, Esq., V.P. Z.S., F.R.S., &c., Prof. Zool. in King’s College. Communicated April 25th, 1837. IN the year 1826, in offering to the Zoological Club of the Linnean Society’ some remarks on a living female Grison which had been for some years in my possession, I was led to consider this species as constituting a new generic type, to which I gave the name of Galictis, but without then assigning its distinctive generic character. The existence, in the museum of the Zoological Society, of a new species, nearly allied to the former and yet evidently distinct, has induced me now to enter more par- ticularly into the subject, and to lay before the Society, in addition to a description of the new species, some observations on the characters and affinities of the genus. Buffon, in the third volume of the supplement to his “‘ Histoire Naturelle,” gives two figures under the respective names of ‘‘ Fouine de la Guyane” and ‘Grison,” which have always been considered as belonging to one animal, the Viverra vittata of Schreber. The animal which forms the subject of the first-named figure was brought from Guiana ; the teeth were wanting, but the general form of the body led Buffon, with his usual ignorance of true distinctive character, to consider it as a variety merely of the former or Marten. His description as well as the figure is sufficiently clear to designate the animal as identical with that which has subsequently been known as the Viverra vittata, and could not have appertained to the species which I shall presently describe. The second figure above alluded to, accompanied by a description, was first published in the fifth volume of the Dutch edition of Buffon, by Allamand, who gave it the name of ‘‘Grison,”’ quasi Belette grise. This animal was said to have been brought to M. Al- lamand from Surinam. The figure is certainly very different from the former, so as to prove that great fault exists in the stuffing of both specimens. The former has an extremely attenuated nose with a lengthened body; in the latter the muzzle is thick and obtuse and the body less slender. But the colours, if the engraver can be trusted, and the character of the hair, are sufficiently different to warrant considerable doubt whether this may not be a representation of the same species as that which is now introduced to the notice of the Society. It is also the “ petit furet’’ of d’Azara’s History of the Quadrupeds of Paraguay. Schreber, in his History of Mammalia, placed the former animal amongst the Viverre, ' Zool. Journ. ii, p. 551. 202 MR. T. BELL ON THE GENUS GALICTIS. under the name of Viverra vittata, which was retained by Gmelin and others ; but the semiplantigrade character of the foot seems to have led Thunberg to consider it as more nearly allied to the Urside, and he accordingly calls it Ursus Brasiliensis. By Desmarest it is arranged in the genus Gulo; and the name Gulo vittatus, given to it by this author, has been employed by the Cuviers and all other subsequent writers, with the exception of Dr. Traill, who, in the third volume of the Memoirs of the Wernerian Society, restores it to its proper family the Mustelide, but under the erroneous name of Lutra vittata; for it has no nearer affinity to the otters, than that which is possessed by the whole of the species of the genus Mustela. M. Fred. Cuvier has given in his great work on the ‘‘ Mammiféres,” an account of an individual which lived in confine- ment, whose habits almost exactly agreed with those of mine already alluded to; the figure which this naturalist has there given, although the best that has hitherto ap- peared, is so faulty that 1 have thought it necessary to offer another, taken from my own specimen when living. When the form, the structure, and the habits of this animal are considered, it appears strange that all the Zoologists subsequent to Buffon, who have hitherto examined it, should have failed to ascertain its real affinities. In the form of its body, and particularly in the structure of the teeth, it is absolutely similar to many of the genus Mustela, particularly to the ferret and the polecat. This similarity, at least in form, was detected both by D’Azara and by Buffon, as is proved by the names which they assign to it. Nor is there a single difference of any importance in the structure of the teeth, between this animal and the polecat, with the single excep- tion, that the inner tubercle of the carnivorous tooth is, in a very slight degree, broader in the present species. The character which induced me to consider it as generically distinct from Mustela, for there cannot for a moment exist a doubt as to the necessity for its removal from Gulo, is the semiplantigrade nature of the feet ; and this appeared to be a structural distinction of sufficient importance to warrant such a separation. This view has been confirmed in a very interesting manner by the occurrence of the new species about to be described, having exactly the same general character of colora- tion and markings, but with sufficient essential distinctive characters to point it out as specifically different. The genus then belongs to the family of the Mustelide, but exhibits in the form of the feet a slight indication of an approach to the Urside, in which group it is probably represented by the genus Ratellus, which, whilst it shows a similar degree of aberration from the type of its family, has an almost identical peculiarity of coloration. It is in such circumstances as these, where the animals really possess the more important ana- logies of form and of relation to their respective types, that the confirmatory though only subordinate analogies of colour are of real value; and it is surely unnecessary to point out the difference between relying upon colour and markings, on the one hand, as a primary analogical character, irrespective of other and more important relations ; and, on the other, considering them as constituting only a collateral corroboration of MR. T. BELL ON THE GENUS GALICTIS, 203 them. I wish however to be understood as offering this suggestion respecting the ana- logical relation between Galictis and Ratellus as still doubtful ; for I cannot but feel it to be a far more difficult matter to decide upon these relations than some naturalists of the present day appear to consider it. That relations of analogy between the members of different groups do exist, there cannot perhaps be any reasonable doubt ; that such analogies do in many instances, and would in all, were our information less limited, assist us in the determination of the affinities of correlative groups, may also possibly be true; but that these relations are to be perceived at a single glance, that they are to be picked up, as it were, by every careless passer-by, and forced with all the confi- dence of undisputed authority into the service of every fabricator of systems, is incon- sistent with the modesty of true science, derogatory from its dignity, and calculated only to bring the study of zoology itself into contempt. Fam. Mustexip2. Genus GALictIis. Dentes molares spurii.— Rostrum breve ; Palme atque plante nudz subplantigrade ; Ungues breviusculi, curvi, acuti ; Corpus elongatum, depressum. 1. GauicrTis vITTATA. Tas. XXXV. Gal. vertice, collo, dorso, atque caudé flavescenti-griseis ; rostro, guld et pectore fuscescenti- nigris ; fascia a fronte usque ad humeros flavescenti-albidd ; pilis longis laxis. Viverra vittata. Scuresers, Saugth. p. 447, t. cxxiv. Gmel. Syst. Nat. Linn. i. p. 89. Ursus Brasiliensis. 'Tauns. Mem. Acad. Petersb. vi. p. 401, t. xiii. Lutra vittata. Traitt, Mem. Wern. Soc. iii. p. 437, t. xix. Gulo vittatus. Dresmar. Mammal. pp. 175, sp. 268; Isip. Gzorrr. in Dict. Class. vii. p. 384; Frep. Cuv. in Dict. des Sc. Nat. xix. p. 79. Galictis vittata. Brxx, Zool. Journ. ii. p. 552. Petit furet. D’Azara, Essai sur l’Hist. Nat. de Parag. (Trad. Franc.) i. p. 190. Fouine de la Guyane. Burron, Suppl. iii. p. 161, t. xxiii. Grison. Suaw, Gen. Zool. i, p. 392; Cuv. Reg. An. i. p. 146; Frep. Cuv. Mam. i. Habitat in Guyana, Paraguay, Brazilia. The general form, attitudes, and movements of this animal resemble those of the com- mon Polecat. The head is depressed ; the muzzle moderately acute, but not attenuated, projecting beyond the lower jaw; the eyes are moderately large, the iris dark brown, or nearly black ; the ears short, broad, and rounded ; the teeth are almost exactly similar 204 MR. T. BELL ON THE GENUS GALICTIS. to those of true Mustela, particularly M. putorius. The body is elongate and much depressed, covered with rather long loose hair, the under hair soft and short ; the tail more than half the length of the head and body; the hair of the tail very long and lax. The legs are rather short; the toes five on each foot, with short, strong, curved, rather acute claws; the upper part of the toes hairy ; the soles of the feet naked. The fore-feet with a thick pad under each toe; the palm furnished with a broad tubercle consisting of three elevated portions, with a slight one internally, and a round simple one at the wrist, behind the little or outer toe. The hinder foot likewise furnished with a thick pad beneath each toe, and a broad trifid tubercle beneath the metatarsus : there is also a long tubercle beneath the heel at the outer side. The whole of these parts, that is to say, the soles of all the feet, are covered with a soft naked skin, and are evidently placed on the ground in progression. The colours are very remarkable, and the markings distinct and decided. The whole of the upper part of the head, the neck, the back, the flank, and the tail are yellowish light or brownish gray, produced by the mixture of a dirty yellowish white, with brownish black, the hairs being brownish black for about two-thirds of their length, the tip dirty or yellowish white. The muzzle, the cheeks, the throat, the under part of the neck, the belly, the anterior legs, and the hinder feet are black, with a brownish tinge lighter towards the back part, and on the belly interspersed with a few whitish hairs. The gray of the upper, and the black of the under parts, are sepa- rated by a rather broad fascia, extending on each side from the centre of the forehead - above the eye backwards as far as the shoulder, including the ears ; this fascia is of a buff or yellowish white colour. There is a large round follicle situated on each side the anus, covered with a muscle, and opening by a round duct within the anal orifice, secreting an unctuous matter, less fetid than that of the Polecat, but not possessing the rather agreeable odour of the Marten, or the powerful perfume of the Viverre. The stomach is very simple, the pyloric extremity long, cylindrical, and curved. There is no cecum, 2. Gaxictis ALLAMANDI. Tas. XXXVII. Gal. vertice, collo, dorso, atque caudd nigricanti-griseis ; partibus inferioribus nigris ; fascid a fronte usque ad collum utrinque albé ; corpore pilis brevibus adpressis. Habitat ? This species, although evidently distinct from the former, exhibits the same general character of colour and marking, with some remarkable differences, however, which, though not easily expressed in a specific phrase, are tangible and important. The whole of those parts, which in the former species are yellowish, are here perfectly white; and those which are blackish brown in the former, are in this pure black. MR. T. BELL ON THE GENUS GALICTIS, 205 The basal portion of the hairs on the back, therefore, is black, and the apical quite white, forming a pure blackish gray, or black, with white points and lines ; whilst all the under parts of the throat and part of the belly are black. The fascia extending from the fore- head to the sides of the neck is also white. This fascia does not extend in the speci- men described so far back as in the former species. The hairs of the whole body are very short in comparison, and much stiffer and more closely set. The animal is con- siderably larger, and the tail, as far as can be ascertained from a stuffed specimen, short in proportion. The native habits of the Grison are, doubtless, those of the terrestrial Mustelide gene- rally. Pursuing the smaller quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles on the ground, and even into trees, its carnivorous instinct is, probably, judging from its dentition, equally strong with theirs. The beautiful female specimen, which I had living for more than three years, was as tame and affectionate as a dog. She followed me, if permitted, wherever I went about the house, was extremely frolicsome and playful, and was delighted at being caressed. She would throw herself on her back, and seize the hand that fondled her with all four of her paws and her mouth at the same moment, pressing it with her teeth, but never sufficiently hard to cause the slightest degree of pain. She was ex- tremely fond of eggs, which she ate in a very singular manner. On one being given her, she first played with it for some time, running backwards, and at the same time pushing it under her belly with her fore-feet. At length she would fix one of her sharp canine teeth through the shell, and lick or suck as much of the contents as would flow through the orifice. Then again inserting her tooth, a piece of the shell was broken out so as to enable her to insert her tongue; and finally, the egg-shell was broken to pieces and each fragment carefully licked clean. For frogs she exhibited a decided fondness ; and she attacked two small alligators which I had living; one of which she killed and partly ate, and the other she wounded. The wound in each case was inflicted under the azilla, as being the least protected part, and that at which the large blood-vessels being torn through, would speedily bleed the animal to death. She died of stricture of the pylorus, without any other disease. This description of the genus appears to warrant the opinion which I have given of its affinities; namely, that it essentially belongs to the family of the Mustelide, but deviating from that type by the plantigrade character of the feet, in which it exhibits an obvious approach to the Urside. To Viverra its relation must be very remote; to Ursus and Gulo its approach has just been alluded to; to Lutra, in which genus we have seen it was placed by Dr. Traill, its affinity is more obvious, as it clearly belongs to the same family ; but by the im- portant character of the dentition, as well as its general form, it approximates so closely to Mustela (Putorius of Cuvier) the typical genus of the family, that but for the more plantigrade character of the feet, it must have been associated with it. VOL, Il.— PART III. QE 206 ee. oR = MR. T. BELL ON THE GENUS GALICTIS. PLATE XXXV. GALICTIS VITTATA. PLATE XXXVI. . Cranium of Galictis vittata, seen from beneath. . The same seen laterally, with the addition of the lower mazilla. . The odoriferous glands: the left one covered by its investing muscle, which has been removed from that on the right. . The stomach. . The right fore foot. . The right hind foot. PLATE XXXVII. Ga.ictis ALLAMANDI1. LD) 2 F LAPPID 1D 7 ¥ r ; { ! ' . = A . ’ Bike “% " res ~ ee » ‘ = 4 : / ae vitlala / ‘ )} y) ; SrantaLio Ire Vel &. ac Hp Mb TION CLO YOUU) J: VPA? 2 G2 4 a a XVI. Ona new Sub-genus of Fishes, allied to Ophidium. By Wit.i1am Tuompson, Esq., Vice-President of the Natural History Society of Belfast. Communicated by the Se- cretary. Read June 13th, 1837. THE species of fish which is the subject of the present communication ranks under the Malacopterygii Apodes, and in its genus most nearly approximates Ophidium. Although with Ophidium, as described in the “ Reégne Animal” (t. 2. p- 358. 2nd ed.), it possesses many characters in common, others are at the same time presented which have suggested the propriety of constituting it a sub-genus. Cuvier having given as a character of Ophidium, “‘Vanus assez en arriére,” strictly considered’ prevents the admission of the present specimen. The genus is, again, in the Régne Animal subdivided into the true Ophidia and the Fierasfers; the former, ‘ Portent sous la gorge deux paires de petits barbillons adhérents 4 la pointe de d’os hyoide,” and the latter, ‘‘ Manquent de barbillons, et leur dorsale est si mince, qu'elle ne semble qu’un léger repli de la peau.” In external characters—for the specimen being, so far as known to me, unique, I have been unwilling to injure its appearance by dissection,—it is excluded from the Ophidia proper in consequence of not having the barbules ; and though agreeing with the Fieras- fers in the negative character of wanting these appendages, yet, by having the dorsal fin strongly developed and elevated, it ranges not with them. Its want of the very obvious character of the Ophidia, renders all comparison with them unnecessary ; but of two species belonging to the Fierasfers, and which approach the present specimen most nearly, I may state, that it possesses many of the characters of the Oph. fierasfer of Risso, but differs from that species in the teeth, (both jaws are described as armed with three rows of sharp and hooked teeth,) number of fin- rays, and some minor characters ; besides, there is nothing said of the remarkable teeth terminating both jaws, as exhibited in my specimen. In the Régne Animal we again find an Oph. dentatum described as having in each jaw “ deux dents en crochets,” but no further details are given. In this only character, however, the Oph. dentatum ' It may, perhaps, be objected to this strict reading, that Cuvier has himself admitted into the genus the Oph. Vassalii, which is described by Risso as having “I’anus situé prés de la gorge”’ (tome iii. p. 212. ed. 1826); but although the characters of this species are pretty fully detailed in the Régne Animal (t. ii. p. 359.), the one here quoted from Risso is not mentioned. The last-named author similarly describes the position of the vent in the Oph. fierasfer. On the contrary, both of the British Ophidia figured by Pennant (Brit. Zool. vol. iy. pl. 93. ed. 1777), and Montagu (Wern. Mem. vol. i. pl. 4.), accord with Cuvier’s generic description in this cha- racter, 208 MR. W. THOMPSON ON A NEW SUB-GENUS OF FISHES. differs from my fish, which has four large hooked teeth in the upper, and two in the under jaw. The specimen under consideration was found dead on the beach at Carnlough near Glenarm, in the county of Antrim, by my friend Dr. J. L. Drummond, when collecting Alge there in the month of June 1836, and, along with some other fishes, &c. obtained about the same time, was kindly handed over to me on his return to Belfast. Dr. Drummond informs me, that from its appearance when found, it had most probably been cast ashore by the tide of the preceding night when a strong easterly wind prevailed. Genus EcHIopon. Corpus valdé elongatum, complanatum et lanceolatum. Caput ovale ; rostrum mediocritér productum ; os sub-obliqué fissum ; mazille denti- bus armate sicut ossa palatina vomerque ; dentes duo utrinque apud maxillie superioris apicem magni et prelongi; macilla inferior utrinque dente unico cylin- draceo terminata ; apertura branchialis magna ; operculum satis amplum. Pinne dorsales et anales valdé producte. Anus anteriora versus positus. Ecuropon DrummMonpil. Tas. XXXVIII. Ech. corpus leve ; mazille ambe, vomer, ossaque palatina dentibus parvis obtusiusculis dense armate ; maxilla superior longior, cujus dentes externi ore clauso conspicui ; vomer admodum prominens antrorsumque valde productus ; lingua brevissima ; pinne dorsales analesque cum caudali continue, et posticé corpore multo altiores ; pinna analis ante dorsalem exoriens ; radii pinnales nulli ramosi ; membrana branchiostega septem radiata. Total length 11 inches; greatest depth (at 1 inch 4 lines from the snout) 6 lines, thence posteriorly gradually narrowing ; greatest breadth of body anteriorly 3 lines ; at the middle of the entire length 1 line, and thence to the tail becoming gradually more compressed. Head 1 inch 2 lines long, or rather more than one-ninth of the entire length ; pro- file sloping forward equally on both sides to the snout, which is truncated, and projects 1 line beyond the lower jaw; narrow, increasing in breadth very gradually from the snout, its breadth as 1 to 33 of its length; height half its length, compressed at the sides, and rather flat above from the eyes backward; from the eyes forward a central bony ridge ; snout viewed from above somewhat bifid in consequence of the forward position of the large teeth on each side. A few large punctures extend from the snout below the eye, and are continued just behind it ; a series of small ones closely arranged extend from the upper portion of the eye in a curved form posteriorly to near the edge of the pre-opercle, and thence a double row extends downwards. Nostrils very large, i i a MR. W. THOMPSON ON A NEW SUB-GENUS OF FISHES, 209 placed just in advance of, and before the centre of the eye, and in form a somewhat oval transverse aperture. Eye large, occupying the entire upper half of the depth of the head ; its width greater than its height, in the length of the head, occupying the place of 1 in 44; its distance from the snout 3 lines, or equal to its diameter, consequently 24 of its diameters are contained between it and the edge of the operculum. Operculum rounded at the base, terminating above in a minute point directed backwards, strongly radiated, strie distant ; preoperculum ascending vertically ; cheeks smooth and soft. Mouth rather obliquely cleft. Teeth, two large strong ones, placed close together, and curving inwards at each side the extremity of the upper jaw, the two inner 7th of an inch apart. In the lower jaw one slender rounded tooth, nearly 1 line long on each side, curving outwards at the base, and inwards at the point. Entire upper and under jaw and vomer densely studded with small bluntish teeth, somewhat uniform in size ; vomer extending far forward, and very much developed, forming a cavity in the lower jaw, and in advance of the tongue when the mouth is closed ; a series of rows of teeth similar to those last described on the palatine bones ; all the teeth of the upper jaw ex- posed to view when the mouth is closed. Tongue short, not reaching within 2} lines of the extremity of the lower jaw, and apparently toothless. On the dorsal ridge, 1 inch from the snout, or 23 lines behind the cranium, is a short, stout, bony spine, not very conspicuous, and, excepting its extreme point, covered with skin: it is 6 lines in advance of the first ray of the dorsal fin. Scales none’ (?). Lateral line inconspicuous, being a slight depression extending in a straight line along the middle of the sides pos- teriorly, or throughout the greater portion of its length, but anteriorly nearer to the dorsal than the ventral profile. Vent 1 inch 3 lines from the extremity of the lower jaw. Branchiostegous membrane opens forward rather before the extremity of the gape. Dorsal fin commencing | inch 6 lines from the snout, low at its origin, but gradually increasing in height to near the caudal fin, which it joins, the two or three anterior rays, which are very short, flexible and simple* (?), remainder articulated. Anal fin originates just behind the vent, or at 1 inch 3 lines from the point of the lower jaw, joins the caudal fin, near to which it increases in depth posteriorly from its origin, deeper than the dorsal fin throughout ; about 12 inch from the caudal fin the rays are in length four times greater than the depth of the body at the same place, the rays of the dorsal fin opposite being three times the depth of the body; the first and second anterior rays flexible and simple (?), remainder articulated. Pectoral fins originate 1 line behind the head, and are equal to half its length, central rays longest, all very flexible, placed below the middle of the sides. Caudal fin, central rays longest. Arti- culations very long on the rays of all the fins; no branched rays in any of them. D. 180? A.180? P. 162 C.122—Br. 7. ‘ It must be observed, that had the specimen possessed scales of the same nature as those of the Cepola ru- bescens (Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 197.), itmay have been divested of them during its short exposure on the beach. ? As in Cepola rubescens. 210 MR. W. THOMPSON ON A NEW SUB-GENUS OF FISHES. Although the numbers of these fin-rays be marked with doubt, they were reckoned with the greatest care; but without injury to the specimen they could not be ascer- tained with certainty to a single ray. Vertebre, which distinctly seen through the skin can be reckoned with accuracy, 98. Colours, anterior half a dull flesh colour, similar to specimens of Cepola rubescens preserved in spirits, hence it is presumed to have been originally red; behind this portion, reddish-brown markings appear on the body at the base of the dorsal and anal fins, and suddenly increase in number, until from an inch behind the middle, the whole sides are closely marked and spotted over ; the entire top and the sides of the head before the hinder line of the eye are similarly spotted ; just behind the cranium a few spots also appear: the posterior rays of the dorsal and anal and the entire caudal fin blackish. Iris, operculum, and under surface, a short way beyond the vent, bright silver. The two large teeth, resembling serpents’ fangs, which terminate the upper jaw on each side, have suggested the generic appellation of Echiodon (éyic, a viper, and odode, a tooth) ; and the specific name of Drummondii is proposed in honour of its discoverer’. Although when this fish first came into my possession, I saw that it might be classed under the Malacopterygu Apodes, and be placed near Ophidium, I considered that in a natural arrangement it would best constitute a new genus of the family Tenioidea. In being apodal it was not excluded from this family, as two genera belonging to it are destitute of ventral fins. I did not hesitate to place it under the Acanthopterygii, as some genera which are included in this order are, like it, strictly Malacopterygian, their natural connexion with genera having fins with spinous rays being considered—and in my opinion most philosophically—to outweigh this character: and further, I felt less reluctance in thus placing it, in consequence of Cepola rubescens, which it assimilates in ' In Mr. Templeton’s catalogue of ‘Irish Vertebrate Animals,” published in the Magazine of Natural History (new series) for 1837, we find the following remarks in reference to Ophidium imberbe. ‘‘The only specimen I have observed was thrown on the shore of Belfast Lough, near the Whitehouse Point, on January 9, 1809. It was a large specimen, not less than a foot long, and agreed so exactly with the figure in the British Zoology, and differed so much from that of Mr. Montagu (Wern. Mem. p. 95. pl. 4.), that I am led to believe there are two distinct species, of which Pennant has described the one and Montagu the other.” New series, vol. i. p. 412. In endeavouring to gain further information on this subject from the late Mr. Templeton’s papers, (all of which through the kindness and liberality of his family are accessible to me,) I have been only able to find the follow- ing note, which appears in his Journal, under date of January 10, 1809. ‘‘ Went to the White House to look for Fuci: found a fish about 18 inches long, more taper than an Hel, at the thickest part about an inch and a half diameter. I think it was the Ophidium imberbe. Brit. Zool. iii. 398. t. 93, in vol. iy.” It is much to be regretted that the information was not more precise, as it is not improbable that the species alluded to may have been identical with that which forms the subject of the present article. The White House Point and Carnlough Bay are in a direct line about twenty miles distant. Lessin MR. W. THOMPSON ON A NEW SUB-GENUS OF FISHES. 211 some respects, having but one spinous ray, and that in the ventral fin. At the sug- gestion of John Edward Gray, Esq. F.R.S., I have, however, reconsidered the subject, and have come to the conclusion above advanced. As a difference of opinion may still exist with regard to the position of this genus, I subjoin the observations originally made. Like certain other genera which are comprehended under Acanthopterygii, the first order of the Osseous Fishes, its fins are altogether destitute of spinous rays, but like those alluded to, such as Zoarces, &c., its other characters’ seem to point out the Teni- oides as the family to which it belongs. Of the eight® genera of Tenioides already known, viz. Lepidopus, Trichiurus, Gymnetrus, Stylephorus, Cepola, Lophotes, Trachypte- rus, and Alepisaurus*, the specimen under consideration agrees with Trichiurus and Stylephorus in being apodal, or wanting ventral fins, but in this character only is there any generic accordance. Though considerably more elongated, from the head poste- riorly it approaches most nearly to Cepola rubescens in the form of the body and in the forward commencement of the anal fin, which, with the dorsal, is prolonged until it joins the caudal; but it is only in the continuity of these fins until this junction is effected that the resemblance holds, as in my specimen the dorsal rays (of which the five fore- most are very short) increase in length posteriorly, and near the caudal fin are about three times as long as the depth of the body beneath them ; in the anal fin, which is throughout much higher than the dorsal, the rays likewise increase posteriorly, and near the caudal are in length four times greater than the depth of the body at the same place. The length of the posterior rays of these fins causes the dorsal, anal, and caudal to appear as one, whilst, though they do join in Cepola rubescens, the last ray of the dorsal and anal being much shorter than the outer rays of the caudal, may at the same time be said to mark distinctly the termination of each fin*. In my specimen the anal originates two lines in advance of the dorsal fin. In the form of the head and in dentition, it differs so remarkably from all the other genera as to render a comparison with them unnecessary. Its absolute characters must suffice for distinction. As Mr. Yarrell has in his valuable work on “ British Fishes” (vol. i. p. 185.) sug- gested, that of the two specimens described as Trichiuri by Mr. Hoy in the Linnean Transactions (vol. xi. p. 210.), the first may be the type of a new genus, it should be observed, that this individual approximates the specimen under consideration in but one generic, and that a negative character, namely, the want of ventral fins. ' I allude to external characters only, being unwilling to dissect a specimen as yet unique. 2 For the purpose of comparison, all the genera given by Cuvier in the ‘‘Régne Animal” and ‘Hist. de Poiss.”” are here brought together. ’ Zool. Trans. vol. i. p. 123. + For illustration of this, see Cuv. and Val. Hist. de Poiss. pl. 300. Two species of Cepola from Japan, the C. limbata and C. marginata, are (as has been observed in this work, tome x. p. 403.) figured by Krusenstern with the caudal fin continuous with the dorsal and anal, as in the genus Anguilla. MR. W. THOMPSON ON A NEW SUB-GENUS OF FISHES. wo — bo PLATE XXXVII. Fig. 1. Ecu1opoNn DruMMONDII. 2. Anterior region of the he system, enlarged. 3. Front view of the anterior termin ad seen laterally, the jaws extended to show the dental al teeth, enlarged. Lien Logline LET FAIS. fos 222. NN MO QQ " Www QAAA SQV X\\\Y C peut Gg bumomondc Z TU Dwatne se. a ii a ee ee XVII. Description of a new Species of Antelope. By Capt. W. C. Harris, (Bombay Engineers,) in a Letter addressed to the Secretary. Communicated January 9th, 1838. Sir, Cape Town, South Africa, Oct. 10, 1837. IT BEG the favour of your presenting to the Zoological Society the accompanying drawing and description of an entirely new and very interesting species of Antelope, which I discovered in the course of an expedition to the interior of Africa, from which I have lately returned. A perfect specimen that I brought down has been admirably set up by Monsieur Verreaux, the French naturalist at Cape Town, and will be sent to London in the course of a few days, to the care of Dr. Andrew Smith. It would appear to belong to the sub-genus Aigocerus, and in form, as well as in other respects, bears remote resemblance to the Aigocerus Equina, (Roan Antelope or Bastard Gemsbok,) with which it has been confounded by many persons imperfectly acquainted with the subject to whom it has been exhibited. A comparison of the two animals will, however, render the existing difference between them too obvious to demand any observation from me. During nearly three months that I hunted over the country lying between the 24th and 26th parallels of south latitude, within 28° and 30° east longitude, I only once met with the Antelope in question. On the northern side of the Cashan range of moun- tains, about a degree and a half south of the tropic of Capricorn, I found a herd, con- sisting of nine does and two bucks, and followed them until I captured the specimen from which the enclosed drawing was made. None of the natives of the country were familiar with the appearance of the animal when first interrogated on the subject, although after conferring amongst themselves, they agreed that it was Kodkame, (Oryx Capensis,) the Gemsbok ; and, of the many individuals to whom it has been shown, a trader named Robert Scoon is the only one by whom it has been recognized. He declares that he saw a herd of them some years ago near the very spot I have described, but could not succeed in killing one. It is, doubtless, very rare ; and, judging from the formation of the foot, entirely confined to the mountains. The females are somewhat smaller than the males, are provided with shorter and slighter, but similarly shaped horns, and are similarly marked ; a deep chestnut brown, verging upon black, taking the place of the glossy black coat of the male. I did not VOL. I1,—PART III. 2 F 214 CAPT. W. C. HARRIS ON A NEW ANTELOPE. obtain a female specimen; but whilst riding down the buck, I had abundant opportu- nities of narrowly observing them within the distance of a few yards, and am, therefore, positive as to the correctness of the description here given, I have for the present designated the new Antelope ‘‘ Aigocerus niger ;” but of course it will rest with the Zoological Society either to confirm that name, or to bestow one more appropriate or more scientific ; and I shall be gratified by their doing so. I have the honour to be, sir, Your most obedient servant, W. C. Harris. Aigocerus niger. THe SaBLe ANTELOPE. Adult male four feet six inches high at the shoulder; nearly nine feet in extreme length. Horns thirty-seven inches over the curve, placed immediately above the eyes, rather higher than occurs in the Aigocerus Equina; flat, slender, sub-erect, and then strongly bent back scimitar wise ; at first gradually diverging, and then running parallel to each other; three-fourths annulated with about thirty strongly pronounced, incom- plete rings, more rigid on the edges, but chiefly broken on the outside of the horn ; the remaining one-fourth smooth, round, slender, and pointed. Head somewhat attenuated towards the muzzle, and compressed laterally. Carcase robust. Withers elevated. Neck broad and flat. Hoofs black, obtuse, and rather short. Hair close and smooth : general colour of the coat intense glossy black, with an occasional cast of deep chestnut. A dirty white streak commencing above each eye, continued by a pencil of long hairs covering the place.of the suborbital pouch, (of which cavity no trace is to be found in this Antelope,) and then running down the side of the nose to the muzzle, which is en- tirely white ; the same colour pervading one half of the cheek, the chin and the throat. Ears ten inches long, narrow, tapering and pointed ; white within, lively chestnut with- out, with black pencilled tips. A broad half crescent of deep chestnut at the base of each ear, behind. A small, entire black muzzle. A copious standing black mane, five and a half inches high, somewhat inclined forwards, and extending from between the ears to the middle of the back. Hair of the throat and neck longer than that of the body. Belly, buttocks, and inside of thighs, pure white. A longitudinal dusky white stripe behind each arm. Fore-legs jet black inside and out, with a tinge of chestnut on and below the knees. Hind-legs black, with a lively chestnut patch on and below the hocks. Tail black; long hair skirting the posterior edge, and terminating in a tuft which ex- tends below the hocks. Sheath tipped with black. Female smaller than the male, with smaller but similarly shaped horns. Colour, deep chestnut brown verging upon black. Very rare. Gregarious, in small families. Inhabits the great mountain range which threads the more eastern parts of Moselekatse’s territory. ¥4e eer wy CAPT. W. C. HARRIS ON A NEW ANTELOPE. Dime=nsions. Height at shoulder Length of body Length of neck Length of head Length of tail . : Length of hind-quarter . Depth of chest . Length of fore-arm Fore-knee to foot . Croup to hock Hock to foot Breadth of neck Breadth of fore-arm . Breadth of thigh . Breadth of fore-leg Breadth of hind-leg . Length of horns Breadth asunder at base Breadth asunder at tips . Length of ears Breadth of head PLATE XXXIX. AIGOCERUS NIGER’. 54 inches. 44 17 19 25 19 30 qr ' From a drawing taken on the spot by Captain Harris. The original specimen is in the collection of the British Museum. CSOCCU. VGC ‘ . ty » ote 5 / : ‘_ ie ee XVIII. Notes on the Anatomy of the Nubian Giraffe. By Ricuarv Owen, Esq., F.R.S., §c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons. Communicated January 23rd, 1838. AFTER the lapse of many centuries the civilized nations of Europe begin again to be familiar with living specimens of the rarer animals from the remote regions of the globe ; and as a consequence naturally flowing from the great moral revolution which has been effected during that interval, they can plead higher and better motives for such collections than those which stimulated the citizens of ancient Rome to excel in the exhibitions of the circus. But the improvement in our tastes and wants, in reference to collections of living animals, has not hitherto produced a corresponding activity in their gratification: nor, indeed, does the service of modern zoological science require the extraordinary energies and pecuniary expenditure which enabled a Roman dictator or emperor to gratify the vitiated desires of an enslaved and cruel people with spectacles of the slaughter of Lions, Bears, Elephants, Dromedaries, and Ostriches, by hundreds ata time. It is the variety and not the number of rare animals which we are now concerned in procuring ; but even in this respect much remains to be done before we shall have rivalled the ancients as importers of rare species ; and it is somewhat morti- fying to reflect that the living Hippopotamus and the two-horned Rhinoceros have hitherto been witnessed in Europe, only in the degrading sports of a Roman amphi- theatre, and that science has profited nothing by their exhibition. No person who has perused the “‘ Historia Animalium” of Aristotle but must feel con- vinced that, if the Grecian naturalist had enjoyed opportunities like those afforded to the Roman philosophers of observing the rare animals which were repeatedly exhibited alive, and slain in the public games in their times, he would have left to posterity the same accurate and philosophical record of their characteristic forms and qualities as of the animals whose descriptions are given in the wonderful treatise above mentioned. The Hippopotamus was known to Aristotle only through the medium of a vague de- scription by Herodotus; the two-horned Rhinoceros and the Giraffe he had neither _ seen nor heard of; yet at Rome, besides the Hippopotamus and Rhinoceros, the Giraffe’ was more than once exhibited. The third Gordian showed ten living Giraffes, which it is conjectured were afterwards slaughtered at the millenarian games”. But our ' “ Nabun 4&thiopes vocant, collo similem equo, pedibus et cruribus bovi, camelo capite, albis maculis rutilum colorem distinguentibus, unde appellata Camelopardalis. Dictatoris Cesaris Circensibus ludis primum yisa Rome.” C. Plinii Hist. Nat. liber viii. * «Dio decem Camelopardales narrat a Gordiano exhibitas, quas mox Roma interfectas in millenariis ludis, Philippo imperante, speculata est.” Cuvier’s Pliny, vol. i. p. 392. nota 4. 218 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY knowledge of these facts is derived, less from the descriptions of the naturalist, than from the satire of the poet, the records and medals of political history, or the mosaic pavements and other ornaments of public buildings. We can scarcely perceive in the works of the Roman philosophers a trace of that love of natural knowledge which induced the pre- ceptor of Alexander the Great to investigate and record the habits and structure of the animals which that monarch’s conquests and just appreciation of science placed at his disposal. A greater contrast cannot be found in the literature of natural history than is afforded between the description of the Elephant, in the Historia Animalium, and the crude and casual notice by Pliny of those rarer animals which more extended conquests brought within his reach and observation. The spectacles and slaughters of the amphi- theatre, such as have been alluded to, were continued uninterruptedly for more than four hundred years, and must have afforded to the Roman philosophers, ample oppor- tunities of making observations on the form and organization of foreign animals : yet it seems that these animals, once killed, were applied to no further use. Everything, in short, that such occasions could afford to debase the human mind and heart was extracted from them, but nothing to elevate or improve. It is surely a just subject of congratulation, that in these later times worthier mo- tives for bringing rare animals within the sphere of our observation have been asso- ciated with happier and better results. Our national menageries not only add to,the innocent pleasures of the people, by gratifying ordinary curiosity, or ministering to the —perhaps somewhat spurious—enjoyment which arises from a consciousness of per- sonal security while standing at arms’ length from the encaged monarch of beasts, or affording the amusements of witnessing the sagacious feats of the ponderous Elephant or the nimble antics of the Ape ; but their chief object is to give to the scientific inquirer the means of determining the relations which subsist between habits and organization, and to trace the modifications of form and structure by which each species is adapted to its destined sphere in the wide and diversitied field of nature. These establishments afford at once the opportunity of combining observation of the living animal with dissec- tion of the dead. It is true, indeed, that the menagerie offers a very imperfect substi- tute for those opportunities and advantages which the intelligent traveller enjoys in witnessing the habits of a species in its free state and native wilds ; but, on the other hand, the conveniences for prosecuting anatomical inquiries are much greater, and the neglect of the latter means of advancing zoological knowledge would now be much more reprehensible, than in the time of Pliny. The scientific publications of the Zoological Society give ample proof that its mem- bers have not been indifferent to the opportunities which a choice menagerie affords of prosecuting anatomical researches into the structure of rare and interesting animals. In the present communication I propose to give the results of a dissection of the male Giraffe which died in the gardens at Regent’s Park, and of various parts of a male and a female Giraffe which died at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, and which were sent to me for examination by the kindness of Mr. Cross. OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 219 The position of the Giraffe in the mammiferous series has hitherto been laid down from external characters alone, and one cannot wonder therefore that Zoologists should not be unanimous on this point. Cuvier assigns to the genus Camelopardalis a place between Cervus and Antilope. The horns of the Giraffe, in fact, are of a bony texture, covered with a periosteum and a hairy integument, like the growing antlers of the Deer ; but the tegumentary defence of the vascular periosteum is not deciduous, and the horns are consequently persistent, as in the Antelopes, in which the vascular covering of the bony core is protected by a sheath of horny substance. In regard to the existence of horns in the two sexes, we find a few examples among both Deer and Antelopes, which thus resemble the Giraffe. The horns of the Giraffe possess, however, certain characters which are peculiar to themselves ; the basis of the horn, for example, is articulated by synchondrosis to the frontal and parietal bones, and thus constitutes an epiphysis rather than an apophysis of the cranium. A broad, obtuse, osseous eminence in the middle of the forehead’ has been described as a third horn, and has been stated to be similarly articulated to the frontal bone, at least in the male Nubian Giraffe, and to be the only instance of a horn developed in the mesial line of the cranium, and over a cranial suture in the Mammiferous class. Cuvier says, ‘“‘ Au milieu du chanfrein, est un tubercle ou une troisiéme corne plus large et beaucoup plus courte, mais également articulée par suture*.” J. B. Fischer* describes the third arti- culated horn as peculiar to the male Giraffe. The general form of the Giraffe is modified with a special reference to its exigencies and habits, which are dependent upon its geographical position and the nature of its food; the prolongation and extensibility of the hair-clad muzzle, and the peculiar length, slenderness, and flexibility of the tongue, are in exact harmony with the kind of food on which it is destined to subsist. The oblique and narrow apertures of the nostrils, defended by the hair which is continued to their margins, and sur- rounded by cutaneous muscular fibres by which the animal can close them entirely and at will, form a beautiful provision for the defence of the air-passages, and the irritable membrane lining the olfactory cavity, against the fine particles of sand which the storms of the desert occasionally raise in suffocating clouds, and which man, and the animals compelled through his necessities to become occasional inhabitants of the desert, find so much difficulty in excluding. The position and peculiar prominence of the large, dark and lustrous eye of the ' See the section of this protuberance in the figure of the cranium, pl. 40. 2 Régne Animal, 2nded. tom.i. p. 266. The figure of the skull which illustrates the account of the Nubian Giraffe in the ‘Atlas zu Riippel’s Reise im Nordlichen Afrika,” pl. 9. p. 23., represents indeed this third tubercle as distinct and articulated by suture with the cranium ; but in the original cranium, from which the figure is taken, and which I have examined in the Frankfort Museum, I could not perceive any evidence of the existence of such a suture; the mesial protuberance had not been detached from an epiphyseal articular surface, but had been sawn off in order to be preserved in the stuffed skin. 3 Synopsis Mammalium, p. 455. 220 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY Giraffe, together with most of the external peculiarities of the body, have already been ably detailed in Riippel’s Reise, above quoted. Observations taken from the living animal have also been recorded by Geoffroy in the Annales des Sciences, xi. p. 210.; by Salze in the Mémoires du Museum, xiv. p. 68.; and some remarks on the tongue and stomach are given, with figures, in the 5th and 6th volumes of the Comparative Ana- tomy of Sir Everard Home. All the three Giraffes on which the present observations were made were young animals and had not shed the deciduous incisors and anterior molares; two of them (a male and female) were ascertained to be about three years old ; the third (a male, of which the skeleton is now preserved in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, London,) might, by its size, be about four years old. The following admeasurements were taken from the female Giraffe, which died (De- cember 10th, 1836) in the Surrey Gardens :-— Ft. Ins From the nose to the hind-hoof in a spiny Line yiHh adi abs nies From the nose to the vent. : Bee) The length of the head, following the curve = iin bancheri 2.190 Breadth of the head across the eyes ¢ O59 Circumference of neck immediately behind the bend , lonSh Do. Do. near the trunk Boosh Greatest circumference of trunk ea 6 0 Length of the fore-leg, from the azilla, or neha eas on, to ine ee 4 5% Length of the hind-leg, from the setting on at the groin . 4 8 The apparent greater length of the fore-legs in the living animal while in the erect posture, arises from the remarkable depth of the chest, length of the anterior dorsal spines, and corresponding length and position of the scapula. In the Horse, as is well known, there is a central point on each flank, whence the hair radiates in a somewhat spiral manner: the corresponding centre in the Giraffe is a little behind the middle of the abdomen, towards the lower part. There are four nipples in the inguinal region, of which the two anterior are wider apart than the two posterior. Organs of Digestion. In the form of the mouth the Giraffe differs from every other Ruminant. In the non- division and extensibility of the hair-clad upper lip it resembles the Elk, but differs widely from that animal in the elegant tapering form of the muzzle. There is no trace of the bifid division of the upper lip which distinguishes the Camel. The inner surface of the lips, especially where they join to form the angles of the mouth, is beset with numerous, close-set, strong, retroverted and pointed papille, al OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 221 similar to those which are distributed over the interior of the gullet in the Turtles (Che- lonia). Other Ruminants have this structure’, but less strongly developed than in the Giraffe. On the palate there are about sixteen irregular transverse ridges, some slightly incurved, others tending to the chevron form, but all presenting a free denticulated edge turned backwards; these are traversed by a median groove, and gradually subside posteriorly. At the anterior part of the palate there are transverse rows of large obtuse papille in the interspaces of the ridges. This mechanical apparatus for detaining the food in the mouth and ensuring its deglutition, is required in the Giraffe more particu- larly on account of the small size of its head and jaws as compared with the body. The bolus which is regurgitated in rumination is generally so large as considerably to distend the cheek externally to the grinders ; and all the callous processes which beset the interior of the mouth tend to direct the nutritive matter to the space between the grinding teeth. It is in relation to the lengthened mastication which the alimentary substances un- dergo in the mouth of the Ruminants, that these peculiarities of the lips and palate exist. They have not escaped the notice of Cuvier ; but their presence by that great anato- mist is only connected with the corresponding existence of papillary productions from the lining membrane of the paunch ; and he states it to be difficult to trace a final con- nexion between their development and the kind of food on which the animal lives. But in reasoning on this structure, I think we may legitimately ascend beyond the simple relation of coexistence to which Cuvier alludes. In the act of rumination the bolus is driven into the mouth with great force ; and the use of these papille as mecha- nical obstacles to its escape, and their tendency to confine the soft slimy comminuted vegetable substances to the molar region during the second mastication, appear to be offices of sufficient importance to found upon their presence an argument of special adaptation or design. Cuvier, in illustrating his opinion, cites the Horse as having no buccal papille, and as having, in like manner, no papille in the interior of the stomach ; but the front part of the mouth ofthis Herbivorous animal is closed by teeth both above and below, and its food is never regurgitated for the purpose of undergoing a lengthened remastication. That they have no necessary relation of coexistence with pupille in the stomach or any other parts of the alimentary canal is obvious from the simple struc- ture of the lining membrane of the stomach in the Turtle, in which the esophagus is remarkable for the numerous, callous, pointed papille, designed to facilitate and ensure the passage to the stomach of the slippery sea-weed and other substances which con- stitute its food. Having frequently witnessed the great extensibility, flexibility, and extraordinary command and power which the Giraffe possesses over the movements of its tongue, and knowing the important share which this organ plays in the prehension of food in the ' See Bojanus, Nova Acta Acad. Nat. Ces. Cur. Bonn. t. xii. pl. xxiii. fig. 7. VOL. I1.— PART III. 2G 222 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY wild animal, I was prepared to expect that it would offer some well-marked and perhaps anomalous modifications in its structure; but the modifications are in fact of a very simple nature. (Pl. XLI.) The muscles of the tongue are the same in number, position, and attachments as in other Ruminants ; the principal difference obtains in the greater extent of the organ, anterior to the insertion of the genio-glossus; and as this free and active part consists entirely of a firm muscular tissue, invested by a thin, but dense and very closely adhering integument, there is a corresponding increase in the bulk of the linguales muscles as compared with those muscles of the tongue which have attachments to the bone; of these latter the stylo-glossi, (fig. 2. a. a.) which are the principal retractors of the free anterior part of the tongue, are relatively stronger than in other Ruminants ; they arise by a thin but strong tendon from near the lower extremity of the styloid bone, and run forwards below the lateral margins of the tongue, to which they are braced by a thin sheet of fibres (fig. 2. f. f.) descending obliquely for- wards from the sides of the linguales to the upper margin of the stylo-glossi. The lin- gualis inferior is a broad thin sheet of muscular fibres (fig. 2. c. c.), which comes off from the condensed cellular tissue at the under part of the root of the tongue, and runs for- ward parallel with the fibres of the stylo-glossi, with which it becomes blended anterior to the hyo-glossi (fig. 2. b. b.); these accessory fibres cross the inner surface of the hyo- glossus muscle, which is thus inclosed between the two layers of longitudinal retractors. Sir Everard Home, in his observations on the anatomy of the Giraffe which died in the menagerie of His Majesty King George IV., near Windsor, conceived that the extension and change of size of the tongue was effected chiefly by vascular action—by “‘ its con- taining a reservoir, out of the course of the circulation, which can be filled with blood at the will of the animal, so as to give it rigidity, and enable it to extend itself for the performance of the different actions in which it is employed with the smallest possible degree of muscular exertion,” and that the increase and diminution of size arose from the blood vessels being at one time loaded with blood and at another empty. The movements of the Cameleon’s tongue have been explained on a similar theory of vas- cular or erectile action. The arteries and veins of the tongue of one of the Giraffes dissected by me, were both successfully injected, and the non-existence of either a reservoir of blood or a vas- cular erectile tissue was clearly proved. The lingual artery (fig. 2. 7.) at the base of the tongue, sends off a large branch which runs upwards on the outside of the posterior part of the genio-glossi muscles (fig, 2. d.), and is principally distributed to the large fossulate mucous papille and glandular surface on the raised posterior margin of the tongue: the main artery is then continued forwards along the inner surface of the stylo- glossi muscles, giving off branches here and there to the muscular substance of the tongue, and the only modification which it offers worthy of note is the existence of numerous and large anastomotic communications with the lingual artery of the opposite side. The first of these intercommunicating branches, which was as large as a crow OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 223 quill (fig.2.k.), occurred immediately anterior to the genio-glossus,and full six inches from the apex of the tongue. In the specimen here described there was a marked difference in the size of the two lingual arteries: the left was the larger, and, beyond the preceding anastomosis, formed the principal channel for the supply of the free prehensile part of the tongue with blood, which part thus displays more singleness and unity in its organic composition than in man and most other Mammalia, in which the arteries supplying the two lateral moieties of the tongue are equal in size, and have only a slight anastomosis near its apex. The lingual veins in the Giraffe are of large size and present a slight plexiform arrangement beneath the baseof the tongue (fig. 2. h. h.). Thevein, together with the lingual artery which it accompanies, along the inner side of the stylo-glossus muscle, is covered by a thin stratum of transverse fibres, which pass from the middle line of the under surface of the tongue over the stylo-glossi to the upper surface of the tongue, and when in action would serve to compress the vessels, and at the same time elongate the relaxed fibres of the stylo-glossi ; but the space surrounding these vessels is quite inadequate to allow of their distention, so as in any degree to affect the size or motion of the tongue. The whole of the movements of the tongue, in fact, are due to muscular action : any physiologist who has felt the firm but regulated grasp of the tongue of the Giraffe, when twined round the finger, must have been convinced that the action was totally dissimilar to that sudden and fitful force arising from vascular or erectile action. The muscular fibres in the free and flexible part of the tongue present an arrangement adequate to all its movements. The stylo-glossi and inferior linguales expand into a layer of longitudinal fibres, about a line in thickness, covering the whole of the inferior surface of the free portion of the tongue, and becoming continuous at the sides, with a corresponding but thicker stratum of lon- gitudinal fibres on the upper surface of the tongue ; these longitudinal muscles inclose a mass of fibres, which run in the transverse direction. The action of these transverse fibres, combined with that of several short vertical fibres near the margins, and of those forming the thin circular stratum surrounding the stylo-glossi at the middle part of the tongue, serves to attenuate or diminish the transverse diameter of the tongue and increase its length; while thus rigidly extended, the apew of the tongue can be curved upwards or downwards by the superficial longitudinal fibres, which are less intermingled with the transverse fibres than in the tongues of most other Mammalia: the contraction of the longitudinal fibres taking place with the relaxation of the transverse ones, produces the retraction of the whole organ. 'The nerves of the tongue present the same dispo- sition as those in ordinary Ruminants, but the ninth pair is relatively larger than the branch from the fifth pair: the nerve which runs along the inner or under surface of the stylo-glossi towards the free extremity of the tongue is remarkable for its beautifully wavy course (fig. 2. g.), by which it is accommodated to the variations which occur in the length of the organ in the living animal. The epithelium is thickest at the apex of the tongue, on the upper surface of which it is developed into numerous minute retroverted spines, which occasion the rasp-like 262 224 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY roughness which is felt in the tongue of the living animal (Pl. XLI. fig. 3). A dark leaden-coloured pigment is developed beneath the epitheliwm, covering the anterior half of the tongue, in relation doubtless to its frequent exposure; the pigment assumes a black colour over the prominent round obtuse papille which are somewhat sparingly scattered, like coarse grains of gunpowder, over the dark-coloured portion of the tongue: from fifteen to twenty larger fossulate papille are arranged in an irregular longitudinal row on each side of the raised inter-molar part of the tongue. This surface of the tongue is otherwise smooth, and does not support any large pointed papillae, like those which characterize the corresponding part of the tongue in the Camel and Llama. There is a fold of lingual integument on each side of the posterior part of the tongue, which is covered with a thicker epithelium, and supports a longitudinal row of pointed papille, together with numerous orifices of a thick layer of mucous glands (Pl. XLI. fig. 1.). On looking down the mouth into the fauces the cavity appears to be as completely closed as in the Capibara ; but instead of narrowing in an infundibular form to a small circular depression, it is terminated by a transverse slit, through which projects a soft, rounded, valvular ridge, formed by the broad superior margin of the epiglottis, which is folded down upon itself at that part. The surface of the fauces is broken by large risings and depressions, or is coarsely corrugated. (Pl. XLII. fig. 3.) The velum palati, when viewed from behind, is seen to descend to the margins of the glottis in the inter- space between the epiglottis and the large arytenoid cartilages ; and on raising the soft palate, a small process, or rudimental wula, appears, descending from the middle of its inferior margin into the open laryngeal fissure ; but it fits only into the posterior part of this fissure, the anterior part being defended by two processes of the mucous mem- brane of the larynx which are continued from the sides of the base of the epiglottis. These processes are thick, of a triangular form, with their apices turned backwards and inwards, so as to cover and close the anterior part of the glottis: when the soft palate is raised to bring them into view, as in Pl. XLII. fig. 1, they seem like two accessory epiglottides ; but they consist merely of a duplicature of mucous membrane. At the posterior part of the soft palate there is an oval glandular body about one inch in long diameter. The tonsils are well-developed glands of a flattened oval form, two inches long, and one inch broad ; having each a short duct communicating with the fauces by a single wide opening, or fossa, and thus exhibiting a higher type of structure than they present in the human subject, where the mucous follicles terminate by several separate aper- tures. (Esophagus. The esophagus, like the other parts running along the neck, is chiefly remarkable for its great length. It presents a very regular and uniform diameter throughout (17 inch). OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 225 It is surrounded by two strong layers of muscular fibres. The external muscular layer is the thickest, and its fibres are nearly transverse in their arrangement: those of the internal layer are oblique, but approach towards the longitudinal disposition. I sub- jected them to microscopical observation, and compared them with the muscular fibres of the four cavities of the stomach ; they presented a structure which may be regarded as intermediate between that which characterizes the voluntary and involuntary muscular fibre. In the voluntary muscles the ultimate filaments are collected into what may be called ultimate fascicles, which present a uniform or definite size, and these are charac- terized, as is well known, by transverse strig: in the involuntary muscles, as those of the stomach of the Giraffe, the ultimate filaments are not collected into fascicles, but are uniformly interwoven with each other in a wavy course, and there are consequently no striated fascicles. In the muscles of the esophagus the ultimate filaments are aggregated into regular-sized ultimate fascicles, in which they present a parallel disposition: but the fascicles exhibit no trace of the transverse strie which characterize the voluntary fascicles, but, on the contrary, are perfectly smooth and sub-transparent. True involuntary fibres arranged round mucous membranes, as those of the intes- tine, or urinary bladder, may be thickened by increased action, but do not acquire a deeper red colour: the muscular fibres of the heart, which are developed in the vascu- lar layer of the germinal membrane, and which present the striated character, are generally the reddest in the body, and present the red colour in those animals in which all the other muscular fibres are white. Now the muscles of the @sophagus, which re- semble in their ultimate aggregation the true voluntary fibres, also assume a deeper red tint in the Giraffe and other Ruminants, in relation to the increased number and force of the contractions which they have daily to perform, as compared with the cesopha- geal fibres in the non-ruminating animals. The mucous membrane of the esophagus is thick and firm; it is lined by a well- developed smooth and polished epithelium, and is connected to the muscular coat by a very lax cellular membrane. Abdominal viscera. Before adverting to the rest of the alimentary canal, I may describe the position in which the abdominal viscera were seen in two dissections of the Giraffe. In the female, which died at the Surrey Gardens, the paunch occupied the ventral aspect of the anterior two-thirds of the short abdominal cavity, resting immediately upon the abdominal muscles and their strong and elastic fascie. The great omentum, which was studded with fat, as in the Deer and Ruminants generally, extended from the paunch to below the brim of the pelvis: on raising it, a fold of the colon appeared immediately below the paunch, towards the left side ; below this were several convolu- tions of small intestines: the obtuse blind end of the cecum made its appearance in the left hypogastric region, and below these was another portion of the colon. 226 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY In the male Giraffe, dissected at the Zoological Gardens, the abdominal viscera pre- sented nearly the same appearances: the paunch here also, as in other Ruminants, was so placed that no viscus was interposed between its weighty and indigested contents and the inferior abdominal parietes. On raising the paunch, the spiral coils of the colon, characteristic of the Ruminants, came into view, together with the rest of the jejunum and ileum. When these were re- moved, the third and fourth stomachs were exposed, together with the small liver which was wholly confined to the right of the mesial plane. The spleen, as usual in Ruminants, had its concave surface applied to the left side of the first stomach or rumen. The pancreas extends transversely behind the stomach within the posterior duplica- ture of the omentum, from the spleen to the duodenum. The kidneys occupy the usual position in the loins; the right one a little more ad- vanced than the left : their figure is rounded and compact, as in the Deer and Antelopes ; they are not externally lobulated, as in the Oz. The stomach presents in every respect the structure which characterizes the horned Ruminants. The paunch or rumen has the usual enormous proportions, and is bifid at the lower extremity; the papille (Pl. XLI. fig. 4) with which its inner surface is every where beset, are more regular and uniform in their size and shape than in the Oz, they are relatively thicker, narrower and longer; their margins are thickened but entire, in- stead of being irregularly notched ; and they become expanded and rounded at their free extremity, instead of tapering to a point, as in many parts of the paunch of the Ov: they resemble more those of the Reindeer. There is more variety among the horned Ru- minants in the form and depth of the cells of the reticulum ; and these modifications have been supposed to relate to differences in the power of retaining fluids. The structure of the Reindeer’s stomach appears to be confirmatory of this view: the snow which must be swallowed with the lichen through a great part of the year would render any reservoir for water unnecessary, and the cells in the reticulum are, in fact, in this Ruminant re- markably shallow. The same structure also obtains in the Giraffe. The cells are not, however, as has been stated, entirely wanting ; but their hexagonal boundaries appear as mere raised lines supporting a row of pyramidal papille larger than those in the in- terspaces (Pl. XLI. fig. 5); for any imaginable use, they might have been arranged in any other even the most irregular forms ; but that pattern is closely adhered to which grouping together a number of cells in the least possible space renders necessary in other Ruminants, and almost universal in nature. In the psalterium, between each two narrow folds, there is alternately one of great and one of moderate breadth, as in the Ox, &c.: these lamelle are beset with short pyriform papille. In the fourth stomach, the ruge of the digestive membrane are slightly developed, and chiefly longitudinal ; the pylorus is protected by a valvular protuberance, placed above it, just within the stomach ; this protuberance is relatively smaller than in the Llama. OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 227 The duodenum is dilated at its commencement ; it receives the biliary and pancreatic secretions about ten inches from the pylorus. The small intestines are rather tightly bound to the spine in short coils by a narrow mesentery, which contained much fat. They were of the following length: Cross’s Female. Cross’s Male. | Zool. Male. Small Intestines Large Intestines The small intestines present a pretty uniform size, measuring in circumference four inches. The ileum ceases to be convoluted towards its termination, but ascends in a straight course and enters the cecwm near the root of the mesentery. The termination of the ileum forms a circular tumid lip within the cecum, and presents a less efficient mechanical obstacle to regurgitation than in the human subject. The cecum is a simple cylindrical gut, as in other Ruminants ; its circumference is six inches ; it extends downwards from where the ileum enters, and its blind end ap- pears on the left side above the pelvis; but this position might be accidental as its connexions are loose. The disposition of the colon resembles that of the Deer. The extent of this intestine, before it begins to make the spiral or involuted turns, is about eight feet ; it becomes narrower where it takes on this characteristic disposition, and the separation of the feces into pellets begins at the end of this part. The spiral coils are situated to the left of the root of the mesentery, which, with the small intestines, must be turned to the right in order to bring them into view: there are four complete gyrations in one direction, and four reverse coils in the interspaces of the preceding, the gut being bent back upon itself; the length of this part of the intestine, when unravelled, is about fourteen feet. The spiral coils are not on the same plane, but form a depressed and oblique cone, whose concavity is next the mesentery. The colon, emerging from its coils, passes to the right, behind the root of the mesentery, becomes connected with the duodenum and the first part of its own course, then winds round to the left of the mesentery, and finally re- cedes backwards and descends to form the rectum: I may observe, that in those Ru- minants which have soft undivided fzces as the Ox, the coils are less numerous and regular, and the colon shorter and wider than in the Giraffe and Deer tribe. The Liver is a small viscus, as in most herbivorous Mammalia ; it weighed but six pounds, eleven ounces, avoirdupois ; it is of a flattened form, consisting of one lobe, with a small posterior Spigelian process; its greatest breadth twelve inches; its antero- posterior diameter eight inches. The inferior cava passes through a notch at the poste- rior edge of the liver, and does not perforate it. As the presence of a gall-bladder distinguishes the hollow-horned from the solid- 228 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY horned Ruminants, the investigation of this point in the anatomy of the Giraffe was attended with much interest; and the result of an examination of three individuals shows how necessary it is not to generalize on such a point from a single dissection. In the first Giraffe, the female at the Surrey Gardens, I found a large gall-bladder, which presented an unusual structure, being bifid at its fundus. It was attached in the usual manner and situation to the under part of the liver, having a covering of peritoneum over three-fourths of its surface. It measured three inches in length, and two inches in diameter. On making a longitudinal incision down one side of this apparently single gall-bladder, it was seen to be divided throughout its length by a middle vertical septum. Further dissection of this septum showed that the gall- bladder in fact was double, and that the two reservoirs of equal size, were connected together, side by side, by means of a common investment of serous membrane. The lining membrane of each bladder was smooth ; they communicated separately with the commencement of a single cystic duct, the terminal orifices admitting freely the blunt end of a common probe, and being protected by a valvular fold. The cystic duct re- ceives the hepatic ducts in its course towards the duodenum. (Pl. XLII. fig. 4.) In the two males afterwards examined there was not a vestige of a gall-bladder, but the bile was conveyed by a rather wide hepatic duct to the duodenum. I conclude, there- fore, that the absence of a gall-bladder is the rule, or normal condition ; and that the Giraffe in this respect, as in the structure of its horns, has a nearer affinity to the Deer than to the Antelopes. The pancreas is broader, thinner, and of a more irregular form than in the Calf or human subject. It is attached on the left side to the diaphragm and posterior part of the stomach, and it extends transversely across the spine to the termination of the biliary duct. I found in one Giraffe that the spleen was ten inches long and seven inches and a half broad; in another of the same stature, nine inches long and five inches broad. It is of a pretty regular oval form, but very thin, not exceeding one inch and two-thirds at the thickest part. The kidneys present the usual disposition, the right being nearest the diaphragm. They are of a short or full oval figure, with a simple unbroken exterior, as in the Deer ; about four inches and a half in length, four inches in breadth, and two inches and a half in thickness. The tubuli uriniferi converge towards a single ridge, which receives eight processes like abutments on each side, and occupies a narrow pelvis. Organs of Circulation. In the chest the viscera presented the usual disposition. The processes of the pleura supporting the lungs contain fat disposed between the layers, as in the mesentery. The heart measured in the full length of the ventricles eight inches and a half, and OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 229 the same in the transverse diameter of the base. The auricles are small as compared with the ventricles, which form a rounded lengthened cone. The right ventricle termi- nates at two inches from the apex. The left flap of the tricuspid valve has its free margin attached by long chord@ tendinee to the septum ventriculorum on one side, and to a co- lumna carnea on the other; which columna also gives attachment to some of the chorde tendinee of the right flap of the tricuspid ; the rest of the chorde of this flap, and all the chorde of the third or internal flap, are attached to a very short and thick columna which rises from the septum. Below the left flap of the tricuspid valve there is a fleshy column connecting the free wall of the right ventricle to the septum. In the right auricle the Eustachian valve is represented by a slight ridge circumscribing the left boundary of the lower cava. At the base of the heart, on one side of the origin of the aorta, and imbedded in the tendinous circle which gives attachment to the muscular fibres of the ventricle, there is a curved bone two-thirds of an inch in length. The arch of the aorta, after distributing the vessels to the heart itself, gives off, first, a large innominata which subdivides into the right vertebral artery, the right brachial ' artery, and the common trunk of the two carotids ; secondly, the left brachial artery; thirdly, the left vertebral artery. ‘The common trunk of the two carotids is remarkable for its length. The cranial plewus of the internal carotid is much less developed than in the grazing Ruminants. Nervous System. The brain of the Giraffe resembles in its general form, as well as in the number, dis- position, and depth of the convolutions, that of the Deer: it is more depressed than in the Antelope (Antilope picta) and relatively broader and deeper than in the Oz: the ce- rebrum lies wholly in front of the cerebellum. ‘The anterior contour of the cerebral hemispheres is somewhat truncated, as may be seen in the figure (Pl. XLIII. & XLIV.), which supersede the necessity of further description of the external form. The cerebral convolutions are divisible, as in other Ruminants, into primary and secondary; they average a breadth of three lines and are almost symmetrical in the two hemispheres. The two posterior convolutions next the median line, towards which they converge and meet in the form of a chevron, are relatively larger than in the Oz; the two larger primary convolutions, external to these, proceed in an undulating course from behind inwards and forwards, as in the Ruminants generally, but they are more complicated by secondary convolutions than in the Ox. There is little symmetry in the disposition of the primary convolutions of the cerebellum: the middle one on the upper surface repre- senting the superior vermiform process, pursues a wavy course from side to side ; but the 1 The epithet “subclavian” is so obviously inappropriate as applied to the Ruminants and other non- claviculate Mammals, that no apology seems necessary for adopting Dr. Barclay’s term for the trunk supplying the pectoral extremity. VOL. I1.—PART III. 24H 230 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY inferior vermiform process is straight, narrower than the upper one, and very promi- nently developed: these, with the lateral convolutions of the cerebellum, are subdivided as usual into narrow transverse folds. On divaricating the cerebral hemispheres, the corpus callosum was seen to be situated from nine to ten lines below the superior surface of the brain. Large and prominent corpora striata, a small triangular septum lucidum, with the fornix and other usual structures, were observed in the dissection of the lateral ventricles. The pineal gland presented a depressed subrhomboidal figure, and a very firm solid texture; but no particles of earthy matter could be discerned in its substance with the naked eye. The bigeminal bodies have the usual proportions observable in other Ruminants ; the superior pair being the largest masses; the inferior bodies, or testes, resemble a thick transversely arched commissure, with the concavity applied to the superior vermiform process of the cerebellum, and the two extremities enlarged and rounded. The following admeasurements of the brain and its parts were taken. Inches. Lines. Longitudinal diameter of the bran . . . . . . 5 2 Vertical ditto Breadth of the cerebrum Length of the cerebellum Breadth of ditto Length of the pons Varolii . Breadth of ditto : Length of the corpus callosum . Length of the pineal gland . Breadth of ditto Piece (ees Breadth of the superior bigeminal bodies Depth of dittosthy Mesa. ants Re te Breadth of the inferior bigeminal bodies @ _ Neh Oooo un co hs Se COC ON KK NK LH YD — i) Weight of the entire brain, stript of its membranes, fourteen ounces avordupoise. The olfactory nerves were very large, as in most Ruminantia, and terminated in ex- panded bulbs, in length one inch and a half, in breadth one inch; these were lodged in special compartments of the cranial cavity. The optic nerves and ninth pair were re- latively larger than in the Deer or Ox, corresponding with the magnitude of the eye, and the length and mobility of the tongue in the Giraffe. The other cerebral nerves presented no peculiarity. The spinal chord is closely invested by the dura mater, which is thinner on the dorsal than the ventral region of the chord. ‘The posterior roots of the nerves perforate the dura mater and converge to form the ganglia on the outside of that membrane. The chord is chiefly remarkable for the extreme length of the cervical portion. In the male Giraffe dissected at the Zoological Gardens, and which measured eight feet from OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 231 the muzzle to the vent, the length of the spinal chord from the corpora pyramidalia to the commencement of the swelling, giving off the brachial plewus, was three feet three inches. The origin of the cervical nerves from this part of the chord presented an uncommon appearance ; for, the elongation of this part during foetal development, having pro- ceeded by means of uniform interstitial deposition, the roots of the nerves had be- come equally separated from each other ; and as the lowest filament of the root of one nerve was not further removed from the highest of the next below, than this from the succeeding filament of the same nerve, the filaments composing the root of a single cervical nerve extended over a considerable space: thus the third cervical nerve derived its filaments from a tract of the spinal chord measuring fully six inches. The inferior roots on leaving the medulla ascend and the superior ones descend to the per- foration in the dura mater at a very acute angle with the spinal chord, and they may be traced for a short distance in a direction corresponding with their course externally, the upper filaments upwards, or towards the brain, the lower ones downwards, within the substance of the spinal chord. In the posterior roots of the cervical nerves, one and ; sometimes two of the lowermost filaments of one nerve are continued uninterruptedly into the uppermost filaments of the succeeding nerve of the same side. These com- municating chords are of conspicuous size, and lie rather loosely in the subarach- noid tissue, on the surface of the spinal chord: there appear to be in some places very minute nervous filaments passing from the substance of the chord to the anasto- motic loop. In one place I traced a corresponding superficial connecting loop between the anterior or motor roots of contiguous nerves. (Pl. XLIII. fig. 2.) The brachial plexus is formed principally by the first two dorsal nerves ; from these to the large nerves forming the lumber plecus there intervene seventeen pairs of nerves ; the four following nerves, or those of the eighteenth to the twenty-first pair inclusive, are principally enlarged to form the plexus supplying the hinder extremities.’ From the remarkable length of the neck of the Giraffe the condition of the recurrent nerves became naturally a subject of interest: these nerves are readily distinguishable . at the superior third of the trachea, but when sought for at their origin it is not easy to detect them or to obtain satisfactory proof of their existence. Each nerve is not due, as in the short-necked Mammalia, to a single branch given off from the nervus vagus, which winds round the great vessels, and is continued of uniform diameter throughout their recurrent course, but it is formed by the reunion of several small filaments derived from the nervus vagus at different parts of its course. The following is the result of a ' In the male Giraffe which died at the Society’s Gardens, the lameness and subsequent paralysis of the hinder extremities were caused by an ezostosis from the inner surface of the superior arch of the last lumbar vertebra, which pressed upon the posterior enlargement of the spinal chord, and had occasioned inflammation and thickening of the dura mater. The exostosis was a consequence of a wound of the spine received when the animal was captured. 2H2 232 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY careful dissection of the left recurrent nerve. The nervus vagus as it passes down in front of the arch of the aorta sends off four small branches, which bend round the arch of the aorta on the left side of the ductus arteriosus ; the two small branches on the left side pass to the esophagus and are lost in the cesophageal plecus ; the remaining two branches continue their recurrent course, and ascend upon the side of the trachea, giving off fila- ments which communicate with branches from the neighbouring cesophageal nerves: these recurrent filaments also receive twigs from the cesophageal nerves, and thus in- crease in size, and ultimately coalesce into a single nerve of a flattened form, which enters the larynx above the cricoid cartilage and behind the margin of the thyroid cartilage. I may observe, that hitherto the Giraffes have not been heard to utter any vocalized sound, except once in the case of the male during the cottus. The sympathetic nerve in the neck presents five ganglionic enlargements,—the two lowest are moderately large, the next above is smaller, the fourth, counting from below, still less, and the fifth is again large and elongated. Muscles. No peculiarity of importance was noticed in the dissection of the abdominal muscles ; the aponeurosis of the external oblique was thick and elastic, as in many other Ruminants and Pachyderms, which, from the nature of their food, require support for large accu- mulations of it, and proportionally developed alimentary sacs. The mylo-hyoideus is a thick and strong muscle ; it arises from the whole of the in- ternal surface of the lower jaw, and is inserted principally into the raphe, or longitu- dinal commissure dividing it from its fellow of the opposite side. It adheres firmly to the genio-hyoideus: this arises by a well-marked tendon from the posterior rugous sur- face of the symphysis menti, and has the usual insertion. The genio-glossus arises by a tendon close to the inner side of the tendon of the genio-hyoideus ; its fleshy belly has a considerable antero-posterior extent, and diminishes to a very thin edge at its anterior margin. The digasiricus has the usual origin, and is inserted broad and thick into the under side of the lower jaw. ‘The stylo-hyoideus is external to the digastricus, and is remarkable for the slenderness and length of its carneous part. ‘The disposition of its fibres and of those of the other muscles which combine to form the fleshy substance of the tongue, have already been described. The most interesting modifications in the muscles of the os hyoides were found in those which retract that bone. The muscle which, as in some other Ruminants, combines the offices of sterno-thyroideus and sterno- hyoideus, arises in the Giraffe by a single long and slender carneous portion from the anterior extremity of the sternum ; this single fleshy origin is nine inches long, and ter- minates in a single round tendon, which is six inches long; the tendon then divides into two, and each division soon becomes fleshy, and so continues for about sixteen inches : then each division again becomes tendinous for the extent of two inches, and ultimately carneous again, when it is inserted into the side of the thyroid cartilage, and is thence OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 233 continued in the form of a fascia into the os hyoides. We have in this alternation of a contractile with a non-contractile tissue a striking example of the use of tendon in limiting the length of the carneous or contractile part of a muscle to the extent of motion required to be produced in the part to which the muscle is attached. Had the sterno-thyroideus been continued fleshy as usual from its origin through the whole length of the neck to its insertion, it is obvious that a great proportion of the muscu- lar fibres would have been useless ; for as these have the power of shortening themselves by their contractility only one-third of their own length, if they had been continued from end to end in the sterno-thyroidei, they would have been able to draw down the larynx and os hyoides one-third of the way down the neck ; such displacement, however, is neither required nor indeed compatible with the mechanical connexions of the parts ; but by the intervention of long and slender tendons, the quantity of the con- tractile fibre is duly apportioned to the extent of motion required for the larynx and os hyoides. The muscle analogous to the omo-hyoideus of other animals is adjusted to its office by a different and more simple modification: instead of having a remote origin from the shoulder-blade, its fixed point of attachment is brought forward to the nearest bone (the third cervical vertebra) from which it could act upon the os hyoides with due power and extent of contraction. Its insertion is by a small round tendon. The analogue of the sterno-mastoideus should be called sterno-mazillaris. The pair arises by a single origin which soon divides, and each division forms a flat muscle, pre- serving an uniform breadth of one inch and a half: it continues fleshy the whole way to within one foot of the angle of the jaw, where it terminates in a small round tendon, which expands to be inserted into the inner side of the angle of the jaw. From the freedom of the inflection of the neck, the head can be brought as near to the chest as the contraction of these long muscles is designed to effect ; the necessity, therefore, for intervening tendons does not exist, and the sterno-mazillares continue fleshy to their terminal tendons of insertion. The scaleni muscles are most powerfully developed; they consist of four distinct masses on each side, arising from the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical vertebra, and are inserted into the manubrium sterni and first rib. The trapezius consists of two pretty distinct portions: one arises from the transverse processes of the fifth and sixth cervical vertebre ; its fleshy part is thick and strong, but expands as it passes downwards and backwards, and finally is lost in a strong Fascia overspreading the large shoulder-joint. The second portion is thin and broad ; it arises from the ligamentum nuche, and is inserted into the fascia covering the sca- pula. The levator scapule arises from the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical vertebre ; and these three bulky origins, of which the lowest is the thickest, converge, unite, and are inserted into the outer margin of the scapula near its superior angle. 234 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY The rhomboideus is single, and is chiefly remarkable for its shortness ; like the serratus major, it is inserted into the broad elastic cartilage, which is continued up- wards from the base of the scapula. With reference to these scapular cartilages I may observe, that as the fore part of the trunk is, as it were, slung upon the two great ser- rati muscles which principally support the weight of the remarkably deep chest of the Giraffe, the interposition of the elastic cartilages between the upper attachments of the muscles and the capitals of the bony columns of the two fore-legs, must be attended with the same advantage as is obtained by slinging the body of a coach upon elastic springs. The pectoralis major arises from the whole length of the sternum, and is composed of two portions, one superficial, the other deep-seated ; the former is inserted into the fascia covering the extensor muscles of the fore-leg ; the latter into the fascia covering the flexors. The other muscles and tendons acting upon the distal joints of the extremities did not materially differ, otherwise than in their greater length from the corresponding parts in other bisulcate Mammals. The development of elastic ligament is truly extraordinary in the Giraffe, as exem- plified in the pax-wax or ligamentum nuche. This mechanical stay and support of the long neck and of the head commences from the sacral vertebre, and receives fresh accessions from each lumbar and dorsal vertebra as it advances forwards ; the spines of the anterior dorsal vertebre becom greatly elongated to afford additional surface for the attachment of new portions of the ligament, which appears to be inserted, on a superficial dissection, in one continuous sheet into the longitudinally extended but not elevated spinous processes of the cervical vertebre, as far as the avis: the atlas, as usual, is left free for the rotatory movements of the head; the termination of the liga- ment passes over that vertebra to terminate by an expanded insertion into the occi- pital crest. It consists throughout of two bilateral moieties. Osseous System. The osteology of the Giraffe has been illustrated and briefly noticed in the fasciculus relating to the Osteology of the Ruminants (Die Skelete der Wiederkaiter, fol. 1823) in the beautiful work of Pander and D’Alton. Some observations on the cranium of the Nubian Giraffe, with figures of the skull of the male and female, are contained in the “ Atlas zu der Reise in Noérdlichen Afrika, von Riippell, pl. 9. The skeleton of the Giraffe has been described with more detail in the second edition of Cuvier’s ‘‘ Lecons d’Anatomie Comparée,” and especially as regards the cranium, which is considered with reference to its general form (p.234.), its external depressions (p. 278.), its internal de- pressions (p. 303.), the connexions of the component bones (pp. 365 and 439.), and the foramina and fissures (p. 494.). After a comparison of these excellent descriptions with the skulls of the adult male OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 235 and female Cape Giraffe, and of the skeletons and skulls of a male and female Nubian Giraffe, rather more than half-grown, I have only a few additional observations to offer, chiefly in relation to the alleged existence of a third distinct bony nucleus, forming the anterior mesial protuberance or horn. The part of the skull to which the elastic ligament is attached, is raised considerably above the roof of the cranial cavity by the extension backwards of large sinuses, or air- cells as far as the occiput. The sinuses commence above the middle of the nasal cavity, and increase in depth .and width to beneath the base of the horns, where their vertical extent equals that of the cerebral cavity itself. The exterior table of the skull, thus widely separated from the vitreous table, is supported by stout bony partitions, extended chiefly in the transverse direction, and with an oblique and wavy course. Two of the most remarkable of these bony walls are placed at the front and back part of the base of the horns, intercepting a large sinus immediately over the middle of the cranial cavity, and dividing it from a smaller sinus which covers the anterior part of the cranial cavity, and from a third and larger one behind. The sphenoidal sinuses are of a large size. (Pl. XL.) The nasal cavity occupies the two anterior thirds of the skull, and the ossa spongiosa are proportionally developed. The condyles of the occiput are remarkable for their extent in the vertical direction ; it is this structure which enables the Giraffe to raise the head into a line with the neck, and even to bend it a little way back upon the neck. This action I have often witnessed in the living animal. In the adult male Cape Giraffe the only appearance of the distinctness of the anterior protuberance is due to some irregular vascular grooves at the circumference of its base ; but similar grooves are aiso visible in the skull of the female ; anda section of the skull, taken through the middle of the frontal protuberance in the male, shows that it is formed by the thickening and elevation of the anterior extremities of the frontal and the contiguous extremities of the nasal bones. In the male Nubian Giraffes, which had attained nearly two-thirds of their full stature, the posterior horns, like other bony epiphyses, were less firmly attached to the skull than they were in the full-grown Cape Giraffes, and they became detached from the frontal and parietal bones after a short maceration. Now if the anterior protuberance had been formed by a similar separate ossification, this would undoubtedly have been demonstrated in a similar manner ; it, however, consisted only of a partial elevation of the frontal and nasal bones, as in the adult Cape Giraffe. The two posterior or true horns are not supported exclusively by an enlarged frontal bone, but rest each upon the coronal suture which traverses precisely the middle of the expanded base of the horn-shaped epiphyses. I have noticed the same position of the horns in the skull of an adult female Cape Giraffe, in which the two frontals are distinct, and joined by a well-marked suture continued along the posterior two-thirds of the frontal protuberance, or as far as the nasal bones. The sagittal suture is also 236 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY persistent on both sides, external to the horns, and on the left side extends from beneath the middle of the base of the horn to the posterior extremity of the interfrontal suture. There 1s a well-marked sexual difference in the horns of the Cape Giraffe. In the male they are nearly double the size of those of the female, and their expanded bases meet in the middle line of the skull, so that they would entirely conceal the coro- nal suture, even if it were not early obliterated in this sex. In the female, the bases of the horns are at least two inches apart, and in one instance the remains of the coronal suture on the left side are visible in the adult. The Nubian Giraffe exhibits the same sexual difference in regard to the proportional development of the horns. The parietal bone is single, and is anchylosed with the occipital and interparietal bones. The persistence of the sutures in the temporal fossa shows that the sphenoid ala articulates with the angle of both the parietal and frontal. The zygomatic process of the temporal bone unites with the malar by a rectangular suture. In all the crania of the Giraffe that I have examined there is a vacant space left in the side of the face, between the lachrymal, frontal, nasal, and superior maxillary bone : but this in some individuals is less conspicuous from the outward protrusion of the superior spongy bone. The figures of the cranium of the Giraffe by Pander and D’Alton show the same structure. In those of the Nubian Giraffe by Riippel, the vacant space is relatively smaller than in skulls of the Cape Giraffe. With respect to the extent of the malar bone upon the face, I find it proportionally less in the Giraffe than in the Sheep. The remarkable development of the lachrymal bone within the orbit, described in detail by Cuvier, seems to have relation to the pecu- liarly large size of the eye. The nasal bone is bifurcate at its anterior extremity, as in the Deer, not simply pointed, as in most of the Antelopes. The cervical vertebre of the Giraffe are not only remarkable for their great length, but also, as Prof. De Blainville has recently shown, for the ball and socket form of the articulations of their bodies ; the convexity being on the anterior extremity and the concavity posterior: in this respect they resemble the vertebre of the Camel, but in both these species the vertebre are united by the concentric layers of intervertebral ligament, and not by synovial capsules as in most of the Reptilia. The superior ring of the atlas is perforated by the vertebral artery, near its anterior extremity. The vertebra dentata is characterized by the absence of transverse processes ; but a thick ridge on each side of the posterior part of the body represents the superior trans- verse process. The perforation for the vertebral artery is near the anterior extremity of the superior arch, and leads obliquely into the spinal canal. There are no anterior oblique processes, the avis being joined to the atlas by the anterior extremity of its body and by the processus dentatus, which latter are blended together into one common articu- lation, and inclosed in one capsular ligament. The spinous process of the avis is deve- OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 237 loped from the whole longitudinal extent of the superior arch, but has a very slight elevation. In the rest of the cervical vertebre the spinous processes are thin triangular lamine, in each of which the apex rises about an inch and a half from a longitudinally extended base resting upon the middle of the superior arch; the seventh spine is thicker, higher, and of less longitudinal extent than the preceding ones. Processes analogous to the inferior transverse processes in the Crocodile, extend downwards and outwards from the lower part of the anterior extremity of each of the cervical vertebre, except the atlas and dentata ; they are, however, of much smaller size than the corresponding processes in the Camel: the superior transverse processes are represented by longitudinal ridges developed from the middle of the side of the posterior part of the body of the vertebre. The perforations for the vertebral artery are large, and are present in the seventh, as well as the rest of the cervical vertebre; they are situated above the transverse processes, in the side of the body of the vertebre at the base of the superior lamine. Although in this position of the arterial foramina, owing to the feeble development of the trans- verse processes, the Giraffe differs somewhat from the other horned Ruminants, yet the structure of the cervical segment of the vertebral column is essentially the same as in them, and is very different from that in the long-necked Camelide. In the cervical vertebre of the Camel and Llama the transverse processes are more developed than in the Giraffe, but, as in that animal, are not situated in the same per- pendicular plane on the sides of the vertebre, and do not intercept a space, as in most other Mammalia, for the protection of the vertebral arteries. These important vessels, however, instead of perforating the sides of the body of the vertebre, as in the Giraffe, pass through canals in the superior lamine, of which the orifices are entirely concealed from external view. From the seventh or sixth to the second cervical vertebre inclusive, both in the Auchenie and Cameli, the vertebral arteries enter the vertebral canal itself along with the spinal chord at the posterior aperture in each vertebra ; they run forwards on the outside of the dura mater of the chord, between it and the vertebral arch, and when they have thus traversed about two-thirds of the spinal canal, they perforate sepa- rately the base of the superior vertebral Jamine, and emerge directly beneath the ante- rior oblique or articulating processes, whence they are continued along with the spinal chord into the vertebral canal of the succeeding vertebra, perforating the sides of the anterior part of the superior arch in like manner, and so on through all the cervical vertebre till they reach the atlas. Ina very remarkable extinct Pachydermatous animal, (Macrauchenia), whose fossil remains were discovered by Mr. Darwin at Port St. Julian, Patagonia, and which had cervical vertebre as long as those of the Giraffe, I found the same peculiar disposition of the canals for the vertebral arteries as in the Auchenie and Cameli. In viewing the vertebral column of the Giraffe from above, we perceive that the cer- vical vertebre present the broadest as well as the longest bodies ; of these the third and - fourth are the narrowest and longest, the rest gradually increase in breadth and diminish VOL. I1.—PART III- 21 238 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY in length to the seventh: the dorsal vertebre thence grow narrower to the ninth, after which the vertebre increase in breadth chiefly by the progressive development of the transverse processes. The fourth dorsal spine is the longest ; the second is the strong- est. Their great development relates to the length of the neck, the head and its ap- pendages being, in consequence of that length, rendered remarkably light. The spines of the dorsal and lumbar vertebre all slightly incline backwards. The sacrum consists of four vertebre anchylosed together, but of these only the first is articulated with the lewm. I counted twenty vertebre in the tail of the Nubian Giraffe. ‘The vertebral formula in this species is therefore as follows: Cervical 7, Dorsal 14, Lumbar 5, Sacral 4, Caudal 20. In the greater development of the tail the Giraffe presents a marked deviation from the Deer, agreeing in this respect with the other Ruminants which have small and persistent horns. There are fourteen pairs of ribs, seven true and seven false. The first pair is straight, the rest become gradually more and more curved to the last. They increase in length to the eighth, and thence gradually become shorter: they increase in breadth to the fifth, and thence gradually become narrower. The sternum consists of a single series of six bones and an ensiform cartilage ; it is chiefly remarkable for its great curvature. The first sternal bone is the narrowest and longest ; the succeeding ones progressively diminish in length and increase in thickness. Little remains to be said of the bones of the extremities after the illustrations which have been given by Pander and D’Alton. The Giraffe presents, perhaps, the relatively longest and narrowest scapula of all Mammalia. The apparent superiority in the length of the anterior extremities depends upon the nearly vertical position of this bone upon the anterior part of the side of the deep and narrow chest. In the humerus the medullary artery enters the bone at its inner side, about the junction of the upper and middle third (in the skeleton of the Giraffe in the Museum of Comparative Anatomy at Paris the artery enters at the junction of the middle and lower third in the left humerus) ; the course of the canal is obliquely towards the distal extremity, as in almost all Mammalia’. The bones of the fore-arm, though anchylosed together, are well defined. The ulna forms the olecranon and the posterior third of the trochlea for the humerus ; it then sends down the posterior and outer side of the radius a slender splint-like process, which becomes confluent with the radius at its lower end, and disappears about two-thirds of the way down the bone. Three inches below this extremity the ulna again reappears, and swells out into a process which presents an articular surface which glides upon the concavity of the cuneiform bone. In the Parisian skeleton the ulna is continued without interruption from end to end. The medullary canal commences at the posterior side 1 The only exception I haye as yet found is in the Tamandua, where the medullary canal of the humerus runs rather proximad. OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 239 of the radius, one-sixth of the length from the head of the bone, and its course is obliquely distad, both in the skeleton of the Nubian Giraffe in the College of Surgeons, and in the skeleton of the Giraffe in the Parisian Museum. The first row of carpal bones includes the scaphoides, lunare, cuneiforme, and pisi- forme ; the last is of large size, and represents the os calcis. The second row consists of three bones. The metacarpal bone is remarkable for its great length: a pair of sesamoid bones are articulated to the posterior part of each of its distal articular sur- faces. A large sesamoid bone is also placed between the second and third phalanges. The femur of the Giraffe may be distinguished from that of any other mammiferous animal by the large proportional size of its distal extremity. In the situation and course of its medullary artery it differs from Man and the unguiculate Mammalia, and resembles the horned Ruminants generally: the artery, for example, euters the femur at its anterior surface, about one-fifth from the proximal extremity, and runs obliquely downwards or distad, and backwards’: in the Camel, however, as in the Horse and Tapir, the medullary artery penetrates the femur at its posterior surface near the middle of the bone and runs distad. The tibia has the same disposition of the medullary canal as in other Mammalia. In the tarsus the two cuneiform bones which are separate in the Camel, and in most true Ruminants, are anchylosed in the Giraffe : but the rudiment- ary bones of the two posterior pendent or spurious digits, which are present in many of the Deer and Antelope tribe, are entirely wanting in the Giraffe, as in the Camel. Generative System. Male Organs. The testes are situated in a short scrotum in the situation usual in the Ruminant tribe ; on each side of the base of the scrotum are the rudiments of two mamme. The testes themselves are elongate, oval: the tunica vaginalis, as usual, communicates with the peritoneal cavity. It is reflected from the tunica albuginea upon the outer side of the epididymis, covers that body, and is then continued from a longitudinal line traversing the middle of the concavity of the epididymis, which is applied to the testis, upon and over that gland. The globus major forms a rounded protuberance projecting below the testis. The corpus highmorianum, or line of condensed cellular tissue from which the tubuli testis diverge, is situated nearly in the longitudinal azis of the testis. This position is most favourable for the periodical enlargement of the testis, which takes place in the Giraffe, as in the Deer and Antelopes ; for the development proceeding from this central line, as a fixed point, the tubuli testis can expand and become extended in every direction. The vasa deferentia pursue the same course as in the Deer ; they become slightly en- larged at the terminal two inches of their course, and the secreting surface of their lining membrane is augmented by various irregular folds and sinuses. 1 This is the case in the Buffalo, the Aurochs, the Goat, the Sheep, and the Stag. 212 240 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY The prostate consists, as in other true Ruminants, of two separate, elongated, glan- dular bodies, placed on the outside of the vasa deferentia, and sending each a single duct to terminate with the vas deferens of the same side in one of the two deep lateral fosse which are seen upon the verumontanum. In the Camel the prostate forms one transversely elongated body, placed entirely behind the beginning of the urethra, and presenting in a slight degree only, the bilobed character. The Giraffe in this part of its structure agrees with the typical Ruminants: but in these the divided prostate offers several modifications of form. In the Bull, e. g., each lobe is an elongated body, dis- posed in a wavy figure, with irregular rounded projections from its sides. In the Goat the same part is simply elongated, and tapers somewhat towards the distal or free ex- tremity. In the Giraffe the prostate corresponds rather with the modifications which this gland presents in the Deer-tribe ; the distal extremity of each separate lobe forms a large round bulbous body, and the rest of the lobe diminishes towards the urethra. In the young males which I dissected these accessory generative glands were very small, the parenchyma dense, and the central cavity hardly perceptible. The lower extremities of these glands and the terminations of the vasa deferentia were included with the urethra in the commencement of the strong transverse muscle which surrounds the membranous part of the urethra. The length of this part was four inches, the thickness of the mus- cular stratum one-third of an inch. At the base of the bulb of the urethra are situated two Cowperian glands, each as large as a nutmeg, and surrounded by a special and dense capsule of muscular fibres. The parenchyma of these glands is less compact than in the prostate glands ; they have not a single cavity in the centre, but three or four sinuses convey the secretion to the duct, which terminates in the bulbous part of the urethra. A well-developed semi- lunar fold of membrane separates the dilated canal of the wrethra occupying the bulb from the preceding membranous part. The length of the compressores or acceleratores muscles surrounding the bulb, is three inches and a half: anterior to the large and normal acceleratores there is a smaller accelerator half an inch in length. The erectores muscles present the usual structure. The penis, when retracted, is bent, as in other Ruminants, into a sigmoid form, and the two retractores muscles associated with and producing this sigmoid retraction offer the ordinary position and attachments ; they’ expand to be inserted upon the sides of the corpora cavernosa near the base of the glans. The cavernous texture of the penis is not divided by a middle septum. The glans begins by a somewhat sudden expansion, and continues to enlarge to its distal extre- mity, which is smooth and rounded. The prepuce is reflected upon this extremity, and not upon the root of the glans, so that only a small portion of the glans is exposed by laying open the prepuce. The urethral canal does not open upon the extremity of the glans, but is continued forwards for an inch and a half attached to the inside of the prepuce, its parietes being merely membranous, and its extremity projecting freely like a membranous bilabiate tube, about a line beyond the inner surface of the prepuce. ——— OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 241 Female Organs. The Ovaria are irregularly oval subcompressed bodies, one inch and a half in length, by one inch in breadth, and a third of an inch in thickness. I give these dimensions, because they show that the ovaria, when in an unexcited state, are larger than those of the Camel in a similar condition, in which animal the ovaria are relatively smaller than in the horned Ruminants. But a more striking difference obtains between the Camel and the horned Ruminants in the relations of the ovarium to the pavilion and the broad ligaments. In the Camel the greater part of the capsula ovarii is formed by the expanded fimbriated aperture of the oviduct itself, which is of very large size ; and which incloses the ovarium; in Deer, Antelopes, and Cows, the ovarium is lodged in a depression or sacculus of the broad ligament which is more or less deep, and has its apertures more or less contracted in different species. In the Giraffe the peritoneal sacculus of the ovary, formed by an expansion of the broad ligament of the uterus, is wide and deep and encloses almost the whole of the ovary. ‘The fim- briated extremity of each oviduct, or fallopian tube, is expanded upon the outer margin of the ovarian capsule ; the inner surface of the pavilion is beset with very numerous and fine oblique strie, and is further increased by narrow folds of lamine converging towards the contracted opening duct. The oviduct forms three or four wavy folds, and is then continued along the walls of the wide ovarian capsule to the extremity of the uterine horn, which makes an abrupt curve to meet it. The ovaria presented a smooth exterior, slightly broken by a few linear impressions ; the ovisacs were of a subspherical form, and varied in diameter from haif a line to three lines ; they were imbedded in and closely adhered to a very dense stroma. The ovum was of a spherical figure, ++,th of a line in diameter, immediately inclosed by atransparent gelatinous chorion,—the zona pellucida of Baer,—and imbedded in a mass of elliptic granules of the same size as in the ovisac of the Cow. The external orifice of the common vagina resembles that of the Deer, and the other horned Ruminants, in coming to a point below, within which is the clitoris. In the Camel, on the contrary, the apex of the clitoris and its preputium form together a conical projection externally to the margin of the common vaginal, or urethro-sexual canal. From this orifice to the communication of the urethra with the vagina the length in the Giraffe is five inches: the proper vagina is about six inches long. It is lined with a smooth and polished membrane, which is disposed in numerous fine and small longitudinal ruge. The os tince is a large transversely oval prominence, having the orifice of the uterus in the centre, and marked by numerous fine ruge, which radiate from this orifice. The length of the common uterus is two inches. The cervix is occupied by two circu- lar series of close-set, short, longitudinal lamellar processes, about two lines in breadth, which project from the parietes of the uterus, and have their free margins converging to 242 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY the centre of the canal. Above these the inner membrane of the uterus sends off several thicker processes similarly arranged. Each cornu of the uterus is about eight inches in length, and became bent in a spiral form when distended with fluid: four longitudinal rows of short flattened processes pro- ject from the inner surface, showing that the fetus is developed in the Giraffe by means of a cotyledonous subdivided placenta, as in other Horned Ruminants, and not, as in the Camel, by a uniform vascular villosity of the chorion. Concluding Remarks. The nature and zoological affinities of the Giraffe, so far as they are illustrated by its internal structure, may be expressed by terming it simply ‘‘a modified Deer’’. It is in fact a Deer in all the essential parts of its organization: but the structure by which so large a Ruminant is enabled to subsist in the tropical regions of Africa, by browsing on the tops of trees, disqualifies it for wielding antlers of sufficient strength and size to serve as weapons of offence ; and were it not that some species of Cervus, as C. rufus, have at all periods of life short and simple horns, it might be allowable to speculate on the influ- ence which was due to the mechanical obstacles to the flow of blood up the singularly long and slender carotids in retarding in the Giraffe the development of the antlers beyond the point at which they characterize the pricket age of the Deer. This at least is certain, that the Elk, which amongst the Ruminants with hair-clad antlers presents the opposite extreme to the Giraffe in the magnitude of those appendages, has also the shortest neck. Why the diminutive antlers of the Giraffe should never lose their hairy and vascular integument, and why they are not shed, like those of the Deer- tribe, simultaneously with the shedding of the hair from the rest of the body, which takes place annually in the Giraffe as in the Deer, is not so obvious. We well know, how- ever, the remarkable change of disposition which accompanies the full development of his formidable antlers in the full-grown Buck; and some physiologists have conjectured that both the disposition and power to injure the feebler individuals of his own race are intentionally suppressed by the annual shedding of the horns at a period when the young would be most liable to be injured by them. Now as the horns of the Giraffe never acquire the requisite development to serve as weapons of deadly attack, his disposition undergoes no change, and their temporary removal is not needed on that account. The integument originally developed with the horns is similar in structure to the ordi- nary skin, like that which invests the frontal processes or peduncles of the horns of the muntjak (Cervus Muntjak), and differs from the temporary integument or velvet of deciduous antlers. Zoologists, guided by external characters only, have differed in their views of the natural position of the Giraffe in the Ruminant series: Illiger places it in the Cameline group, and Mr. Swainson between the Musk Deer and the Camels. The long neck, linear nostrils, and the absence of spurious hoofs are however the only outward indications of OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 243 this supposed affinity of the Giraffe ; for the callosities on the sternum and knees which have been ascribed to the Giraffe have no existence in nature. Now, as to the neck, the value of its longitude as a mark of affinity to the Camel disappears when we come to investigate its structure. The long and singularly inflected neck of the Camel offers a peculiar and remarkable modification in its vertebral column, and the long-necked ex- tinct quadruped (Macrauchenia,) which has been discovered to participate in that struc- ture, thus manifests a real affinity to the Camelide ; but we find no such correspondence in the structure of the jointed pillar of the neck of the Giraffe ; it is in all respects a mere adaptive modification of the vertebral structure of the neck of the Deer. There re- mains, then, only the want of spurious hoofs as an indication of the affinity of the Giraffe with the Camel. But in how many important particulars of internal organization might we not have expected to have met with evidences of this relationship if it had truly existed in nature: the pharyngeal sacculus,—the congeries of water-cells in the rumen,—the depth and complication of those of the recticulum,—the suppression of the psalterium as a third distinct cavity of the stomach,—the marked difference in the structure and dis- position of the lining membrane of the cardiac and pyloric portions of the abomasus,— the subdivision of the under surface of the lobes of the liver, observed by Hunter and Meckel in the Camel,—and lastly, the modifications of the generative apparatus, as the undivided prostate, in the male, the conformation of the ovarian capsule and the absence of cotyledonal processes in the uterus of the female ;—all these are peculiarities in the organization of the Camelide among the Ruminants, to which some slight approxima- tion should have been presented in the corresponding parts of the Giraffe, if its naturak position were really between the Camelide and any of the groups of the true Ruminantia. But the truth is, that many of the true Ruminants approximate more nearly to the Camel in their internal structure than does the Giraffe ; the Ox, for example, in the depth of the cells of its reticulum, and the smaller Musk-deer, as will be shown in another communication, in a more important and more characteristic modification of the stomach. The Reindeer and some other species of Cervus deviate in the structure of the stomach perhaps the widest from the Cameline organization, and the Giraffe parti- cipates with them in this deviation. With regard to the affinity of the Giraffe to the different groups of horned Ruminants, the length of the tail and the persistency of the horns point out a resemblance to the Antelopes ; their existence in the two sexes, on the other hand, is a rare condition, which the Giraffe possesses in common with the Reindeer. Perhaps the occasional presence of a gall-bladder, as observed in the first Giraffe dissected by me, is the best evidence of the affinity of the Giraffe to the Ante- lope tribe. 244 MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY ADDENDUM. In the year 1836 there were seven living Giraffes in England ; three in the Surrey Zoological Gardens and four in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent’s Park. The latter were similar in age and size—one was a female, the other three were males. Three of these Giraffes were captured in the spring of the year 1835, in the deserts of Kordofan, at which time they were probably not more than one year old. I witnessed their arrival at the Gardens early on the morning of the 25th of May, 1836. They had to walk a distance of some miles from the place of their disembarkation to the Gardens; two keepers, each with a long rein attached to the head of the Giraffe, led it between them. They walked along at a rapid pace, generally in advance of their conductors. At first sight they seem to move forward simultaneously the two legs of the same side, and these are undoubtedly both off the ground at the same time through the greater part of the step, but upon a close inspection the hind-leg is always seen to be first lifted from the ground, and after a very brief interval the fore-leg of the same side. When they entered the Park and first caught sight of the green trees, they became excited, and hauled upon the reins, waving the head and neck from side to side, with an occasional caracole and kick-out with the hind-legs. M. Thibaud, their captor and chief con- ductor, contrived, however, to coax them along with pieces of sugar, of which they are very fond. In the sanded paddock appropriated to them at their present abode they enjoy ample space for exercise, and in the warm days of summer they often exhibit all their various and singular paces. In the simple walk, the neck, which is then stretched out in a line with the back, gives them a stiff and awkward appearance; but this is entirely lost when they commence their graceful, undulating canter: to judge by the movement of the legs, this pace appears not so rapid as it actually proves to be when the extent of ground is observed over which it has carried them in a given time. The motions of the legs are now very peculiar and uncommon : the hind-pair are lifted alter- nately with the fore, and are carried outside of, and beyond them by a kind of swinging movement : when excited to a swifter pace they often kick out their hind-legs during the course, and their nostrils are then actively and unwontedly dilated. I have observed all the movements of the tongue which have been described by pre- vious authors. The Giraffe being endowed with an organ so exquisitely formed for pre- hension, instinctively puts it to use in a variety of ways while in a state of confinement : the female in the Garden of Plants at Paris, for example, may frequently be observed to amuse itself by stretching upwards its neck and head, and with the slender tongue pull- ing out the straws which are platted into the partition separating it from the contiguous compartment of its inclosure. In our own menagerie many a fair lady has been robbed of the artificial flower which adorned her bonnet by the nimble, filching tongue of the object of her admiration. The Giraffe seems, indeed, to be guided more by the eye than the nose in the selection of objects of food; and if we may judge of the apparent OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 245 satisfaction with which the mock leaves and flowers so obtained are masticated, the tongue would seem by no means to enjoy the sensitive in the same degree as the motive powers: the difference in the size of the nerves of sense and motion of that organ already mentioned accords with these habits of the living animal. The Giraffes have a habit, in captivity at least, of plucking the hairs out of each other’s manes and tails, and swallowing them. I know not whether we must attribute to a fondness for epider- mic productions, or to the tempting green colour of the parts, the following ludicrous circumstance which happened to a fine peacock which was kept in the Giraffe's paddock. As the bird was spreading his tail in the sunbeams and curveting in presence of his mate, one of the Giraffes stooped his long neck, and entwining his flexile tongue round a bunch of the gaudy plumes, suddenly lifted the bird into the air, then giving him a shake, disengaged five or six of the tail-feathers, when down fluttered the astonished peacock and scuffled off with the remains of his train draggling humbly after him. When the Giraffe ruminates, he masticates the bolus for about fifty seconds, applying to it from forty to fifty rotatory movements of the lower jaw, and then swallows it: after an interval of three or four seconds a second bolus is regurgitated; the rapid passage of this mass through the long cervical part of the wsophagus is readily visible ; and the physiologist cannot fail to be struck with this instance of the surprising swift- ness with which the contractions of the muscular fibres of the gullet succeed each other. By attentively watching, we may perceive a slight contraction of the abdominal parietes accompanying the action of the stomach by which the regurgitation is commenced. This action of the abdominal parietes in rumination is much stronger in the Camel. It is a singular fact, and one which has not hitherto been noticed, that the Cameline Ruminants differ from the true Ruminants in the mode in which the cud is chewed: in the Camels it is ground alternately in opposite directions from side to side: in the Ozen, Sheep, Antelopes, and Deer, the lower jaw is ground against the upper in the same direction by a rotatory motion: the movements may be successively from right to left, or from left to right, but they are never regularly alternate throughout the mas- ticatory process, as in the Camels: and here, again, in the rotatory motion of the jaws of the Giraffe while masticating the cud, we have evidence of its affinity to the horned Ruminants. Each of the Giraffes eats daily eighteen pounds of clover-hay, and eighteen pounds of a mixed vegetable diet, consisting of carrots, mangle-wurzel, barley, split beans and onions ; and drinks about four gallons of water. When the Giraffes arrived at the Zoological Gardens, I perceived, by comparing the incisors and anterior molars with those in the skull of an adult animal, that they belonged to the deciduous series. The two middle incisors were shed in the month of March, 1838, when the animals were little more than three years old; the two adjoin- ing incisors were shed in the month of July; the first deciduous molares in October, and the second deciduous molares in November and December of the same year. At VOL, I1.—PART III. 2k 246 MR, R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY the present time, December 1838, the two middle permanent incisors are far advanced beyond the rest, and the two adjoining ones are risen into place. The following table shows the rate of growth of the Giraffe, and the relative sizes of a male and female of the same age, which in May, 1836, was about one year and a half. Guib-allah (male). Height as far as reach. Wither. Rump. Feet. Inches. | Feet. Inches. Feet, Inches. May A886 ris /etrne tor bowie 0 0 0 0 May, 1837... 13 6 7 9 6 9 May, 1838 . ... 14 3 8 6 7 6 Zaida (female). May, 1836... 11 0 0 0 PTO G May, 1837... . 12 9 7 2 6 5 May, 1838 . . . i3 5 ED 7 2 Notwithstanding, however, the evidences of immaturity afforded by stature and den- tition, copulation took place seven times in the course of March, 1838, the first occa- sion being on the 18th of that month; the manner and peculiar rapidity of the act were precisely as in the Deer. At the present time, December, 1838, there is evidence of the pregnancy of the female in the expansion of the abdomen, the swelling of the superficial abdominal veins, and the enlargement of the external parts of generation : and IJ have been able to discern the motions of the fetus through the abdominal parietes. This female is in excellent health ; and it may be confidently expected that the period of gestation and the condition of the new-born animal,—facts which are of essential importance in the natural history of every species,—may soon be recorded in the Pro- ceedings of the Zoological Society, in addition to those particulars with which the spirited and successful endeavours to import the Giraffe into this country have already afforded the means of enriching its scientific history. OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE. 247 PLATE XL. Section of the skull of the Cape Giraffe, showing the great size and extent of the cranial sinuses or air-cells. One-third of the natural size. PLATE XLI. Fig. 1. The upper surface of the tongue of the Nubian Giraffe, with a portion of the integument removed, to show the superficial longitudinal and deep-seated transverse muscular fibres of the anterior prehensile part of the tongue; the perpendicular fibres are principally situated at the sides. 2. The under surface of the same tongue dissected and injected, to show: aa. The stylo-glossi muscles. bb. The hyo-glossi. cc. The lingualis inferior. d. The genio-glossi. e. The transverse fibres of the muscular tissue. ff. The thin layer of transverse muscular fibres reflected from the stylo-glossus muscle, the lingual vessels and nerve, which it embraces. g. The nerve. hh. The venous plexus. 7. The lingual artery. k. The principal anastomosis, with the artery of the opposite side. /. The continuation of the left lingual artery, which alone supplies the muscular and prehensile anterior part of the tongue. This figure was drawn on the stone without the use of the mirror. 3. The anterior extremity of the same tongue, showing the retroverted, pointed, horny papille on its dorsum, and the spherical gustatory papille at the sides. Natural size. 4. A portion of the rumen or first cavity of the stomach of the Nubian Giraffe, showing the size and form of the papille. Natural size. 5. A portion of the reticulum, or second cavity of the same stomach, showing the small size of the divisions of the cells. Natural size. PLATE XLII. Fig. 1. A posterior view of the fauces of the Nubian Giraffe: with the velum palati d raised to bring into view a, the base of the epiglottis, and bb, its two lateral deflected processes. The letters cc are placed upon the apices of the aryte- noid cartilages: e, levator palati; ff, tensor palati; gg, the tonsils. Natural size. 2. The glottis and epiglottis of the Nubian Giraffe. Natural size. The letters indi- cate the same parts as in fig. 1. 3. An anterior view of the fauces of the Nubian Giraffe ; a, the free margin of the epiglottis projecting into the mouth below the velum palati, d: gg, outline of the tonsils: hh, their excretory outlets. 248 Fig. Fig. Fig. 4. bo MR. R. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY OF THE NUBIAN GIRAFFE, The double gall-bladder of a Nubian Giraffe. A probe is represented as pass- ing through the communication of the right compartment with the common cystic duct. PLATE XLII. . Upper surface of the brain of the Nubian Giraffe. Natural size. . A portion of the spinal chord including the origins of the third cervical nerve. aa. The filaments of the posterior fasciculus or root which are continued into corresponding filaments of the adjoining nerves. Natural size. PLATE XLIV. . Lateral view of the brain of the Nubian Giraffe. Natural size. . Basal view of the same. PLATE XLV. . The female organs of generation of the Nubian Giraffe. Natural size. ‘The corpus uteri and one of the cornua are laid open to show the cotyledonal processes. . The cervix uteri laid open to show the lamellar processes of that part. four. Ine eo gp rue: J, peprewuernay 979 wagers bouen » pp Loree Ying PY, MS ae Pes fant Doct Too Vel & 4S fe, thd ithog from Jae by > Shoat Ca mulifa rdatia : G, “yf ae cM nakog from Mad by 6 ¢ KL , Camedifiare ald Ie, —- ‘ oy a p (; e ova Vid aod ‘oot. fon “Lf rg ¢ 47 4 eds by 0/4 a LUA ARMA 2 onry Scharfdel & Schway litheg f “4 CE. yf Camnclofardals Scraff~w “ i Lithog trom Naturs by © Scharf c d 7, Veeommats Carditbis me / Se —— Trans Loot Foc Wel 2 SY theif. 26 «<* o ae . Henry Scharf ded. C Scharf lithed cf é A Camelopardaly - ous om Y oY y K VE 7 y, Lif PU S —~£ 00. <7 00 LOO L . YO 4D nh LO. 7 OE OI eee a ( 249 XIX. On a new Genus of Insectivorous Mammalia. By W.C. L. Martin, Esq., F.L.S. Communicated February 13th, 1838. THE intrinsic value which attaches to the discovery of new modifications of form de- pends much on the extent and abruptness of the vacuum which such modifications will tend to fill, and on the degree to which their absence has been previously felt. The present addition therefore to that particular group of the Insectivora, of which Erinaceus may be regarded as the typical genus—a group restricted to the older portions of the globe, and more numerously distributed throughout the warmer than the colder lati- tudes—cannot I think but be received by naturalists with a certain share of interest. On a survey of the Insectivorous section of Mammalia (whether we regard that section as an order per se, or as only part of an order), the genera of which it consists mostly appear as if isolated from each other, or as so many disjuncta membra, the connecting parts between which, and necessary to its harmonious perfection as a whole, having either been lost, or having yet to be discovered. Between the genus Erinaceus, for example, and that of Centetes, Illig., there has hi- therto existed an unfilled interval: this interval, however, has in some measure been recently supplied by two genera, both peculiar to Madagascar, of which one has been lately characterized by M. Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire, under the title Ericulus ; for the other I now propose that of Echinops. The genus Ericulus includes, as far as hitherto determined, only one species, Ericulus nigrescens, Is. Geoff., and which is regarded by M. Blainville as the Tendrac of Buffon. The skull and original specimens, from which M. Isidore St. Hilaire took his descrip- tion, were carefully examined by me during my recent visit to Paris (the autumn of 1838). With respect to the skull, as in Centetes, and also Echinops (but not Erinaceus), the zygomatic arch is incomplete ; its general contour is narrow and elongated, the muzzle being produced, almost as much as in Centetes. The dentition of Ericulus is as follows : Incisors above 4, disposed laterally in pairs. Molars above, on each side 7, of which the two first are false; the true molars, 5 in number, being transversely elongated. Incisors of the lower jaw 4, disposed laterally in pairs. Molars, as in the upper jaw, 7 ; 2 false and 5 true. M. Isidore St. Hilaire considers the first false molar on each side, in either jaw in VOL. I1,—-PART IV. 2. 250 MR. C. L. MARTIN ON ECHINOPS, the light of a canine ; but this tooth differs so little from the acknowledged false molar succeeding it, that its claim to the title of canine only rests in its situation. The dental formula then of Ericulus stands thus : ; 2+4+2 Incisors ..... = + 5 249 Canines ope. False Molars . . 5 + 3 or Ta + False Molars . paar +1 545 True Molars .. 545 Total 36. The general form of the body, the character of the spiny covering, and the feet, are as in Hrinaceus ; the ears are naked ; the muzzle as in Centetes. I am the more particular in making these observations, inasmuch as the genus Eri- culus, Is. Geoff., closely approximates in its characters to that for which I have proposed the name of Hchinops ; but from which, nevertheless, it is sufficiently distinct. In the Zoological Proceedings for 1833, p. 81, reference is made to a letter of Mr. Telfair’s, accompanying a very young insectivorous animal, known to the natives of the interior of Madagascar by the name ‘‘ Sokinah,” and which Mr. Telfair was dis- posed to refer to the genus Centetes. The specimen in question (preserved in the Museum Zool. Soc. Lond.) was compared with young specimens of the common hedgehog (Hrinaceus Europeus, Linn.), and the half-spiny tenrec (Centetes semispinosus, Ill.), but being only seventeen days old, its characters could not be satisfactorily determined ; the form, however, of the muzzle and of the body, together with the array of short close spines, with which it was invested above, like a young hedgehog, raised some doubt, at least in my own mind, as to its belonging to the genus Centetes. While engaged in examining a collection of speci- mens from Madagascar and Mauritius, presented some time since to the museum of the Zoological Society by the same gentleman (the late William Telfair, Esq.), from whom the ‘‘ Sokinah” had been received, I discovered a specimen of an insectivorous animal, the general form and aspect of which strongly led me to regard it as the adult of the same species. An investigation of its dentition confirmed the views I had entertained respecting the ‘‘ Sokinah,”’ and I at once recognised it as the type of a new genus. Ecuinoprs. Corpus superné spinis densis obtectum. Rostrum breviusculum. Rhinarium, aures, caudaque ut in Erinaceo. Dentes primores +, superiorum duobus intermediis longissimis, discretis, cylindraceis, A NEW GENUS OF INSECTIVOROUS MAMMALIA, 251 antrorstim versis; proximis minoribus ; inferioribus parvulis; intermediis duobus inter se paululim discretis. ..1—1 Canini >=: 5—5 ‘ ; : - a = ates Molares ——; ; utrinsecis antico primo supra, necnon primo infra, spuriis ; reliquis, ul- timo supra excepto, tricuspidatis, angustis, transversim elongatis ; ultimo supra angustissimo ; molaribus infra inter se feré zqualibus, ultimo minore. Dentium numerus integer 32. Pedes 5-dactyli, ambulatorii ; pollice breviore ; unguibus parvulis, compressis ; plantis denudatis. Dentium formula : oe Ban ee meisores ..... 55 Canin. . -—. i 1—1 Molares spurii. .;—- Molares . -~;. Ecurinors TEbrarri. Tas. XLVI. Ech. auribus mediocribus, subrotundatis, intus atque extis pilis parvulis albidis obsitis ; capite superné pilis fuscis ; buccis, mystacibus, corporeque subtus sordide albis ; spinis _ fuscescenti-albis ad basin, apicibus castaneis ; caudd via apparente. Unc. Lin. Longitudo corporis totus . . . . ee ab apice rostriad auris basin . . . 1 2 —- tarsi cum digitis 0 10% LES auris . Habitat Madagascar ? ** Sokinah,” apud indigenas Madagascarienses ? As respects the identity of the Sokinah with the Echinops Telfairi, the presumption is founded upon a comparison of the form of the muzzle, and of the feet and the ears, which present in both specimens the same comparative proportions. In the young specimen the teeth have not made their appearance, and I am therefore deprived of the aid which would be afforded, even by a partial development of the dental system, to- wards the attainment of a positive opinion. It may be objected, that this young indi- vidual, only seventeen days old, promises to have become, when adult, larger than the Echinops Telfairi, and that its spines are darker. The growth, however, of animals be- longing to the group of which Erinaceus is the type, as in the case of the Armadilloes, is very rapid ; and in the young Sokinah in question, the spines have already acquired con- siderable development and hardness. Their darker colour will arise from the apical half only being divulged, the basal portion having as yet to be protruded. Perhaps 212 252 MR. C. L. MARTIN ON ECHINOPS, they may also become paler with age. It will be observed, however, I only urge it as a probability that the two animals are specifically identical. With regard to the affini- ties of Echinops, I shall endeavour to illustrate them by a comparison of the characters of the genus with those of Centetes, Erinaceus, and Hriculus. In the form of the true molars there is a close agreement between Centetes and Echinops, as well as in the number of these teeth ; still other characters of the dental system clearly separate between these two genera, independently of such as are purely external. In Centetes (at least in the species Centetes setosus) the incisors above are four, small and pointed ; below six, minute ; in each jaw, separated by an interval from the rest, are two long compressed pointed canines ; after a considerable interval follow on each side, above and below, two false molars, the second the largest ; to these suc- ceed four true molars, with triangular crowns. Still more distinct is the dental system of Echinops from that of Erinaceus, close as is the alliance between them in all external characters. In Echinops, for example, as in Erinaceus, the feet have five toes ; the inner toe of the fore-feet is small and seated on the wrist, the other toes are small, and armed with feeble, compressed, hooked claws, the last toe the smallest : the toes of the hind-feet resemble those of the fore-feet, and the inner and outer are the smallest. The snout, ears, tail, and spiny covering of the upper surface of the body, are also alike in both. In Erinaceus, however, the upper incisors are six; there are no canines, but three false molars on each side, and four true molars, of which the last is small and narrow ; the others square, with two outer and two inner tubercles ; while in the lower jaw, the incisors, two in number, are very large, followed on each side by three false molars and four true molars. In Echinops the teeth are thirty-two in number. In the upper jaw the incisors are four in number, and apart; the two middle are large, sub-cylindrical, elongated, and placed at the apex of the jaw; the two others are small, and seated behind the former. Separated from these by a small space, succeeds on each side a tooth, which, from its situation and magnitude, I am inclined to regard as a canine ; it is similar in character to the incisors, but is stouter, and has a slight posterior notch. The molars are five on each side: of these the first is false and simple; the three next are transversely elon- gated, with two external tubercles in contact, and one internal; hence their crowns as- sume the form of an elongated triangle, the apex being internal; the fifth molar is a slender lamina, placed transversely, but not advancing so far laterally as the molar pre- ceding it. The under jaw presents four incisors, the two middle being very small, somewhat apart from each other, and directed obliquely forwards: immediately behind the incisors below, on each side, without any interval, there follow in succession two larger and conical teeth, of which the first, from its situation, may be regarded as a canine ; the second is the largest, and constitutes a false molar. The outermost incisor on each side (below) the canine, and the false molar agree with each other in form, and are set together without any interval, all leaning obliquely forwards. Separated from A NEW GENUS OF INSECTIVOROUS MAMMALIA. 253 the last of these by a small space, succeed four true molars on each side, vertical and smaller than those above, with two tubercles internally and one externally, so that the worn surface is triangular, with the apex outwards ; the last is the smallest : the sur- faces of all are apart, but their bases are in contact. In all respects, however, the agreement between Echinops and Ericulus, Isid. Geoff., is more intimate than between Echinops and either the genus Centetes or Erinaceus. Here, however, we still trace important modifications, both in the form of the skull and in the dental system. In Ericulus the skull is very elongate, and especially the muzzle, which bears a close resemblance to that of Centetes ; while in Echinops the muzzle is even proportionately shorter than in the Hedgehog. Moreover, in Ericulus not only do the teeth exceed in number by two in each jaw those in Echinops, but they also differ somewhat in arrangement. In the upper jaw of Ericulus the incisors are four, followed on each side by two spurious teeth, the first of which M. Isidore Geoffroy regards as a canine 3; to these succeed five true molars. Now in Echinops there are four incisors, and on each side a large canine tooth, a false molar, and four true molars. The lower jaw in Ericulus has four incisors, disposed laterally in pairs, followed on each side by two spurious teeth, the first of which, as on the upper jaw, M. Isidore con- siders to be a canine. To these succeed Jive true molars. In Echinops there are also four incisor teeth below, succeeded without interval on each side by a tooth corresponding in situation to a canine, which is followed by one false and four true molars, as above. Of the habits and manners of Echinops Telfairi I have no information : it cannot, however, be doubted that they resemble those of the Hedgehog ; and the arrangement of the spines, and the strong muscular panniculus beneath the skin sufficiently attest the power of rolling up itself into the form of a ball, after the manner of that animal ; a power with which the species of the genus Centetes are endowed in a far less degree. With respect to the internal anatomy of this animal, its decomposed condition prevented me from doing more than ascertaining the character of the alimentary canal. The in- dividual proved to be a female. The liver consisted of two right lobes, the innermost of which had a furrow on its surface, near the edge, approximating to the first left lobe ; and from this furrow arose the ligamentum latum. The left lobes were two in number, but smaller than those on the right. The gall-bladder large, oval and empty, occupied a situation on the under surface of the innermost of the right lobes ; and its duct, after a course of 3ths of an inch, received a large hepatic duct : the common duct thus formed was accompanied by a distinct hepatic tube, and both entered the duodenum together, a little distance below the pylorus. A large epiploon spread from the stomach, over the intestines ; and beneath the stomach, and attached to it, was the spleen, a long, slender, flattened mass, measuring one inch sths, and about 4ths in breadth. The decomposed state of the pancreas rendered this gland indefinite. The stomach was large, and almost 254 MR. C. L. MARTIN ON ECHINOPS, globular ; but the cardiac portion being full of holes, its inflation was impossible. The duodenum began dilated, and almost like a sacculus, and continued dilated for three quarters of an inch, when it gradually narrowed, merging into a simple intestinal tube, destitute of a cecum, and measuring from the pylorus to the anus nine inches, being in fact not even twice the length of the animal. The bladder was small and contracted, the ureters entering as usual; and both these and the ovarian tubes were imbedded in a large fatty mass, occupying the lumbar region, and covering the kidneys, which latter were small, but so soft and disorganized that I could not examine them. The skull of Echinops Telfairi, compared with that of the European Hedgehog, though resembling it in general form, differs from it in many important details. Among these the most remarkable is the total absence of the zygomatic arch. In the Hedgehog the zygomatic arch is bold, and of considerable strength ; it consists of a process of the su- perior maxillary, and temporal bones, with an intermediate narrow malar, forming the centre of the arch. The distance from one zygoma to the opposite is 12ths inch. In the Mole the zygomatic arch is reduced to an almost rectilinear bony thread, and the skull being peculiarly voluminous posterior to its temporal origin, it appears as if brought forwards, as well as sunk and compressed ; hence the measurement from one temporal bone to the other far exceeds that from one sygoma to its fellow. In Centetes (the skull from which I describe being that of Centetes setosus, Desm.) the zygomatic arch is incomplete ; a process, however, of the superior maxillary forms the lower boun- dary of the orbit, and advances as far as the edge of the coronary process of the lower jaw, turning, with a gentle curve, outwardly. The zygomatic process of the temporal bone is a mere point, and the distance between it and the zygomatic process of the maxillary bone is 4ths of an inch and a half, the total length of the skull being 22 inches. In Echinops the lower edge of the orbit (open of course behind, to the temporal fossa) is formed by an elevated ridge of the superior maxillary, which ridge runs out into a small zygomatic process, forming the outer wall of the alveolus of the two last molars. The zygomatic process of the temporal bone is a little more distinct than in Centetes, and the vacant interspace between this and the process of the maxillary bone is nearly half an inch, the total length of the skull being an inch and a half. The long, slender, conical snout of Centetes (Centetes setosus), notwithstanding the absence of zygomatic arches, renders the aspect of its skull more remote from that of Echinops than is that of the skull of Erinaceus. In Echinops the muzzle is even shorter in proportion than in Erinaceus ; there is not, however, as in the latter, any elevation between the orbits, but the skull is altogether flatter, and more level above, and proportionately narrower, with the cranial cavity more contracted. At the same time the transverse-occipital ridge is more elevated. The palate is proportionately narrower than in Erinaceus, and its posterior foramina, which in the Hedgehog are long open fissures, are reduced to minute orifices, which is also the case in Centetes. If, however, the palate itself be narrow, a MT Aa ei as Len dt ile el A NEW GENUS OF INSECTIVOROUS MAMMALIA. 255 the position and transverse elongation of the molar teeth give a greater proportionate breadth to the skull of Echinops (looking on the palate) than of the Hedgehog ; and this is rendered the more remarkable by the great and sudden compression of the osseous sides of the posterior nares, the fossa thus formed being a deep but very narrow canal. The lower jaw is very similar to that of the Hedgehog ; the coronary process, however, instead of being externally concave, is flat and smooth ; the condyloid process is neither so elongated in proportion, nor so oblique; nor is the process at the posterior angle so much developed. The admeasurements of the skull of Echinops Telfairi are as follow : Length from apex to occipital condyles. . . . . . . ‘ie — to anterior margin of orbit . 0+ and a half. Interorbital space . Os Length of osseous palate : 0s Breadth of ditto between last molars . Soi From outside of the third upper true molar to outside of opposite 0s From apex of zygomatic process of maxillary bone to apex of RETR PUM MOREE Nore fe ee SU SITE Whe. 0s Breadth of cranium from petrous portion of one temporal bone PeERORPOsIte ne on Aer ne nee Oy Os and a half. Bupteammduancy se ff nearly O+ With respect to other parts of the osseous system of Echinops, it may be stated that the pelvis was very narrow, and the pubic bones separate in front. The vertebral formula is as follows :* Cervicalnn hava ee. oe eas [OT ee Pe Se ae on oe IG SLE te eee oR a CUT Ne ee a ae. OU a ne ae The ribs consist on each side of eight true and seven false. 256 Fig. MR. C. L. MARTIN ON ECHINOPS. PLATE XLVI. Ecurnors TELFAIRI. 1. The skull, seen from above. 2. Side view of the same. 3. The same, seen from beneath. 4. The lower jaw. 5. Side view of the same. 6 & 7. Teeth of the upper jaw, magnified. 8 & 9. Teeth of the lower jaw, magnified. ——————— ; ‘ , t 2 , vans PL LI. fig. 2 & 3. VOL. II.— PART Iv. 2N 266 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY from the stomach by a circular strip of epithelium, whiter and thinner than the rest, from one to two lines in width: the structure is well shown in Plates LI. and LII. of the ‘Comparative Anatomy’ of Sir Everard Home. The Apteryx, though resembling these large Struthious birds in the arrangement of its gastric glands, does not participate with them in this structure. The muscular stomach’ does not present the characteristic sub-compressed shape of a gizzard, but resembles, in its regular oval-rounded form, the membranous stomach of carnivorous birds. In its contracted state it appears small for the size of the bird, not exceeding 1 inch 10 lines in length, and 1 inch 3 lines in its greatest diameter; but in the specimen in which I found the stomach distended with food it measured 23 inches in length, and 2 inches across at the widest part. The muscular fibres are not arranged in the well-defined masses called digas- trici and laterales in the true gizzard, but radiate from two tendinous centres of an oval form, measuring about two-thirds of an inch in the longest diameter. The mus- cular coat when contracted is thickest at the upper part of the cavity, where its depth is about 3 lines: in the bulging part at the upper end of the gizzard from which the duodenum is continued, the muscular coat is about | line thick. The inner surface of the contracted stomach (b, Pl. LI.) presented two protuberances at its posterior part, one near the lower and the other near the upper end: the latter is so situated with re- spect to the cardiac and pyloric openings that it would tend more or less completely to close those openings when the circular fibres at the upper part of the gizzard were forcibly contracted. There was no appearance of these internal projections in the di- lated stomach of the second Apteryx dissected by me. A narrow pyloric passage, of about 3 lines in length, leads from the left side of the upper extremity of the muscular stomach into the duodenum*. The pylorus is defended by a transverse crescentic ridge of the lining membrane ; there is no distinct sphincter. The cuticle is continued into the duodenum about 3 lines beyond the pylorus, but there is no dilatation of this part constituting a pyloric pouch as in the Emeu and Ostrich. Before proceeding with the special description of the intestinal canal, the general disposition of the abdominal viscera may be mentioned, as they appear upon removing the abdominal muscles. The peritoneum consists of an external strong fibrous and an internal serous layer. The abdominal cavity’ is divided by peritoneal partitions into three compartments, which contain, besides the ordinary viscera, only a little fluid; and when the thoracic cells were inflated from the trachea no air passed into the abdominal cells or their in- terspaces. The two upper compartments contain the right and left lobes of the liver, which are separated from each other by a strong mediastinal process of peritoneum : the ligamentum latum in Mammalia seems to be the representative of this broad process. Each hepatic cell communicates with the single large inferior compartment of the abdomen by a round aperture situated close to the ribs ; this lower compartment was 1 Pl. L. & LI. 8. 2 PLL. & LI. ¢. 3 Pl. XLIX. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 267 partly divided into two lateral ones by the stomach, and the omental process con- tinued from it to the lower or posterior margin of the hepatic septum. A great quantity of adipose matter was accumulated, in one specimen, beneath the peritoneum. The two lobes of the liver occupied as usual the anterior part of the ab- dominal cavity, extending from above the notches of the sternum to midway between the sternum and the cloaca. The stomach was entirely concealed by the large omental adipose process above-mentioned, by dividing which and separating the divided por- tions (as in Plate XLVIII. fig. 3, a, a,) as much of the stomach was exposed as projects between and beyond the lobes of the liver. The space between the stomach and cloaca was occupied by long and simple loops of intestine, extending obliquely, and nearly parallel with each other, from the upper and right to the lower and left side of the abdomen. In one specimen these loops were concealed, like the stomach, by omental processes, thickly charged with fat (0, 6,) ; each loop also included between the layers of its narrow mesentery one or two thick processes of fat (c, c,), except the duodenal loop, the interspace of which was occupied as usual by the two lobes of a narrow elongated pancreas, the pointed extremity of the anterior lobe of which extended freely beyond the bend of the duodenum, as represented in the figure (Pl. XLVII. fig. 3, d,). In one specimen the duodenum formed the longest and most superficial loop (e, Pl. XLIX.). Below or posterior to it lay the first loop of the jejunum, (f, Pl. XLIX.) and immediately below this appeared the dilated end of the rectum (g, Pl. XLIX.). In a second Apteryx I found that four loops of intestine, including the duodenum, were immediately exposed by dissecting away the omental processes : on raising these loops the rectum was seen extending forwards about 2 inches along the mesial line, and then receiving the ileum and the extremities of the two ceca. Only the anterior half of the rectum has an en- tire investment of peritoneum ; at its posterior or lower half that membrane leaves the abdominal parietes on each side of the rectum, and gradually advances upon the ante- rior part of the gut. The lobes of the liver require to be divaricated and raised, and the stomach and its omental processes to be drawn aside, in order to trace the disposition of the whole intestinal canal. The duodenal loop, which in one specimen was about 4 inches, in another 5 inches in length, extends in a curved direction from the stomach to the right side of the abdomen, curves obliquely across the lower surface of the abdomen to the posterior and left side, and returns upon itself: the anterior half of this loop is closely attached to the other coils of the intestine ; the rest of the duodenum is suspended freely in the abdomen. The intestine, after having formed the duodenal loop, bends abruptly upon itself backwards and to the right, and then forms a second loop, 34 inches long, which continues straight down the right side of the abdo- men ; its extremityis seen at Pl. XLVIII. fig.3, f. Three similar but somewhat shorter loops are then formed to the left of the preceding, after which the intestine returns to near the commencement of the duodenum, behind the stomach and close to the root 2n2 268 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY of the mesentery, whence it descends to form a fifth long loop, situated at the left side of the abdomen, behind the others, and then becoming looser, after a short convolution, terminates in the rectum. The ceca in one specimen measured each five, in another six inches in length ; they are attached to the last folds of the ilewn: their tunics are thinner than those of the rest of the alimentary canal. The adipose processes developed beneath the peritoneum investing the ileum and ceca, are smaller and more detached than those connected with the preceding intestinal loops, and assume the appearance of ‘‘ appendices epiploice’.” In one Apteryx I found a very short cecum,—the remnant of the ductus vitello-intes- tinalis,—attached to about the middle of the small intestine*; and in the viscera of the small female Apteryx transmitted to me by Dr. Logan, there extended from the same relative position of the intestinal tube an obliterated duct three lines in length, which expanded into a still persistent vitelline sac of a subglobular form, about an inch in diameter, but collapsed and with wrinkled parietes. These presented a moderate degree of thickness in the moiety of the sac next the duct, but became gradually thinner to the opposite side. The interior of the sac was lined with a stratum of a yellowish sub- stance resembling adipocere, and contained many small wavy filamentary vessels, con- verging to the commencement of the duct, and evidently remains of the vasa lutea. A small branch from the mesenteric artery, the remnant of the omphalo-mesenteric, and a minute corresponding vein, accompanied the pedicle of the sac (PI. LI. fig. 1, s, ¢.). In the large male Apteryx the intestinal canal measured four feet, independently of the ceca, which were each six inches in length: the rectum was four inches long. The general diameter of the small intestines in the specimen first dissected was three lines; in the male Apteryx with the full stomach their diameter was five lines: they slightly diminish in size as they approach the rectum. In the duodenum the mucous membrane is beset with extremely fine villi, about one line in length ; towards the end of the duodenum these villi are converted into thin zigzag longitudinal 1 These processes and the return of the small intestine, in the latter part of its course, to the duodenum and root of the mesentery, give to the part continued thence to the rectum the characters of the colon in Mam- malia. The learned Editor of the excellent edition of Cuvier’s Lecons d’ Anatomie Comparée, now in course of publication, is disposed to consider all that part of the small intestine which intervenes between the single vitelline cecum (in those birds which have it) and the double ordinary ceca, as representing the colon: and the analogy of the colon of the Hyraz, which is similarly bounded at its commencement by a single cecum, and at its termination by a double one, is undoubtedly very close. If, however, we are guided by the analogies afforded by the other oviparous classes, with which birds present so close a conformity of general structure, and in which the colon is always short, wide, generally straight, and in some, as Python, Testudo, Iguana, marked off, or commencing by a single cecum, as in Mammalia, there can be no question in that case but that the part of the intestinal canal in Birds corresponding to the colon of Reptiles, is that which succeeds the entry of the two ceca, and which, from its shortness and straightness, is usually called the rectum. In the Ostrich, how- ever, it is long and convoluted, and is provided with transverse valvule conniventes. A similar structure in a less degree is present in the colon of the Iguana. 2 Pl, L. d. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 269 folds, which are continued, but with gradually diminished breadth, to the end of the ileum. The ceca’, at their commencement, are wider than the ileum, and go on slightly increasing in capacity to near their blind extremities, where they suddenly taper to an obtuse point. The diameter of each cecum, at its widest part, was five lines in the first, and six lines in the second dissected Apteryr. To the naked eye the lining membrane of the ceca presents a smooth surface; viewed with a lens, it is disposed in very fine longitudinal zigzag lines, which are replaced towards the extremities by very minute points. The lining membrane of the rectum is beset with minute short villi or points, together with glandule solitarie, which become numerous and large at the terminal half of the rectum’: the lining membrane of this intestine, when it is contracted, is thrown into longitudinal folds ; but there is no trace of the transverse or spiral valvule conni- ventes which so peculiarly characterize the ceca and rectum of the Ostrich and Rhea: in this respect the Apteryx resembles the Cassowary and Emeu. The rectum communicates with the uro-genital dilatation by a small semilunar aperture, which, when contracted, appears as an oblique fissure, and from the produced valvular margin of which several short rug radiate. The urinary compartment of the cloaca is not expanded into a large receptacle as in the Ostrich, but offers the same proportional size as in the Emeu and Cassowary: it measures about two-thirds of an inch in length and the same in diameter. The ureters terminate by oblique valvular apertures* immediately beyond the above- mentioned membranous fold, at the back part of the cavity, and about two lines apart. The vasa deferentia terminate, as in other Struthious birds, by two elongated papille* nearer the anterior part of the uro-genital cavity. This cavity is separated from the external compartment of the cloaca by a broader and stronger fold than that which divides it from the rectum, and the angles of this fold are lost upon the sides of the penis‘, which projects into the external compartment of the cloaca. This compartment is con- tinued behind the uro-genital passage in the form of a large and wide bursa Fabricii®, which, in the larger Apteryx dissected by me, was partly divided by a crescentic verti- cal fold, extending forwards from its upper and back part. The stomach, in Lord Derby’s Apteryz, contained only a greenish-yellow pulpy sub- stance, and numerous filamentary bodies, amongst which were some legs of insects and a few pebbles. ‘The small intestines were contracted and contained only a little pulpy material like that in the gizzard, but of a darker colour. The ceca were distended with a greater quantity of a similar but more fluid matter, in which parts of the legs of in- sects, apparently orthopterous, were again discernible. In the male Apteryx transmitted by Mr. Bennett, the stomach was distended with insects of various orders, which seemed to have been recently swallowed. There were four larve, between two and three inches in length, belonging to some species of the Lepidopterous order, probably of subterraneous habits ; five larve of some of the Scarabeide, perfect ; some mature Coleoptera ; parts of 1 Pl. Lie, €. PLL Sf Pl Ligs + PLL. A, CN 2) oe PR ® Pl. Ii ki 270 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY small species of the Locust tribe ; one Elater ; and one Spider, quite perfect ; with a few hard seeds and small pebbles’. There was also some muddy fluid loaded with the black particles of the earth probably swallowed along with some of the insects. The small intestines contained portions of insects floating in a larger quantity of the black fluid : the ceca were distended exclusively with a thin blackish-brown pulpy fluid, in which only extremely minute portions of the legs of insects could be detected. The liver, in the larger male Apteryx, weighed 7 drachms, 35 grains, avoirdupoise ; it consisted, as usual, of two large lobes, connected by a narrow isthmus, with their thin anterior edges advancing forwards on each side of the proventriculus, and meeting in front and a little to the left of the middle line. The right lobe’ is the longer, of a sub- triangular figure ; the left is of a subquadrate form. The two lobes are even and smooth on their posterior and outer surfaces, but present irregular furrows and projections on their inner surface. They are traversed here transversely by a broad portal fissure oc- cupied by the vessels and ducts, In two of the specimens there was a gall-bladder, as in the Emeu and Cassowary ; in the third it was wanting, as is usually the case with the Rhea and Ostrich. In the large male the gall-bladder adhered by its whole length to the omental process covering the stomach; in the other Apteryx it was free, and depended by its cervix from the inner margin of the right lobe of the liver; in this specimen‘ it was an inch and a half in length, and received two short cyst-hepatic ducts at its cerviz, each nearly a line in diameter: these ducts, with the serous membrane reflected upon them, and the nutrient vessels of the gall-bladder, formed the only me- dium of connexion between the gall-bladder and the liver, A cystic duct was conti- nued, in length rather more than two inches, to half-way between the lower bend and the termination of the duodenum. The hepatic duct is formed by two branches, one from each principal lobe, which unite together to the left of the cystic duct; it runs parallel with, and terminates a few lines below the cystic: both ducts are longer than usual. The lining membrane of the gall-bladder presents chiefly longitudinal ruge, with smaller transverse lines in the interspaces. In the Aptery« without a gall-bladder there were two long ducts terminating in the same part of the duodenum ; of which the one corresponding to the cystic (Pl. LI. 0, fig. 1.) was very slightly dilated at its origin, where it was formed by the confluence of two ducts. The pancreas (Pl. L. & LI. q, fig. 1.) consisted, as usual, of two elongated subtrihe- dral lobes, lodged chiefly in the anterior part of the duodenal interspace. One of the lobes extended upwards and to the right as far as the spleen. The secretion was carried by two short and thick ducts, which terminated, close to the hepatic and cystic, and alternating with them upon a small longitudinal ridge of the duodenal lining membrane. The spleen in one Apteryx was about the size and form of a hazel-nut (Pl. L. 7,): in the large male with the full stomach it was smaller and flatter: it was round, and an ' I am indebted to Mr. Waterhouse for the determination of the above insects. * Pl. L..2 Ss Pl. L. m. =P Lan: OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 271 inch in diameter in the specimen without the gall-bladder. In the larger Struthionide the organ generally presents a longer and more compressed figure. In considering the physiological relations of the structures which have just been de- scribed, we shall be able to trace the same interesting correlation between their different modifications and the nature of the organic substances which it is their office to assi- milate, as is illustrated in other known and more striking peculiarities in the digestive organs of birds. Animals which are destined to subsist exclusively on insects usually present the chief prehensile and preparatory parts of the digestive system, whether it be the beak, as in the Ibis, or the tongue, as in the Ant-eaters and Woodpecker, of a long and slender shape ; in the present species we find a pair of Struthious mandibles lengthened out and made slender for this purpose. The beak, thus organized to seize and transmit to the gullet objects of small size, is succeeded by a muscular canal of moderate and uniform width ; and the food being of an animal nature and swallowed in small quantities, with successive intervals, as it is caught, the wsophagus is not required to be modified to serve as a reservoir, either by a general width or partial dilatation. The proven- triculus of the Apterya is of a small relative size as compared with that of the Ostrich ; its glands are also more simple in their structure, and are not aggregated into a circum- scribed mass as in the Rhea. The stomach has its muscular coat more equally but less strongly developed than in any of the vegetable-feeding Struthionide ; and the small size of the cavity, as well as the moderate strength of its parietes, bespeaks a structure adapted for the bruising and chymification of animal substances presenting, as do worms and the larve of insects, a moderate resistance. The length of the intestines and the size of the ceca, both of which somewhat exceed those in the slender-billed Insectivorous Waders, indicate that the Apterya—which, by being denied the power of flight, is confined to a more restricted range in quest of food —is designed to possess every needful and practicable advantage in extracting from its low-organized animal diet all the nutriment that it can yield. The lacteal absorbents in the Apteryx in which the digestive system before death had been actively engaged in the assimilation of a full meal of insects, were plainly visible, and in many parts of the mesentery presented an opake white colour. There was an absorbent gland, about the size of a hazel-nut, in the mass of fat below the root of the neck. Circulatory and Respiratory Systems. The heart is surrounded by a wide and thin pericardium, which is attached to the concave side of the sternum and to the margins of the anterior wide fissure of the dia- phragm, through which the ventricular portion of the heart protrudes into the abdomen, in the posterior concave interspace of the two great lobes of the liver. (PI. LIL., fig.1,a.) It requires only that a central aponeurosis should have been continued from the anterior 272 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY margins of the diaphragm between the heart and liver, to have completely separated from the thorax the proper abdominal viscera, as in the Mammalia ; for, as will be pre- sently described, the respiratory organs are confined entirely to the thoraa. The heart presents the usual ornithic form of a somewhat elongated cone, terminated by an obtuse rounded apex, produced beyond the projection formed by the right ven- tricle. The pericardium, after being reflected upon the origins of the great vessels, passes directly from the peripheral surface of the auricles upon the ventricles, so that there are no freely projecting auricular appendages. In one Apteryx I found much fat developed in the angle between the auricles and ventricles, beneath the pericardium. The right auricle appeared, when distended, of an uncommon size. The three veins terminated in it in the usual manner, but the inferior cava has a much greater relative capacity than either of the superior cave, in consequence of these having to return to the heart little more than the proportion of venous blood brought back by the jugular and internal thoracic veins in other birds. The auricles of the heart do not present any peculiarity of structure which is not met with in other birds ; the resemblance to the Hmeu in the disposition of the valves of the right auricle is very close. The great inferior cava, (Pl. LII. 6, fig. 3,) the trunk of which is extremely short, opens into the sinus venosus close to the termination of the left superior cava (c, fig. 3.) ; the intervening membrane is slightly produced in a valvular form: the coronary vein of the heart terminates in the left superior cava, just before it opens into the auricle. The right superior cava (d, fig. 3.) opens as usual into the upper part of the sinus. The tunics of the superior cave are remarkably strong. The sinus is divided, as in other birds, from the proper auricle by two semilunar valves, one large and an- terior, the other smaller and posterior (e and f, fig. 3.). The lower horn of each valve is fixed to the floor of the auricle, the upper or anterior horn of the anterior valve is attached to a strong muscular column, which traverses the upper and anterior wall of the auricle ; the extremity of the posterior valve is in like manner continued into a muscular band from the back part of the auricle. From these attachments it is obvious that the valves, during the action of the muscular parietes of the auricle, will be drawn together, and their power to resist regurgitation into the sinus will be increased, as the action of the muscles to overcome the resistance of the contents of the auricle is greater. The posterior valve which forms part of the boundary of the foramen ovale seems to be represented in Mammalia by the muscular ridge called the annulus ovalis ; the ante- rior valve is obviously the analogue of that called Eustachian in Man and Mammalia. The principal deviation from the ornithic type of the structure of the heart is pre- sented in the valve at the entry into the right ventricle (Pl. LII. g, fig. 3,). This is characterized in birds by its muscularity and its free semilunar margin. In the Apteryr it is relatively thinner, and in some parts semitransparent and nearly membranous: a process moreover extends from the middle of its free margin, which process is attached OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 273 by two or three short chord@ tendinee to the angle between the free and fixed parietes of the ventricle. We perceive in this mode of connection an approach in the present bird to the mammalian type of structure analogous to that which the Ornithorhynchus, among Mammalia, offers, in the structure of the same part, to the class of birds; for the right auricular ventricular valve in the Ornithorhynchus is partly fleshy and partly membranous. The dilatable or free parietes of the right ventricle were about th of an inch in thickness, those of the left were 4th of an inch thick. There was nothing worthy of note in the left auricle (fig. 2 and 3 h,) or in the valves interposed between it and the left ventricle: the two membranous flaps presented the usual inequality of size characteristic of the mitral valve in birds. The aorta divides as usual, immediately after its origin, into the ascending and de- scending aorte: the ascending aorta as quickly branches into the arterie innominate (ii, fig. 2.), which diverge as they ascend and give off the subclavians in the form of very small branches ; they are then continued, very little diminished in size, as the carotids ; each carotid divides or gives off a large vertebral artery before passing out of the thorax ; they then mount upon the neck, converge and enter the inferior vascular canal of the thirteenth cervical vertebra, and are continued in the interspace of the hemapophyses to the fourth cervical vertebra: here they emerge from the subvertebral ‘anal, and passing through the interspace of the rect capitis antici, they again diverge, and when opposite the angle of the jaw, give off occipital, internal carotid, large pala- tine, and other branches, as in the Emeu. The principal difference observed in the Apteryx was the equality of size in the carotids: in the Emeu I found the right carotid larger than the left. The descending or third primary division of the aorta (k, fig. 2.) presents in the Apteryx, as in the Emeu and other Struthionide, more of the character of the conti- nuation of the main-trunk than in the rest of the class, in consequence of its greater size and thicker tunics, which relate of course to the diminished supply of blood transmitted to the rudimental anterior extremities; and the increased quantity re- quired to be sent to the powerfully developed legs. The aorta arches over the right bronchus as usual, and is continued down the thorax to the interspace of the crura of the diaphragm, through which it passes into the abdomen in a manner remarkably ana- logous to that which characterizes the course of the aorta in the Mammalia (Pl. LIL. n, fig. 1). The Apteryx, in fact, seems to be the only bird in which the limits of thoracic and abdominal aorta can be accurately defined. But, in thus establishing this distinction, we observe a remarkable difference from the mammalian arterial system, in the fact, that some large and important branches, which in the latter are given off from the abdominal aorta, arise in the present bird above the diaphragm, through which they pass by distinct and proper apertures to the abdominal viscera which they are des- tined to supply. These branches are the celiac avis (PI. LII. /, fig. 1.), and the great or superior mesenteric artery (m, fig. 1.). Besides these branches, the thoracic aorta VOL. II,—PART Iv. 20 274 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY gives off the bronchial and intercostal arteries above the diaphragm. The latter are three or four in number, which divide and form the usual plexiform anastomoses round the heads of the ribs, with branches of the vertebral arteries ; from which pleruses the proper intercostal branches are continued. The celiac axis, having perforated the dia- phragm, divides and supplies the stomach, liver, and spleen in the usual manner. The mesenteric artery offers nothing unusual in its mode of distribution. The diaphragm is itself supplied by branches from the intercostal pleruses, and there are no proper phrenic arteries. The first branch which the aorta sends off, after having entered the abdomen, is the spermatic artery (Pl. LII. 0, fig. 1.); this was of moderate size in the large male Apteryx, and soon divided into two branches, which were distributed respectively to the corresponding testis and supra-renal gland. The aorta having reached the first lumbar or sacral vertebra, sends off the femoral arteries (p, p, fig. 1.), which are of equal size with the ischiadic arteries afterwards given off. The femoral is continued outwards on each side at right angles with the aorta, sends a small branch to the upper lobe of the kidney and passes out of the pelvis, not through a notch or foramen, as in most other birds, but simply over the margin of the iliac bone. It is continued upon the thigh, covered by the wide and strong sartorius, where it divides into two principal branches, of which one is distributed to the sartorius, gracilis, vasti, and other muscles at the anterior and upper part of the thigh; and the second branch is continued to the knee-joint, where it ends by forming anastomoses with the ischiadic. The aorta next sends off a pair of renal arteries (q, q, fig. 1.) of moderate size, beyond which it may be said to resolve itself into the ischiadic (r, r,) and sacro-median arteries (s, fig. 1.). The ischiadic branches are not here, as in most other birds, the main arteries of the hinder extremities ; they do not exceed the femo- rals in size, and are principally expended upon the muscles of the leg: they escape from the pelvis as usual by the ischiadic foramina, and are continued down the back part of the thigh external to the adductor magnus, covered at first by the broad biceps cruris, and afterwards continued between the biceps and the vastus externus to the outer side of the popliteal space: here the artery accompanies the ischiadic nerve and the strong tendon of the biceps between the two heads of the gastrocnemius externus, and through the tendinous trochlear loop connected with that muscle, where it divides, and is finally distributed as in other birds. The sacro-median artery, after sending off a small branch to the rectum, divides into the genital or hypogastric and the coccygeal arteries. I did not observe any modification of that condition of the venous system which usually characterizes the class of birds. The inferior cava does not perforate the diaphragm, but enters the posterior part of the pericardium just above the anterior fissure of the diaphragm: it receives, close to its termination, the two large hepatic veins. There exists the same disposition of the OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 275 renal veins which regulates the quantity of blood transmitted to the lungs or to the liver respectively, as in other birds. This disposition has been erroneously supposed to in- dicate that the urine was secreted from the venous blood in birds, as in reptiles and fishes ; but the end attained by the venous anastomoses in question bears a much closer relation to the peculiar necessities and habit of life of the bird, and, so far as I know, has not hitherto been explained. There is no class of animals in which there may be, at any two brief and consecutive periods of existence, a greater difference in the degree of energy and rapidity with which the respiratory functions are performed, than in birds. When the bird of prey, for example, stimulated by a hungry and an empty stomach, soars aloft and sweeps the air in quest of food, the muscular energies are then strained to the utmost, the heart beats with the most forcible and rapid contractions to propel the current of blood along the systemic arteries, and the pulmonary vessels require the greatest possible supply of blood to serve the heart with the due quantity of arterialized fluid: the digestive system, on the other hand, is in a state of repose, and we may conceive the portal circulation to be at its lowest ebb. Suppose the Eagle to be glutted with his quarry and reduced to a state of stupor ; the animal functions are now at rest, but the organic powers concerned in the assimilation of the food are in full play, and the portal or hepatic circulation is as active as was the pulmonary a short time before. The venous system of the kidneys is so arranged in birds that it can be distributed either to the portal system by the mesenteric vein, or to the pulmonary system by the vena cava and right side of the heart, according to the degree of rapidity with which the pulmonary or portal systems of veins are respectively emptied, or in other words, according to the activity with which the circulation in each of these systems may be going on at two different periods. The arrangement is as follows: the venous blood of the kidneys is collected from all parts of the gland into a venous reservoir or trunk extending longitudinally through the substance of the kidney, and more or less sub- divided at the anterior or thick part of the gland in most birds ; here it communicates by one or more large anastomoses with the iliac vein, which, after a short course, unites with its fellow to form the trunk of the vena cava; at the posterior or lower end of the kidney the renal vein emerges, and after receiving some small veins from the cloaca, joins the vein from the opposite kidney, and the common trunk, thus formed, then bends forwards, enters the folds of the mesentery of the rectum, and becomes, in fact, the commencement of the mesenteric veins, receiving the blood from the rectum and ceca. Thus, when the circulation of the portal system is unusually active, the current of the venous blood of the kidneys will naturally tend towards the lower outlet into the mesenteric vein ; but when, on the other hand, those causes are in operation which accelerate the current of venous blood through the vena cava, we may reasonably sup- pose that a greater quantity of the renal blood will flow by the anterior outlets into that great channel. 202 276 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY In the extreme case of the raptorial bird above-quoted, the advantage of such an arrangement appears sufficiently obvious to justify tne teleological hypothesis here pro- posed ; and in the rest of the class the like benefit may result from this arrangement of the renal veins to a degree corresponding with the necessity for it which may exist. In the Apteryz the great renal vein (s, Pl. L.) is not imbedded in the substance, but is continued along the anterior or under-surface of the kidney, receiving the blood from the lobules of the gland by many oblique but wide openings ; the venous trunks of the two kidneys anastomose, as in other birds, posteriorly, to form the commencement of the mesenteric vein (¢, Pl. L.) ; and, anteriorly, after receiving the iliac veins, they unite to form the vena cava, and thus complete the great circulus venosus renalis. ‘The modi- fications of this part of the venous system were less important than I had been led to anticipate in a bird whose comparatively limited powers of locomotion must be at- tended with less partial and excessive action of the respiratory system than in birds of flight. The organs of respiration in birds are so eminently characteristic of that class, and so obviously framed with especial reference to the faculty of aerial progression, that in the Apterye—a bird of nocturnal and burrowing babits, and of which the wings are reduced to the most rudimental condition,—the examination of the associated modifications of the respiratory system promised to be replete with peculiar in- terest. It was, in fact, the first point to which I directed my attention, and having made a preparatory inflation of the pulmonary organs by the trachea, I proceeded to open the abdomen, and displaced the viscera with great care ; but, as has been already stated, there was not any trace of the extension of air-cells in the interspaces of the ab- dominal viscera ; and the whole of them having been removed, I was not less gratified than surprised to find a complete and well-developed diaphragm separating the abdo- minal from the respiratory cavity. This septum did not present any large openings corresponding to those by which the air is continued into the abdomen in the other Stru- thious birds, but was here perforated only for the transmission of the w@sophagus and large blood-vessels. The diaphragm of the Apteryz differs from that which characterizes the class Mammaha in the following points; first, in the greater relative extent of the anterior or post- sternal interspace ; secondly, in the greater proportion of tendinous or aponeurotic tissue which enters into its composition ; thirdly, in being perforated by three different large arteries, and not by the vena cava or splanchnic nerves ; and lastly, in the different rela- tive positions of the cesophageal and aortic openings. The plane of the diaphragm is more horizontal, or rather more parallel with the axis of the trunk, than in the Mam- malia generally ; but some of the aquatic species, as the Dugong, present a position of the diaphragm almost similar to that of the Apteryz. The origins of the vertebral or lumbar portion of the diaphragm are by two well- developed crura (Pl. LII. «, fig. 1.), which are attached to slight prominences on the OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 277 sides of the last costal vertebra: these crura are almost entirely tendinous ; they expand as they advance forwards, and distribute their aponeurotic fibres in a manner remarkably analogous to the disposition of the fleshy fibres of the lesser muscle of the diaphragm in Mammalia. The mesial fibres decussate in front of the aorta: the lateral ones arch outwards ; the rest diverge, to constitute the great central tendon. Here they cross each other in various directions, and form distinct and regular decussations around the orifices through which the cceliac artery, with the anterior splanchnic nerve, (Pl. LII. /,) and the mesenteric artery and nerves (Pl. LII. m,), pass into the abdomen: the most notable decussation is formed by two broad bands, immediately behind the large ceso- phageal aperture, which is separated only by a very narrow transverse chord from the anterior fissure through which the pericardium protrudes, and the inferior vena cava passes : the two broad decussating bands expand, to form the anterior boundary of the diaphragm, and are inserted into the lateral processes of the sternum. The muscular or costal part of the diaphragm is formed, as in the Ostrich, by a num- ber of separate, broad, and thin fasciculi, which come off from the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh vertebral ribs, near their junction with the sternal ones: these fas- ciculi expand, and are gradually lost upon the dorsal surface of the aponeurotic part of the diaphragm, but do not form a continuous expanse of muscle, nor constitute the en- tire thickness or substance of the diaphragm at any point: they are, consequently, in- visible on the abdominal side of the diaphragm ; aud the aponeurosis of the diaphragm, together with the almost aponeurotic cellular layer of the peritoneum, with which it is continuous, requires to be reflected inwards, as at Pl. LII. @. 6. fig. 1., to bring the digi- tations representing the great muscle of the diaphragm into view. The existence of a diaphragm in a rudimental condition in birds has long been recog- nized: Hunter left a beautiful figure of the costal portion of the diaphragm in the Ostrich, which has been published in the second volume of the Catalogue of his Physiological Collection, Pl. XXVJ. In this, as well as in the other large Struthious birds, there is also a pars vertebralis or analogue of the lesser muscle of the diaphragm, which rises by two tendinous crura from the last dorsal vertebra, and in the Emeu by a double origin on each side. Nevertheless their diaphragm is incomplete ; first, by reason of an arrest of its centripetal development, which leaves a permanent defect of union in the mesial plane ; and secondly, by the large perforations for the abdominal air-cells. The mechanism of respiration in the Apteryz is essentially the same as in other birds ; and a more muscular diaphragm than it possesses would be unnecessary as a part of that mechanism. The abdominal surface of the diaphragm, as in the Mammalia, is princi- pally in contact with the liver, spleen, and stomach ; but its thoracic surface, as we have already seen, does not support the heart, and it is separated from the lungs by the in- terposition of a series of small but well-marked air-cells. There is no thoracic serous sac or pleura. Thus, although the respiratory organs are confined to the chest, and the Apteryz offers 278 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY the only known instance in the feathered race of a species in which the receptacular part of the lungs is not continued into the abdomen; yet the Struthious type is strictly preserved, and the march of development has only been restricted, not changed. The lungs, in fact, present all the peculiarities which characterize the class of Birds. They are fixed to the posterior part of the chest, and imbedded in the interspaces of the ribs, presenting a free anterior surface, slightly concave, extended on a plane nearly parallel with the axis of the trunk, and perforated by large apertures, through which the air passes from the bronchial tubes into the air-cells. Each lung (Pl. LI. figg. 4. & 5.) presents an irregular sub-compressed trihedral figure, broader anteriorly, and gradually contracted towards the posterior extremity, which is thin and rounded off: it is smooth and concave below ; smooth and convex above, and outwardly ; deeply indented along the upper or dorsal angle with six notches ; the inter- mediate portions occupying the interspaces included between the second and the ninth ribs, and each sending off a small process. In the number of these posterior processes or lobes the Apteryx resembles the Emeu ; in the Cassowary there are eight lobes ; in the Ostrich and Rhea there are only five lobes in each lung. The bronchial divisions of the trachea enter the lungs about one-fifth of their length from the anterior end, and almost immediately divide into four principal branches ; one, a small branch (a, fig. 5.), is lost in the substance of the anterior part of the lung; a second, the largest branch (6, fig. 5.), runs down the concave surface, near to and par- allel with the dorsal margin, and supplies the rest of the respiratory portion of the lung ; the third branch, which is small, perforates the anterior part of the lung, and opens into the anterior air-cell; the fourth branch (c, fig. 5.) runs down the middle of the concave surface of the lung, and terminates by three successive orifices in the three in- ferior air-cells. The inner surface of this bronchial tube presents a great contrast with that of the second, which runs parallel with it, in the paucity of the foramina which it presents for the passage of air into the substance of the lung; these being extremely numerous in the second, as shown in the figure. The pulmonary tissue is as compact, as vascular, and presents the same peculiar spongy texture as in other Birds. A stratum of fat was developed under the pleura, along the anterior margin of each lung. The first or most anterior of the air-cells interposed be- tween the lung and diaphragm is the smallest; the second the largest; this and the third present a cuboid figure: the parietes of these cells consist of an extension of the delicate mucous membrane of the air-passages, and an external thin layer of cellular tissue, by which they adhere to the diaphragm: the anterior air-cell on each side pro- trudes a little way through the anterior aperture of the thorax. (See Pl. LI. fig. 4.) The larynx and trachea resemble, in the simplicity of their structure, those of the other Struthious birds. ‘The upper larynx is not defended by any rudimental epiglottis, nor provided with retroverted spines or papille. The glottis (Pl. XLVIII. d, fig. 1.) is a long and moderately wide aperture : below the external or superior lips of the glottis, OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 279 and within the larynz, there are two thinner membranous folds : a small but elongated process projects from the middle line of the under or anterior part of the upper larynz, towards the rima glottidis. Behind the glottis there are two square-shaped tumid pro- cesses, with their free margins directed backwards into the pharyna ; their texture is more glandular than the surrounding mucous membrane. The trachea corresponds in length with the neck, and preserves a nearly uniform diameter throughout its course ; it consists of small and entire cartilaginous rings,—in one specimen, 120,—in another, 130 in number,—alternately overlapping and being overlapped at the sides when the tube is relaxed : they are also alternately narrower on one side and the other, but in a slight degree : they become gradually smaller to the last twenty rings, which are not connected so closely and rigidly together as in the Ostrich and Emeu. Remembering the cervical air-sac which projects through the ovate aperture discovered by Fremery’ in the anterior part of the trachea of the Emeu, and situated, as that accurate observer describes, between the fifty-third and sixty-second cartilaginous rings, I examined with care the trachea of the Apteryx, but without detecting any trace of an analogous structure in either sex. There is no lower larynz. The last two tracheal rings increase in breadth, and the bronchial rings are continued from them with only a slight diminution of thickness : a membrane closes the trachea below, and completes the bronchial rings at their under part : near the termination of the bronchie the cartilaginous hoops are incomplete above as well as below. Both circular and longitudinal muscular fibres enter into the struc- ture of the short bronchial tubes. The sterno-tracheales muscles (PL. LI. a, fig. 4. ; Pl. XLVIII. g, fig. 3.) arise, one from the inner surface of each coracoid bone. It is plain, from the fixed condition of the lungs, and from the space between the lungs and diaphragm being occupied by air-cells, that inspiration could not be effectually per- formed by the action of the diaphragm alone: but the structure and mobility of the an- terior parietes of the thorax indicate that it takes place in the Apteryz, as in other birds, by the sternum being depressed, and the angle between the vertebral and sternal ribs being increased. All the triangular muscles which converge to be inserted into the costal processes thus become muscles of inspiration, and more especially those which represent the ser- ratus magnus anticus, and which act from the true ribs as a fixed point below, upon the scapula above ; for by drawing down that bone they bear upon the sternum, through the medium of the coracoid ; and hence the necessity of strong and well-developed coracoid bones in a bird that otherwise could derive no particular advantage from the fixation of the scapula. The adherence to the ornithic type in the characteristic part of the os- seous structure due to the sternum, coracoids, and scapula, is thus not merely explicable ' De Casuario Nove Hollandiz. 8yo, 1819. 280 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY on the theory of unity of plan, but relates in the Apteryx to the exigences of respiration with fixed lungs and large air-cells. Renal and Genital Organs. The kidneys' of the Apteryz are situated symmetrically, and lodged, as in other birds, in the irregular hollows of the back part of the cavity of the pelvis ; their posterior sur- face presents corresponding projections ; the anterior surface is smooth and almost flat : the mesial edges of the kidneys are nearly straight and parallel, and very close to each other, but do not coalesce at any part ; the outer edges are notched. Each kidney mea- sures 3 inches in length, 11 lines across the broadest part, which is one-fourth from the anterior extremity, and 4 lines at the thickest part. It is divided into five lobes by ob- lique fissures, extending into the posterior surface of the gland: the middle lobe is the largest. These lobes appear to have a compact and even surface, but their cerebriform convolutions can be readily unravelled. The weight of both kidneys is 2 drs. 36 grs. avoirdupoise. The tortuous ureter (w, Pl. L.) emerges from the inner side of the posterior extremity of the kidney, and after a course of an inch and a half, terminates, as above described, in the upper and back part of the uro-genital cavity. The supra-renal bodies (2, z, Pl. L.) were of an oval form, and yellow colour; of a homogeneous texture ; each 3 lines in length, and adhering closely to the vena cava (u). The male organs of generation consist of two pretty. equally developed testes (y, y, Pl. L.) situated on the sternal aspect of the atlantal extremities of the kidneys, and on each side of the crura of the diaphragm. ‘They were of a subcompressed oval figure, with a somewhat angular external margin, about | inch in length and 8 lines in breadth in the largest male Apteryx; but the dimensions of these glands are of course liable to vary according to the season or state of sexual excitement. Thus in the younger male Apteryx they were subcompressed, subtriangular bodies, imbedded in the sternal and lateral aspects of the supra-renal bodies, and not exceeding 5 lines in length. The vasa deferentia (z, z, Pl. L.) are formed by the union of numerous most minute efferent tu- bules, which pass from the testes, without forming an epididymis, into a soft amorphous substance, of a gray colour, which lies between the testes and the bright yellow supra- renal body. Some of the efferent tubules are lost in the gray substance, which seems to be the remnant of the corpus Wolffianum ; but the greater part perforate that body, and proceed to form the vas deferens. This tube is continued in the usual transversely undulated course, along the sternal aspect of the kidneys, and towards their mesial mar- gins, to the urethro-sexual compartment, and terminate each on a prominent papilla (h, h, Pl. L.), situated in the uro-genital cavity, four lines below, and to the outer side of the urethral outlets, and three lines above the sides of the crescentic fold which sepa- rates the uro-genital from the vestibular compartment of the cloaca, The cresses or 1 Pl. L, v, v. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 281 angles of the fold are continued into the margins of the penis, which projects from be- low the external orifice of the urethro-sexual cavity into the vestibular or outer com- partment of the cloaca. ‘The penis rapidly diminishes to a point, and its extremity is spirally retracted ; when stretched out, the whole length of the intromittent organ is 1 inch and a half in length ; but this, doubtless, falls short of the dimensions of the penis in the recent and erect condition. An urethral groove traverses the upper, or what, if the penis were drawn out of the cloaca and bent forwards along the abdomen, would be its under surface, by an urethral or rather seminal groove, which is continued to the end of its spiral extremity : the margins of this groove are not beset with papille, but simply wrinkled transversely, as in the Emeu and Ostrich. The two lateral cavernous crura of the penis are attached to the membranous parietes of the uro-genital cavity, and to a re- tractor or erector muscle which comes off from the inner surface of the lower edge of the ischium: one of these muscles is represented at Pl. XLVIII. n, Fig. 3. ‘The base of the penis is drawn towards the coccyz, and the veins quitting the corpora cavernosa are compressed by a second pair of muscles (0), narrower but thicker than the erectors, which arise from the fascia at the sides of the coccyx, pass downwards along the sides of the vestibule, and meet at a tendinous raphé on the dorsum penis. Immediately above the base of the penis, on each side, there is a considerable plexus (p) of both arteries and veins, with which also many filaments of nerves are intermingled. The last- described muscles cross over the base of this plewus in their course to the penis, and would doubtless impede, if not arrest the current of blood in the veins ; they might be termed, therefore, “‘ compressores venarum penis,’ as they fulfil the same office as the compressores described by Douglas in the Dog. In this office of maintaining the erect and turgid state of the intromittent organ, the compressores are aided by two broad sphincters: the internal one (Pl. XLVIII. gq, fig. 3.) rises from the sides of the coccyx, and more immediately surrounds the cloaca, meeting its fellow at the middle line of the inferior surface : the external sphincter (r) closes principally the external compartment of the cloaca. The female organs in the specimen dissected presented their full functional develop- ment. The left ovarium was, however, too much decomposed to admit of any accurate observation of its structure being made: it consisted of an irregular and obscurely di- vided mass, of about three inches in length by two in thickness: the largest yelks ap- peared to have been about one inch in diameter. There was a perfectly distinct right ovarium situated in front of the corresponding supra-renal gland ; it consisted of an ir- regularly oval flattened body, with a slightly granulate surface, nine lines long, six lines wide, and about one line in thickness. The part of the cloaca where a rudimental right oviduct, supposing one to have been present, might have terminated, was cut away. The left oviduct was of large size, and from the condition of the lining membrane of the calcifying segment or uterus, seemed to have been exercising its function a brief pe- riod before death. The whole length of the oviduct was thirteen inches ; it was disposed VOL. II.—PART IV. 2P 282 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY in three principal convolutions, and its connexions were as usual in birds. It com- mences with a thin slit-like mouth, with entire margins, two inches in width, but soon contracts to a diameter of ten lines ; it thence proceeds to expand very gradually to the width of an inch, and is thus continued to the uterine or terminal segment: this portion is two inches and a half in length, and one inch and a half in diameter: its inner sur- face was studded with slightly arborescent calcifying follicles, arranged in transverse rows. The lining membrane of the principal part of the oviduct was thrown into longi- tudinal rug@; the tube communicated with the cloaca by a short, contracted, and ob- lique canal and orifice, with tumid margins. Both the upper and lower mesometries presented the usual radiated muscular structure. Osseous System. The skeleton (Pl. LIV.) of the Apteryz offers the same general form as the entire bird ; but while it exhibits the Struthious disproportion between the anterior and posterior extremities, it shows that all the ordinary bones of the wing exist, though in their feeblest state of development. With the exception of the parts of the skeleton concerned in the formation of the nasal and auditory cavities, none of the other bones of the Apteryzx are perforated for the admission of air, nor do they exhibit the pure white colour which characterizes the skeleton in other birds. In their tough and compact texture they resemble the bones of the Lizard tribe. The skull (Pl. LIIL.) of the Apteryz is chiefly remarkable for its smooth, expanded, elevated, pyriform cranial portion, the total absence of supra-orbital ridges, the com- pleteness and the thickness of the inter-orbital septum, the great development of the ethmoid, the small size of the lachrymal bones, and the expansion of the nasal cavity behind these bones: the combination of the depressed with the elongated and slender form of the beak is of course as well marked in the skull as in the entire head already described. The occipital region of the craniwm has a pretty regular semicircular contour, and dif- fers from that of other Struthious birds in the greater relative extent of its base, and in the comparatively slight lateral sinuosities due to the temporal depressions. The single hemispherical tubercle in the basi-occipital, for the articulation with the atlas, has not the vertical notch at the upper part observable in the Ostrich and Emeu, but is entire as in the Rhea; and the plane of the occipital foramen has the same aspect as in that bird, in which it is more nearly horizontal than in the Ostrich. The supra-occipital plate forms a somewhat angular projection, corresponding with the small cerebellum within, and is bounded on each side by a vertical vascular groove, terminated by a foramen above and below : external to these grooves the ex-occipitals extend outwards and downwards, in the form of obtuse processes, compressed in the antero-posterior direction, slightly en OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 283 convex behind and concave in front, where they form the back part of the wide meatus auditorius externus. All the parts of the occipital bone were anchylosed together, and also to the surrounding bones. The angle between the posterior and superior regions of the cranium is scarcely produced into a ridge. The superior region is smooth and regularly convex ; it is separated from the temporal depressions by a narrow ridge, a little more marked than the occipital one. The sagittal suture runs across a little behind the middle of the upper part of the cranium: the left half of this suture, with the frontal suture, was persistent in one cranium of the Apterya, which I extracted from a dried skin in Mr. Gould’s Mu- seum ; but all the sutures were obliterated in the skull of Mr. Bennett’s male specimen. The persistent sutures were more denticulated than those in the skull of a young Ostrich with which I have compared them. The superior is continued into the lateral regions of the cranium by a continuous cur- vature, so that the upper part of the small orbital cavity is convex, and its limits unde- finable, there being no trace of supraorbital ridge or antorbital or postorbital processes : this structure is quite peculiar to the Apteryx among birds, but produces a very inter- esting resemblance between it and the monotrematous Echidna. The temporal bone sends forwards a short and slender zygomatic process, which in its small relative deve- lopment resembles most that of the Rhea among the larger Struthionide. The frontal bones gradually contract to their junction with the nasal bones, between which there is the trace of a small part of the ethmoid bone. The narrow frontal region of the skull is traversed by a mesial longitudinal depression. The ethmoid bone is remarkably expanded in the Apteryz, and its cells, instead of being restricted to a narrow vertical septum of the orbits, asin the diurnal Struthionide, occupy not only the ordinary orbital space, but extend outwards for more than two lines beyond the lateral boundaries of the anterior part of the frontals. A small process ex- tends from the frontal to the side of the expanded ethmoid, anterior to the orbital fora- mina which are distinct, and remarkably wide apart, and the expanded ethmoid is also supported anteriorly by a similar anchylosed conjunction with the lachrymal bone. The entire breadth of the ethmoid is 9 lines. The nearest approach to this peculiar structure of the Apteryx is made by the Ostrich, in which the interorbital septum, though much thinner than in the Apteryz, is also occupied by ethmoidal cells, and is thicker than in any of the other large Struthionide. The Ibis (Numenius arcuatus, Cuv., Pl. LILI. figg. 3 & 4.) offers a striking contrast with the Apteryzx in this respect, the interorbital osseous septum being almost entirely absent. In all the other parts of the cranium already noticed it also differs widely from the Apteryx. In the posterior region of the skull of the Jbis the bony covering of the cerebellum is in great part defective : in the superior part the cranial parietes above the cerebral hemispheres form two con- vexities, separated by a middle longitudinal depression, and the narrow space between the supraorbital ridges is occupied by the impressions corresponding to the nasal or 2P2 284 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY supraorbital glands : the whole cranium also is much higher and shorter in proportion to its breadth than in the Apteryx. The Ibis, in thus differing from the Apteryz, deviates also from the other Struthionde. At the base of the skull we find in the Apteryw all the peculiarities characteristic of the Struthious birds. The body of the sphenoid sends outwards on each side two pro- cesses, of which the posterior abuts against the tympanic bone, and the anterior one, by a flattened oval articular surface against the pterygoid bone: the latter processes exist, but are much more feebly developed, in the Jbis: in most other birds, including the Gralle, they are wanting: they are well developed in the Lacertine Sauria. A com- pressed vomerine process is continued forwards from the anterior part of the basi- sphenoid, and this process is anchylosed to the under part of the expanded and cellular ethmoid. In the interior of the cranium the olfactory depressions are seen to be proportionally larger than in other birds, and the olfactory nerve, instead of being continued along the upper part of an interorbital septum by a bony canal or groove to the nasal cavity, immediately passes, by many perforations, through a cribriform plate to the complex and extensive pituitary surface of the ethmoid bone. The optic foramina are distinct both internally and externally, and are half an inch apart ; they are perforated, not in the sphenoid ala, but in the inflected margin of the frontal bone. In these peculiarities the Apterya differs from all the rest of its class: each optic foramen, however, transmits not only the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery, but also the third, fourth, first branch of the fifth, and sixth nerves, as in most other birds. Of these nerves the fifth is the largest, and it is continued forwards to the nasal canal, through two foramina, one circumscribed externally by the process already mentioned, which extends from the frontal to the ethmoid ; the other by the corre- sponding process of the lachrymal. The pituitary fossa, or sella turcica, is a very deep semi-oval depression ; the common internal orifice of the two carotid canals commu- nicates with its posterior part. On each side of the anterior part of the floor of the cranium, which supports the medulla oblongata, there is an oblique slightly curved groove, terminated at its anterior extremity by the foramen rotundum, at its posterior by the foramen ovale. These foramina are situated between the basilar and alar elements of the sphenoid ; they are nearly of equal size, and are relatively larger than in the di- urnal Struthionide. "The foramen rotundum is not only distinct, but is further apart from the foramen opticum than in any other bird. The petrous bone projects internally in the form of a thin semicircular plate of bone, commencing at the foramen ovale and ex- tending backwards to the foramen auditorium internum, which it overhangs: this plate gives attachment to the tentorium. There is not any corresponding bony ridge deve- loped from the upper wall of the cranium in the line of origin of the falx, as in many of the Gallinaceous birds. The anterior or cerebral division of the cranial cavity is larger in proportion to the posterior than :n most other birds. a OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 285 Of the bones more immediately concerned in the formation or motion of the jaws, that element of the temporal may be first described which in birds is always moveable and articulated at once with the cranium and both the upper and lower jaws. The tympanic bone is of a subcompressed trihedral form, and sends forwards into the orbit a longer and slenderer process than in the larger Struthionide: its upper arti- cular surface is a transversely extended convex condyle, which plays in a corresponding cavity internal to the base of the zygomatic process. The opposite extremity is ex- panded, and presents two distinct articular convexities for the lower jaw, the inner one being the largest : above the external convexity there is a small but deep depression for the reception of the deflected extremity of the jugal bone. The posterior extremity of the pterygoid bone is securely wedged in between the or- bital process of the tympanic and the tranverse process of the sphenoid : as it advances forwards it expands, as in the other Struthionide, into a thin plate of bone, which is bent upon itself with its concavity turned inwards, and is continued by anchylosis into the palatine bones, so that the limits between them cannot be defined. The palatine bones are in like manner confluent with the maxillaries. They are pierced by two narrow elliptical posterior nasal foramina, about 3 lines in length, over which the exterior margin of each palatine bone arches from without inwards, and these over- arching lamine gradually approximate, as they advance forwards, and meet about one inch anterior to the nasal foramina, from which an imperforate plate of bone, impressed with a narrow median fissure, and composed of the confluent palatal processes of the maxillary and intermaxillary bones, is continued to the end of the beak. The limits between maxillary and intermaxillary bones are indicated by two fine oblique lines, com- mencing at the outer margin of the roof of the mouth, about 23 inches from the apex of the beak. The jugal style, which in the Ostrich may be separated in the full-grown bird into a zygomatic and malar portion, consists in the Apteryx of a single slender com- pressed twisted bone, anchylosed with the maxillary bone in front, and terminated be- hind by an obtuse deflected extremity, which is received into a corresponding vertical cavity in the upper part of the outer process of the tympanic bone. By this mode of attachment the tympanic bone offers increased resistance to the pressure transferred to it by the lower jaw, at the same time that it gives additional strength to the upper mandible. It is continued backwards in the same line with the upper maxillary bone as in other Struthionide, and is not bent downwards at its junction with the maxillary as in the Ibis and other Graile. The superior macillary bone presents the singular form of a nearly perfectly flat elongated triangular plate of bone, which is imperforate, and is continued by unin- terrupted ossification with the intermaxillary. The Rhea among the Struthionide makes the nearest approach to the Apteryz in the structure of this part of the skull; but the maxillary plate is perforated by large foramina, and sends upwards on each 286 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY side a process to join the lachrymal. In the Jbis the superior maxillary bones are in the form of slender round styles, having a wide interspace between them. In the Apteryx the small lachrymal bones are represented by two compressed plates of bone descending obliquely forwards from the anterior extremities of the frontals, and are ar- ticulated below to a small depression in the maxillary plate. ‘They are each pierced by a single small foramen. The frontal, nasal, and intermaxillary bones form one conti- nuous bony piece, too strong to admit of any elastic yielding movement between the upper jaw and cranium. The nasal and the upper or mesial portion of the intermaxillary bones form an elongated depressed narrow process, convex above, and with the outer margins bent inwards beneath the long nasal passages, of which they form the outer and part of the lower boundaries. The lower jaw’ presents all the usual ornithic characters with the Struthious modifi- cations traceable in the individual peculiarities. The transversely expanded angular and articular extremities offer the inwardly extended process for the attachment of the pterygoidei muscles: the superior transverse plate behind the articular surfaces is thin and concave towards the meatus auditorius externus, and is lined by the mucous mem- brane of that passage, of which it forms part of the bony parietes. There are two distinct narrow oblique articular surfaces, concave in the longitudinal and convex in the transverse directions ; the internal one is the largest, and behind this there is a small excavation’ into which a small process of the air-sac lining the tympanum is continued ; and this is the only part of the skeleton not immediately concerned in the formation of the organs of hearing or smelling into which air is admitted. The entry to the air-cells in the lower jaw of the Ostrich is situated in the part corresponding to the above de- pression or sinus in the jaw of the Apteryx. Traces of the compound structure of the lower jaw are very evident in that of the Apteryx, and the limits of the angular, arti- cular and coronoid pieces may be in part defined. There is a linear vacancy, bounded by the surangular and angular pieces behind, and by the bifurcate commencement of the mandibular or dentary piece in front: the surangular is compressed, and sends up- wards a very slightly elevated coronoid ridge. A second narrower fissure occurs be- tween the thick opercular or splenial element and the upper fork of the mandibular piece. The opercular piece reaches to the posterior part of the symphysis as in the Ostrich, and the rest of the lower jaw in front of this part is formed by the two anchylosed mandibulars. In the extent of this anchylosed symphysis the Rhea makes the nearest approach to the Apterya among the Struthionide, and the two impressions which diverge from the back part to the front of the symphysis are present in both the Rhea and Emeu as in the Apteryx. The lower jaw of the Apteryx differs from that of the Jbis in its greater posterior expanse, its more depressed form, the lower coronoid plate, the narrower fissure between the angular and surangular pieces, and the absence of the mesial furrow, extending in the Ibis to the end of the symphysis. 1 Pl, LIIL. Figg. 6. & 7. 2 Pl, LIL. Fig. 6. a. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 287 The relations of the modifications of the skull of the Apteryx to its peculiar habits and kind of food are well marked and very easily traced ; those which concern the maxillary portions have already been noticed in the account of the digestive system, and I need only add here that the anchylosed condition of all the parts concerned in the formation of the upper mandible is more complete than in the larger Struthionide, and relates to the greater force with which the beak is used in obtaining the food. The nocturnal habits of the Apteryx, combined with the necessity for a highly deve- loped organ of smell, which chiefly compensates for the low condition of the organ of vision, produces the most singular modifications which the skull presents, and we may say that those cavities which in other birds are devoted to the lodgement of the eyes, are here almost exclusively occupied by the nose. The spinal column is relatively stronger, especially in the cervical region, than in the larger Struthionide : it consists of fifteen cervical, nine dorsal, and twenty-two remaining vertebre in the lumbar, sacral, and caudal regions. The dorsal vertebre are arranged in a straight line, and slightly increase in breadth to the seventh ; the transverse processes of the eighth and ninth suddenly diminish. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth dorsal vertebre are slightly anchylosed together by the con- tiguous edges of their spinous processes ; the seventh, eighth and ninth are overlapped by the iliac bones ; but notwithstanding this partial anchylosis, the synovial articula- tions, both between the bodies and oblique processes, are retained in all the dorsal vertebre, anda slight, yielding, elastic movement is permitted between those vertebre : the body of the last dorsal vertebra is anchylosed to the sacrum. The breadth of the bodies of the dorsal vertebre diminishes, and their length increases very gradually from the first to the fourth ; thence the bodies become broader and shorter in the same degree to the sacrum. A short obtuse process is sent off obliquely forwards from the inferior surface of the body of each of the first four dorsal vertebre ; the corresponding surface of the succeeding ones is smooth and slightly concave from side to side. The articulation between the bodies is by the adaptation of a surface slightly concave in the vertical and convex in the transverse direction at the posterior end of one vertebra to opposite curves at the anterior end of the succeeding one. Close to the anterior sur- face on each side there is a hemispherical pit for the reception of the round head of the rib: this articular pit is supported on a process representing the inferior transverse process, except in the three middle dorsal vertebre. The transverse processes are broad, flat, and square-shaped, with the anterior angle obliquely cut off to receive the abutment of the tubercle of the rib, except in the second and third, in which a small process is sent down for the same purpose from the under surface of the transverse process: the transverse processes of the three last dorsal vertebre abut against the under or inner surface of the ila, and are probably anchylosed thereto in old birds. The nerves issue from the interspaces of the vertebre above the articulation of the heads of the ribs. The transverse processes are not connected together by extended long 288 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY splints, but are quite detached from each other as in Struthious birds. The oblique pro- cesses offer no peculiarity; a process is continued backwards from the upper part of those belonging to the first and second dorsal vertebre. The spinous process arises from the whole length of the arch of each vertebra ; it is truncate above, and with the excep- tion of the first, is ofthe same breadth throughout : all the dorsal spines are much com- pressed, the middle ones being the thinnest, slightly expanding at their truncate ex- tremities, especially the three anterior ones, the first spine being notched behind to receive the contiguous angle of the succeeding one: below this there is a considerable interval between these two spines, but the rest of the spines are in contact throughout, and are probably more anchylosed in the older birds than was observed in the specimen here described. The length of the dorsal region of the spine is 4 inches. The length of the vertebral column behind the dorsal vertebre included between the ossa innominata is 3 inches. The first four sacral vertebre' send outwards inferior transverse processes which abut against the ilia, and progressively increase in length and thickness. The breadth of these vertebre also gradually increases ; but it diminishes in the four succeeding vertebre, in which the inferior transverse processes are wanting : then the ninth and tenth sacral vertebre send outwards each a pair of strong inferior transverse processes to abut against the inner surface of the ossa innominata immediately behind the acetabulum: the anchylosis of the bodies is continued through the four suc- ceeding vertebre, which are of a very simple structure, devoid of transverse or oblique processes, becoming gradually more compressed and more extended vertically, so as to appear like mere bony lamine ; the line of the articulation between the bodies of these posterior sacral vertebre is obvious, but their spines coalesce to form a continuous bony ridge, which is closely embraced by the posterior extremities of the znominata. The foramina for the nerves are pierced in the sides of the bodies of the sacral vertebre ; they are double in the anterior ones, but single in the posterior compressed vertebre, where they are seen close to the posterior margin. There are nine caudal vertebre, which are deeper, and project farther below the pos- terior portions of the iliac bones than in the other Struthious birds: these vertebre, as they descend, progressively increase in lateral and diminish in vertical extent ; the spinal canal is continued through the first five, and they are all moveable upon each other, excepting the two last, which combine to form a vertebra analogous to the expanded terminal vertebra in other birds, but which here exceeds the rest only in its greater length, and gradually diminishes to an obtuse point. In the Ostrich the corresponding vertebra is expanded for the support of the caudal plumes, but in the Apteryz it offers the same inconspicuous development as in the Rhea and Emeu. The cervical vertebre present all the usual ornithic peculiarities. Their general form and proportions are shown in the figure (Pl. LIV.). The single inferior process for the attachment of the complicated longus colli anticus is present in the three last vertebre. ' See Pl. LV. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 289 The inverted bony arch for the protection of the carotid arteries is first seen to be de- veloped from the inner side of the inferior transverse processes of the twelfth cervical vertebra, but the two sides of the arch are not anchylosed together ; the interspace pro- gressively increases in the eleventh, tenth, and ninth vertebre, and the groove widens and is lost at the fifth vertebra. The spinous process is thick and strong in the vertebra dentata, but progressively diminishes to the seventh cervical vertebra, where it is reduced to a mere tubercle ; from the eleventh it progressively increases to the last cervical, in which it pre- sents the strong quadrate figure which characterizes the same process in the dorsal vertebrae. The large canal on each side for the vertebral artery and sympathetic nerve is formed by the anchylosis of a rudimental rib to the extremities of an upper and lower transverse process ; the costal process diminishes in size in the anterior cervical vertebre: it is wanting in the dentata, though an arterial canal of very small size is present on each side of that vertebra. In the atlas there are two small inferior transverse processes, but no canal. The superior or neurapophysial bony arch increases in extent as the cervical vertebre approach the head, and in the third, fourth, and fifth vertebre this part is per- forated by a small foramen on each side. The spinal chord is least protected by the vertebre in the middle of the neck, where there is the greatest extent of motion: there is a depression on the anterior and posterior parts of the spine in the second, third, fourth, and in the last six cervical vertebre. The length of the cervical region of the spine is 7 inches. The close resemblance of the Bird to the Reptile in its skeleton is well exemplified in the young Ostrich, in which even when half-grown the costal appendages of the cervical region of the vertebral column continue separate and moveable, as in the Crocodile. I have already observed that they were anchylosed to the first fifteen vertebre in the Apteryx. The first dorsal rib is a slender style about an inch in length ; the rest are re- markable for their breadth, which is relatively greater than in any other bird ; the Casso- wary in this respect approaches nearest to the Apteryx. The second, third, fourth, and fifth ribs articulate with the sternum through the medium of slender sternal portions ; that of the sixth also reaches the sternum, but is attached only to the sternal rib anterior to it, and a considerable interspace exists between its unattached extremity and that of its cor- responding vertebral rib. In the first simple and floating rib, the part corresponding to the head and neck, as usual, is not developed, and it is attached to the transverse pro- cess by the part analogous to the tubercle. Inthe second rib a short and strong cerviz, terminated by a hemispherical head, is given off below and in front of the tubercle, and works in a corresponding socket at the anterior margin of the vertebra. The head and tubercle, with the points of the vertebre to which they are attached, intercept large foramina corresponding to the vertebral foramina in the cervical region. Immediately below the tubercle the rib suddenly expands, and then gradually narrows to its lower end: the neck of the rib increases in length in the third and fourth pairs and dimi- nishes in the last two ; the sixth rib begins to lose its breadth, and the rest become nar- - YOL 11.—PART Iv. 2a 290 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY rower to the last. The bony appendages to the vertebral ribs are developed in the second to the eighth inclusive: they are articulated by a broad base to a fissure in the posterior margin of these vertebral ribs a little below their middle part; those belonging to the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs are the longest, and overlap the succeeding rib : these processes are not anchylosed in the specimen described. The Rhea comes nearest to the Apterya in the size of these costal appendages. The first four sternal ribs are transversely expanded at their sternal extremities, which severally present a concave surface lined with smooth cartilage and synovial membrane, and playing upon a corre- sponding smooth convexity in the costal margin of the sternum, which thus presents four true enarthrodial joints with capsular ligaments on each side. This elaborate struc- ture is not, however, peculiar to the Apteryx among birds, but relates to the importance of the movements of the sternal ribs, which are the centres upon which the respiratory motions hinge,—the angles between the vertebral and sternal ribs, and between these and the sternwm, becoming more open in inspiration when the sternum is depressed, and the contrary when the sternum is approximated to the dorsal region in expiration. The sternum—the main characteristic of the skeleton of the bird—is reduced to its lowest grade of development in the Apteryx. In its small size, and in the total absence ofa keel, it resembles that of the Struthious birds, but differs in the presence of two subcircular perforations on each side of the middle line, in the wide anterior emargina- tions, and in the much greater extent of the two posterior fissures. The anterior margin presents no trace of a manubrial process as in the Ostrich: on the contrary, the wide interspace between the articular cavities of the coracoid is deeply concave: in the extent of this interspace the Rhea most resembles the Apteryx, but its contour is almost straight ; in the Cassowary the space is narrower but is deeply notched. The articular surface for the coracoid is an open groove, which in the fresh state is co- vered with articular cartilage : external to this groove the anterior angles of the sternum are produced into two strong triangular processes with the apex obtuse. The costal margin is thickened, and when viewed anteriorly, presents an undulating contour, from the presence of the four articular convexities for the sternal ribs and the intermediate excavations. The sternum of the Emeu presents a similar appearance. ‘The breadth of each sternal perforation is nearly equal to that of the intervening osseous space ; in the specimen described they were not quite symmetrical in position. The extent of the posterior notches is equal to one half the entire length of the sternum: the external boundaries of these notches curve towards each other: there is also a slight want of symmetry in the form, position, and extent of these notches, as may be seen in the figures (Pl. LV. Fig. 2 & 3.) The scapula and coracoid are anchylosed': a small perforation anterior to the articular surface of the humerus indicates the separation between the coracoid and rudimental clavicle, of which there is otherwise not the least trace. 1 Pl. LV. fig. 4. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 291 The coracoid is the strongest bone: its inferior expanded extremity presents an arti- cular convexity, adapted to the sternal groove before described. The scapula reaches to the third rib: it is a simple narrow plate of bone, slightly curved and expanded at both ends, but chiefly at the humeral articulation. Its length is one inch. The humerus is a slender, cylindrical, styliform bone, slightly bent, 1 inch 5 lines in length ; slightly expanded at the two extremities, most so at the proximal end, which supports a transverse oval articular convexity, covered with smooth cartilage, and joined by a synovial and capsular membrane to the scapulo-coracoid articulation. A small tuberosity projects beyond each end of the humeral articular surface. The distal end of the humerus is articulated by a true but shallow ginglymoid joint with the rudi- mental bones of the antibrachium, and both the external and internal condyles are slightly developed. The radius and ulna are almost straight cylindrical slender bones, each 9 lines in length. A feebly developed olecranon projects above the articular surface of the ulna. There is a minute carpal bone, two metacarpals, and a single phalanx, which supports the long curved obtuse alar claw. The whole length of this rudimental hand is 7 lines, including the claw, which measures 3 lines and a half. A few strong and short quill- feathers are attached by ligament to the ulna and metacarpus. The iliac bones in size and shape resemble those of the Struthious tribe: the length is 4 inches and 3 lines. The outer surface presents a slight concavity anteriorly, which gradually passes into a convexity posteriorly, the two surfaces not being separated by the transverse elevation observable above the acetabulum in the four large Struthious birds. A distinct epiphyseal piece of bone, of a compressed and triangular form, is wedged in between the posterior extremity of the cia and the first three caudal vertebra. The ischium extends backwards, parallel with the sacrum, in the form of a thin plate of bone which slightly expands to its free extremity, which is truncated. The pubic element is a slender bony style, connected by ligament to the end of the ischium, but attached by bone at its acetabular extremity only. A short pointed process extends from the anterior margin of the origin of the pubis. In comparing the pelvis of the Apterya with that of the large Struthious birds, we find that the ischia do not meet below the sacrum as in the Rhea, but are more distant from that and the iliac bones than in any of the Struthious birds ; the pubic bones are not joined together at their distal extremities as in the Ostrich ; the extremities of the ischia are not anchylosed to the superincumbent ilia as in the Cassowary. It is the Emeu which comes nearest to the Apteryz in the structure of the pelvis, but it also differs in the complete bony boundary of the foramen which transmits the tendon of the obturator internus, and which is com- pleted posteriorly by ligament in the Apteryz. The acetabulum communicates, as usual, by a wide opening with the pelvis: a surface 2Q2 292 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY covered with a cushion of thick cartilage is continued from its posterior and upper part. The fibrous capsule of the hip-joint is very strong ; the synovial membrane is reflected from it upon the upper margin of the trochanter and upper part of the short neck of the femur ; and also upon the ligamentous bridge continued from the upper and extended margin of the acetabulum, to its anterior part. The ligamentum teres is very large, but short ; it consists of an infundibular process of synovial membrane, reflected from the circumference of the acetabular perforation to that of the depression on the head of the femur ; and this synovial sheath incloses two distinct ligaments, which are twisted about each other like the crucial ligaments of the knee-joint. One of the ligamentous bands passes from the upper margin of the acetabular perforation to the lower edge of the fe- moral depression ; the other comes off from the under part of the acetabular perforation, and winds round the back part of the preceding, to be inserted into the upper part of the femoral depression. The femur has the usual characters of that bone in the class of birds. Its small round head is supported on a very short and thick neck, placed at right angles to the great and single trochanter : it presents at its superior part a large depression for the strong and complex ligamentum teres. The shaft of the femur is slightly bent, with the con- vexity forwards, which is increased by a thickening at the anterior part of the middle of the shaft. The condyles are separated by a wide and deep groove anteriorly, and by a triangular depression behind. The outer one is the largest, and is grooved externally, for the articulation of the head of the fibula: the inferior compressed border of the con- dyle is wedged in between the tibia and fibula. The length of the femur is 3 ches 9 lines. The tibia is five inches in length. Two angular and strong ridges are developed from the anterior part of the expanded head of the tibia ; the external one affords attach- ment to fascia, and to the expanded tendon of the rectus femoris latissimus : the internal ridge has affixed to it the ligament of the small cartilaginous patella. The knee-joint is remarkably complicated. The internal lateral ligament is broad and thin; it gives origin to part of the soleus, and is attached to the internal semilunar cartilage. This fibro-cartilage divides at its anterior extremity into three ligaments: of these one is broad and thick, and goes to the posterior surface of the rotular cartilage ; it represents the ligamentum mucosum ; the other two ligaments are inserted at the interspace of the condyles. Beneath the internal semilunar cartilage a very strong ligament arises from the inner edge of the tibia, and is also attached to the interspace of the condyles. A strong external lateral ligament extends between the outer condyle and the head of the fibula: beneath or within this there is a second ligament, which passes from the outer condyle to the external semilunar cartilage. A thick ligament extends from the anterior parts of this cartilage to the back part of the ligamentum patelle. From the back part of the external semilunar cartilage a posterior crucial ligament extends to the condyloid interspace ; lastly, a strong ligament arises from the fore part of the head of the tibia, OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 293 and passes upwards and backwards to be inserted, with the preceding ligament into the back part of the interspace of the condyles. The head of the tibia sends down an an- gular ridge posteriorly : the shaft of the bone is rounded, slightly compressed, converging to a ridge externally, to which ridge the fibula is attached in two places, beginning half an inch below the head of the fibula, and continuing attached for 10 lines ; then again becoming anchylosed, after an interspace of 9 lines. In one specimen I found the fibula also anchylosed to the tibia by its expanded and thick proximal extremity : it quickly diminishes in size as it descends, and gradually disappears towards the lower fourth of the tibia. The distal end of the tibia presents the usual trochlea form, but the anterior concavity above the articular surface is in great part occupied by an irregular bony prominence. There is a small cuneiform tarsal bone wedged into the outer and back part of the ankle-joint. The anchylosed tarso-metatarsal is a strong bone, 2 inches 3 lines in length ; the upper articular surface is formed by a single broad piece. The original separation of the metatarsal bone below into three pieces is plainly indicated by two deep grooves on the anterior and posterior part of the proximal extremity: the intermediate portion of bone is very narrow anteriorly, but broad and prominent on the opposite side. The bone becomes flattened from before backwards, and expanded laterally as it descends, and divides at its distal extremity into three parts, with the articular pulleys for the three principal toes. The surface for the articulation of the fourth, or small internal toe, is about half an inch above the distal end, on the internal and posterior aspect of the bone. A small ossicle, attached by strong ligaments to this surface, gives support to a short phalana, which articulates with the longer ungueal phalanz. The number of phalanges in the other toes follows the ordinary law, the adjoining toe having three, the next four, and the outermost five phalanges. The relative size and the forms of these bones are shown in the figures of the skeleton (Pl. LIV.). Organs of Sense. The requisite particulars regarding the nervous system of the Apteryz will be given at a subsequent period. The cavity of the cranium indicates the brain to have been pro- portionally larger than in the diurnal Struthionide. Of the organs of special sense, the ear, as we have already seen, resembles that of the larger Struthionide in the development of the external passage : the structure of the in- ternal organ was conformable to the typical condition of this part in Birds. The eye, on the contrary, presented a remarkable deviation from the construction which characterizes the feathered class, in the total absence of the pecten or marsupium. We may conceive that this modification relates to the nocturnal habits and restricted locomotion of the present singular species. ‘The eye-ball is relatively much smaller 294 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY than in other birds ; its antero-posterior diameter is three lines ; its transverse diameter four lines. The cornea transparens is very convex, and two lines in diameter. The sclerotic is thin, but the margin supporting the cornea is strengthened by a circle of small osseous plates. The choroid is a delicate membrane; its pigment is of a light brown colour. The ciliary processes commence at the ciliary ring, each process having at its origin a slight linear rising, which becomes gradually wavy and tortuous as it approaches the lens, anterior to the circumference of which it projects freely to a small extent. The iris in the specimen examined was one-third of a line in breadth. The optic nerve terminates by a small round aperture. The lens is two lines in breadth, and nearly one line at the thickest part, being thus more convex than in other birds. The ex- ternal appendages of the eye presented no peculiarities, except the very great strength of the orbicularis palpebrarum ; the membrana nictitans had the usual trochlear muscles : its free margin was black. The singularly long and narrow nasal passages are closed and defended externally by the inflected outer margins of the nasal and upper process of the long intermaxillary bones. The relative extent and complexity of the turbinated bones, and the capacity of the posterior part of the nasal cavity exceed those of any other bird; and the sense of smell must be proportionally acute and important in the economy of the Apteryz. Concluding Observations. On a review of the preceding details of the organization of the Apteryz, it will be seen that, commencing with the skeleton, all the leading modifications of that basis of its structure connect it closely with the Struthious group. In the diminutive and keel-less sternum it agrees with all the known Struthious species, and with these alone. The two posterior emarginations which we observe in the séernum of the Ostrich are present in a still greater degree in the Apteryx ; but the feeble development of the ante- rior extremities, to the muscles of which the sternum is mainly subservient as a basis of attachment, is the condition of a peculiarly incomplete state of the ossification of that bone of the Apteryx ; and the two subcircular perforations which intervene between the origins of the pectoral muscle on the one side, and those of a large inferior dermo- cervical muscle on the other, form one of several unique structures in the anatomy of this bird. We have again the Struthious characters repeated in the atrophy of the bones of the wing, and the absence of the clavicles, as in the Rhea’. Like testimony is borne by the expansively developed iliac and sacral bones, by the broad ischiwm and slender pubis, and by the long and narrow form of the pelvis. We begin to observe a 1 In the Ostrich the clavicles are undoubtedly present though anchylosed with the scapula and coracoids, and separate from each other. In the Cassowary and Emeu they exist as separate short styliform bones. — a OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 295 deviation from the Struthious type in the length of the femur, and a tendency to the gallinaceous type in the shortness of the metatarsal segment: the development of the fourth or inner toe may be regarded as another deviation ; but it should be remembered that in the size and position of the latter the Apteryr closely corresponds with the ex- tinct Struthious Dodo. The claw on the inner toe of the Apteryw has been erroneously compared with the spur of certain Galline, but it scarcely differs in form from the claws of the anterior toes. In the broad ribs (see the Cassowary), in the general freedom of anchylosis in the dorsal region of the vertebral column, and the numerous vertebre of the neck, we again meet with Struthious characters ; and should it be objected to the latter particular, that some Palmipeds surpass the Ostrich in the number of cervical vertebre, yet these stand out rather as exceptions in their particular order ; while an excess over the average number of cervical vertebre in birds is constant in the Struthious or Brevipennate group. Thus in the Cassowary 19 vertebre precede that which supports a rib connected with the sternum, and of these 19 we may fairly reckon 16 as analogous to the cervical ver- tebre in other birds. In the Rhea there are also 16 cervical vertebre, and not 14, as Cuvier states. In the Ostrich there are 18, in the Emeu 19 cervical vertebre. In the Apteryx we should reckon 16 cervical vertebre if we included that which supports the short rudimental but moveable pair of ribs. Of the 22 true grallatorial birds cited in Cuvier’s Table of the number of Vertebre, only 9 have more than 14 cervical vertebre ; while the Apteryx with 15 cervical vertebre, considered as a Struthious bird, has the fewest of its order. Its neck is relatively shorter, in correspondence with the shorter legs ; the Cassowary, among the Struthionide, comes nearest to the Apteryr in these proportions. The free bony appendages of the ribs, and the universal absence of air-cells in the skeleton, are conditions in which the Apterya resembles the Aptenodytes, but here all resemblance ceases : the position in which the Apteryx was originally figured’ is incom- patible with its organization. The modifications of the skull of the Apteryz, in conformity with the structure of the beak requisite for obtaining its appropriate food, are undoubtedly extreme ; yet we perceive in the cere which covers the base of the bill in the entire Apteryzx a structure which exists in all the Struthious birds ; and the anterior position of the nostrils in the subattenuated beak of the Cassowary is an evident approach to that very singular one which peculiarly characterizes the Apteryr. With regard to the digestive organs, it is interesting to remark, that, with the exception of the Ostrich, the thickened muscular parietes of the stomach of the granivorous Struthious birds do not exhibit that apparatus of distinct musculi digastrici and laterales which forms the characteristic structure of the gizzard of the gallinaceous order: thus the Apteryz, in the form and structure of its sto- mach, adheres to the Struthious type. It differs again in a marked degree from the 1 Shaw’s Miscellany, xxiv. pl. 1075. 296 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY Galline in the absence of acrop. With respect to the cecal appendages of the intestine, though generally long in the Galline, they are subject to great variety in both the Stru- thious and Grallatorial orders: their extreme length and complicated structure in the Ostrich and Rhea form a peculiarity only met with in these birds. In the Cassowary, on the other hand, the ceca are described by the French academicians as entirely absent. Cuvier' speaks of ‘‘ un cecum unique” in the Emeu. In my dissections of these Struthious birds I have always found the two normal ceca present, but small ; in the Hmeu measuring from three to five inches long, and half an inch in diameter’ ; in the Cassowary measuring about four inches in length. The presence of two moderately developed ceca in the Apteryx affords therefore no indication of its recession from the Struthious type: these ceca correspond in their condition, as they do in the other Struthious birds, with the nature of the nutriment of the species. It is dependent on this circumstance also, that in the grallatorial bird (Ibis), which the Apteryx most resembles in the structure of its beak, and consequently in the nature of its food, the ceca have nearly the same relative size ; but as regards the Galle, taken as an order, no one condition of the ceca can be predicated as characteristic of them. In most they are very small; in many single. What evidence, it may next be asked, does the generative system afford of the affi- nities of the Apteryx? A single, well-developed, inferiorly grooved, subspiral intromittent organ attests unequivocally its relations to the Struthious group ; and this structure, with the modifications of the plumage of the respiratory organs and of the skeleton, lead to the same conclusion as that at which Mr. Yarrell® and myself had arrived’, from a study of the external organization of the Apteryz, viz. that it must rank as a genus of the cursorial or Struthious order. In deviating from the type of this order the Apteryx ma- nifests a tendency in the structure of the feet to the Galline, and in the form of the beak, to the Gralle ; but it cannot, without violation of its natural affinities, be classed with either. ' Lecons d Anat. Comp. 1836. iv. p. 291. * The accurate Fremery speaks of “ ceca intestina duos pollices tantum longa, dimidium lata,” in the Emeu dissected by him, loc. cit. p. 76. > Loe. cit., p. 72. + Art. Aves, Cycl. of Anat. and Phys., i. 1836, p. 269. Fig. OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 297 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES, PLATE XLVII. . Head of a female Apterya'. a. The external nostril. . Head of a male Apteryz. a. The cere. b. The ear. . Head of a Rhea Americana. a. The cere. b. The ear. . The external appearance of the wing when the feathers are removed: it ex- hibits the form of one of the abnormal small quill-feathers described at p- 259. . One of the neck-feathers of the Apteryz. PLATE XLVIII. . Under surface of the head of the Apterya, with the tongue and palate exposed. R . The posterior nasal apertures. . The common opening of the Eustachian tubes. The tongue. 5 . The glottis. . The glandular processes of the pharyngeal membrane. eo ace . The inferior surface of the tongue and hyoid-bone, with the commencement of the wsophagus and trachea. . Abdominal viscera in situ. a. Gastric processes of omentum. b. Omental processes covering the intestines. c,c. Omental processes in the intestinal loops. d. The pancreas, in e. The duodenal loop. f. The first loop of jejunum. g. The rectum. 1 Since the preceding pages were printed Mr. Cunningham has transmitted to the Zoological Society the skin and the trunk of an Apteryzr, which proves to be a female, and has a beak measuring from the gape to the tip six inches four lines, thus verifying the conjecture put forth at p. 260, that the difference in the length of the beak is sexual, and that the longer one characterizes the female. VOL. II.—PART IV. 2R PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY h. The esophagus. i. The sterno-tracheales muscles. j. The carotid arteries. k, k. The right and left lobes of the liver. n. Erector penis. o. Compressor venarum penis. p- Vascular and nervous plezus. q. Internal sphincter of cloaca. ry. External sphincter. s. Penis: a probe is passed beneath it into the cloaca t. Coccygeal gland. PLATE XLIX. Abdominal sacs. a. The right hepatic sac, with a style passing through the aperture of com- munication with . The right enteric sac. . Another style, passing by the side of the stomach, into the left hepatic sac. . Omentum. a) . The pancreas. . The duodenum. . The fold of jejunum. . The rectum. . The external sphincter. . The penis.” . The two portions of the pectoralis major. . Pectoralis medius. RRR eREHAD As . Pectoralis minor, seu internus. PLATE L. Digestive, Urinary, and Male Generative Organs. a. The proventriculus. 6. The stomach. c. The duodenum. d. The vitelline cecum. e,e. The two ceca. f . The rectum laid open, showing the large glandule solitarie. => a we omr see sss nF. SS OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 299 . Bristles inserted into the ureters. . The papille, on which the vasa deferentia terminate. The penis. . The bursa Fabricit. . The right,—and m, the left lobe of the liver. . The gall-bladder : two cyst-hepatic ducts are seen entering its cerviz. . The cystic duct. . The hepatic duct. The pancreas. . The spleen. . The renal veins ; . Their posterior anastomosis, forming the commencement of the portal system of veins ; and u, their anterior anastomosis, forming the com- mencement of the inferior vena cava, and completing the circulus venosus renalis. . The kidneys. w. The ureters. . The supra-renal glands. . The testes. . The vasa deferentia. PLATE LI. Fig. 1. Part of the digestive system of Dr. Logan’s female Apteryz. a. b. » 38s e 8B SoS 4S uU "het The proventriculus laid open, showing the thickness of the glandular coat and the internal surface. The gizzard, showing the internal projections produced by the state of contraction of the cavity. . The commencement of the duodenum, lined with thick epithelium. . The liver. . The duct corresponding with the cystic. . The hepatic duct. . The pancreas. . The orifices of the pancreatic ducts. . The pedicle or obliterated canal of t, the persistent vitelline sac. . The twig representing the omphalo-mesenteric artery. section of one of the ordinary bilobate proventricular glands. 3. A qua- drilobate proventricular gland. Both twice the natural size. 4. Section of the right lung and air-sacs. 2r2 300 PROF. OWEN ON THE ANATOMY a. The sterno-trachealis muscle: bristles are seen passing from the external branch of the bronchus into the three anterior air-sacs. 5. Front view of both lungs. a. The anterior or short pulmonic bronchial tube. b. The posterior or long pulmonic bronchial tube. c. The bronchial tube of the air-sacs. PLATE LI. Fig. 1. A dissection, showing the diaphragm of the Apteryz. «. The two crura of the vertebral portion or lesser muscle of the diaphragm. G, 8. Fasciculi of the costal portions of the diaphragm. a. The pericardium covering the apew of the heart, and protruding through the anterior fissure of the diaphragm. b. The wsophagus. . The trunk of the cceliac axis protruding through a foramen in the ex- panded central tendon of the diaphragm. m. The mesenteric artery. n. The abdominal aorta. o. The spermatic artery. p, p- The femoral arteries. q, q. The renal arteries. x, r. The ischiadic arteries. s. The sacro-median artery. Fig. 2. Front view of the heart. a. The right ventricle. b. The right auricle. c. The pulmonary artery. d. The arterie innominate. e,e. The internal thoracic arteries. f,f. The brachial arteries. g. The carotids. 3. The heart, dissected, to show the interior of the right auricle and ventricle. b. The inferior vena cava. c. The left superior cava. d. The right superior cava. e & f. The semilunar valves, between the sinus and auricle. g. The right auriculo-ventricular valve. h. The left auricle. ~ OF THE SOUTHERN APTERYX. 301 PLATE LIT. Skulls of Apteryx Australis and Numenius arcuatus. Fig. 1. Upper surface of the skull of the Apteryx Australis, male. . Under surface of the same. . Upper surface of the skull of the Ibis, (Numenius arcuatus.) - Under surface of the same. - Posterior surface of the skull of the Apteryz. . Upper surface of the lower jaw of the male Apteryz. . Under surface of the same. . Os hyoides. BNA A WH dD KK PLATE LIV. Skeleton of the male Apteryx, one half the natural size. PLATE LY. Fig. 1. Under surface of the bony compages of the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities, with the sternum and sternal ribs removed. 2. Under or external surface of the sternum. a. The perforations. b. The posterior fissures. c. The broad anterior emargination. d. The articular notch for the coracoid. e. The coracoid. f. The rudiment of an acromial clavicle. g. The scapula. h, h. The sternal ribs. 3. The upper or internal surface of the sternum. h. The articular cavities for the sternal ribs. 4. Posterior or internal surface of the anchylosed scapula and coracoid. Hires OM i a re site ay to reer ™, has’ davicwbhcs aiatrali oy to Re aS ete ‘Inavinda fing sestsvnie. Bil} dsiathas : neceE Pa 109° ooidiae eSeierrs! Bh eRe Mal ye: ae e ano gnittdq dl ne x} ¥ TS eorsresit voishapy “yi i 5 ‘ atbbsn tone 9 wplaatan | bh san ath. Soyo rae iN ee ihe | Hise id a a doton’ "bali. atin ade We Me Sa +s aie hicosm wg i ares i: h. x r wy ; } wa ’ oe is, ‘ ST Rin il ma sith ota Cabanas nee on ts ” Saarsbes OTN NA a : ee Sa fe aT cae ie aaa | enna -6 ST elk "y vr ait * i * Sorter freepres fly att fr oll. ’ : : ‘ PPO abo i By oh Um te, att YER ea a« a ope . wath: [gate § qot obi cals at \dgaren bag alupempanoly aes bill, ade eno Tp bel2Wgy p02, , Gas Z y) 5 yar auttuldd, Sy3. hea CMU: le * Sa 5 ‘ oy AS otk (Doe 4 thé 2HA8b ps 302. . Yodery 2 AMS aadled? J Leiter, Sculp. pi : 49. p. 302, Bastia an Trans. Zool. Soc. Fold Pt. AUSET UMS. Aplerye a Si > = ? : Saar torle Fost Vole 2H 50, pew 19 ohliind | 2 L451. 23 PIO. RON PRA ~ wh, He I Bascte de “ > Lig. 7. NN Ipleryx UUSEIUMS. Trans. Zool. Soe Voli £4. $2.p 502 Badere. AC ee ea eee eee ee _. - Sant Fob Po tb LLB. put —— L 1. 4,2, 9-8 % Vhiory, Tr ¢ Niy.3 §- 46 Ved. a ff £ - We Taylor, Saskp. : Spterpe austrates, Wttd. Vig P22. C: spe ° oe AUASMIMMLA « on — Swaine. Sc. + et [ 303 ] XXI. Observations upon Pelagic Serpents. By Dr. Tuzopore Cantor, Bengal Medical Service, C.M.Z.S., M.A.S., &c. Communicated July LO, 1838. THE Pelagic Serpents have, by several naturalists, been divided into numerous genera, all of which are entirely founded upon external characters. In habits and general ap- pearance, however, nature has characterized this group so markedly, that it may easily be distinguished from all others ; and the arrangement proposed by M. Schlegel’ is such, as to make this family, no less than the beautiful sub-family of Mr. Bell’s* Leptophina, the two best-defined natural groups of the whole order. The reason why their habits, like those of all the Pelagic animals, are but imperfectly ascertained, is obvious ; their geographical distribution is entirely limited to the tropical seas, and the danger attending the study of these highly-venomous serpents is a con- sideration of no small weight. While I discharged the medical duties on the Hon. Company’s Marine Survey of the sea-face of the Gangetic Delta, our fishing-nets, kept overboard during many months, procured a considerable number of these serpents. Although the flood-tide carries them as high up the rivers as the brackish water, yet they are purely pelagic, and are no more found in fresh water than on dry ground ; they form, par excellence, the natatorial type of the order. A comparison with the terrestrial serpents will easily point out how ‘atte has ac- complished her end by the most simple and beautiful modification of the general plan upon which the order is constructed. The skull is very small, and its bones but little developed ; and although the head is formed, like that of the other serpents, with venomous fangs and maxillary teeth, it presents some slight deviations. The rostrum, instead of being arched, to allow a free passage for the tongue, as in the terrestrial serpents, is elongated into a downward-bent, pointed shield, which, closing the mouth, prevents the water from entering. The tongue, covered by a scabbard opening closely to the chin, is much less developed in these than in the terrestrial serpents. As long as the pelagic serpents are below the surface of the water, they never make use of this organ; but when out of water, and the animal is blinded by the light, it appears of material use as a feeler*. 1 Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens, Partie Déscriptive, p. 488. 2 Bell, Leptophina: Zoological Journal, vol. ii. p. 324. 3 This is the use generally attributed to the tongue. In a number of Indian terrestrial serpents I have ob- served another, perhaps more important function, viz. that of bringing into the mouth various small bodies, such as stones, sand, twigs, &c., which they swallow, in order to stimulate digestion. 304 DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. The nostrils are small, horizontally situated, as in the genera Homalopsis and Cerbe- rus, and furnished with a membranous valve’, which is opened to admit the air, and closed to prevent the entrance-of the water. The venomous gland is a narrow pyriform sac, divided into numerous little cells, which pour the venom into a common straight duct, communicating with the superior opening in a remarkably small venomous fang, the structure of which is described by T. Smith, Esq.* The fresh poison is a pellucid, tasteless fluid, like that of the Cophias viridis, Merrem ; Vipera elegans, Daudin; Naja tripudians, Merrem ; Hamadryas ophiophagus, Cantor ; Bungarus annularis and ceruleus, Daudin. It possesses the property of turning litmus paper red’. : The general shape of the body is much compressed, particularly towards the abdo- men, so that the vertical diameter is much larger than the transverse ; the short, strong tail is flattened, like the blade of a two-edged sword, thus at once serving as a propel- ling organ, and also as a rudder to direct the movements. The highly-compressed form, which proves the animal to be aquatic, is calculated for the element in which it lives, and also for the form of the prey, consisting of fishes, the dimensions of which will be found exactly to correspond to those of the serpents. Of all serpents, these are provided with the longest, most slender, and least arched ribs, which articulate by an oblique oval socket, with a corresponding ball on the lower sur- face of the corpus vertebrarum, while the abdominal extremity of the one rib lies in con- tact with the same part of the opposite rib. The ribs are more freely moveable in a lateral than in a backward direction, the progress in the water being produced by a quick succession of lateral curvatures of the tail and body. The functions of the ribs, as organs of motion, are therefore less complicated than in those serpents, which have to move over, and support their bodies, on a solid surface: in the latter, as observed by Sir Joseph Banks*, the abdominal scuta form a number of moveable broad surfaces, brought into action and moved as hoofs, by the corresponding pair of ribs. This kind of progressive motion is not required by animals who never leave the water, the progress in which is accelerated by the sharp keeled form of the abdomen. While in all other serpents the anterior set of ribs only is subservient to respiration, in the pelagic, whose lung extends to the anus, the entire number assists in the per- formance of this function. In a specimen of Hydrophis schistosa, Schlegel, measuring 3' 10" in length, I counted 168 pair of ribs, and 224 vertebre. 1 One of the Indian vipers, the Vipera elegans, Daudin, is provided with a similar valve, to guard against dust and other foreign bodies entering the spacious nostrils. 2 Vide the excellent memoir in Philosophical Transactions, 1818, p. 471. 3 The same fact with the venom of the Crotalus has been noticed by Dr. Harlan, Med. and Phys. Researches, p. 501, et seq. * Philosophical Transactions, 1812, p. 163. DR, T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS, 305 The spinous processes of the dorsal column are small, whereas those of the caudal vertebre are very large and compressed, gradually diminishing in size towards the point of the tail. The greater number of terrestrial serpents are covered with scales, the points of which are free, acting like stoppers, which, by catching the nearest objects, prevent retrograde motion ; the water offers no such obstacles, and we find the pelagic serpents in general covered with small broad scales, with their whole circumference attached to the skin, and either slightly keeled, or having an elevation in the centre, like the umbo of a shield. Of the internal organs, the respiratory offer the most striking differences from those of the terrestrial serpents. The trachea consists of a long gradually-widening cylinder, with numerous short cartilaginous rings, which extend as far backwards as the liver, without dividing into bronchi. At some distance before the heart the trachea becomes cellular, and from this place commences the single lung, which is a long narrow cylin- der, in several places widened into spacious sacs, which again assume the contracted form at the posterior extremity of the liver, continuing thus through the entire length of the abdominal cavity, and is fixed by a short round ligament near the anus. The cancellated structure of the parietes is continued throughout, although the cancelli de- crease in size in the posterior part of the lung. The great developement of the latter organ’ bespeaks its high importance, and it has two distinct functions to perform, the one of which is to serve as the organ of respiration, or as a reservoir for atmospheric air, which, when the mouth and the nostrils are closed, allows the oxidation of the blood to be carried on a considerable time under the surface of the water, by the vibra- tion of the cilia which line the whole interior of this cavity, and thus enables the ser- pent to go to great depths in search of food. Secondly, the lung filled with air floats the body, particularly when the food is swallowed, and the specific gravity increased by the weight of a foreign body ; the part situated behind the stomach becomes, by the pressure of the filled stomach, an isolated sac,—in fact an organ analogous to the air- vessel in fishes. The esophagus is funnel-shaped, widening into a large bulb, communicating by a short cylinder with the pyriform stomach. The intestines, after forming a number of circumvolutions, terminate by a short straight portion, entering the spacious rectum. The liver is short, divided by a longitudinal furrow into two lobes, the interior of which is again divided by a short transverse furrow. In the pelagic serpents the situation of this organ is remarkable, as being in immediate contact with the heart. In the Hydrophis striata and gracilis, Schlegel, the hepatic, cystic, and pancreatic ducts enter jointly the duodenum, but in the H. schistosa, Schlegel, the hepatic duct divides into a number of little branches, which terminate in the cystic duct to form the ductus com- ' Next to the pelagic serpents, the lungs are most developed in the aquatic genera, Achrocordus, Chersydrus, Homalopsis, and Cerberus, all of which, notwithstanding their being innocuous, are, in habits and anatomical structure, closely allied to the pelagic serpents. VOL. IIl.—PART Iv, 2s 306 DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. munis coledochus, which enters the duodenum a little behind the pancreatic duct; the latter has an entrance separated from that of the former’. The glands, generally speaking, are remarkably little developed in the Hydrophis schistosa, striata, nigrocincta, and gracilis, Schlegel. ‘The lachrymal is entirely hidden in the orbits ; the nasal is very minute, crescent-shaped, surrounding the posterior mar- gin of the nostrils ; the upper salivary appears like a short thread, bordering the venom- ous gland ; the inferior is larger, of a flat pyriform shape. The gland situated before the heart, and by some physiologists considered analogous to the thymus, by others to the thyroid gland* of Mammalia, is reduced to a minute oval body. Habits. Out of the seven species into which M. Schlegel has divided the Genus Hydrophis, the geographical distribution of which this author considers to be limited to the tropical seas between the 90th and the 230th degrees east longitude of Ferro, six inhabit the Bay of Bengal, viz. H. schistosa, striata, nigrocincta, gracilis, Pelamis, and pelamoides. Out of this number I have observed the H. schistosa and striata to be the most com- mon, and the H. gracilis comparatively rare in the northern part of the bay and the estuaries of the Ganges. Although fewer in species than the terrestrial serpents, the pelagic are much more nu- merous in individuals, and, unlike the former, are always met with in numbers together, which circumstance even serves as a sea-mark to mariners. On my approach to Bombay, I remember the sailors looking out for this phenomenon, until shoals of these animals (H. pelamidoides, Schlegel, Shiddil, Russell, II. No. xiii.) made their appearance, as signs of approaching land. Another remarkable dissimilarity between the terrestrial and pe- lagic serpents is, that all the latter are venomous, whereas by far the greater number of the former are innocuous. M. Schlegel has expressed the opinion’, that the pelagic serpents are of more peace- ’ [ have observed a similar distribution in an Indian species of Homalopsis, closely allied to the H. aer, Schlegel. 2 The discovery of this gland has shared the fate of many other organs, the functions of which, for want of inductive reasoning on the part of the discoverers, have been guessed, but never proved. The acmé of this kind of discoveries is however afforded by an anatomist, who, on finding a vascular organ in the nasal cavity of some Mammalia, gravely asserted this to be the seat of the sixth sense. The like assertions, unsupported by any- thing like proof, prove at the most, a remarkable want of inductive powers in the observer, while they also tend to show that a knife in expert hands may easily make new discoveries, the merit of which is solely due to the philosopher who tests and proves the truth—which is beyond the keenest knife. ’ « Cependant, il existe des serpens tant vénimeux qu’ inoffensifs, qui ne font presque jamais usage de leurs armes pour se défendre contre leur aggresseur : tels sont parmi les premiers, les Hydrophis,” &c.—Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens, Partie Générale, p. 94. “Tl parait que les Hydrophis ont des mceurs plus douces, que la plupart des serpens yénimeux,” &c.—Partie Déscriptive, p. 493. DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. 307 able disposition than the greater number of terrestrial venomous serpents, and on the authority of several naturalists, has arrived at the erroneous conclusion, that these ani- mals are of a nature but little ferocious. An assertion like this, in a work devoted to the natural history of serpents, may easily mislead travellers, who, by carelessly hand- ling animals provided with weapons of the most dangerous description, are, if wounded, certain to pay with the loss of life for their temerity. I must therefore, from my own experience, assert that those species, which I have observed in the Bay of Bengal and the Gangetic estuaries, are of very ferocious habits, as well in as out of water. In the latter case they attempt to bite the nearest objects, nay, even like the vipers Najas and Bungari, turn round and wound their own bodies, from which I often found some difficulty in disengaging the fangs and teeth. When removed from the sea they become blinded, by the light contracting the pupil, which, in addition to the difficulty which they experience whilst attempting to support their sharply-keeled bodies on dry land, render then their movements just as uncertain and maladroit as they are nimble and swift in their own element. To corroborate the truth of my statement, I shall refer to the record in the Asiatic Researches, of a number of accidents at Madras, caused by the venom of pelagic serpents, and also to a later melancholy occurrence which took place in the latter part of 1837, on board of Her Majesty’s Brig Algerine, while in Ma- dras Roads, where the unfortunate victim expired within four hours of the infliction of the wound’. The breeding season of the Hydrophis schistosa and striata occurs in the months of February and March, during which period I observed numerous pairs, with their poste- - rior extremities twisted round each other, floating near the surface of the sea, each now and then making a slow undulating movement with the free anterior part of the body. The female is ovo-viviparous ; in H. gracilis Dr. Russell discovered by dissection nine young ones ; in a gravid H. schistosa I observed seven eggs, each containing a developed foetus, while eleven such were found by a gentleman in another, thrown on shore on the Tenasserim coast. The time of gestation I have not beén able to ascertain ; if that of the Homalopsis might serve as a guide, I should fix upon a period of about seven months. Dr. Russell has observed, that none of these serpents are able to live out of their ele- ment, either when confined in sea-water or in fresh. Such as I have kept in jars filled with salt water all died in the course of two or three days. They were in the habit of occupying the bottom, occasionally raising their head over the surface, to breathe, and would repeatedly throw out the tongue against the wall of the jar. From dissections, it would appear that the young serpents exclusively feed upon ' This serpent, a six-feet long specimen of Hydrophis nigrocincta, Schlegel, has been deposited in the United Service Museum. 2s2 308 DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. small pelagic crustacea, while the adult ones prey upon fishes of the following kind, all of which were found with their heads towards the bottom of the stomach : PERCIDE. Polynemus quadrifilis, Cuvier. Sillago acuta, Cuvier. ScLENIDE. Sciena pama, Cuvier. Corvina nigrocaudata, Cantor’s MSS. Muei.ipz. Mugil corsula, Hamilton. SILURIDE. Bagrus aor, Cuvier. Pimelodus gulio, Hamilton. —-— pangasius, Hamilton. —? Vana motta, Russell, No. CLXXI. ‘ Bummaloh.’ CLUPEID2. Clupea affinis, (Hardwicke’s ‘ Indian Zoology.’) The Siluride, which appear to be the favourite food, are all ground fish. Through the clear water of the tanks and streamlets cut across the rice-fields, I have often ob- served the Tropidonotus dora, Russell, II. No. V., one of the most common of the in- nocuous serpents in Bengal, lying in ambush at the bottom, with the head against the stream, behind some object sufficiently large to hide the animal, until chance brings a passing fish near enough, when the enemy darts upon the prey, before it is able to resort to flight ; from which I should conclude a similar mode is pursued by the pelagic ser- pents, when in search of food at the bottom of the sea or estuaries. From M. Péron’s observations, the sharks appear to be the natural enemies of the pelagic serpents : in two fishing eagles (Halietus) which were shot in the Gangetic Delta I found remains of these serpents in the stomach. The process of changing the integuments appears to occur very frequently, and du- ring all seasons, when the skin comes off in pieces, as in the larger kind of terrestrial serpents ; whereas the Homalopsis and Cerberus, although aquatic, shed the integuments entire. The terrestrial serpents are known to be infested with parasitic insects (Ivodes’). I have observed animals attaching themselves in great numbers to the pelagic. Unlike, however, the former parasites, which derive their nourishment from the animals upon which they are found, the latter derive no more nourishment from the pelagic serpents than they would from the rocks or any other objects the sea might offer as places of 1 Ixodes ophiophilus. Vide Noy. Act. Acad. L. C. Nat. Cur. Tom. xy. Pars II, p. 233. DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. 309 fixture. Unlike the Ivodes, their nature is such, that when once fixed, they have no power to loose their hold and move from one place to another. Of the two species of Anatifa figured, I constantly found numbers of the one (Pl. LVI. Fig. 8.) firmly adhering to the integuments of the Hydrophis schistosa, Schlegel, and the other (Fig. 9.) to those of the H. nigrocincta, Schlegel. The serpents are freed from these parasites as often as the integuments are changed. To Dr. Grant, who has kindly inspected some specimens in spirits of wine, I am indebted for the following ob- servations.—In the young state of the Cirrhipeds, they float freely in the ocean, like the young Monoculi of Linné, which they much resemble, and thus they come in contact with the pelagic serpents. The Anatife found in this situation are, judging from their small size, very young animals, and the constantly-changing of the serpents’ integu- ments is most probably the cause of their never being found of a larger size. The cir- cumstance of the two distinct species accompanying two distinct species of serpents, cannot depend upon a voluntary action of the parasite, which, as above stated, derives no nourishment from the Serpent ; but must be attributed to difference of habitat, and thus very likely may indicate a difference in the habits of the two species of serpents. The latter remark also holds good as regards the Zoophyte (Pl. LVI. Fig. 10.), great numbers of which were attached to the Hydrophis gracilis, Schlegel. It is a Cellepora, which Dr. Grant observes bears some resemblance to the Cellepora pertusa, Esper.’ The animals are very small, and are found together in great numbers, each animal contained in a calcareous transparent campanulate cell, dotted with dark brown. The polypi of this Zoophyte appear to be highly irritable, as a slight touch either on the microscope or the table upon which it was placed, made them instantaneously withdraw the tentacula. Experiments. The virulence of the venom of the pelagic serpents upon the human body is equal to that of the most pernicious terrestrial serpents ; and the experiments of Dr. Russell and those which I have had opportunity of instituting myself, tend to prove the deleterious effects to be equal upon such animals as have been submitted to trial. I therefore can- not subscribe to the opinion of M. Schlegel, that wounds inflicted by the pelagic ser- -pents are less dangerous than those of some of the terrestrial venomous species*, on ac- count of the venomous weapons being more developed in the latter’. The following ’ Esper, ‘ Pflanzenthiere,’ Cellepora, Tab. X. 2 .... ‘J'ai lieu de croire que la morsure des Serpens vénimeux proprement dits est plus dangereuse que celle des vénimeux colubriformes et des serpens de mer, a cause de la puissance des armes dont les premiers sont munis.’ Schlegel, Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens, Partie Générale, p- 36. * Mr. Hodgson, the Hon. Company’s Resident at the Court of Nipal, whose labours in the Himalayan Zoology are well known to all naturalists, speaking of the Cophias viridis, Merrem, (Trigonocephalus viridis, Schlegel,) writes me, in a letter dated July 18, 1837, ... . “We have only that one noxious species, and I have 310 DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. experiments were made on board the Hon. Company’s surveying brig ‘ Meriton,’ during the latter part of 1836 and the commencement of 1837. A Hydrophis schistosa, measuring 4! 2" in length, was made to bite a fowl on the in- side of the left thigh. The bird immediately couched, and made several unsuccessful attempts to rise. Four minutes after being bitten, it was seized with purging, and slight spasms of the whole body ; the eyes were closed, the pupil immoveable, dilated, and a quantity of saliva was discharged. The fowl expired in violent spasms eight minutes from the time it was wounded. Another fowl, bitten in the right thigh, immediately after the former, by the same serpent, expired under similar symptoms in less than ten minutes after it had received the wound. By dissection half an hour after death, I found in both of the birds a slight extrava- sation of blood where the fangs had penetrated, and a little bloody lymph under the skin covering the wounds; but besides this [ was not able to observe anything anormal. A fowl wounded in the same place as the former by a Hydrophis nigrocincta, 2' 3" in length, expired within seven minutes in violent spasms. Of two other fowls successively bitten in the same place as the former by a Hydrophis striata, 3' 1" long, the one was killed in eight, the other in eleven minutes, under simi- lar symptoms. A Hydrophis schistosa, 2' 9" in length, bit a good-sized Trionyw Gangeticus' in the lip. Five minutes after, the Tortoise commenced rubbing the bitten part with his fore paws, and continued this manceuvre for some time; about sixteen minutes from the time he was bitten he became paralysed, and unable to make use of the legs, and remained mo- tionless, with the eyes closed. When forcibly opened, the pupils appeared immoveable and dilated. With a few spasmodic movements the Tortoise expired, twenty-eight mi- nutes after the wound was inflicted. With the exception of the bitten part being some- what swollen, nothing anormal appeared by the dissection. Another Trionyz, wounded in the same place as the former by a Hydrophis striata, nearly three feet in length, manifested similar symptoms, and was killed in forty-six minutes. A Coluber catenularis, Daudin*, measuring nearly 3 feet and a half in length, was wounded in the abdomen, a little before the heart, by a Hydrophis nigrocincta of about never heard of a fatal case from its bite, although I have seen a man suffer fearfully from swelling and pain. The fangs and the venomous gland of this very species are as fully developed as they are in the Crofali, the Vi- pers, or indeed in any of the venomous serpents, and yet the effects are less far dreadful than those produced by the Naja or the Hydrophis, notwithstanding the less-developed venomous organs of the latter.” 1 The Trionyx Gangeticus is not unfrequently found in the Bay of Bengal, entirely beyond the influence of the fresh-water stream of the Ganges. I mention this fact, as I believe the Genus Trionyz is generally supposed to be confined to rivers (fresh water). . 2 Tar Tutta, Russell, 1. No. XV.; Col. trigonata, Schneider ; Dipsas trigonata, Schlegel. Se DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. 311 the same size, whose fangs remained for more than half a minute in the wounds. Three minutes after being disengaged from the enemy the Coluber commenced showing sym- ptoms of the venom by rolling from one side to another, which having lasted for about four minutes, he remained motionless for a few minutes, when he tried to move with the anterior part of the body. By this time the tail, and subsequently the posterior part of the body, became paralysed, which parts would retain any position I might give them with the end of a stick. Sixteen minutes from the time when the wounds were in- flicted, the serpent commenced yawning and distorting the mouth during short inter- vals, which ended in a protracted separation of the jaws, and within half an hour after having been bitten, the serpent expired. A large-sized Tetraodon potoca, Hamilton, was bitten in the under lip by a Hydrophis schistosa, measuring about four feet in length, and immediately after set at liberty in a tub with sea-water, The fish continued swimming lively, and, as usual, on the back, the abdomen being inflated for about three minutes, when the abdomen gradually com- menced to collapse, notwithstanding the efforts of the fish to prevent it. He kept thus floating on his back until, after a few violent movements of the tail, he expired, ten minutes after being wounded. It ought to be observed, I have kept living specimens of the Tetraodon for a considerable time confined in sea-water ; and besides, I found them able to live a considerable time out of their element ; I feel convinced therefore that the present fish, caught at the same time as the serpent, was killed by the virulence of the venom, although the dissection showed nothing anormal, and I should not have been able to discover where the fish had been bitten had I not previously known the place. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. PLATE LVI. Hydrophis gracilis, Schlegel (young, nat. size), of which Russell has given an indifferent figure. Ind. Serp. i. No. XLIV. ‘ Tatta Pam.’ Fig. 1. & 2. Integuments of the head. (Magnified.) 3. Scales of the neck. (Magnified.) trunk. (Magnified.) 4. 5. Section of the neck. 6. on | (Nat. size.) 7 : tail. 8. Young Anatifa found on Hydrophis schistosa. 8 a. The same, natural size. 9. Young Anatifa found on Hydrophis nigrocincta, 9 a. The same, natural size. 312 DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS, 10. Cellepora found on Hydrophis gracilis. 10 a. The same, natural size. PLATE LVI. Fig. 1. Dissection of a young Hydrophis schistosa, Schlegel (reduced one half). The viscera, which in the sketch are brought out of situs so as to be seen, lie in the following order. By opening the abdominal cavity, the wsophagus, the stomach, and the intestinal canal, cover entirely the other organs, of which the trachea and the lung lie uppermost, in immediate contact with the ver- ‘ tebral column. a. b. ~ Fe KTR e As mM, (Esophagus. The stomach. The total length of the esophagus and the stomach is about 2’ 4"; that of the intestinal canal 4’ 6”. . Duodenum. . Rectum. . The heart. . The liver. . Pancreas. . The gall-bladder. 1. The spleen. . The kidney. . The trachea. The lung. Total length of the trachea and the lung, 3! 2" 6!” 2. (Nat. size.) a. b. c. d. The hepatic duct. The gall-bladder. Pancreas. Duodenumn. 3. (Nat. size.) Internal surface of that part of the lung which receives the trachea. 4. Hydrophis schistosa. Lateral view of the venomous organs and surrounding parts. (Magnified.) a. . Temporalis medius. ona & Temporalis anterior. — posterior. . Digastricus. . Tendo articulo-mavillaris, spreading its fibres over the sac covering the venomous gland. DR. T. CANTOR ON PELAGIC SERPENTS. 313 Ff. Pterygoideus externus. g, g. Salivary glands. . The venomous gland detached. (Magnified.) . The same, longitudinally cut through. . Skull of Hydrophis schistosa (young). Magnified. . Lateral view of the same. . Lateral view of the skull of Hydrophis striata (adult). Magnified. OS OID cr (The straight lines denote the natural size of the skulls.) VOL. Il.—-PART IV. 27 ‘uns Ope iin ens uk om ae ert | i " See uy vie Dighy ar ie eee, ey . ( bas ant se ede f << Het wit Sad : ; bane oe aaa ti; a che ea ol ri ee) re ern (a ie ey ite Pes fs ’ Aine ayeaaye a ; wD Lapa et is 4h ee . . é "AP cea anak, ; i ‘hy iy 5 Wise ’ a Mf hy 1 : . ce: Ea ele: To tidy eet Bie ne a rake + a) er ee cach nya nan (yas ee OEE A i ‘’ ay aad Kier C ale | a Zz ~ a a Fico seat ae TS iL ; 1s aed ts ae i ia tn , pea: Udy ths | visas | ¥ 4 shes L y* real Haring: (wey ere 4 a b oe te git hay lied : a a oy, Year) ee Watmad” hu? Pa 2 De yyy é 2 Ee a ceil ata < sAnide! Ay We eae can she et o> a ae hoy Lewyoos on wg ESV I IU 8 Ply °Y pry renyy ree . : + ah hoes ee ae a . = NA hl bP CP Re ——s — fama Aurea van pho oe a te > 3 4 XXII. Outlines of a Classification of the Marsupialia. By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons. Communicated January 8th, 1839. THE present essay is offered as an introduction to a series of observations tending to establish the species of Marsupial animals on anatomical, and principally on osteological characters. Whoever has been led to compare an unknown or doubtful Marsupial with the brief notices of a few external peculiarities, on which many nominal species have been founded, must have felt the want of more detailed and surer grounds of comparison. M. Temminck, in his Monograph of the genus Phalangista, has left nothing to desire in this respect ; and the figures of the crania and other parts of the skeleton with which his zoological descriptions are illustrated, have been of essential service in establishing, and enabling subsequent naturalists to recognize, the species of that subdivision of the genus which is distributed chiefly through the Indian Archipelago. The philosophic use which the celebrated naturalist of Leyden has made of the rich collections at his disposal is well worthy of imitation ; and I propose to apply the mate- rials which I already possess, and those that may hereafter be afforded me by the en- lightened travellers and collectors in Australia, to illustrate in a similar manner the Mar- supial genera which are peculiar to that continent. Before, however, pointing out the particulars by which the skeleton of one species differs from another, some general remarks on those osteological peculiarities which characterize the Marsupialia as a distinct group of Mammals, seems to be called for ; and to these general observations I here premise an outline of a classification of the Marsu- pial animals which has had its origin in an endeavour to express in general propositions the more important facts relative to their organization. As the Australian continent, the great metropolis of the Marsupial quadrupeds, still remains but very partiaily explored ; and since new species and even genera of Mar- supials continue at each expedition to reward the researches of the scientific traveller ; and as moreover the recovery of two lost but distinct genera from the ruins of a former world makes it reasonable to suppose that other types of Marsupials remain still hidden in the crust of the earth, it can hardly be expected that the zoologist should be able to arrange in a natural series, with easy transitions according to the order of their affini- ties, the few and diversified forms of this implacental subclass which are now known, 272 316 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION In the present classification the modifications of the digestive system have been taken as the guide to the formation of the primary groups of the Marsupialia. The continent, however, in which the Marsupials exist in greatest number and va- riety is characterized by the paucity of organized matter upon its surface, and few of the species, consequently, are nourished by a very well-defined diet. Any large carni- vorous quadruped could with difficulty have found subsistence in the wilds of Australia prior to the introduction of civilized man and his attendant herds: and we find, in fact, that the native genera which are the most decidedly carnivorous, do not include species larger than the dog: we can only reckon among these strictly carnivorous species the Thylacines and the Dasyures ; and, on the other hand, not more than two or three Mar- supial genera feed exclusively on vegetable substances. The remainder derive a pro- miscuous nutriment from dead or decaying animal and vegetable matter, crustacea, and the refuse of the sea-shore, insects in their perfect and larva states, live birds, young and succulent sprouts, leaves, fruits, &c. The terms, therefore, which will be given to the different primary subdivisions in the present classification of the Marsupialia must not be understood to indicate strictly or exclusively the nature of the food of the species severally included in these groups, but rather their general tendency to select for their support the substances implied by those designations. Tribe I. SARCOPHAGA. The genera in this tribe are the most decidedly carnivorous of all the Marsupialia, and are characterized by an important anatomical condition, viz. the absence of an intesti- num cecum. Genus 1. Thylacinus. : 4—4— : ‘heal Vy AoA oe TIncisors 33} Canines ;—7; premolars z= 5 molars ae 46. The incisors are of equal length, and regularly arranged in the segment of a circle with an interspace in the middle of the series of both jaws. The external incisor on each side is the strongest. The laniary or canine teeth are long, strong, curved, and pointed, like those of the dog tribe. The spurious molars are of a simple, compressed, conical form, each with two roots ; the last with a small additional posterior cusp. The true molars in the upper jaw are unequally triangular with three tubercles. Those in the lower jaw are compressed, tricus- pidate, the middle cusp being the longest, especially in the two last molars, which re- semble closely the sectorial teeth (dens carnassiérs) of the Dog and Cat. 1 | apply this term, for the sake of brevity, to the teeth usually called ‘spurious’ or ‘false molars,’—the bicuspides of human anatomy ; they are always situated anterior to the true molars. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 317 The fore-feet are 5-digitate, the hind feet 4-digitate. On the fore foot the middle digit is the longest, the internal one or pollex the shortest, but the difference is slight. On the hind foot the two middle toes are of nearly equal length, and longer than the two lateral toes, which are equal. All the toes are armed with strong, blunt, and almost straight claws. The only known species of this genus, the Thylacine (Thylacinus Harrisii, Temm., Didelphys Cynocephalus, Harris), is a native of Van Diemen’s Land, and is called by the colonists the ‘ Hyzena.’ Genus Dasyurus. — ; premolars — ; molars pt = 42. The eight incisors of the upper jaw are of the same length and simple structure, and are arranged in a regular semicircle without any middle interval: the six incisors of the lower jaw are similarly arranged but have thicker crowns than the upper ones. The canines present the same or even a greater relative development than in the Thylacine : in an extinct species of Dasywrus' they present the same form and relative proportions, asin the Leopard. The spurious molars have two fangs and a pointed compressed tri- angular crown with a rudimental tubercle at the anterior and posterior part of its base. The grinding surface of the true molars in the upper jaw is triangular; the first pre- sents four sharp cusps, the second and third each five, the fourth, which is the smallest, only three. In the lower jaw the last molar is nearly of equal size with the penultimate one, and is bristled with four cusps, the external one being the longest ; the second and third molars have five cusps, three on the inner and two on the outer side; the first molar has four cusps: these are all sharply pointed in the young animal, in which the tubercle of the posterior molar of the lower jaw is divided into two small cusps. The carnivorous character of the above dentition is most strongly marked in the Dasyurus laniarius, Ursine Dasyure, or Devil of the Tasmanian colonists, the largest ex- isting species of the genus, and a most destructive animal in the poultry yard or larder. s 4—4 ; Incisors 33} Canines Genus Phascogale. Incisors = 3 Canines = ; premolars 3 molars = = 46. In the present dental formula may be discerned a step in the transition from the Da- syures to the Opossums, not only in the increased number of spurious molars, but also in the shape and proportions of the incisors. In the upper jaw the two middle incisors are longer than the rest, and separated from them by a brief interval ; they are more curved, and project more forward. The three lateral incisors diminish in size to the outermost. The middle incisors of the lower jaw also exceed the lateral ones in size, and project * Dasyurus laniarius, mihi: the fossil remains of this species were discovered with the remains of two gigantic species of Kangaroo in the bone-cayes of Wellington Valley, Australia, by Major, now Sir Thomas, Mitchell. 318 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION beyond them but not in the same degree, nor are they separated from them by an in- terval as in the upper jaw. The canines are relatively smaller than in the Dasyures. The spurious molares present a similar form, but the third is much smaller and simpler than the two preceding ones. The true molars resemble in their structure those of the Dasyures. The general character of the dentition of these small Marsupials approxi- mates to the insectivorous type as exhibited in the Shrew, Hedgehog, &c., among the placental Mammalia ; and corresponds with the food and habits of the species which thus lead from the Zoophagous to the Entomophagous tribes. Other links which once bound these tribes more closely together are now lost, and are indicated only by the few fossil remains which have rendered the Stonesfield oolite so celebrated. One of these extinct genera, which I have called Phascolotherium, pre- sents the same numerical dental formula, apparently, as in the Thylacinus and Phasco- gale ; but, if another incisor existed in each ramus of the lower jaw, as seems to be in- dicated by a fossil, fe ee dentition would agree with that of the genus Didelphys. rp? Pt Incisors 2 a = canines ;—,; premolars ;—,; molars 7—7. or 4—4 The incisors and canines are Sey by vacant interspaces, and occupy a large proportion of the dental series : the true molars resemble those of Thylacinus. Tribe I. ENTOMOPHAGA. This is the most extensive and varied of the primary groups of the Marsupial order. In the system of Cuvier, the species of this tribe are united with those of the preceding to form a single group characterized by the presence of long canines and small incisors in both jaws ; but in most of the Entomophagous genera of the present classification, the canines present a marked inferiority of development, and the species are consequently unable to cope with animals of their own size and grade of organization, but prey, for the most part, upon the smaller and weaker classes of invertebrate animals. Their in- testinal canal is complicated by a moderately long and large cecum; and, while in the Sarcophaga, the feet are constructed, as in the ordinary placental Digitigrades, they pre- sent in the present tribe a variety of well-marked modifications, according to which the species may be arranged into ambulatory, saltatory, and scansorial groups. a. AMBULATORIA. The only known existing representative of this family is the animal described by Mr. Waterhouse, which constitutes the type of his genus Myrmecobius, of which the fol- lowing is the remarkable dental formula : 3 pl 53 molars a De 4—4 iI —_ Incisors canines ;—; ; premolars 7—5 : ia? 1— OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 319 From this formula it will be seen, that the number of molars, sixteen in the upper and eighteen in the lower jaw, exceeds that of any other known existing Marsupial, and makes an approach to the dentition which characterizes some of the insectivorous Armadillos. The resemblance to Dasypus is further carried out in the small size of the molar teeth, their separation from each other by slight interspaces, and their implant- ation in sockets which are not formed by a well-developed alveolar ridge. The mo- lars, however, present a distinct tuberculate structure ; and both the true and false ones possess two separate fangs as in their Marsupial congeners: the crowns of these teeth are, however, less produced than in any other Marsupials ; for only the triturating tu- bercles appear above the gum. The false molars present the usual compressed triangular form, with the apex slightly recurved, and the base more or less obscurely notched before and behind. The canines are very little longer than the false molars ; the incisors are minute, slightly compressed and pointed ; they are separated from each other and the canines by wide intervals. The Myrmecobians are insectivorous, and shelter themselves in the hollows of trees, frequenting most, it is said, those situations where the Port Jackson Willow abounds. In the structure and proportions of its hinder feet the Myrmecobius resembles the Dasyurine family ; and in the slightly developed canines, the smooth external surface of the skull, the breadth between the zygomata, and the absence of the interparietal ridges, as well as in the general external form and bushy tail, it offers an especial approximation to the genus Phascogale. Intermediate however between Myrmecobius and Phascogale would seem to be the sta- tion held by the interesting extinct genera above alluded to. In Phascolotherium the affinity is manifested in the simple form, small size, and straggling disposition of the incisors and canines: in the other genus, Thylacotherium, it is displayed in the size and number of its molares. This, one of the most ancient mammiferous genera hitherto discovered, presents ten molars on each side of the lower jaw, which resemble in structure and close ar- rangement those of Phascogale and Didelphis, while they are intermediate in their pro- portional size to the teeth of these genera and Myrmecobius. The exact condition of the incisors and canines of the Thylacotherium has not yet been displayed in the fossil jaws which have béen discovered. B. SaLraToria. Genus Perameles (Bandicoots). : 5—5 ed 3—3 | 4—4 Incisors 33) canines ;— ; premolars eae molars ——: = 48. This dental formula characterizes a number of Marsupials commonly known in Au- stralia by the name of Bandicoots; the hind legs are longer and stronger than the fore, and exhibit in a well-marked manner the feeble and slender condition of the se- 320 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION cond and third digits counting from the inside, and the sudden increase in length and strength of the third and fourth digits, which are chiefly subservient to locomotion. In consequence of the inequality of length in their extremities, the mode of progression in the Bandicoots is by bounds ; the hind and fore-feet being moved alternately as in the Hare and Rabbit ; and the crupper is raised higher than the fore quarter. The teeth which offer the greatest range of variation in the present genus are the external or pos- terior incisors and the canines: the molars, also, which originally are quinque-cuspi- date, have their points worn away, and present a smooth and oblique grinding surface in some species sooner than in others. The Bandicoots which approach nearest to the Myrmecobius in the condition of the incisive and canine teeth are the Perameles obesula and P. Gunnii. There is a slight interval between the first and second incisor, and the outer or fifth incisor of the upper jaw is separated from the rest by an interspace equal to twice its own breadth, and moreover presents the triangular, pointed, canine-like crown which characterizes all the incisors of Myrmecobius ; but the four anterior incisors are closely arranged together and have compressed, quadrate, true incisive crowns. From these incisors the canine is very remote, the interspace being equally divided by the fifth pointed incisor, which the canine very slightly exceeds in size. In Peram. nasuta the incisor presents the same general condition, but the canines are relatively larger. The marsupial pouch in the Bandicoots, at least in the full-grown females of Per. na- suta, Per. obesula, and Per. Lagotis, has its orifice directed downwards or towards the cloaca, contrariwise to its ordinary disposition in the Marsupials : this direction evidently relates to the position of the trunk when supported on the short fore and long hind legs. In the stomach and intestines of a Perameles nasuta Dr. Grant found only the remains of insects ; and in the examination of the alimentary canal of a Per. obesula I obtained the same results. Nevertheless the Perameles Lagotis now living in the Society’s Me- nagerie refuses meat and meal-worms, and subsists on vegetable food exclusively. Genus Cheropus. The singular animal on which Mr. Ogilby has founded this genus is briefly noticed and figured in Major Mitchell’s Australia, (vol. 11. pl. 38. p. 131.) and the individual described is preserved in the Colonial Museum, at Sydney, N.S. Wales, (No. 35. of Mr. George Bennett’s Catalogue). It would appear that the two outer toes of the fore foot, which are always very small in the true Bandicoots, are entirely deficient in the Chero- pus, unless some rudiments should exist beneath the skin; at all events only two toes are apparent externally, but they are so developed and armed as to be serviceable for burrowing or progression. The inner toe is wanting on the hind foot. Dental formula: : 44 ee — ae Incisors 3-3 } Camines | 3 premolars ae molars fa 46. All the teeth are of small size ; the canines resemble the spurious molares in size and OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 321 shape, and these are separated by intervals, as in Myrmecobius. The marsupium opens downwards in the Cheropus, as in the true Bandicoots. The species described has no tail. The genus would seem by its dentition to rank between Myrmecobius and Pera- meies. ts digital characters are anomalous and unique among the Marsupialia. y. ScANsoria. Genus Didelphys (Opossums). These Marsupials are now exclusively confined to the American Continents, although the fossil remains of a small species attest the former existence of the genus Didelphys in Europe contemporaneously with the Paleothere, Anoplothere, and other extinct Pa- chyderms whose fossil remains characterize the Eocene strata of the Paris Basin. The dental formula of the genus Didelphys is, ‘4 55 ‘ jh 4] 38—3 4—4 —3 Sse wae ——~: = 50. Incisors 4—4' Canines ;— ; premolars aaa molars . 50 The Opossums resemble in their dentition the Bandicoots more than the Dasyures, except in the structure of the molares. The two middle incisors of the upper jaw are more produced than the others, from which they are separated by a short interspace. The canines are well developed, the upper being always stronger than the lower. The false molars are simply conical, but more compressed than in the Zoophagous Marsupials. The posterior false molar is the largest in the upper jaw; the middle one is the largest of the three in the lower ; the anterior one is the smallest in both jaws: in the upper jaw it is separated from the middle false molar by a short interspace, and the same character occurs in the lower jaw in Didelphys Virginiana ; but in the species Cancrivora, Crassicaudata, Nudicaudata, Opossum, and others, this diastema is very slightly marked, or is wanting. A small accessory posterior cusp, and sometimes, though rarely, a still smaller anterior cusp, are added to the base of the principal compressed cone, which forms the crown of the spu- rious molars. The sharp cusps of the true molars wear down into tubercles as the animal advances in age. The true molars in the upper jaw present a triangular horizontal section: in the posterior molar the base of the triangle is directed forwards ; in the rest one side of the triangle looks outwards ; another forwards, at right angles to the preceding ; and the third obliquely inwards and backwards. The triturating surface of the crown in re- cently formed teeth is bristled with several sharp tubercles, of which the largest rises from the middle of the posterior side, and others at each of the angles of the crown: there are smaller tubercles intermediate to these. The posterior molar is smaller than the rest, and has fewer tubercles. In the lower jaw the true molars are narrower, of more equal size than in the upper: there are five tubercles on each, four in two trans- verse pairs, the anterior being the highest, and a fifth forming the anterior and internal angle of the tooth: the anterior and external angle seems as if it were vertically cut off. VOL. 11.— PART Iv. 20 322 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION In the Didelphys Yapock,—the type of the subgenus Cheironectes,—the anterior ex- tremities, besides being web-footed, present an unusual development of the pisiform bone, which supports a fold of the skin, like a sixth digit ; it has indeed been described, as such, by M. Temminck ; this process has not of course any nail. The dentition of the Yapock resembles that of the ordinary Didelphys. All the Opossums have the inner digit of the hind foot converted by its position and development into a thumb, but with- out a claw. The hinder hand is associated in almost all the species with a scaly pre- hensile tail. In some of the smaller Opossums the subabdominal tegumentary folds are rudimental, or merely serve to conceal the nipples, and are not developed into a pouch ; the young in these species adhere to the mother by entwining their little prehensile tails around hers, and cling to the fur of the back ; hence the term dorsigera applied to one of these Opossums’. Tribe IIl. CARPOPHAGA. Stomach simple ; cecum very long. In this family, the teeth, especially those at the anterior part of the mouth, present considerable deviations from the previously described formule ; the chief of which is a predominating size of the two anterior incisors, both in the upper and lower jaws. Hitherto we have seen that the dentition in every genus has participated more or less of a carnivorous character ; henceforth it will manifest a tendency to the Rodent type. The Phalangers, so called from the phalanges of the second and third digits of the hinder extremities being inclosed in acommon sheath of integument, have the innermost digit modified, to answer the purposes of a thumb ; and the hinder hand being associated in many of the species with a prehensile tail, they evidently, of all Frugiwora, come near- est to the arboreal species of the preceding section. In a system framed on locomotive characters they would rank in the same section with the Opossums. We have seen, however, that they differ from those Entomophagous Marsupials greatly in the condition of the intestinal tube. Let us examine to what extent the dental characters deviate from those of the Opossums. In the skull of a Phalangista Cookii, now before me, there are both in the upper and lower jaw four true molars on each side, each beset with four three-sided pyramidal sharp-pointed cusps ; thus these essential and most constant teeth correspond in number with those of the Opossum: but in the upper jaw they differ in the absence of the in- ternal cusp, which gives a triangular figure to the grinding surface of the molars in 1 Few facts would be more interesting in the present branch of zoology than the condition of the new-born young, and their degree and mode of uterine development in these Opossums. Since the marsupial bones serve not, as is usually described, to support a pouch, but to aid in the function of the mammary glands and ¢estes, they of course are present in the skeleton of these small pouchless Opossums, as in the more typical Marsupials. ro OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 323 the Opossum; and the anterior single cusp is wanting in the true molars of the lower jaw. Anterior to the grinders in the Phalanger, there are two spurious molars, of similar shape and proportions to those in the Opossum ; then a third spurious molar, too small to be of any functional importance, separated also, like the corresponding anterior false molar in the Opossum, by a short interval from those behind. The canine tooth but slightly exceeds in size the above false molar, and consequently here occurs the first great difference between the Phalangers and Opossums ; it is how- ever only a difference in degree of development ; and in the Ursine and other Phalangers, as well as in the Petaurists, the corresponding tooth presents more of the proportions and form of a true canine. The incisors, which we have seen to be most variable in number in the carnivorous section, are here three instead of five on each side, in the upper jaw; but their size, especially that of the first, compensates for their fewness. In the lower jaw, there is the same number of true molars and of functional false molars, which form a continuous and tolerably equable series, as in the Opossums, on each side ; then two very minute and rudimental teeth on each side represent the small spurious molar, and small canine of the upper jaw ; and anterior to these, there is one very small and one very large and procumbent incisor on each side. The constant teeth in this group are = true molars, and = incisors. The ; 1 i : f 2 BI, 2 canines ;—; are constant in regard to their presence, but variable in size ; they are al- ways minute in the lower jaw. With respect to the spurious molars, =e they are always in contact with the true grinders, and their crowns reach to the same grinding level ; sometimes a second spurious molar is similarly developed on each side of both jaws, as in the Phal. Cookii, and as in all the flying Phalangers, or Petaurists; but in other Phalangers it is absent or replaced by a very minute tooth, shaped like a canine : so that between the posterior spurious grinder and the incisors we may find three teeth, of which the posterior is the largest, as in Phal. Cookii ; or the smallest, as in Phal. cavifrons ; or there may be only two teeth, as in Phal. ursina and Phal. vulpina, and the species, whatever that may be, which Fr. Cuvier has selected as the type of the den- tition of this Genus. In the lower jaw similar varieties occur in these small and unimportant teeth; e. g. there may be between the procumbent incisors and the posterior false molar, either four teeth, as in Phal. Cookii; or three, as in Phal. cavifrons ; or two, as in Phal. ursina, Phal. maculata, Phal. chrysorrhoos ; or lastly, one, as in Phal. vulpina, and Phal. Fuligi- nosa. The most important modification is presented by the little Phal. gliriformis of Bell, which has only three true molars on each side of each jaw. 2u2 324 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION Genus Petaurus. There are many species of Marsupials limited to Australia, and closely resembling or identical with the true Phalangers in their dental characters and the structure of the feet. I allude to the Petaurists or Flying Opossums ; these, however, present an exter- nal character so easily recognizable, and influencing so materially the locomotive facul- ties, as to claim for it more consideration than the modifications of the digits or spurious molars, which we have just been considering in the Phalangiste. A fold of the skin is extended on each side of the body between the fore and hind legs, which, when out- stretched, forms a lateral wing or parachute, but which, when the legs are in the posi- tion for ordinary support or progression, is drawn close to the side of the animal by the elasticity of the subcutaneous cellular membrane, and then forms a tegumentary ridge. These delicate and beautiful Marsupials have been separated generically from the other Marsupials under the name of Petaurus': they further differ from the Phalangers in wanting the prehensile character of the tail, which in some species of Petaurus has a general clothing of long and soft hairs, whilst in others the hairs are arranged in two lateral series. Now in the Petaurists there is as little constancy in the exact formula of the dentition as among the Phalangers. The largest species of Petaurus, Pet. Taguanoides, e. g., is almost identical in this respect with the Phalangista Cook, which M. Fr. Cuvier has therefore classed with the Petauri. Those teeth of Pet. Taguanoides, which are sufii- ciently developed, and so equal in length, as to exercise the function of grinders,—or in other words, the functional series of molars,—include six teeth on each side of the upper jaw, and five teeth on each side of the lower jaw. The four posterior molars in each row are true, and bear four pyramidal cusps, excepting the last tooth in the upper jaw, which, as in Phal. Cookii, has only three cusps. In the upper jaw, the space between the functional false molars and the incisors is occupied by two simple rudimentary teeth, the anterior representing the canine, but being relatively smaller than in Phal. Cooki. The crowns of the two anterior incisors are relatively larger. In the lower jaw the sloping alveolar surface between the functional molars and large procumbent incisors is occupied, according to M. Fr. Cuvier, by two rudimentary minute teeth: I have not found any trace of these in the two skulls of Pet. Taguanoides examined by me. In Phal. Cookii there are three minute teeth in the corresponding space, but these differ- ences would not be sufficient ground to separate generically the two species if they were unaccompanied by modifications of other parts of the body. In Petaurus sciureus and Petaurus flaviventer the dentition more nearly resembles that of Phalangista vulpina. In the upper jaw the functional molar series consists of five teeth on each side, the four hinder ones being, as in Pet. Taguanoides, true tuberculate molares, but diminishing 1 First by Dr. Shaw in the Naturalist’s Miscellany. OF THE MARSUPIALIA,. 325 more rapidly in size, as they are placed further back in the jaw: the hinder tooth has three tubercles, the rest four ; their apices seem to be naturally blunter than in Pet. Ta- guanoides. Between the functional false molar and the incisors there are three teeth, of which the representative of the canine is relatively much larger than in the Pet. Ta- guanoides ; the first false molar is also larger, and has two roots; the second, which is functional in Pet. Taguanoides, is here very small; the first incisor is relatively larger and is more produced. In the lower jaw the functional series of grinders consists of the four true tuberculate molars only, of which the last is relatively smaller, and the first of a more triangular form than in Pet. Taguanoides. The space between the tu- berculate molars and the procumbent incisor is occupied by four small teeth, of which the one immediately anterior to the molars has two roots, the remaining three are ru- dimentary and have a single fang. Among the species exhibiting this dental formula, : Gin 7 3—3 Raa ae viz., incisors =i canines ;— 3 premolars sar molars Sap = 40: are Pet. sciu- reus, Pet. flaviventer, and Pet. breviceps. The Pigmy Petaurist differs from the preceding and larger species in having the hairs of the tail distichous or arranged into two lateral series like the barbs of a feather ; and in having the spurious molars large and sharply pointed; and the true molars bristled each with four acute cusps. This tendency in the dentition to the insectivorous cha- racter, with the modification of the tail, induced M. Desmarest to separate the Pigmy Petaurist from the rest of the species, and constitute a new subgenus under the name of Acrobata. In four adult specimens, two of which had young in the push, I find the follow- — 3—3 | canines ae premolars 33 > Mo- ing dental formula to be constant ;—incisors a= 3 =r jas lars 3: Sih The important difference in the number of the true molares was first pointed out by Mr. Waterhouse; it is analogous to that which obtains in the Phalangista gliriformis, and renders the parallelism in the modifications of the dental system between the Pha- langers and Petaurists remarkably close. The three quadricuspidate grinders of the upper jaw of the Petaurus pygmeus are pre- ceded by three large spurious molars, each of which has two fangs, and a compressed, triangular, sharp-pointed crown, slightly but progressively increasing in length, as they are placed forwards. An interspace occurs between these and the canine, which is long, slender, sharp-pointed, and recurved. The first incisor is longer than the two behind, but is much shorter than the canine. In the lower jaw the true molars are preceded by two functional false ones, similar in size and shape to the three above ; the anterior false molar and the canine are represented by minute, rudimental, simple teeth ; the single incisor is long and procumbent, as in the other Petaurists. 326 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION Genus Phascolarctus. The absence of anomalous spurious molars and of inferior canines appears to be con- stant in the only known species of this genus. The dental formula in three of this . . . = + — 1 species, (Phasc. fuscus Desm.,) is: Incisors = ; canines =) premolars = ; mo- lars —: — 30. The true molars are larger in proportion than in the Phalangers ; each is beset with four three-sided pyramids, the cusps of which wear down in age, the outer series in the upper teeth being the first to give way ; those of the lower jaw are narrower than those of the upper. The spurious molars are compressed, and terminate in a cutting edge ; in those of the upper jaw there is a small parallel ridge along the inner side of the base. The canines slightly exceed in size the posterior incisors ; they terminate in an oblique cutting edge rather than a point ; their fang is closed at the extremity ; they are situated, as in the Phalangers, close to the intermaxillary suture. The lateral incisors of the up- per jaw are small and obtuse, the two middle incisors are of twice the size, conical, subcompressed, beveled off obliquely to an anterior cutting edge, but differing essentially from the dentes scalprarii of the Rodentia, in being closed at the extremity of the fang. The two incisors of the lower jaw resemble those of the upper, but are longer and more compressed: they are also formed by a temporary pulp, and its ossification is accom- panied by a closure of the aperture of the pulp cavity, as in the upper incisors. The Koala therefore, in regard to the number, kind, and conformation of its teeth, closely resembles the Phalangers, with which it agrees in its long cecum, but the stomach has a cardiac gland as in the Wombat. The extremities of the Koala are organized for prehension ; each is terminated by five digits ; the hind feet are provided with a large thumb, and have the two contiguous digits enveloped in the same tegumentary fold ; the anterior digits are divided into two groups, the thumb and index being opposed to the other three fingers. The fore-paws have a similar structure in some of the small Phalangers ; it is very conspicuous in some of the Petaurists. The Koala, however, differs from the Phalangers and Petaurists in the extreme shortness of its tail and in its more compact and heavy general form. It is known to feed on the buds and leaves of the trees in which it habitually resides. Tribe IV. POEPHAGA. The present tribe includes the most strictly vegetable feeders ; all the species have a complex sacculated stomach and a long simple cecum. Guided by the modifications of the teeth we pass from the Koala to the Kangaroo OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 327 family (Macropodide),—animals of widely different general form. The Potoroos, how- ever, in this group, present absolutely the same dentition as the Koala, some slight modifications in the form of certain teeth excepted. The spurious molars, in their longitudinal extent, compressed form, and cutting edge, would chiefly distinguish the dentition of the Potoroo, but the Koala evidently offers the transitional structure between the Phalangers and Potoroos in the condition of these teeth, of which one only is re- tained on each side of each jaw, in both Phascolarctus and Hypsiprymnus. ; minted t =o : | The dental formula of the genus Hypsiprymnus is: incisors = ; canines = ; pre- | 44 molars Carte molars w= 30. The two anterior incisors are longer and more curved, the lateral incisors relatively smaller than in the Koala. The pulps of the anterior incisors are persistent. The canines are larger than in the Koala ; they always project from the line of the in- termaxillary suture ; and while the fang is lodged in the maxillary bone, the crown projects almost wholly from the intermaxillary. In the large Hypsiprymnus ursinus the canines are relatively smaller than in the other Potoroos, a structure which indicates the transition from the Potoroo to the Kangaroo genus. In the skeleton of this species in the Leyden Museum the canines present a longitudinal groove on the outer side. The characteristic form of the trenchant spurious molar has just been alluded to ; its maximum of development is attained in the arboreal Potoroos of New Guinea (Hypsi- prymnus ursinus, and Hyps. dorcocephalus) ; in the latter of which its antero-posterior ex- tent nearly equals that of the three succeeding molar teeth. Tn all the Potoroos the trenchant spurious molar is sculptured, especially on the outer side and in young teeth, by many small vertical grooves. The true molares each pre- sent four three-sided pyramidal cusps, but the internal angles of the two opposite cusps are continued into each other across the tooth, forming two concave transverse ridges. In the old animal these cusps and ridges disappear, and the grinding surface is worn quite flat. In the genus Macropus the normal condition of the permanent teeth may be expressed Lp ede Saito 0=-0) iii 44 _., as follows :—incisors ici? canines 5— ; preemolars ee molars aS 28. The main difference, as compared with Hypsiprymnus, lies in the absence of the upper canines ; yet I have seen them present, but of very small size, and concealed by the gum, in an adult specimen’ of a small species of Kangaroo (Macropus rufiventer, Ogilby.). This, however, is a rare exception ; while the constant presence and conspicuous size of the canines will always serve to distinguish the Potoroo from the Kangaroo. But besides this, there are other differences in the form and proportions of certain teeth. The upper incisors of the Macropi have their cutting margins on the same line, the ' I have found the germs of the canine teeth in the early mammary fwtus of the Great Kangaroo (Macropus major). 328 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION anterior ones not being produced beyond that line as in the Hypsiprymni; the third or external incisor is also broader in the Kangaroos, and is grooved and complicated by one or two folds of the enamel continued from the outer side of the tooth obliquely forwards and inwards, into the substance of the tooth. In most species the anterior fold is re- presented by a simple groove ; the relative size of the outer incisor, the extent and po- sition of the posterior fold of enamel, and consequently the proportions of the part of the tooth in front or behind it, vary more or less in every species of Macropus: there are two folds of enamel near the anterior part of the tooth in Macr. major ; the posterior portion is of the greatest extent, and the entire crown of the tooth is relatively broadest in this species. The middle incisor is here also complicated with a posterior notch and an external groove. These modifications of the external incisors have been pointed out in detail by M. Jourdan ; and subgeneric distinctions have been subsequently based upon them, but they possess neither sufficient constancy nor physiological consequence, to justify such an application. M. Fr. Cuvier has proposed a binary division of the genus Macropus as here defined, founded on the absence of permanent spurious molars’ and a supposed difference in the mode of succession of the true molars in certain species of Kangaroo, combined with modifications of the muzzle or upper lip, and of the tail. The dental formula which I have assigned to the genus Macropus is restricted by that naturalist in its application to some small species of Kangaroo, grouped together under the term Halmaturus, originally applied by Illiger to the Kangaroos generally. The rest of the Kangaroos, under the generic term Macropus, are characterized by the following ae 6 4—4 dental formula :—incisors = ; molars 7 aarp 24. The truth, however, is, that both the Halmaturi and Macropi of Fr. Cuvier, have their teeth developed in precisely the same number and manner ; they only differ in the length of time during which certain of these teeth are retained. In the great Kangaroo, for ex- ample, the permanent spurious molar which succeeds the corresponding deciduous one in the vertical direction, is pushed out of place and shed by the time the last true molar has cut the gum: the succeeding true molar is soon afterwards extruded; and I have seen a skull of an old Macropus major in the Museum at Leyden, in which the grinders were reduced to two on each side of each jaw by this yielding of the anterior ones to the vis a tergo of their successors. 1 M. Fr. Cuvier was aware that a deciduous spurious molar existed in the great Kangaroo and other species of his subgenus Macropus, but he believed that it was peculiar to an early period of life, and then existed only in a rudimental state or ‘en germe,’ and that instead of being displaced and succeeded in the vertical direction by a permanent spurious molar, as in the Halmaturi, it was displaced by the true molars, which are developed from behind forwards. I have however detected the crown of the permanent spurious molar in the jaws of the Macropus major in a concealed alveolus, and have observed it completely formed and in place in an individual which had nearly attained its full size. See F. Cuvier’s account of the Halmaturus Thetis in the ‘ Histoire des Mammiferes,’ folio. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. Bee Tribe V. RHIZOPHAGA. The characters of this tribe are taken from the stomach, which is simple in outward form, but complicated within by a large cardiac gland ; and from the cecum, which is short and wide, with a vermiform appendage. Genus Phascolomys. In its heavy shapeless proportions, large trunk, and short equably developed legs, the Wombat offers as great a contrast to the Kangaroos as does the Koala, which it most nearly resembles in its general outward form and want of tail. But in the more im- portant characters afforded by the teeth and intestinal canal the Wombat differs more from the Koala than this does from either the Phalangers or Kangaroos. The dental system presents the extreme degree of that degradation of the teeth intermediate be- tween the front incisors and true molars which we have been tracing from the Opos- sum to the Kangaroos: not only have the functionless spurious molars and canines now totally disappeared, but also the posterior incisors of the upper jaw, which we have seen in the Potoroos to exhibit a feeble degree of development as compared with the anterior pair ; these in fact are alone retained in the dentition of the present group, which possesses the fewest teeth of any Marsupial animal. The dental formula of the Wombat is thus reduced to that of the true Rodentia’: Incisors . canines a3 premolars 3 molars ee = 24. The incisors, moreover, are true dentes scalprarii, with persistent pulps, but are in- ferior, especially in the lower jaw, in their relative length, and curvature, to those of the placental Glires: they present a subtrihedral figure, and are traversed by a shallow groove on their inner surfaces. The spurious molars present no trace of that compressed structure which character- izes them in the Koala and Kangaroos : but have a wide, oval, transverse section ; those of the upper jaw being traversed on the inner side with a slight longitudinal groove. The true molars are double the size of the spurious ones: the superior ones are also traversed by an internal longitudinal groove, but this is so deep and wide, that it divides the whole tooth into two trihedral portions, with one of the angles of each prism di- rected inwards. The inferior molars are in like manner divided into two trihedral portions, but the intervening groove is here external, and one of the faces of each prism is turned inwards. All the grinders are curved, and describe about a quarter of a circle ; in the upper jaw the concavity of the curve is directed outwards, in the lower * All the placental Rodents which have more than three molars in each lateral series have the additional ones situated at the anterior part of the series, and subject to vertical displacement and succession, and consequently these are essentially premolars: the Wombat strikingly manifests its marsupial character in having four true molars on each side of both jaws. VOL. II.—PART IY. ras 330 MR. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION jaw inwards. ‘The false and true molars, like the incisors, have persistent pulps, and are consequently devoid of true fangs: in which respect the Wombat differs from all other Marsupials, and resembles the extinct Toxodon, the dentigerous Bruta, and her- bivorous Rodentia. Although none of the Marsupialia possess teeth composed of an intermixture of layers of ivory, cement and enamel through the body of the crown; yet the layer of cement which covers the enameled crown is thickest in the vegetable-feeding Marsupials, and is remarkably distinct in the Wombat. I may add, that the Wombat deviates from the other Marsupials in the number of its ribs: as these are very constant in the rest of the order, the difference in the Wombat, which has 15 pairs, instead of 13 or 12, is the more deserving of notice. The Koala, like the Phalangers and Kangaroos, has 13 pairs of ribs. A few words, in conclusion, as to the claims of the Marsupialia to be regarded as a natural association. It may be admitted, that at the period when that most judicious and learned naturalist, the then Vice-Secretary of the Zoological Society, published his reasons for rejecting the Marsupialia as a distinct group in the ‘Systema Mammalium’,’ and for distributing them among different placental orders, according to their supposed closer affinities, the contrary views set forth by M. De Blainville were defective in that kind of evidence which could alone render them convincing. The organization of the Marsupial animals was not at that time sufficiently elucidated to render any opinion as to their natural affinities really valid. Subsequent dissections have, however, shown that the hypothesis which Cuvier had sanctioned by his authority was correct. The Marsupial animals have been proved to agree among themselves, and to differ from the analogous placental species by several important organic modifications not suspected when the Mammalia in the Museum of the Zoological Society were arranged according to the Quinary System. I have shown that in their cerebral conformation the Marsupialia manifest a close correspondence with the Ovipara in the rudimental state of the corpus callosum: the dif- ference which the most closely analogous placental species offer in this respect is broadly marked®. The correspondence of the Marsupials with each other is not less constant in the structure of the heart, of which the right auricle manifests no trace of a fossa ovalis and annulus ovalis, and receives the two vene cave superiores by two separate in- 1 «Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society delineated,’ vol. i. p. 265. 2 Mr. Bennett asks in 1831, “‘ What is there of importance in the structure of the Wombat except this soli- tary character of the maisupium to separate it from the Rodent Order?” We may now suggest, in reply, the marsupial number of true molar teeth, the transverse condyle of the lower jaw, the rotatory muscle of the hind- foot,—important in the present question on account of its frequency in the marsupial species, to which it is peculiar ; and, besides other characters, I would more particularly refer to the difference in the structure of the brains of the Wombat and Beaver, described in the Phil. Trans, 1837, p. 89, pl. vi. figg. 3 and 4. OF THE MARSUPIALIA,. 331 lets. This generalization is, however, less cogent in the present question than the pre- ceding, because the same modification, as regards the separate entry of the vene cave superiores, obtains in a few placental species, as the Klephant and some of the Rodentia. But the cardiac characters, of which one is common and peculiar to the implacental quadrupeds, and the other, while it is universal in them, occurs only as an exceptional condition in the placental series, cannot be rejected in a philosophical consideration of the affinities of the Marsupialia. Several peculiarities of the osseous system, besides the well-known one of the ossa marsupialia, and unconnected with the generative peculiarities, will be pointed out in the subsequent essay on the osteology of the Marsupialia. And while on the present ques- tion I may observe, that had the Sarcophagous Marsupials of the present system been subjected to the scrutiny of the myologist as members of the ordinary group of Fere, he must have noted them as presenting a very remarkable modification of the muscles of the hind leg ; for whereas in all the placental Fere the flecor longus digitorum pedis sends tendons to the toes, as its name implies; in the Dasyures and Phascogales it is inserted fleshy into the fibula, and the knee- and ancle-joints are so modified as, through the action of the muscle so inserted, to admit of rotatory movements of the hind foot analogous to the pronation and supination which in the placental quadrupeds are peculiar to the fore-feet. But the myologist would have been still more surprised if in dissecting the Opossums and Phalangers, when associated with the Monkeys and Lemurs in such a group as Illiger’s ‘ Daumenfiisser’ (Pollicata), characterized by hinder hands, he should have found precisely the same modification of the flecor longus digito- rum—the same conversion of that muscle, by corresponding modifications of the knee- and ancle-joints, into a rotator of the hind-leg ; and that notwithstanding the difference in the general structure and powers of the hind foot in the ferine or falculate and the pollicate orders, the marsupial species should have differed in both groups from the pla- cental ones by precisely the same singular modification. And if now the myologist were to proceed to compare the Wombat with the Beaver or any other placental Rodent, and were to discover here also precisely the same difference in the muscles and motions of the hind legs, he could hardly avoid suspecting that some closer affinity must subsist between the species enjoying the common properties of rotation of the hind foot than was indicated by the’classification under which I have supposed them to have been pre- sented to his notice. It is, in fact, only in those Marsupials in which the offices of sup- port and locomotion are devolved exclusively or in great part upon the hind-legs, as in the Kangaroos, Potoroos, and Perameles, that the hind-feet are strengthened at the ex- pense of the loss of the movements of rotation. Finally, I may observe, that in the dental system itself, the varieties of which have been chiefly appealed to as sanctioning the dispartition of the Marsupial order, we find an important peculiarity, by which the carnivorous, omnivorous, and strictly vegetable- feeding genera alike agree with each other, and differ from the corresponding placental 2x2 332 PROF. OWEN ON THE CLASSIFICATION Mammalia. In the ordinary Fere, for example, in the Quadrumana and in the Rodentia, as likewise in the Pachyderma and Ruminantia, the number of grinders developed on each side of each jaw, which are not subject to vertical displacement and succession, is never more than three, while in the corresponding groups of Marsupials it is always four’. These coincidences in the Marsupialia, of more or less important peculiarities of struc- ture, which cannot be connected with their reproductive ceconomy, are truly remarkable, and their detection and generalization give peculiar interest to anatomical investigations of the Marsupial animals. The following is a tabular view of the subordinate groups of the Marsupialia regarded as a distinct Order of Implacental Mammalia. CLASSIFICATION OF THE MARSUPIALIA. Tribes. Families. Genera. Subgenera. SarcoPHaGa. Three kinds of teeth ; canmes asics long in both jaws; a sim- Daspurive Teens ple stomach; no intestinum SEs SN ACO Phar 1 ascogale. cecum. Extinct transitional forms .. ............... Tua =e , : \ Fossil. ENTOMOPHAGA. Three kinds of teeth in both jaws; a simple stomach; a : ; moderately long éatestinum Ambulatoria....... Myrmecobius. cecum. a Cheropus. DLILALOTIGast = thet ened nes . : Didelphys. STENTS 6 Abn OGe Didelphyssy- cs temenstenaicte { Giese ee CarPoPrHAGa. Anterior incisors large and Cuscus. long in both jaws; canines Phalangista......... ‘ Fseudocheirus. inconstant; stomach sim- pp qangicti Ds Tapoa. ple, or with a special gland ; DEE es Sees Petaurista. a very long intestinum ce- Petamtnsacscs sered lise ‘ Belidia. cum. Acrobata. Phascolarctide ..... Phascolarctus. PorrHaGa. Anterior incisors large and c Hypsiprymnus. long in both jaws; canines BIB a { Macropus, present in the upper jaw only, or wanting. A com- plex stomach ; a long intes- tinum cecum. | RuIzopHaGa. Two scalpriform incisors in both jaws; no canines. Sto- é mach with a special gland; Phascolomyide..... { eee Se Fossil Fis chinks: wale al iprotodon......... ossil. vermiform appendage. 1 I need hardly remind the zoological reader, that the teeth which are displaced by a second set succeeding them in the vertical direction, are, in Man, the incisors, canines, and false molars, the successors of which are OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 333 called bicuspides; and that the three true molars on each side are not so displaced. So also in the lower Mammaiia, it is the canines, incisors, and false molars only which are subject to vertical displacement and suc- cession. ‘To the general rule, that in Marsupialia there are four true molars developed on each side of both jaws, there occur the two exceptions already noticed of Phalangista gliriformis and Petaurus pygmeus. Whether the genera Myrmecobius and Thylacotherium actually possess more than four true molars, as appears from ex- ternal form, can be determined only by ascertaining how many of the molar series are displaced and succeeded by others in the vertical direction. The Chrysochlore among the placental Fere offers a similar exception to the rule of three true molars in that group. " 9 4 ’ : : af a 7 7% | ; ' ; 4 , Shah ¥ TAF a - J ¥ 3 | , r@ f i i ve = | ‘ 4 ’ 4. ih iy ' J y vi} 4 | yy ¢ ; 3 adeora® *1 ere ¥ i wd fw A) Pa Vet é t yf pae® i« 3 - m aT te “s ar | ; , * " r ‘ : n . ; | 7 st 4 rhe J ; "?, . —_ ; : f yea, aS il ¥ F 2 ."s ~ “ e, clin 4 + . i 7 cu ve P ra 3 ° , ad 7 > €, - r i ‘ 4, . ; 3 im , - ¢ “ * as . [ 335 ] XXIII. On the Genus Galeopithecus. By G. R. Waternovuse, Esq. Communicated October 23, 1838. IN the various works on Mammalia there is much confusion as regards the species of Galeopithecus. M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, in the ‘ Magazin Encyclop. VII.,’ indicated by imperfect descriptions what he considered three species. The Gal. rufus, which is, ac- cording to the description, rather more than one foot (English measure) in length ; Gal. variegatus, measuring a little more than six inches in length ; and thirdly, the G. Terna- tensis, which is said to,be smaller than the last. The single dimension of the length of each of these species, together with a description of their colouring, and the statement that the head of G. variegatus is proportionately broader, and has the muzzle more elongated than G. rufus, are all the facts relating to the distinguishing characters that I can procure of the animals in question. Audebert states that the size of the head and the varied colours of G. variegatus ap- pear to indicate that this species is merely a variety of G. rufus. After the description of G. Ternatensis, M. Desmarest has the following note. ‘‘ This species, admitted by M. Geoffroy upon the incomplete description given by Seba, is not known to me. The fur, by which the body is covered, is adpressed, short, and soft, resembling that of a mole.” I may add that such is the character of the fur in a very young Galeopithecus now before me. In the ‘ Manuel de Mammalogie’ of M. Lesson, the three species above mentioned are admitted without comment: his account is in fact the same as that found in M. Desma- rest’s ‘Mammalogie.’ Fisher, in his ‘Synopsis Mammalium,’ sinks the three species in question, and so does Cuvier in the ‘ Régne Animal.’ M. Temminck, in his ‘ Monographies de Mammalogie,’ states that there are two spe- cies of Galeopithecus, possessing well-marked osteological characters, and that the ani- mals named variegatus, rufus, and Ternutensis ought to be united. Such is the state in which I find the genus Galeopithecus, and with a fine series of specimens before me I am unable to identify either of them with any published descrip- tion. Of all the specimens which have come under my observation, I have never seen any adult animal so small as those described. As M. Temminck states, there are decidedly two very distinct species ; species which may easily be distinguished by an inspection of their skulls, or even by their external characters. I regret that for these two species I cannot find appropriate names among 336 MR. G. R. WATERHOUSE ON THE GENUS GALEOPITHECUS. those already published, nor can I adopt either of them without running the risk of pro- ducing further confusion, since I cannot ascertain to what animals they refer. In Fischer’s ‘ Synopsis Mammalium,’ it is stated that the two species distinguished by M. Temminck bear the names variegatus and marmoratus, both of which names will apply equally well to either of the species’. For these reasons I shall describe the species I am acquainted with under new specific names, one in honour of the author of the ‘ Mo- nographies de Mammalogie,’ and the other to commemorate the locality in which it is found’. Sp. l. Galeopithecus Temminckit. General colour of upper parts usually deep grey or blackish, variegated with white, and of the under parts pale greyish fulvous ; the fore and hind-feet are blackish above, spotted with white. The flank membrane is sometimes sooty black above, and varie- gated with white near its junction with the body and thighs ; or it is of a greyish colour, with narrow undulating black lines. On the back there is sometimes either a yellowish or a brown hue, and the under parts occasionally incline to rust-colour. Adult speci- mens vary from about twenty-two to thirty inches in length, measuring from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. The length of the ear is 63 lines. The principal di- mensions from a skeleton of this species are as follows : " mt ‘Total length. 00.) a ee ee Heneth of head’ false molars 5 5—>; the posterior false molar of the lower jaw with an anterior large ei and a ot ee smaller one ; molars 5— -— =; the carnassiere and the grinding molar of the upper jaw each of a triangular form, or tear so, and about equal in size. As regards the external characters, I may observe, that in addition to the differences of colouring and marking displayed by the Taxidea Labradoria and the Meles vulgaris, the former may be distinguished by the tip of its muzzle being hairy above, it being naked in the Common Badger, the fore limbs stouter, and the claws stronger, and also by the short, conical form of the head. The typical Mustelide have the true molars of the upper jaw transverse ; in the Skunks (Mephitis) it assumes nearly a quadrate form, and in Meles it is longer than broad ; the modification observable in the form of the molars of the upper jaw of Tazidea, therefore, furnishes us with an interesting link between Mephitis and Meles, whilst the former of these genera links the Badgers with Mustela and its subgenera. op WON [ 348 ] PLATE LIX. Skull of Meles Labradoria. . The upper side. . Under side. Side view. — of lower jaw. . View of the hinder portion of the lower jaw, showing the form of the con- dyle. =, a i aa c Z , Sd Grant Deol Le Wil 2 59,348 Tithog trom Nabby 6 Scharf Mbs Lebeadorea ‘ [ 349 ] XXV. On the Fishes of the Dukhun. By Lieut.-Col. W. H. Syxes, F.R.S., &e. Communicated November 27, 1838. In submitting to the Society an account of the fishes of Dukhun, it will scarcely excite surprise, that out of 46 species described, no less than 42 are new to science, since they are from a hitherto untrodden field, and from peculiar localities, on the great plateau of the Dukhun (Deccan), none of them coming from a less elevation than 1500 feet above the sea ; many from near 2000 feet, and others from yet higher situations. The chief features in the collection are the paucity of orders to which the collection belongs, and the remarkable prevalence of the members of the families of Siluride and Cyprinide. There is but one apodal Malacopterygian, but four Acanthopterygii, and the whole of the rest of the fishes belong to the order Abdominal. Malacopterygians. Of the families there are only eight: Percide, Scombride, ‘ Pharyngiens Labyrinthiformes,’ Gobiade, Siluride, Cyprinide, Esocide, and Murenide, comprising fifteen genera and nine subgenera, including one subgenus, which I have been compelled to add to the Cyprinde. An attempt has been made to methodize and distinguish the multitudinous members of the families of Siluride and Cyprinide. The fact is, the continued inos- culation in the character of the teeth, of the cirri, of the spines (serrated or not), of the fins, of the armature of the head, and of the position of the fins, in the Siluride ; and of the number of cirri, and form and position of the fins in the Cyprinide ; together with the character of the mouth, produce such approximations in species to each other, and in individuals of one genus to another, that not only is there infinite difficulty in deter- mining the genera of the fishes of these families, but their identity as species is occa- sionally not less difficult. Some of my Siluride do not exactly correspond with the generic characters of the genera of this family as now constituted, and I might have added to the number of genera; but to this I have an objection, unless as an evidently necessary measure. In the Cyprinidae, however, I was obliged to set aside my repug- nance, for three species were not referrible to any one even of the numerous subgenera which Buchanan Hamilton wished to establish. It only remains to state, that the whole of my fishes were drawn from absolute measurement, and have a scale of size attached to each figure: they were caught in the various rivers or whose banks I en- camped, as individuals were required; so that my draftsman, who worked constantly under my own eye, never had to finish his drawings from shriveled and discoloured Note.—In spelling native names the ‘“u” has the sound of the “u” in the English word “ hut,” and the other letters have their usual English sounds. 350 ’ LIEUT.-COL. W. H, SYKES ON THE specimens. I have to a great extent adopted the names by which the fishes are called by the Mahrattas, as specific names, so that naturalists who travel the country can al- ways obtain them. Ord. ACANTHOPTERYGII. Fam. Percips. Genus Amsassis, Agass. This genus belongs to Cuvier’s second subdivision of the family Percide. Buchanan Hamilton proposed the name Chanda for the same genus, but this name has not been adopted. Ampassis BaRLovi. Tab. LX. Fig. 1. An Ambassis, with the two back fins united; with the first ray indented on the edge, and containing 7 spines, and the second 14 spines; all the spines longer than the membrane; with 18 rays, longer than the membrane, in the anal fin; and with a short, vertically compressed, diaphanous body. Form short, very compressed, and high: of a yellowish silvery colour, and diaphanous : dorsal fin of 22 unequal bony rays ; anal fin of 18 rays ; pectoral fin of 10 rays ; ventral with 6 rays, of which the first is bony: tail forked, and having 27 rays, including 5 mi- nute rays on the outer side of each of the longest rays. Greatest size of the fish 3 inches. Under jaw projecting beyond the upper: shortest dorsal rays in the centre of the fin - rays generally bony or spiny: scales remarkably thin, and with difficulty discoverable. The natives say it is an ocean fish: the name given to it by them is revolting, and it is considered unwholesome. This species closely corresponds in its form to the Chanda Ranga of Dr. Hamilton’s drawing, but it has two rays more in the dorsal fin and three in the anal, and moreover, has its rays mostly prickles, the membranes shorter than the prickles, and the fins not arched : it has not the gill cover-plates at all indented, and is not greenish in colour: it must therefore be considered a distinct species, and the difference of location justifies the inference. Found in the Beema river, at Pairgaon. Native name, ‘ Gandreechree.’ I at one time thought the present species was the Ambassis Commersonii of Cuvier and Val., but the formula of the fin-rays in that species differs, being — D. 7 — 1 | 9; A. 3|9;C.17;P.12;V.1|5. Ihave named this fish after my friend the Secretary of the Zoological Society. Fam. ScomBripD&. Genus MasracemBetus, Gron. MastTacEMBELUS ARMATUS. Tab. LX. Fig. 2. A Mastacembelus, with the fins of the tail, back, and vent, united; with thirty-nine to forty short, sharp, bony spines along the back, and two behind the vent. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 351 This fish is nearly cylindrical, but towards and at the tail, the body is compressed. Head rather depressed, and acuminate from the eyes to the upper lip (which termi- nates in a mucronate point): upper jaw ridged, like the roof of a house. General colour dark olive, adorned with black blotches. The skin has a beautiful appearance, like that of plaited work ; the gills are placed almost longitudinally, and the opening is one inch and a quarter long ; the pectoral fins are nearly circular. and contain more than 25 rays, it being difficult to count the very minute rays. The dorsal fin commences one inch behind a perpendicular raised from the vent, and is lost in the tail, which is rounded. From the shoulder to the commencement of the dorsal fin, the back has a line of 39 or 40 sharp, white, bony spines, without membrane between them, those on the shoulders being very short, and gradually lengthening to the last spine, which is ;4,ths of an inch long. The vent is a little behind the middle of the fish, and close behind it are two white bony spines, of unequal length, the longest of which is half an inch. The anal fin commences at the same distance from the tail as the dorsal fin, and cor- responds with it, excepting in not being quite so deep. The dorsal and abdominal spines are usually lying along the back, but the fish has the power of erecting them ; and the severe wounds they are capable of inflicting render it dangerous to handle the fish when alive. The length of the specimen described is 21 inches ; diameter at the cylindrical part of the body one inch and ;{5ths. The mouth and palate are furnished with dental pro- cesses, more nearly resembling the roughness of a file than teeth ; the mouth is small. This is the fish so commonly known to Europeans as the Eel ; it is highly palatable, and in much esteem fried for breakfast. It is rather abundant in all rivers in Dukhun, particularly in rocky pools in the beds of rivers. The usual price is four seers per rupee,—7 lbs. 14 oz. 2 dr. avoirdupois for 2 shillings. The fish above described differs from Macrognathus armatus,of Dr. Hamilton’s ‘ Fishes of the Ganges’ in the palate being beset with dental processes, in the dorsal spines con- sisting of 40 instead of 37, and in the rays of the pectoral fins exceeding 25. This fish moreover differs from the generic characters of Macrognathus of Lacepéde, in the dorsal, anal and ventral fins being united, and in other matters; the fish, in fact, rather be- longing to the genus Mastacembelus of Gronovius, figured in the ‘ Régne Animal’ (p. 205, fig. 2, pl. 30 of Guérin’s ‘ Iconographie du Régne Animal’), but has the characteristic of Notacanthus of Bloch in the union of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins ; and it is a ques- tion whether it may not constitute a genus intermediate between Mastacembelus and Notacanthus, not having the exact characters of either of these two genera, nor yet those of Macrognathus. Native name, ‘ Waam.’ VOL. IIl.—PART V. ox hay LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE Fam. ‘ Poaryneiens LasyrinTHiForMEs,’ Cuy. Genus Opuiceruatus, Bloch. OPpHICEPHALUS LEUCOPUNCTATUS. Tab. LX. Fig. 3. An Ophicephalus, with from 51 to 53 rays in the dorsal, and 6 in each ventral fin, and with the rays of the dorsal and anal fins undivided; the pectoral fins ending in a central point; and the fish covered with white dots. This fish is of a long and roundish form, and of a reddish or brown-black colour : the head is very flat; the eyes close to the snout, circular, and having yellow irides. The dorsal fin has from 51 to 53 rays, and extends from near the shoulders almost to the tail ; the anal fin has from 33 to 35 rays, and, commencing at the middle of the fish, terminates near the tail ; the pectoral fins have each from 15 to 17 rays ; the ventral fins are situated beneath the pectoral, and near to each other, and have each six rays ; the rays are divided ; the caudal fin has 13 rays, exclusive of two or three minute outer rays: the tail is compressed, not forked, but oval-acuminate at the end. The scales are numerous ; the mouth wide, and furnished with very small teeth in double rows. The tail is speckled with white spots, and so are the dorsal and anal fins, and the body is partially speckled with white. A faint longitudinal line is observable on each side of the body, extending from the upper insertion of the pectoral fins to the tail. The length of a specimen brought me at Munchar from the Goreh river was 36 inches, and its weight was 3+ seers (6 lbs. 6 oz. 8 drs. 7 grs., avoirdupois). The fish sometimes weighs 6 seers (11 Ibs. 13 oz. 4 drs. 8 grs.). The flesh is remarkably firm and sweet, and the bones are small and not numerous: it is much esteemed by the natives, and sells at 4 seers (7 lbs. 14 oz. 2 drs. 18 grs.) per rupee. Found in all the rivers of the Dukhun. This species differs front the O. Maulius of Dr. Hamilton, in having two rays less in the pectoral fins, in the absence of the ocellated spots on the tail-fin, in the dorsal, anal, and tail fins not being rounded behind, and in having numerous white spots; neither is it identical with any one of the species of Ophicephalus figured in Russell’s ‘ Coroman- del Fishes.’ I never knew this fish to crawl on shore, or in the grass, as some species of the ge- nus are said to do. Native name, ‘ Murrul.’ Fam. GoBiaD&. Genus Gosiuvs, Linn. Gosius KurpaH. Tab. LXI. Fig. 1. A Gobius, with 7 rays in the first dorsal fin, 11 in the second, which is of similar size with the anal fin ; 19 in the pectoral, and 10 in the anal fin. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 353 Subcylindrical, long, straight, greenish-white, checquered brown, semi-diaphanous. Greatest length 7} inches. Very delicate: eyes large, prominent, on the top of the head, and approximating ; under jaw longer than upper; head flattish, wider than any part of the body : pectoral fins round, of 19 rays ; ventral fins of 6 rays, insertions of both adjoining forming a kind of hood ; first dorsal fin of 6 strong rays, rapidly sloping from the first ; second dorsal fin with 10 strong rays, nearly equal in length, excepting the first ray, which is only half the length of the others ; anal fin in size, situation, and number of rays, corresponding to the second dorsal fin, situated far from the tail-fin : tail oval, acuminate at the end, of 14 rays, independently of 5 conglomerate rays on each external edge. The whole of the rays of the fins, with the exception of those of the ventral, are barred with transverse red-brown bars, which in the tail-fin are confined to the membrane between the rays. Lateral line not discoverable: scales imbricate. Fish not bony, and excellent eating. In an examination of a Kurpah 7} inches long (its largest size) I found the ventral fins united at both extremities, and arranged in a circle on the thorax. The dorsal fins were distinct, but instead of the first fin consisting of 6 rays, it had only 5, and the second dorsal fin had 11 instead of 10 rays. A third specimen examined had 7 rays in the first dorsal fin, and 11 in the second. A fourth specimen was found exactly the same. I have experienced in other genera of fishes that the rays are not rigidly definite in number in different individuals of the same species. Found in the Beema river, at Pairgaon. The Mahratta name is ‘ Kurpah.’ This fish corresponds very closely in its outline to Dr. Hamilton’s drawing of the Gobius giurus, and in its general description ; but, independently of discrepancies in the number of the rays of the fins, all the rays of the second dorsal and anal fins of Dr. Hamilton’s fish are divided, whereas in the Kurpah they are strong undivided prickles. The first dorsal fin also differs in form. The red-brown bars are also wanting in the Gobius giwrus, and it has a marked lateral line. This Gobius has also a general resem- blance to Nos..51 and 53 of ‘ Russell’s Fishes’ Koku and Bullee Kokah, but the number of rays and the markings are not the same. Ord. Matacoprerycir ABDOMINALES. Fam. Cyprinip&. Genus Cyprinus, Linn, Cyprinus ABRAMIOIDES. Tab. LXI. Fig. 2. A Cyprinus, with 20 rays in the dorsal, 8 in the anal, and 18 in the pectoral fins; without tendrils; with tuberculated nose ; red-edged fins; and with a red lunule on each scale. This is a very large, fleshy, deep fish, somewhat compressed on the sides: the back is ridged, and the belly rounded. Scales large, of a silvery flesh-colour, and each marked with a red lunule, the edges of all the fins being tinged with bright copper-colour : back 3A 2 354 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE much arched: belly nearly as much so: head obtuse-conic. Lateral line in the centre of the body, running straight from the eye to the fork of the tail. Dorsal fin of 20 strong rays, the first two undivided, sloping rapidly ; pectoral fins of 18 rays, sharp ; ventral fins nearly triangular, of 9 rays, situated a little behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, including an anterior double ray, sloping rapidly behind : tail deeply forked, of 19 rays, besides three minute rays outside each longest ray ; lobes very sharp, but the line between them sublunulate. Fish described, 21 inches long by 7 inches high ; width 23 inches. Nose or upper lip with minute tubercles: flesh firm, sweet, and agreeable: bones numerous, but sufficiently large not to be troublesome. The fish is highly esteemed, and to me appears the most valuable of the Carps in India. The outline of the body of this fine fish, which is called ‘ Tambra’ from the general prevalence of a copper colour in it, is exactly that of the European Bream (Cyprinus Brama), supposing the anal and the dorsal fins changing places. In 86 species of Cyprinus described by Dr. Hamilton, there are only two which, from the composition of their fins, will admit of the Tambra being compared with them—the Cyprinus Nandina and the Cyprinus Nancar; but the former has 26 rays in the dorsal fin, fringed lips, 4 tendrils, and a smooth nose, and must therefore be set aside. The latter has in every fin precisely the same number of rays as in the Tambra, and corre- sponds in form, but it has 4 tendrils, no tubercles, and its lateral line and colour are quite different. The Tambra has certainly a close affinity to the Cyprinus Gibellio of Bloch, and, like it, wants the tendrils ; but its tuberculated nose, greater size, and re- markable colour, sufficiently distinguish it. Cyprinus Porain. A Cyprinus proper, deep and fleshy ; slightly compressed ; without tendrils ; with the dorsal fin of 13 rays, pectoral of 14, and anal of 9. _ Avery deep, high-backed, fleshy fish, compressed but slightly. Scales large and silvery: dorsal fin on the highest part of the back, and having 13 rays, including the first treble ray ; pectoral fins of 14 rays ; ventral fins of 10 rays, including a very minute bony ray in front of the longest ray: vent far back: anal fin of 9 rays, including the first treble ray : tail forked, of 19 rays, besides 4 or 5 rays outside each longest ray. Length of the fish described, 10 inches ; height, 3} inches; width, 1} inch. Brought from Nursewpoor, on the Beema river. This is a true Cyprinus agreeably to Dr. Hamilton’s subgeneric distinctions, but the number and arrangement of the rays in its different fins will not admit of its being iden- tified with any of the species described by him. Found in the Beema river, near Taimboornee. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 355 Cyprinus Nuxta. A Cyprinus, with two tendrils on the under jaw, and with two short horns or bosses on the space between the eyes, which, together with the reflected upper lip, are tuberculated ; large scales. I have mislaid my notes of the number of rays in the fins of this fish, but it is too remarkable, from the character of its head, to be mistaken for any other species of Cyprinus ; and as I have drawings of two individuals of the same species, I am enabled to give a sufficient description of it. The natives call it ‘ Nukta,’ from the two knobs or short horns on the nose, between the eyes. I have met with it but at Mahloongeh, 18 miles north of Poona: brought from the Inderanee river. Body subcylindrical and elongated, but higher at the shoulders than in any other part. Of a rich brown colour, softening towards the belly, with a golden reflection, and each scale furnished with a carmine lunule. It does not exceed the length of 5 or 6 inches. Head abrupt ; upper lip reflected ; chin supplied with two short fleshy feelers ; gill-covers rounded ; the space between the eyes furnished with two short horns or bosses, which, together with the upper lip, are tuberculated ; eyes circular, high up; irides reddish. Dorsal fin before the centre ; ventral a little behind a perpendicular from the last dorsal ray ; pectoral fins very low down: tail two-lobed; lobes sharpish. Both Mr. Ritppell and Mr. Yarrell, who have done me the favour to look over my fishes, express their belief that the present fish is only a monstrosity of C. auratus, but it is worthy of notice, from its peculiarities. In the domesticated state we meet with these deviations from nature, but where man does not interfere I had thought them rare, and yet in the Dukhun I found them so common as to have a specific native name. Genus Varicoruinus, Ritppell. VaricoruInus Bosree. Tab. LXI. Fig. 3. A Varicorhinus, with tuberculated nose ; without tendrils ; with 17 rays in the dorsal, and 8 in the anal fin; with the form of a tench. An erect tench-like fish, attaining a foot in length. Pectoral fins of 16 rays; dorsal fin of 17 rays, including the first double dorsal ray ; ventral fins of 9 rays ; anal fin of 8 rays, including minute rays before the longest ray: tail forked, of 19 rays, exclusive of 6 outer minute rays: scales rounded, darkish on the back, softening to silvery towards the belly, with a gloss of greenish-gold ; and some of the scales on the centre of the body have a carmine spot. Length of the fish described, 6 inches; height before the dorsal fin, 1;%ths. Head conic; nose tuberculated ; head and gill-covers of a brown chestnut colour ; gill-plates rounded ; eyes far back, circular; pupils surrounded by a yellow and carmine ring ; nostrils near the lips: ventral fins situated a little behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray. The lateral line is a little below the centre, bent slightly, with the concave side uppermost. Fish full of minute bones, but very 356 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE sweet. This species has quite the outline of the Tench, the arch of the back being greater than that of the belly. ‘The Bobree also has the outline, including the fins, of the C. Catla figured by Dr. Hamilton. The discrepancies are in the Catla having one ray more in the dorsal fin, in its nose not being tuberculated, in a larger head, in the scales being marked with vertical lines of dots, and being large, and in its greater size; but all these differences may be dependent on age or locality. In Riippell’s ‘ Fishes of the Nile’ there is a figure of a species of his genus Varico- rhinus (Tab. TIL. fig. 2.). Cuvier classes the Cyprinus Catla of Buchanan Hamilton, to which the Bobree is so nearly allied, with the division of the gold and silver Carps ; but it is a question whether it is not a real Labeo of Cuvier, with long dorsal, no spines or cirri, and thick fleshy lips, frequently crenated. Genus Barsus, Cuv. Barsus Mussurau. Tab. LXI. Fig. 4. A Barbus, with 12 rays in the dorsal, 8 in the anal, and 16 in the pectoral fins; with the mouth furnished with 4 very short cirri; and tuberculated nose ; sometimes 3 feet and more long, and a foot high, and weighing 42 pounds. Pectoral fins of 16 rays; ventral of 9 rays; dorsal fin of 12 rays, including the first double ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, including the first double ray: tail forked, of 24 rays, including the short rays at each exterior side of the insertion of the tail: a remark- able projecting prominence between the upper lip and nostrils, giving to the fish the appearance of being Roman-nosed: the eyes are situated far back, and between the eyes and the corners of the mouth there are a number of circular, rough, prominent papille, but these are not constant: corners of the mouth furnished with a short feeler, and the base of the nasal prominence, near the tip, also furnished with one on each side: dorsal fin in the centre of the back, on a prominence which slopes sud- denly behind; ventral fins on the centre of the belly, on a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray : tail suddenly narrows below, after the anal fin ; anal fin with the poste- rior angle bluntly rounded off. The lateral line is slightly arched at the shoulder, then falls, and runs straight to the anal fin; over this it rises a little, and then runs straight to the centre of the fork of the tail. The whole of the upper parts of the fish are covered with large, coarse, silvery scales, having blue and red reflections, and on the under parts a yellow tinge prevails; it is very bony, and its length, to the end of the fork of the tail, is 12 inches, and height, 3 inches; but its greatest growth is 5 feet. When small this species resembles the Kolus, but in the latter, the colour is more red- dish-silvery: the fins are reddish, and the Mussullah is a much coarser, and infinitely larger fish A male brought to me at Seroor, from the Goreh river, measured in length 3 feet 4 inches, and in height 1 foot, and weighed nearly 42 Ibs. avoirdupois. The flesh al Ni i FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 357 wanted flavour. The Mussullah differs from the Mosal of Dr. Hamilton, in having 1 ray less in the dorsal and pectoral fins, and in the first-rays of these fins being double instead of quadruple ; in the latter respect, and indeed in many others, resembling the C. Putitora: it also differs in having the nose and upper lip tuberculated, and in colour. The prominence on the nose is also marked. Russell describes three Barbels, calling them Cyprini, but none of them are identical with the present fish. Barsus Kuuprer. A Barbus, with 4 cirri; blood-stained fins ; large hexagonal scales ; elongated body ; and with 14 rays in the dorsal, 14 in the pectoral, and 7 in the anal fins. Dorsal fin of from 10 to 12 rays; first long ray a thick strong bone, with 3 very short bones before it ; the whole four compact: pectoral fins of 12 perfect rays, and 2 in- complete rays ; ventral fins of 9 rays ; anal fin of 7 rays: tail forked, of 18 rays, besides 4 short rays outside the longest rays: scales large, hexagonal, and of a silvery bluish- green colour : mouth furnished with 4 short feelers : anal, ventral and pectoral fins tipped with blood-colour. Lateral line concave, below the centre, and corresponding to the arch of the belly: the scales along the lateral line emarginate. Length, 10 inches; height, 23 inches ; greatest length, a foot and a half; weight, from half to three-quarters of aseer. This fish has a considerable resemblance in form, size, and habits, to the Cyprinus Mrigala of Dr. Hamilton ; but its blood-stained fins, 4 feelers, and the discre- pancies in the number of its fin-rays, sufficiently distinguish it. It is sweet and agree- able food. The same fish, under varied circumstances of age, has the fins tipped with bluish instead of red. Found in the Mota Mola river, 8 miles east of Poona. Barsus Kouvs. Tab. LXIL. Fig. 1. A Barbus, with 13 rays in the dorsal fin, § in the anal, and 10 in the ventral; with moderate-sized scales ; with callous tubercles on the head, and a short cirrus at each corner of the mouth. Dorsal fin of 13 rays, including the first treble ray ; pectoral fins of 14 perfect and 2 imperfect rays; ventral fins of 10 rays; anal fin of 8 rays, including the first double ray : tail forked, of 19 rays, besides four external minute rays beyond each of the longest rays : scales small, silver-grey : snout with minute white tubercles. Length, 11 inches ; height 3$; grows to the length of 18 inches, and weight of 14 seer. Ventrals barely behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray. Fish subcylindrical, slightly com- pressed, fleshy : arch of the back and belly similar : posterior angle of anal fin rounded off. Lateral line sinks a little from the middle of the gills to the end of the ventral fins ; thence it rises a little, and afterwards continues straight to the tail. A scaly appendage above the base of each ventral fin : back reddish silver-grey : corners of the mouth fur- nished with a short feeler. This fish resembles the Mussullah much in form, but the 358 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE latter is a larger and coarser fish, and bluer in colour. Very bony, but sweet. Differs slightly from the Cyprinus Curmuca of Hamilton, in having 2 rays in the dorsal and 1 in the ventral more, and in the scaly appendage to the ventral fins. Found in the Mota Mola river, 8 miles east of Poona. We have in this fish another proof of the extreme difficulty of making generic cha- racters rigidly embrace all the species of a genus. The Barbels have four cirri; it ought not, therefore, to be a Barbel. But the species of the next genus, Gobio, are without cirri and without spines, whilst the present species has two cirri and a spine in the dorsal ; it cannot, therefore, be a Gobio ; and as its chief characteristics are rather those of Barbus than Gobio, I have classed it accordingly. However, Cuvier, in the ‘ Régne Animal,’ considers the Cyprinus Curmuca of Buchanan Hamilton as a Gobio or Gugeon. Genus Cuonprostoma, Agassiz. The first division of the genus Leuciscus of Klein. Dorsal fin in the centre of the back. Cuonprostoma Kawrvs. Tab. LXII. Fig. 2. A Chondrostoma, without lateral line, tubercles, or cirri: with 12 rays in the dorsal, 8 in the anal, and 16 in the pectoral fins. A subcylindrical fish, with a narrow profile and lance-shaped head : back of a reddish- green grey, silvery below. Fins with the extremity of the rays tinted reddish ; dorsal fin of 12 rays, situated in the centre of the back, but two rays undivided ; pectoral fins of 16 rays ; ventral fins of 9 rays, situated on a perpendicular let fall from the centre of the dorsal fin ; anal fin of 8 rays, including one short ray before the longest ray. ‘Tail forked, of 19 rays, exclusive of 4 rays on each side of the longest ray ; lobes of the tail sharp and equal ; lateral line very rare, and when occurring obscure. Length 6 inches (grows to a foot) ; height 1;4>ths. This fish has precisely the same number of rays in all its fins as the Cyprinus Angra of Dr. Hamilton, but it is abundantly distinct not only in its colour and in the absence of a dotted stripe, but more particularly in the want of a lateral line, which is of more importance than the difference of a ray or two in the fins. The Kawrus belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s ‘‘ Morulius”’ division of the Cypri- nus family, and it has a close affinity to his Cyprinus Muszha, but it is not identical with it. It has much the figure of the European Barbel, or rather of the Salmo fasciatus. Found in the Beema river, at Seedataik. CHONDROSTOMA FULUNGEE. A Chondrostoma, with dorsal fin of 10 rays, anal 6, and pectoral of 10; of an elongated, and not much compressed shape. Pectoral fins small, of 10 rays, situated close to the gills ; ventral fins small, of 8 rays, situated in the middle of the abdomen ; anal fin of 6 rays, an inch from the caudal fin ; FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 359 caudal fin of 20 rays, in two divisions; dorsal fin on the centre of the back, of 10 strong rays. General form of the fish salmon-like : scales large, silvery : gills without bony rays : length about a foot ; height nearly 4 inches. Bones somewhat numerous, of several prongs at each end, easily separating from the flesh: flesh remarkably sweet and firm. The Fulungee, which bears the same name as the fish closely allied to the Cyprinus Bacaila, would be referred to Dr. Hamilton’s third subgenus of Cyprinus “* Bangana,” but it is not to be identified with any of the species, although in outline it has a close resemblance to the figure of Cyprinus Mrigala, and has other general points of resemblance. In 86 species described by Dr. Hamilton, only one, like the Fulungee, has an anal fin with 6 rays (C. Puntio), but the resemblance ceases here ; nor does the Fulungee belong to the sub-genus Puntio. Cuonprostoma Boeeur. A Chondrostoma, without tendrils or tubercles on the nose; with 12 rays in the dorsal, 15 in the pectoral, and 8 in the anal fin ; body of an elongated form. Pectoral fins small, of 15 rays, sharp, situated low; ventral fins of 9 rays, small, situated on a perpendicular let fall from the centre of the dorsal fin ; anal fin of 8 rays, including the first two undivided rays, first ray short ; caudal fin of 19 rays, in 2 lobes, lobes sharp ; dorsal fin of 11 rays, besides one short ray in front of the longest, two first rays osseous and undivided. Fish elongated; from 7 to 11 inches long; 13ths to 2 inches high. Scales hexagonal, silvery, reflecting gold and purple, each with a mar- ginal line of very minute dots. Lateral line in the centre, straight : arches of the back and belly very low, that of the back somewhat more convex than that of the belly: eyes large, high up ; trides broad, silvery: nostrils double, seated near the eyes. Fish very bony: flesh dry, somewhat insipid. This fish has much the aspect of the Cyprinus Orfus ; possibly it is a little less deep. The Boggut belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s third division, or sub-genus ‘ Bangana’ of the Carp family, but differs, in having 2 rays less in the pectoral fins, from the Cyprinus Cata, and in the scales having strie. The Boggut has much the aspect also of the Cyprinus boga of Dr. Hamilton’s drawings. In some parts of the country it is called ‘ Kolees.’ Cuonpvrostoma Muttya. Tab. LXII. Fig. 3. A Chondrostoma, with a short obtuse head, without tubercles or tendrils; sub-cylindrical body, with 11 rays in the dorsal, 14 to 16 in the pectoral, and 8 in the anal fins. Fish sub-cylindrical: head very short, obtuse; upper lip projecting far over the mouth ; mouth small ; a red process or protuberance on the snout, between the nostrils ; a reddish transverse process on the upper lip. Dorsal fin situate a little before the centre of the fish, of 11 rays, including the first double ray, its edge concave ; pectoral fins ef 16 rays, situated very low, longest rays in the centre; ventral fins of 9 rays, VOL. II.—PART V. 3B 360 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE situated a little behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, in- cluding first double ray. Tail barely two-lobed, the line between the points being concave, of 19 rays, besides minute rays outside the longest rays ; lateral line above the centre, straight. This fish does not exceed the length of 5 or 6 inches, and is 13 to 2 inches in diameter. There are some few handsome spots of carmine about the head, and the eye has a narrow, bright orange iris. The general colour is dark olive, with a play of faint red and copperas-green sometimes on the scales: the fins have a faint orange tint at their extremities: fish firm, sweet, but bony. Found in the Beema river, at Downde. In 86 species of Cyprinus described by Dr. Hamilton there is not one corresponding to the Mullya, in the arrangement of the rays of the fins ; I am constrained, therefore, to consider it a new species. The Mullya approaches a good deal in figure to the Dace of Europe. Cuonprostoma WATTANAH. Tab. LXII. Fig. 4. A Chondrostoma of an elongated form, without tubercles or tendrils, with the dorsal fin high, and having 11] rays; 9 or 10 rays in the ventral, and 8 in the anal fin; and of a sub-cylindrical body. Length 44 inches ; height 3ths of an inch. A long sub-cylindrical fish : reddish-brown on the back, softening to silvery under the belly : head not obtuse ; eyes far back, circular ; irides silvery. Dorsal fin on the centre of the back, of 11 rays, first ray undivided, large and high for the size of the fish ; pec- toral fins of 14 or 15 rays, sharp ; ventral fins of 9 or 10 rays, situated a little behind a perpendicular dropped from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 8 rays. Tail forked, of 19 or 20 rays, besides 6 short rays outside the longest rays. Lobes sharp, but small, there being some depth of tail-fin previous to the divarication. Lateral line straight, in the centre of the fish. Length of the fish 4} inches ; height {ths of an inch; does not grow larger. Found in the Beema river, near Pairgaon. This fish has quite the figure and aspect of the Dace of Europe. The Wattanah be- longs to Dr. Hamilton’s ninth, or ‘ Garra’ division of the genus Cyprinus, but there is not any species with which it can be identified. Genus Cuexa, Buchanan Hamilton. A sub-genus of Leuciscus, with the dorsal fin very far behind over the anal; straight back, and nose on the level of the line of the back. \ Cueta BALooKEE. A Chela, of the size of a Minnow : back straight ; body elongated ; dorsal fin situated far back, and having 8 rays, 14 rays in the anal, and 12 in the pectoral fins. Size and form of a Minnow : general colour silvery: pectoral fins of 12 rays ; dorsal fin of 8 rays, situated where a second dorsal fin is usually found ; anal fin of 14 rays: FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 361 tail forked, of more than 24 rays, including outer rays : ventral fins of 9 rays, situated on the centre of the belly: point of nose forming a continuation of the line of the back : length, 3 inches. Fish very sweet eating, bones and all, and it is usually served at breakfast, fried; the fishes (ten or a dozen) being arranged laterally, with a silver skewer run through them. Common in all the rivers. The Balookee belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s first division of the genus Cyprinus, having an affinity to the Clupanodons, but it is not to be identified with any of the species described by him. Cuerta Owent. Tab. LXIII. Fig. 1. A Chela, with straight back, elongated and vertically compressed body; dorsal fin situated far back, with 11 rays, 12 in the pectoral, and 19 in the anal fins ; with scales so minute as to be scarcely discoverable. Length 5 inches; greatest size 7 inches, A straight, elongated, much compressed fish: the line of the back being straight, and the snout on a continuation of the same line: the belly arched: top of the head flat, the lower part curving upward from below. The back is of a very light olive-grey : the abdomen shining silvery : pectoral fins of 12 rays, very sharp ; dorsal fin of 11 rays, situated very far back near the tail, edge rapidly sloping ; ventral fins of 9 rays each, situated a little behind the centre of the fish ; anal fin of 19 rays, including three minute rays before the first longest ray: tail forked, of 19 rays, besides 6 small rays outside the longest rays. One lateral line, and this is quite straight, and situated a little above the centre. Length to the end of the rays of the tail 5 inches ; depth 8ths of an inch : does not grow larger than 7 inches: scales barely discoverable. This fish belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s ‘ Chela,’ or first division of the genus Cyprinus, and has quite the out- line of the Cyprinus bacaila ; but its want of a double lateral line, of scale-like appen- dages about the ventral and pectoral fins, and its having 2 rays more in the dorsal, and 2 in the anal fins, disable me from considering them identical. Found in most of the rivers in Dukhun. Russell’s figure (199) is a species of this sub-genus, and Russell supposes his fish to be the Clupea Dorab of Forskal (No. 108). Cyprinus Cultratus of Bloch would appear to be the type of the sub-genus, I have dedicated this fish to my friend Mr. Owen, the distinguished naturalist. Cuexa Jorau. A Chela, with straight back, convex belly, dorsal fin far behind; size of a large Minnow ; with 10 rays in the dorsal, 12 in the pectoral, and 8 rays in the anal fin. A somewhat compressed fish : straightish back, convex belly: size of a large Min- now: back dark, with a purplish shade softening into silver down the sides and abdo- men: dorsal fin of 10 rays, situated far back ; pectoral fins of 12 rays ; ventral fins of 3B2 362 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE 8 rays, situated behind the centre of the fish ; anal fin of 1] rays: tail forked, of 18 rays, besides outer short rays: length about 4 inches ; height, j'5ths of an inch: good eating. This fish belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s first sub-genus of Cyprinus, ‘ Chela,’ as far as the situation of the back-fin and elongated compressed form is concerned, but it is not described by him. Found abundantly in the Beema river, near Pairgaon. Curia TEEKANEE. A small Chela, with nearly straight back ; snout on the continuation of the line of the back; belly arched ; with 10 rays in the dorsal, 12 in the pectoral, and 14 in the anal fins. A compressed fish: back very slightly arched: snout nearly in a continuation of the same line : body deep: belly convex : dorsal fin situated far back, of 10 rays, large for the size of the fish ; pectoral fins of 12 rays ; ventral fins of 9 rays, situated in front of a perpendicular let fall from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 14 rays: tail forked, of 18 rays, besides external minute rays. Colour on the back light reddish-brown, softening into silver. Length, 2} inches; depth, }ths of aninch. Found in the Beema river, at Pairgaon. This fish also belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s sub-genus ‘ Chela,’ for the reasons assigned with respect to the Jorah ; but it is not described by Dr. Hamilton. Cueta ALKOOTEE. An elongated, silver-white, slightly compressed, minute Chela, with the dorsal fin of about 8 rays, very far back; ventral of about 7, and anal of about 10 rays, with burnished silver gill-covers and black orbits. Although rarely more than an inch long and not much thicker than a good-sized crow-quill, this fish is very beautiful, and is sweet eating. The sides are slightly com- pressed : the back and belly rounded : back straight : the gill-covers quite smooth, and of a polished silver : pupils black ; a black circle surrounds the eyes, and there is a patch of faint yellow on the forehead : all the rest of the fish is of a silver-white colour, and the body is semi-diaphanous. The rays are all so delicate that it is only with a microscope they can be counted, and then not with absolute certainty. Dorsal fin of about 8 rays, situated near to the tail, first ray half as long as the second ; ventral fins a little behind the centre of the fish, of about 7 rays; anal fin of about 10 rays, first ray half as short as the second, situated on a perpendicular from the dorsal fin ; pectoral fins longer than the head, very sharp, situated low, of about 10 rays. Lobes of the tail sharp, lowest the longest : lateral line quite straight : scales excessively minute. Genus Leuciscus, Klein. First division. The dorsal situated a little behind the centre of the back, above the space between the ventral and anal fins. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 363 Leuciscus Morar. Cyprinus Morar, Buchanan Hamilton. A Leuciscus allied to Chela, but with the dorsal fin a little behind the centre of the back, with 8 rays in each ventral fin, 12 in the anal, and 10 in the dorsal, and with the edge of the belly smooth. Head and back on the same line : thickish, fleshy fish, somewhat compressed, reddish- grey on the back, softening into silvery below: edges of the scales so raised as to give the fish a reticulated appearance : outline of the fish nearly that of a Smelt. Dorsal fin situated a little behind the centre of the back, of 10 rays, including the first double ray; pectoral fins of 14 rays ; ventral fins of 8 rays, situated a little before a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 12 rays, including the first double ray : tail forked, of 19 rays, besides 8 minute rays outside the longest rays: length 4% inches ; depth 1445 inch. With the exception of a single ray less in the pectoral fins, the Amlee has precisely the number of rays of the C. Morar of Dr. Hamilton ; the situation of the fins and the size and form of the fish correspond with sufficient exactness ; and although there are some discrepancies with respect to colour, and one or two other matters, I conceive myself justified in considering them identical. Leuciscus SANDKHOL. A Leuciscus, with nearly cylindrical body ; dorsal fin of 12 rays, pectoral of 14, and ventral of 10 rays. Long sub-cylindrical fish : gibbous head: olive on the back; silvery on the belly: dorsal fin of 12 rays, a little before the centre of the fish ; pectoral fins of 14 rays ; ven- tral of 10 rays, situated on a perpendicular from third dorsal ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, including 1 double ray: tail forked, of 19 rays, besides minute outer rays. 8 to 10 inches long, by 1} to 2 inches high. Bony : eyes with whitish narrow irides. Found in the Goreh river at Kullumb. Levciscus Cuirut. A Leuciscus, with 14 rays in the dorsal, 14 in the pectoral, and 8 in the anal fins ; of a reddish-grey colour, and rounded head. Small sub-cylindrical fish : 5 inches long ; height 1} inch: tail deeply forked : dorsal fin of 14 rays; pectoral fins of 14 rays (possibly 15) ; ventral fins of 9 rays, situated on a perpendicular from the centre of the dorsal fin ; anal fin of 8 fleshy rays: tail of 19 rays, besides small rays outside, tinged with reddish. General colour of the fish reddish- grey. Head rounded. Found in the Inderanee river, near Chakun. It being found impracticable to arrange, in any of the sub-genera described, the fol- lowing fishes of the Carp family, it is proposed to place them in a new sub-genus, which I will call by the native Mahratta name of ‘ Rohtee.’ 364 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE RouTEE, nov. genus. Carps, with a lozenge-shaped body, rather long dorsal and anal fins, the former seated on the angle of the back, with the first complete ray serrated posteriorly ; scales minute. Rouree Oaireit. Tab. LXIII. Fig. 2. A Rohtee, with 12 rays in the dorsal, 9 in the ventral, and 17 in the anal fins; the body very compressed, and very high, with the back sloping to each end from the centre. An erect, compressed, deep fish: lance-headed : reddish-purplish silvery on the back, softening into silvery below: back angular : dorsal fin situated on the angle, of 10 rays, besides 2 rays before the longest ray ; first long ray a strong bone, serrated posteriorly ; pectoral fins of 15 rays ; ventral fins of 9 rays, situated on a perpendicular let fall from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 15 rays, besides 2 before the longest ray: tail forked ; lobes sharp, but not deep, of 19 rays, besides 8 minute rays on the outside of the longest rays. Eyes very large: head short ; mouth descending obliquely. Lateral line arched near the shoulders, thence straight to the tail. Scales not large; uniform over the body. Length, 43 inches; height, 1} inch. Fish bony. Found abundantly in the Beema river, near Pairgaon. The Rohtee has the appearance of Clupanodon Chanpole of Dr. Hamilton ; also of Cyprinus devario in the outline of the body ; and were it proper to consider it a Cyprinus, which its armed back-fin renders impossible, it would be placed in Dr. Hamilton’s eighth sub-genus ‘ Cabdio.’ I have named this fish after my friend Mr. Ogilby, whose contributions to natural history are so well known. Rountree Vicorsil. Tab. LXIII. Fig. 3. A Rohtee, with armed dorsal fin of 11 rays, ventral of 10, and anal of 28 rays; compressed body; high in the middle, and sloping to each end. A compressed, lance-head-form silvery fish, with the snout turned up: upper line of the head straight, lower curved upwards from below: greyish light green on the back, white on the abdomen: dorsal fin of 11 rays, including the first ray, which is bony and double, and the second ray long-toothed posteriorly ; pectoral fins, including minute rays, 16 ; ventral fins of 10 rays, and anal fin of 28 rays, including 2 minute rays before the first long ray: tail deeply forked, of 27 rays, including 4 on the outer side of each longest ray: ventral fins in advance of a perpendicular dropped from the dorsal fin : line of the dorsal and anal fins concave : lobes of the tail long and very sharp: dorsal fin situated on the top of a keeled process from the back. Scales very minute, roundish, quite transparent, and becoming invisible on the abdomen: back angular: eyes very FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 365 large, and high up. Length, 6 inches ; depth, 1;%ths inch: extreme length, 8 inches, Found abundantly in the Beema river, at Pairgaon. The native name is ‘ Phenk.’ I have dedicated this fish to my friend Mr. Vigors, the distinguished naturalist. Routes Paneut. A Rohtee, of a compressed and deep form, with an angular back, and having 12 rays in the dorsal, 14 or 15 in the pectoral, and 8 in the anal fins, and with the first 3 or 4 rays of the dorsal fin black at their tips. An erect and somewhat compressed fish : line of the back somewhat angular : dorsal fin situated at the angle: scales rather large: dorsal fin of 12 rays, including the first double ray ; pectoral of 14 rays, possibly 15; ventral of 9 rays, situated a little behind a per- pendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, including the first double ray : tail forked, of 19 rays, besides minute rays on the outer side of the longest rays : back and head yellowish-brown ; silvery towards the abdomen. Brought from the Beema river, at Nursewpoor. Length 5 inches ; height 17; width 3%ths of an inch. First 3 or 4 rays of the dorsal fin black at the tips. I found the same name for the Pangut at Chakun, brought from the Baum river. The Pangut belongs to Dr. Hamilton’s eighth sub-genus (‘ Cabdio’) of Cyprinus, and has the outline of body of Cyprinus Cotio, but the size of the fins render it otherwise quite distinct, and there is not any other fish of this sub-order with which it can be identified. Router Ticto. Cyprinus Ticto of Buchanan Hamilton. A Roktee, 1} inch long, with 4 to 6 black Spots on the body; the second ray of the dorsal toothed behind with sharp incuryed teeth; with 10 rays in the dorsal, 8 in the anal, and 8 in the ventral fins. A very beautiful little fish, with a gloss of golden green along the back, and with a lake-silver gloss along the sides and belly, with from 4 to 6 black spots on the body, made up of minute dots; one small spot above each pectoral fin, one larger one is situated on the tail, above the last anal fin ray, and one minute spot, sometimes want- ing, near the base of the first dorsal ray. It has the shape of a Sprat, very rarely ex- ceeds 14 inch in length, and most commonly does not approach an inch. Dorsal fin situated on a ridge on the centre of the back, and consisting of 10 rays ; the first and second undivided ; the first, half the length of the second, the second a bone sharply but minutely toothed behind ; pectoral fins of 10 or more rays, situated low down, and very narrow and sharp, the first ray being the longest ; ventral fins, situated on a per- pendicular let fall from the first dorsal ray, of 8 rays; anal fin of 8 rays, situated mid- way between the ventral fins and base of the fork of the tail; first ray half as long as the second: the tail suddenly contracts after the anal fin: tail-fins of 2 equal, sharp lobes, and composed of 18 rays, besides small rays. Lateral line very obscure, above the centre, corresponding to the arch of the back. Scales large for size of fish, marked 366 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE with numerous minute dots at their base, visible mostly with the microscope. The native name of the fish is ‘ Tipree.’ Although the Tipree differs from Dr. Hamilton’s Cyprinus Ticto, in having one ray less in the ventral and caudal fins, and one more in the anal, and mention is not made of the occasional spot at the base of the first dorsal ray, I am nevertheless satisfied they are the same from the figure of the Ticto in Dr. Hamilton’s Plates. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. Genus Cositis, Lin. Cositis RuPELLI. Tab. LXIV. Fig 1. A nearly cylindrical scaleless Cobitis, not much thicker than a large goose-quill ; from 2 to 3 inches long ; with 6 cirri; colour, including the fins, greenish-yellow, with the exception of the belly, which is white ; the lateral line marked with short brown bars, and the rays of the dorsal and anal fins similarly barred ; tail-fin cheveroned with brown. The head acuminated : eyes high up, and prominent ; irides partly golden: dorsal fin of 13 rays, including a minute ray in front of the longest ray, higher and longer than any but the tail-fin ; pectoral fins of 12 rays, the central ray the longest ; ventral fins of 8 rays, situated behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 8 rays, including the first double ray; tail-fin large, rather notched than forked, the lobes being small, of 19 rays, besides minute rays on the outer side of the longest rays. The head, although acuminated, has the snout rounded : it is unarmed, and there are small cirri at the corners of the mouth, and 4 small ones on the edge of the upper lip, the two intermediate ones being shorter than the exterior. The lateral line runs straight along the side of the fish. The native name is ‘ Mooreh.’ The Mooreh has a close affinity to the Cobitis Ciltwrio of Dr. Hamilton, but it differs in the number of its rays supporting the fins, and slightly in the arrangement of its colours. The Mooreh is a very beautiful little fish, is in great esteem for food, and is found in the Beema river, near the town of Taimbournee ; in the Mota Mola river, near Poona, and probably in most of the other rivers of Dukhun. Cositis Mooreu. A Cobitis, with the same name of ‘ Mooreh’; it differs from the preceding only in being of a smaller size, in having 12 rays in the dorsal, and 7 in the anal fin: the head is more obtusely pointed, and there are more dark blotches on it: the transverse dark marks on the body are not arranged along the lateral line and over the back, and alternating with each other: it differs, moreover, in having the tail wedge-shaped, and finally in having very minute scales. The fins have a very light orange tint. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 367 Cositis Maya. A Cobitis, with the same name of ‘ Mooreh’: it differs only from the first in having a prickle under each eye, in having a blunter head, in having but 9 rays in the dorsal fin and 7 in the ventral fins, and in the tail being wedge-shaped, and it differs, moreover, in having excessively minute scales. The above fishes resemble each other so much in aspect, that it requires minute examination to satisfy the mind of their being of different species. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. Fam. Esocipz. Genus Betone, Cuy. BeELone Grall. Tab. LXIII. Fig. 4. A Belone, with the fin of the tail rounded and emarginate ; with both jaws elongated into a quadrangular beak ; with very minute scales ; and with a dorsal of 16 rays, and anal of 16 rays. Form long, thin, and cylindrical: length 9} inches: jaws subulate, almost linear, armed with teeth, those of the upper jaw alternating with those of the lower: jaws 2 inches long: fins all very small: pectoral fins of 10 rays; ventral fins of 6 rays ; anal fin of 16 rays; dorsal, or fin above anal fin, and adjoining the tail, of 16 rays: tail 16 rays. Scales excessively delicate, small, thin and silvery: whole fish of a silvery colour ; greenish upon the back: bones few: flesh very sweet and delicate: upper jaw a very little shorter than the lower; lower jaw slightly turned up at the tip: teeth large, distant, with many minute teeth between them. Differs from Esox Cancila of Hamilton’s ‘ Gangetic Fishes,’ in having 1 ray more in the pectoral and tail-fins, and 1 ray less in the dorsal, and 2 in the anal fin, and in having minute scales. But a comparison of Dr. Hamilton’s drawing with mine proves that they are very closely allied. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. Although a freshwater fish, like its congener the Belone vulgaris of the European seas, it has its bones tinged greenish. Fam. SiLurip&£. Genus Scuise, Cuv. ScuriBE Paso; Srturus Paso, Buchanan Hamilton. A Schilbe, with the tail divided into 2 unequal lobes, both pointing downwards, with 4 cirri, 2 shorter than the head, and with from 68 to 70 rays in the anal fin. Very high at the shoulders, and gradually narrowing to the tail: fish compressed and thin: both lobes of the tail pointing downwards : head suddenly narrowing, and flatten- VOL, II. —PART V. 3C 368 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE ing from the high shoulders ; snout a little turned up, without scales; mouth wide and rounded ; jaws set with numerous minute sharp teeth : 2 cirri on the upper lip, extend- ing to the end of the pectorals, and 2 short capillary feelers on the chin: dorsal fin on the shoulders, near to the head, of 4 rays only ; very small, with the first ray ending in a thread; membrane between them quite transparent: pectoral fins of 14 to 16 rays, first ray bony, and serrated posteriorly, and ending in a whalebone-like substance ; ventral fins of 8 rays, very small, roundish, on a perpendicular from the last dorsal ray ; anal fin commencing at the ventral fin, and continuing to the tail, of from 68 to 71 rays: tail deeply forked, of from 17, to 18 rays, besides 2 or 3 minute outer rays: the jaws red: a good deal of reddishness about the head and breast, with a fine play of metallic colours: back dark silver-grey, passing into silver-white on the belly : flesh sweet, but not firm: not bony. From 12 to 15 inches long, by 25 to 3 inches high. In different parts of the country it is known by the name of ‘ Googul,’ ‘ Googlee,’ and ‘ Purwa.’ Although the Googul has 1 ray in the dorsal, 2 in the pectoral, 2 in the ventral, and 2 in the anal fins, less than in the Silurus Pabo of Dr. Hamilton, from his drawing I am satisfied the two fish are identical. This fish is frequently confounded by fishermen in the different parts of the country with the Googlee, an Hypophthalmus. Scuritse Boatis; Srrurus Boaris, Buchanan Hamilton. Tab. LXIV. Fig. 2. A Schilbe, with the fin of the tail divided into 2 unequal lobes; with 4 cirri, of which 2 extend to the middle of the fish; all the fins unarmed; dorsal of 5 rays, pectoral of 15; ventral fins very small, of 9 rays; anal fin of 84 rays. : This fish has the head broad and flat, with the tail cleft, and composed of 18 rays, one segment in the line of the body, the other striking downwards : both lobes small : no scales: breast has a broad reticulated appearance: upper jaw with 2 tentacule, 6 inches in length ; lower jaw with 2 cirri 3ths of an inch long: the back has a bluish silvery appearance: belly white. Attains the length of 3 feet, and weight of 4 seers. Differs only from the Silurus Boalis of Dr. Hamilton in having | ray less in the ventral and 2 in the anal fins. Flesh esteemed by the natives, but not pleasant to the European palate. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Kowree, near Poona. Its Mahratta names are ‘ Purram’ and ‘ Worshoorah.’ This is probably No. 165 of Russell’s fishes, called ‘ Wallagoo.’ In wanting the second dorsal fin this fish resembles the well-known Silurus glanis of Europe ; but its vertically compressed body, independently of other differences, separate it from the genus Stlurus ; and yet, asit wants the serrated prickle in the dorsal, it is rather a Silurus than a Schilbe, particularly as it has only 4 instead of 8 cirri; but the number of cirri is cer- tainly not a generic character. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 369 Genus HyrorpHTHALMUS. Spix, in his Brazilian fishes, has separated this genus from the multitudinous Pime- lodi: its chief characteristics are the form of the head and shoulders, the length of the anal fin, and the extreme smallness of the second adipose dorsal, and the situation or the eyes ; but it approximates so closely to Cuvier’s genus Schilbe, that the necessity for its separation may be doubted. HyrorputTHaLMus GOONGWAREE. Tab. LXIV. Fig. 3. An Hypophthalmus, with 8 cirri, all longer than the head, but not extending to the middle of the fish ; with 7 rays in the dorsal, and 52 in the anal fin. Pectoral fins of 10 rays ; first dorsal fin of 7 rays, and situated on the shoulders ; the first ray in the pectoral and first dorsal fins is a posteriorly serrated spine ; second dorsal fin very minute and fleshy, standing at an angle of 45°, small at its insertion, widening at its extremity. Ventral fins of 6 rays; very small: anal fin of 52 rays, and extending from the vent to the tail: tail deeply forked, of 18 rays; lobes large and sharp: vent before the middle: mouth furnished with small teeth, and with 8 cirri or feelers, 4 on the under jaw and 4 on the upper, all longer than the head, but none reaching to the middle of the fish : head depressed: body very much compressed, elongated, without scales, of a silvery hue, greenish along the back : eyes large, situated very low down, and near to the mouth; dull. Lateral line straight from the snout to the fork of the tail. Greatest size 28 inches long. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. Mahratta names ‘ Googlee’ and ‘ Goongwaree.’ The Googlee has so much the aspect of the Pimelodus Vacha of Dr. Hamilton’s draw- ing, that I would consider them identical, but that the pectoral fins have 6 rays less, and the anal 2 more; the posterior edge of the dorsal fin leans backward, and the posterior edges of the tail-fin are straight, and the fish is without dots of any kind. In other re- spects the two fishes correspond. Russell has not any of his St/wride resembling the Googlee. This fish has the high shoulder and other characters of Schilbe, but having a second dorsal fin, it belongs to the genus Hypophthalmus of Spix ; but it may be well doubted whether so slight a variation constitutes a generic difference. Cuvier has not made the distinction. Vide Spix (Pl. IX. and XVII). HyporaTHALMuS TAAKREE. Tab. LXIV. Fig. 4. An Hypophthalmus, with § cirri, 2 of which reach to the ventral fins ; 2 very minute cirri near the nostrils, and 4 on the chin, nearly as long as the head; with the first dorsal and pectoral rays serrated on the posterior edge, and with 8 rays in the dorsal and 50 in the anal fin. 3c 2 370 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE An elongated, compressed fish : head flat: eyes so much on the edge or side of the head as to be seen in half their diameter from below: dorsal fin of 8 rays, first ray a double bone serrated behind, situated near the shoulders ; second dorsal fin a spatulate membrane ; pectoral fins of 12 rays, first ray a strong bone, sharply toothed on the posterior edge ; ventral fins of 6 rays, situated a little behind a perpendicular dropped from the last ray of the first dorsal fin ; anal fin of 50 rays, not reaching to the tail : tail deeply forked, of 28 rays, including 6 small rays beyond the longest ray on the under lobe, and 5 on the outside of the longest ray on the upper lobe ; point of upper lobe as low as the line of the back, the tail being bent downwards from the end of the second dorsal and anal fins: mouth furnished with 8 ftentacule, of which the 2 smallest are situated close to the nostrils, 2 long ones (33 inches long) are placed on each side of the upper lip, reaching to the end of the ventral fins, and 4 are on the under lip, arranged two and two, and they are nearly as long as the head: the snout nearly on a line with the level of the back, which is very slightly raised: belly more arched than the back. Length of the fish 9 inches ; height 2 inches : back slate-colour, silvery on the sides and abdomen: neighbourhood of the eyes reddish. Bears some resemblance in form and colour to the Goongwaree, but grows to the size of a foot, the latter never exceeding 7 inches. Found in the Beema river, near Pairgaon. The Mahratta name is ‘ Taakree.’ Neither Hamilton nor Russell have any fish identical with the Taakree. Genus Bacrus, Cuvier. Bacrus YARRELLI. Tab. LXV. Fig. 1. A Bagrus, with the first rays of the pectoral and dorsal fins terminating in long fleshy tendrils, and ser- rated behind; with 8 cirri, two of which ave as long as the head, thick, fleshy, and being lateral elon- gations of the upper lip; other cirri very short; head broad, covered with a granulated bony plate; the fish olive-brown, marked with black blotches like a Dalmatian dog ; second dorsal fleshy, triangular. A remarkably flat and broad-headed fish : eyes very small and distant from the nose : pectoral fins of 13 rays, the outer ray a bone serrated behind, elongating into a fleshy thread ; first dorsal fin of 8 rays, the first ray a very short bone, the second a prickle, terminating in a fleshy thread, extending beyond the membrane; second dorsal fin without rays, fleshy, triangular ; ventral fins of 6 rays, situated behind a perpendicular from the last dorsal ray ; anal fin immediately below the second dorsal fin, of 12 rays: tail deeply forked, of 17 rays, besides 8 minute rays outside the largest rays, the longest rays terminating in long fleshy fibres: mouth furnished on each side with two long, fleshy, thickish feelers, which appear to be lateral elongations of the upper lip: nostrils close to the base of the labial feelers, and each having at the mouth side a small, erect, fleshy fibre: lower jaw with 4 short feelers. Colour of the fish deep olive-brown, towards the belly yellowish brown, and marked with spots like a Dalmatian dog. FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 371 Length 18 inches, but attains to a very great magnitude, and requires, when caught, to be secured with cords. The fish is remarkably ugly : keeps always to the ground : teeth isolated, sharp and strong, prickle-like ; not on tongue or palate. The Kheerd has many features in common with the Pimelodus Cagarius of Dr. Hamil- ton, but some discrepancies compel me to consider them distinct. The discrepancies are in the granulated plate of the head, in the first pectoral ray being serrated poste- riorly, in having one ray less in the anal fin, and in the spotted colour of the fish, in- stead of being marked in black blotches. Found in the Mota Mola, at Poona. In different parts of the country it is known by the names of ‘ Kheerd,’ ‘ Moolandal’ and ‘ Guwch.’ Russell has not any fish resembling the Bagrus. The Silurus ascita of Bloch (PI. XXXV. fig. 2.) approximates to the Bagrus. I have named this fish after my friend Mr. Yarrell, who is so well known to ichthyo- logists, and to whom I am happy to make my acknowledgements for his judicious advice in the arrangement of my fishes. Bacrus Lonau. A Bagrus, with 8 small cirri; flat, granulated head ; first dorsal fin of 7 rays, and pectoral of 10 rays, the first ray of which is furnished on the posterior edge with long sharp teeth; anal fin of 10 rays. Head flat ; snout round, furnished with 8 small tentacule, 2 on the upper lip, 2 on the nostrils, and 4 on the under lip: eyes small: pectoral fins of 10 rays, first ray a bone furnished on the posterior edge with long, sharp, distinct teeth ; dorsal fin of 7 rays, first ray a bone; second dorsal fin a triangular fleshy excrescence ; ventral fins of 6 rays, situated behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal fin ; anal fin of 10 rays : tail forked, of 17 rays, besides 4 minute rays outside of each longest ray. Reddish brown, maculated with blackish. Native name ‘ Lonah.’ Genus Piatystoma. Platystoma is a genus of Agassiz; in Spix and Agassiz ‘ Fishes of Brazil,’ separated from the Pimelodi. Its principal features are the flat and elongated form of the mouth and head, and the peculiarly formed body; but it approximates very closely to the genus Sorubim of Spix. Genus Piatystoma, Agassiz. PratystoMa SEENGHALA. Tab. LXV. Fig. 2. A Platystoma, with the tail-fin crescent-shaped, lobes unequal ; with 8 cirri, two of which only are longer than the head, reaching to two-thirds of the length of the fish; the first ray of the pectoral and ventral fins serrated behind. Pectoral fins of 9 rays, first ray bony and serrated on the posterior edge ; dorsal fin 372 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE of 8 rays, long, edge straight and sloping rapidly ; ventral fins situated very far back, of 6 rays, first ray bony and serrated on the posterior edge ; anal fin of 12 rays; second dorsal fin a long, thin, fleshy excrescence, terminating in a blunt point: tail crescent- shaped, approaching to forked, of 24 rays, including minute rays at the base of the longest and first ray ; upper lobe the largest. Head remarkably flat and elongated ; snout quite rounded and furnished with 8 cirri, 4 from the upper and 4 from the lower jaw; a bony plate on the head singularly marked with lines in regular forms ; eyes far removed from the mouth. Fish long, somewhat roundish : colour, along the upper surface of the body, purplish grey, softening down to silvery on the lower surface : a cho- colate spot at the posterior junction of the second dorsal fin with the body. Length 83 inches ; height 1} inch; but grows to a great size: has a silvery appearance. Flesh heating, and not brought to the tables of Europeans. Two of the feelers of the upper jaw two-thirds of the length of the fish. This fish is remarkable for having the first ray of the ventral fins, as well as that of the pectoral, serrated posteriorly, and the first dorsal spine not serrated. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. The Mahratta name is ‘ Seenghala.’ It is closely allied to the Pimelodus Olor of Hamilton. Russell has not any fish resembling it. Bloch’s Silurus fasciatus (866) has the form of the Seenghala, and it is closely allied to species of the genus Sorubim of Spix (Tab. 13, 14 and 15.). The Seen- ghala would be a Bagrus of Cuvier. Genus PHracToOcEPHALUS. Phractocephalus appears to be a very valid genus of Agassiz in the ‘ Brazilian Fishes.’ Its chief features are the armature of the head, the elongated and pointed shoulder- blade, and the doubly-serrated, flat, bone-like first ray of the pectorals. Genus Puractoceruatus, Agassiz. Prrarara of Spix. PHRACTOCEPHALUS KuTURNEE. Tab. LXV. Fig. 3. A Phractocephalus, with 6 cirri, 2 of which only are longer than the head ; the first pectoral spine serrated on both edges; the first dorsal spine on the posterior edge only ; these two spines terminating in a fila- ment; the shoulder-bone elongated into a point behind. Dorsal fin of 7 rays; pectoral of 9 rays; ventral fin small, of 7 rays; second dorsal replaced by a small adipose fin. Fish oblong, subrotund, bluish, with a golden reflection along the back, silvery towards the abdomen. Mouth furnished with 6 cirri, 2 on the upper lip (the longest reaching as far as two-thirds of the length of the pectoral prickles), 2 on the under jaw, and 2 capillary cirri issuing from the nostrils : eyes remarkable for being covered with a case in which there is only a minute oblong aperture for the sight, the greatest diameter being horizontal. Dorsal fin of 7 rays, first ray a strong bone, 17 inch long, serrated FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 273 slightly posteriorly and anteriorly, and terminating in a long flexible filament, each ray rapidly shortening from the first, and extending beyond the membrane ; pectoral fins of 9 rays, the first ray a strong compressed bone, 1} inch long, serrated anteriorly, and dentated with long, thin, sharp teeth posteriorly, and terminating in a long flexible filament ; second dorsal fin membranous, small, oblong ; ventral fins small, of 7 rays, situ- ated considerably behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 12 rays, the first half the length of the third, and thence rapidly shortening: tail forked, of 17 rays, exclusive of 7 minute rays on each side of the longest ray : greatest length 6 inches. The fish, although bony, is esteemed. Found in the Beemariver, at Pairgaon, in great numbers. This fish has so much the character of the Pimelodus viridescens drawn in Dr. Hamilton’s ‘ Fishes of the Ganges,’ that I should have considered them identical, did not the posterior and anterior serrated edges of the first pectoral and dorsal rays, and each of these rays terminating in a long filament, forbid it. It will be seen also, in a comparison of the drawings of the Kuturnee and Pimelodus gagora of Dr. Hamilton, that there is a close resemblance in their outlines; but the fishes are decidedly distinct. Russell has not any fish resembling it. The Mahratta name is ‘ Kuturnee.’ This genus of Agassiz would appear to differ from the genus Doras of Lacepéde, in wanting the armature along the lateral line. Vide also Pirarara bicolor of Spix (Tab. 6.). PHRACTOCEPHALUS ITCHKEEA. Tab. LXVII. Fig. 1. A Phractocephalus, with 8 cirri, 2 of which, from the upper lip, extend to the end of the pectoral fins, the other 2 on the nostrils, very minute, with the 4 on the chin nearly as long as the head ; with the first ray in the pectoral fins only serrated ; with 8 rays in the dorsal, and 12 in the anal fins; with a sharp pro- longation of the scapula. A very pretty, minute, subcylindrical fish, 2 inches long: colour yellowish glossy silver, inclining to greenish on the back, and silvery on the belly ; marked with dark bluish brown broad spots along the back, head, and at the base of the rays of the tail. Dorsal fin of 7 rays, outline concave, first ray a bone ; second dorsal fin an elongated, erect, transparent membrane ; pectoral fins of 10 rays, first ray a strong bone, serrated posteriorly ; ventral fins of 6 rays, situated a good deal behind a perpendicular from the first dorsal ray ; anal fin of 12 rays, outline concave: tail deeply forked, of more than 24 rays : head roundish ; snout obtuse ; eyes high, small, circular. This fish has quite the outline of the P. Tengana, figured in Dr. Hamilton’s ‘ Fishes of the Ganges,’ but 2 of its tendrils extend to the end of the pectoral fins, and the number of the rays differ in the fins; I am constrained, therefore, to consider it a new species. Found in the Beema river, near Pairgaon. This fish presents some deviations from those generic characters which it is so diffi- cult to fix in the inosculating transitions to be met without, throughout the family of the Siluride. It has the remarkable spine-like shoulder-blade of the Kuturnee and Gograh ; 374 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE and yet its first ray of the pectorals is only sawed posteriorly, and the first ray of the dorsals not serrated at all. The Mahratta name is ‘ Itchkeea.’ PHRACTOCEPHALUS GoGRA, Tab. LXVI. Fig. 1. A Phractocephalus, with 4 shortish cirri; the plates of the shoulder elongated into acute, angular, broad spines, with a dorsal fin of 8 rays, first ray a bone serrated behind ; pectoral fins of 10 rays, the first ray a broad compressed bone serrated on both edges ; anal fin with 13 or 14 rays. Subcylindrical, depressed head, remarkably flat and broad, and rounded ; broader than any part of the body. A bony plate on each side of the thorax projecting into an excessively strong, flat, acute, angular, pointed spine 2ths of the length of the head, but its edges are enveloped in the skin of the body. Mouth furnished with 4 cirri, one on each side of the upper lip and two on the under jaw, distant from the lip and distant from each other. Pectoral fins of 10 or 11 rays, first ray a broad compressed bone, serrated on both edges ; dorsal fin of 8 rays, first ray serrated very minutely posteriorly ; second dorsal fin an erect fleshy process, arched and projecting into a kind of lobe ; ventral fins of 8 rays, situated a little behind a perpendicular let fall from the last dorsal ray ; anal fin of 13 or 14 rays, including 4 or 5 minute rays in front of the longest ray : tail forked, of 17 rays, besides minute rays on the outside of the longest rays : flesh heating. Size of the fish described, 6 inches long ; 15th inch high; width across the head 1,;th inch. Found in the Beema river, at Seedataik, and Mota Mola river, at Poona. It is a lurking fish, keeps near the ground and in dark places, and has the habits of a Cottus. In different parts of the country it is known by the Mahratta names of ‘ Gograh,’ ‘ Kheerurh,’ and ‘ Puttur Chattah.’ Genus Pimetopus, Lacepéde. PimMELopUS SEENGTEE. Tab. LXVI. Fig. 2. A Pimelodus, with the caudal fin divided into 2 unequal sharpish lobes, and having 8 cirri, 2 of which reach to the tail-fin, and 4 to the end of the head, and 2 are shorter than the head ; the dorsal fin high and without spine, of 9 rays, 12 rays in the anal fin; the second dorsal adipose, and extending from the termination of the first dorsal to near the tail. Mouth furnished with 8 cirri, 2 six inches long on each side of the upper lip, and . turning backwards, 2 short capillary at the nostrils, and 4 on the under lip, arranged two and two, as long as the head. First dorsal fin of 8 rays—rays strong and large, first ray bony ; second dorsal fin an erect membrane, commencing at the termination of the first dorsal fin, and continuing 24 inches, in an arched form, low before and high behind, to the tail; pectoral fins of 10 rays, first ray a strong bone, strongly serrated posteriorly ; ventral fins of 6 rays, situated on a perpendicular let fall from the last FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 375 dorsal ray ; anal fin of 10 rays, besides 2 minute rays before the longest ray : tail deeply forked, of 17 rays, besides several minute rays outside the longest rays; upper lobe of the tail the longest : length of the fish 6 inches. Found in the Beema river, at Pairgaon. Differs from the Pimelodus Cavasius of Dr. Hamilton in having one ray less in the pec- toral fins, and one in the anal fin; in the absence of spots on the fins, and in other particulars. In the illustrations of Cuvier’s ‘ Genera of. Fish’ by Guerin (PI. LIII. fig. 1), a fish called Porcus Bayad, Geoff., has a close resemblance to the Seengtee ; and in the notes to the ‘ Régne Animal’ the Porcus is considered a Bagrus. The Mahratta names for this fish are ‘ Seengtee’ and ‘ Soorah.’ Genus AcEnezrosus, Lacepéde. AGENEIOsUS CHILDRENI. Tab. LXVI. Fig. 3. An Ageneiosus, without cirri; with the first ray of the dorsal and pectoral fins serrated on the anterior edge only; with 8 rays in the dorsal and 4¥ in the anal fin; with two sharp lobes to the tail, the upper being somewhat the smallest. The form of the fish is somewhat lance-head shaped. Pectoral fins of 12 rays, longest and outer ray serrated on the anterior edge ; ventral fins of 6 rays, in the middle of the abdomen ; first dorsal fin of 8 rays, the first ray bony and serrated on the anterior edge, situated a little behind the shoulders, its edge nearly perpendicular ; second dorsal fin near the tail, without rays, fleshy, minute, oblong, stand- ing at an angle of 45° to the back ; anal fin of 42 rays, extending from near the ventrals to the tail ; edge somewhat concave, first ray the longest : tail forked, of 30 rays: fish of a silvery appearance : deep or high, and somewhat compressed : shoulders high : snout flat ; teeth sharp and distinct in both jaws ; eyes far forward, at the sides of the head, longest axis of the pupil vertical : length of the fish 18 inches ; depth 4} inches ; grows to a much larger size : flesh sweet and juicy, but not firm. A comparison of my draw- ing with the description of Ageneiosus mino of Dr. Hamilton’s ‘ Fishes of the Ganges,’ will show how many features there are in common between it and the Parree ; but its height and compressed body, and the extent of the anal fin, at once fix the latter as a distinct species. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona. Pimelodus Silorida of Bu- chanan Hamilton (Tab. VII. fig. 50) is also an Ageneiosus. Ageneiosus Childreni is known in the Deccan by the Mahratta names of ‘ Parree’ and ‘ Sillun.’ I have dedicated it to my friend Mr. Children, of the British Museum. Family Ciureipa. Genus Mysrus ; Noroprerus, Lacepéde. The genus Mystus of Buchanan Hamilton, as described p- 233, ‘Fishes of the Ganges,’ but not the Mystus of Cuvier : Mystus radiis branchiosteges utrinque plus tribus ; ventre carinato ; prima ani longa cum caudali unita ; dorso minopterygio. VOL. II.—PART V. 3D 376 LIEUT.-COL, W. H. SYKES ON THE Mystus Bapcer. Tab. LXVIL. Fig, 2. A Mystus, with not less than 105 rays in the anal fin, 7 or 8 in the dorsal; with the last gill-cover plate minutely crenated on its posterior edge, and with the anal fin terminating the body in a point; ventral fins none, or so minute as to escape observation. Form of the fish broad lance-head shaped. Posterior edge of the last gill-plate crenate ; the lower ridge of the cheek-bone set with numerous minute square teeth. Dorsal fin of 7 or 8 small rays, branched, ex- cepting the first, seated a little behind the centre of the back ; pectoral fins of from 13 to 16 branched rays, small ; anal fin extending from near the pectoral fins to the ex- tremity of the fish, of 105 rays or more ; ventral fins joined and surrounding the vent, of from 2 to 4 rays, but the fins are so minute as usually to escape observation: tail only in the continuation of the anal fin, and terminating in a point on the plane of the lateral line. Fish very much compressed, lance-head shaped, but deepest at the shoul- ders ; length |1 inches ; height 3 inches : vent before the extremity of the pectoral fins. A dark, irregular, lengthened, very smooth, shining cavity over each. eye, besides two minute, oval, similar hollows further up the head. Scales very minute, steel-gray along the back, passing into white silvery at the belly: lateral line arched near the shoulders, thence straight to the tail: belly so compressed as to be comparatively knife- edged : the belly is grooved and minutely serrated on each edge from the throat to the vent: the back is rounded. The upper and lower jaws set with numerous minute teeth, scattered along the edge of the jaws ; the tongue is set with many incurved teeth. Eyes circular, high up, near the snout; irides yellowish : fish very bony: flesh firm ; not esteemed. Found in the Mota Mola river, at Poona, and in the Beema river, at Seedataik, In different parts of the Dukhun this fish is called by the Mahratta names of ‘ Challut,’ ‘ Badgee,’ and ‘ Putrah.’ This fish should constitute a new genus in Pisces of the order Apodes ; for although Dr. Hamilton in his specific characters gives ventral fins with a definite number of rays, six or seven individuals were examined by me without my discovering them, and the fish from which the drawing was made was absolutely destitute of them. An eighth specimen, which I have preserved in spirits, has a minute fin surrounding the vent, but I cannot testify positively to the number of its rays, and I would rather look upon it as a defensive process for that organ. Of the three species of Mystus described by Dr. Hamilton, the Challut has a very considerable affinity to M. Kapirat, which Bon- naterre considered as a Gymnotus, and Lacepéde a Notopterus ; it nevertheless has specific differences. This is no doubt of the genus Notopterus of Lacepéde ; but as Buchanan Hamilton established the genus, I necessarily give his characters precedence. BNA AY\AAS \\\ AN MQ KAY De 2 ees | ee Ca CECE aia i, YEy Od n/a KY) anew” - ; ‘ a5 y’) Ale) siya yor ) y AAAS + AL are . > A es Lian 2 S a .* , ; - > ; , 5 - 1 et e184 - Ss ae mt ‘ ‘ fa e ' 6 yi - _ < “6 -' - % y ° 4 7 ‘ bhi hhhhs » fl bohha dd WddL Yj; VL, J, ff . 2 VES SSSSS™ v3 ‘ w~ —_ + °° 904 90: 200 iy GI }je 6 FY epee, 6 ZL FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. 377 Order Apopes. Family Muranip2. Genus AneuiLxLaA, Cuvier. AnGuILLA ELPHINSTONEI. Tab. LXVII. Fig. 3. An Anguilla, with the lower jaw the longest ; with the back, tail, and anal fins united, and with a broadish, flat head; body dark green, blotched with black; with 2 short tubular processes, one on each side of the upper jaw. Attains the length of 3 feet, and diameter of 3 inches. Head wider than body; eyes very small and circular; irides yellowish: fish thick for the Eel family: the pectoral fins are small and with the longest rays in the centre ; the dorsal fin commences behind the shoulders and continues to the tail ; the rays in it are not very conspicuous from the thickness of the membrane ; the anal fin commences from the centre of the fish, and continues to the tail, the dorsal and anal fins uniting in the tail. The skin of this fish, in a mature state, is remarkably beautiful, being of a dark green, maculated black ; the spots being of irregular forms and running into each other occasionally. The breathing is by two small lunate spiracles close to the pectoral fins ; the nostrils have two fleshy processes ; the jaws and palate are set with minute teeth. A fish brought to me at Poona, measured three feet long by three inches in diameter—the fish being nearly cylindrical: flesh firm and sweet. The skin has a curious and beautiful appearance of minute plaited or basket-work. This fish has all the generic characters of the Anguilla of Shaw, and is an undoubted Eel ; but with the exception of the absence of mention of spiracles by Dr. Hamilton, has a certain cor- respondence with his Murena maculata of Lacepéde, which is, however, a sea-fish, with pointed head. It has the form of Chawloo Parnoo, or Malgumarus (Murena An- guilla, Linn.) of Russell’s ‘Fishes of the Coromandel Coast,’ but differs entirely in colour and in having cirri. I have dedicated this fine fish to the Honourable Mount- stewart Elphinstone. Its Mahratta name is ‘ Aheer.’ In concluding my characters of the fishes of Dukhun (Deccan), I may be allowed to state that I have found the number of cirri, whether in the Siluride or Cyprinide, insufficient as a generic character ; different species of the same genus varying in the number of their cirri. Note.—Although the preceding details respecting the Fishes of the Dukhun were comprised in a report pre- sented to the Court of Directors of the East India Company in June 1831, they were only communicated to the - Zoological Society on the 27th of November, 1838, almost contemporaneously with a communication made to the Asiatic Society of Bengal on the Indian Cyprinide, by John McClelland, Esq., Assistant-Surgeon in the Bengal 3pD2 378 LIEUT.-COL. W. H. SYKES ON THE FISHES OF THE DUKHUN. Army. The Asiatic Society of Bengal having taken precedence of the Zoological Society in the publication of Mr. McClelland’s voluminous, extensively sJlustrated, and able paper, the names of any of my new species of Cyprinide, therefore, which are common to Mr. McClelland and myself, must give way to those fixed by Mr. McClelland. London, 27th February, 1841. { 379 ] XXVI. On the Osteology of the Marsupialia. By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c. Hunterian Professor of Anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons. Communicated October 9, 1838. THE species of the Marsupial Animals can never be clearly defined or satisfactorily recognized, until their osteological characters, and more especially those derivable from the structure of the cranium, are accurately described and delineated ; and on this ac- count the following anatomical essay seems not inappropriate for the pages of the Zoo- logical Transactions. The experiments and observations which I had the opportunity of making some time ago', upon the generative ceconomy of the Marsupials, led me to pay more particular attention to the organization of this singular and interesting group of animals ; and I am induced to submit to the Society the result of my observations on the osseous system, both from its remarkable physiological modifications, and on ac- count of its application to the zoology of the Marsupialia. I have studied this part of the anatomy of the Marsupialia in the skeletons and skulls which are preserved in several museums in this country, as well as in the Museums of Comparative Anatomy at Paris and at Leyden; and although at first my object was simply to collect facts bearing upon the physiology, the affinities, and the specific cha- racters of the individual under examination, I was soon led, by a comparison of my notes, to appreciate a more general diffusion of certain remarkable osteological con- ditions than could have been anticipated from the varieties of form and locomotion in the different members of the marsupial group. As these general osteological conditions corroborate the inference which I have drawn from my investigations of the sanguiferous* and cerebral* systems of the Marsupialia, as to their natural association in a distinct group, and as some of the peculiarities of the skeleton at the same time illustrate the affinity of this group to the oviparous type of the vertebrate structure, I am induced to premise the following general observations on the osteology of the Marsupials* to the notices on the modifications of the skeleton in particular species and families, which I propose subsequently to communicate to the Society. Of the Skull.—The form of the skull varies much in different marsupial animals, but it may be said in general terms to resemble an elongated cone, being terminated by a 1 Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1833, p. 126, and Philosophical Transactions, 1834, p. 333. 2 Physiological Catalogue, Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, 1834, vol. ii. p. 52. 3 Philosophical Transactions, 1837, p. 87. + This memoir was communicated and read before the Prospectus (Avril 1839) of M. De Blainyille’s ‘ Osteo- graphie’ had appeared. 380 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY vertical plane surface behind, and in most of the species converging towards a point anteriorly ; it is also generally more depressed or flattened than in the placental Mam- mala. The skull is remarkable in all the genera for the small proportion which is devoted to the protection of the brain, and for the great expansion of the nasal cavity immediately anterior to the cranial cavity. In the stronger carnivorous species the exterior of the cranium is characterized by bony ridges and muscular impressions ; but in Myrmecobius and in the smaller herbivorous species, as the Petaurists and Potoroos, the craniwm presents a smooth rounded surface, as in Birds, corresponding with the smooth unconvoluted surface of the simple brain contained within. The breadth of the skull, in relation to its length, is greatest in the Wombat’ and Ursine Dasyure*, in which it equals three-fourths of the length, and least in Perameles lagotis*, in which it is less than one half. The occipital region, which is generally plane, and vertical in position, forms a right angle with the upper surface of the skull, from which it is separated by an occipital or lambdoidal crista. This is least developed in the Myrmecobius, Petaurists and Kan- garoo, and most so in the Thylacinus and larger Opossums, in which, as also in the Koala, the crest curves slightly backwards, and thus changes the occipital plane into a concavity, well adapted for the insertion of the strong muscles from the neck and back. The upper surface of the skull presents great diversity of character, which relates to the different de- velopment of the temporal muscles, and the varieties of dentition in the different genera. In the Wombat the coronal surface offers an almost flattened tract, bounded by two slightly elevated temporal ridges, which are upwards of an inch apart posteriorly, and slightly diverge, as they extend forwards to the anterior part of the orbit. The skull of the Opossum presents the greatest contrast to that condition, for the sides of the cranium meet above at an acute angle, and send upwards from the line of their union a remarkably elevated sagittal crest, which, in mature skulls, is proportionally more developed than in any of the placental Carnivora, not even excepting the strong- jawed Hyena. The Thylacine and Dasyures, especially the Ursine Dasyure, exhibit the sagittal crest in a somewhat less degree of development. It is again smaller, but yet well marked, in the Koala and Perameles. The temporal ridges meet at the lambdoidal suture in the Phalangers and Hypsiprymni, but the size of the muscles in these does not require the development of a bony crest. In the Kangaroo the temporal ridges, which are very slightly raised, are separated by an interspace of the third of an inch. They are sepa- rated for a proportionally greater extent in the Petaurists ; and in the smooth and con- vex upper surface of the skull of Pet. sciureus, Pet. pygmeus, and of Myrmecobius, the impressions of the feeble temporal muscles almost cease to be discernible. ' Pl. LXXI. fig. 6. 2 Pl. LXX. fig. 5. 3 Pl. LXXI. fig. 1. 5 § OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 381 The zygomatic arches are, however, complete in these, as well as in all the other genera ; and are usually, indeed, strongly developed ; but their variations do not indi- cate the nature of the food so clearly, or correspond with the differences of animal and vegetable diet in the same degree as in the placental Mammalia. No marsupial animal, for example, is devoid of incisors in the upper jaw, like the ordinary Ruminants of the placental series ; and the more complete dental apparatus with which the herbivorous Kangaroos, Potoroos, Phalangers, &c., are provided, and which appears to be in relation to the scantier pasturage and the dry and rigid character of the herbage or foliage on which they browse, require a strong apparatus of bone and muscle for the action of the jaws, and the exercise of the terminal teeth. There are, however, sufficiently marked differences in this part of the marsupial skull; and the weakest zygomatic arches are those of the insectivorous Perameles' and Acrobates, in which structure we may discern a correspondence with the edentate Anteaters of the placental series. Still the difference of development is greatly in favour of the marsupial Insectivora. The Hypsiprymni are next in the order of development of the zygomatic arches, which again are proportion- ally much stronger in the true Kangaroos. The length of the zygomata in relation to the entire skull, is greatest in the Koala* and Wombat’. In the former animal they are remarkable for their depth, longitudinal extent, and straight and parallel course. In the latter they have a considerable curve outwards, so as greatly to diminish the resem- blance which otherwise exists in the form of the skull between the Wombat and the herbivorous Rodentia of the placental series, as e. g., the Viscaccia. In the carnivorous Marsupials the outward curve of the zygomatic arch (which is greatest in the Thylacine and Ursine Dasyure*) is also accompanied by a slight curve upwards ; but this curvature is chiefly expressed by the concavity of the lower margin of the zygoma, and is by no means so well marked as in the placental Carnivora. It is re- markable that this upward curvature is greater in the slender zygomata of the Perameles than in the stronger zygomata of the Dasyures and Opossums. In the Koala and Pha- langers there is also a slight tendency to the upward curvature. In the Wombat the outwardly-expanded arch is perfectly horizontal. In the Kangaroo the lower margin of the zygoma describes a slightly undulating curve, the middle part of which is convex downwards. In many of the Marsupiata, as the Kangaroo, the Koala, the Phalangers, and the Opossums, the superior margin of the zygoma begins immediately to rise above the posterior origin of the arch. In the Wombat an external ridge of bone commences at the middle of the Jower margin of the zygoma, and gradually extends outwards as it advances forwards, and, being joined by the upper margin of the zygoma, forms the lower boundary of the orbit, and ultimately curves downwards in front of the ant-orbital foramen, below which it bifurcates, and is lost. This ridge results, as it were, from the 1 Pl. LXXI, fig. 1. ® Pl. LXIX. figg. 1—3. ’ PI. LXXI. fig. 6. * PL. LXX., figg. 1 & 5. 382 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY flattening of the anterior part of the zygoma, which thus forms a smooth and slightly concave horizontal platform for the eyeball to rest upon. The same structure obtains, but in a slighter degree, in the Koala. In the Kangaroo the anterior and inferior part of the zygoma is extended downwards, in the form of an inverted conical process, which reaches below the level of the grinding teeth. A much shorter and more obtuse process is observable in the corresponding situation in the Phalangers and Opossum. ‘The relative length of the facial part of the skull, anterior to the zygomatic arches, varies remarkably in the different marsupial genera. In the Wombat it is as 6 to 19; in the Koala as 5 to 14; in the Phalangers it forms about one- third the length of the entire skull; in the carnivorous Dasyures and Opossums it is more than one-third. In Perameles, Macropus, and Hypsiprymnus murinus, Ill., the length of the skull anterior to the orbit is equal to the remaining posterior part ; but in a species of Hypsiprymnus from Van Diemen’s Land (Hypsiprymnus myosurus, Ogilb.), the facial part of the skull anterior to the orbit exceeds that of the remainder ; and the arboreal Hypsiprymni from New Guinea present a still greater length of muzzle. In most Marsupiata the skull gradually converges towards the anterior extremity ; but in the Perameles lagotis' the skull is remarkable for the sudden narrowing of the face anterior to the orbits, and the prolongation of the attenuated snout, preserving the same diameter for upwards of an inch before it finally tapers to the extremity of the nose. In the Koala the corresponding part of the skull is as remarkable for its shortness as it is in the Perameles lagotis for its length, but it is bounded laterally by parallel lines through its whole extent. Before concluding this account of the general form of the skull, I may observe that the Kangaroo resembles the placental Ruminantia, and some Rodentia, as the Viscaccia, in the prolongation downwards of two long processes, corresponding in function with the mastoid, but developed from the ex-occipital bones. The same pro- cesses are developed in an almost equal degree in the Koala’, and, in the Wombat, co- exist with a corresponding development of the true mastoids. The ex-occipitals each send down a short obtuse process in the Potoroos, Perameles, Petaurists, Phalangers, Opossums, and Dasyures. Of the Composition of the Cranium.—The occipital bone is developed, as in the pla- cental Mammalia, from four centres, or elements,—the basilar below, the supra- occipital above, and the ex-occipitals at the sides ; but these elements remain longer separate, and in some genera do not become, at any period of life, united by continuous ossifi- cation. Tn the skull of an aged Virginian Opossum I found the supra-occipital still distinct from the ex-occipitals, and these not joined together, though anchylosed to the basilar element. In this marsupial animal they meet above the foramen occipitale, and complete its boundaries, as the corresponding superior vertebral Jamine complete the medullary 1 Pl. LXXI. fig. 1. 2 Pl. LXIX. figg. 1. & 3. a. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 383 canal in the region of the spine. I have found the same structure and condition of the occipital bone of an adult Dasywrus Ursinus, and it is exhibited in the Plate of the era- nium of this species given by M. Temminck'. In the skull of Perameles nasuta the ex-occipitals are separated by an interspace, so that a fissure is continued from the upper part of the foramen magnum to the supra- occipital element. The same structure may be observed in the Kangaroo, and is very remarkable in the young skulls of this species. I found this superior notch wide, and well marked, in Macropus Bennettii. In the Wombat the corresportding fissure is very wide, and the lower margin of the supra-occipital is notched, so that the shape of the foramen magnum somewhat resembles that of the trefoil leaf. I found the ex-occipital element’ still unanchylosed with the basilar and supra-occipital elements in the cranium of a full-grown but not aged Wombat. In the Koala, the Phalangers, Petaurus, Hypsiprymnus, and Dasyurus Maugei, the ele- ments of the occipital bone present the usual state of bony confluence. The temporal bone generally presents a permanent separation of the squamous, petrous and tympanic elements. I have observed this reptile-like condition of the bone in the mature skulls of an Ursine Dasyure, a Virginian Opossum, a Perameles, in diffe- rent species of Potoroo and Kangaroo, in the Wombat, and in the Koala. So loose, in- deed, is the connexion of the tympanic bone, that, without due care, it is very liable to be lost in preparing the skulls of the Marsupiata. In the Kangaroo and Wombat? it forms a complete bony tube, about half an inch in length, with an irregular exterior, and is wedged in between the mastoid and articular processes of the temporal bone. In the Potoroo the bony circle is incomplete at the upper part ; in the Perameles and Dasyures the tympanic bone forms a semicircle, the posterior part being deficient, and the tym- panic membrane being there attached to a descending process of the squamous element of the temporal. Here we have a near approach to the form of the tympanic bone in Birds ; but we have a still closer resemblance to its condition both in Birds and Rep- tiles, in its want of union with the petrous element of the temporal bone. In the Rodent quadruped the tympanic, petrous and mastoid elements of the temporal bone are always anchylosed together ; this condition is well shown in the skull of the Porcupine and Beaver, in which the mastoid element sends down a thick, obtuse pro- cess behind the petro-tympanic portion. It is to the expansion of the petro-tympanic, and not of the mastoid, portion of the temporal bone, that the enlargement of the tym- panic cavity is due, in the Rodentia ; and this expansion forms, in that order (as is well known), a large bulla ossea, which is situated anterior and internal to the mastoid process. In many of the Marsupiata, as the Dasyures, Petaurists, Perameles, Potoroos, and Koala, there is also a large bulla ossea for the purpose of increasing the extent of the auditory cavity ; but, with one single exception—the Wombat, this bulla is not formed ' Monographies de Mammalogie, Pl. VIII. * Pl. LXXI. fig. 6 a. 3 Pl, LXXI. fig. 6 6. VOL. II.—PART y. 3E 384 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY by the tympanic, or any other element of the temporal bone, but by the expansion of the base of the great ala of the sphenoid bone. It is only in the Perameles lagotis’ that, in addition to the preceding bulla, I have observed an external dilatation of the petrous element of the temporal bone, which thus forms a second and smaller bulla on each side, behind the large bulla ossea formed by the sphenoid. In other Marsupiata the petrous bone is of small size, generally limited to the office of protecting the parts of the internal ear, and sometimes, as in the Koala, is barely visible at the exterior of the base of the skull. The petrous and mastoid elements are commonly anchylosed together. In the Kangaroos, Koala and Wombat, the petro-mastoid bone is of a larger size, and is visible in two situations on the outside of the skull, viz. at the usual place at the basis, where the petrous portion is wedged in between the basilar bone, ex- occipital and sphenoid ; and again at the side of the cranium, where the mastoid portion appears between the squamous, ex-occipital and supra-occipital bones. In the Wombat it sends outwards the strong compressed process which terminates the lateral boundaries of the occipital plane of the cranium. The auditory chamber of the ear is augmented in the Phalangers, the Koala, the Kangaroo and Potoroo, by a con- tinuation of air-cells into the base or origin of the zygomatic process ; but the extent of the bony air-chambers communicating with the tympanum is proportionally greatest in the Petaurists, or Flying Opossums, where, besides the sphenoid bulla, the mastoid ele- ment, and the whole of the zygomatic process of the temporal bone are expanded to form air-cells with very thin and smooth walls ; thus presenting an interesting analogy in the structure of the cranium to the class of Birds. The direction of the bony canal of the organ of hearing corresponds, as in the placental Mammalia, with the habits of the species: the meatus auditorius is directed outwards and a little forwards in the car- nivorous Dasyures ; outwards, and a little backwards in the Perameles and Phalanger ; outwards, backwards and upwards in the Kangaroos ; and directly outwards in the Petaurists and Wombat ; but the differences of direction are slightly marked. The squamous element of the temporal bone generally reaches half way from the root of the zygoma to the sagittal ridge or suture ; it is most developed in the Wombat, in which its superior margin describes a remarkably straight line. The zygomatic process of the temporal bone is in general compressed, and much extended in the vertical direc- tion in the Opossum, Dasyure, Phalanger, Koala and Kangaroo. In the Wombat it curves outwards from the side of the head, in the form of a depressed and almost horizontal plate ; it is then suddenly twisted into the vertical position, to be received in the notch of the malar portion of the arch. The cavity, corresponding to the sphe- noidal bulla ossea in other Marsupials, is in this species excavated in the lower part of the squamous element of the temporal bone, at the inner side of the articular surface for the lower jaw. This articular surface, situated at the base of the zygomatic process, | Pl, LXXI. fig. 1. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 385 presents in the marsupial, as in the placental Mammalia, various forms, each manifest- ing a physiological relation to the structure of the teeth, and adapted to the required movements of the jaws in the various genera. In the herbivorous Kangaroo the glenoid cavity forms a broad and slightly convex surface, as in the Ruminants, affording freedom of rotation to the lower jaw in every direction. In the Phalangers and Potoroos the articular surface is quite plain. In the Perameles it is slightly convex from side to side, and concave from behind forwards. In the Wombat it is formed by a narrow ridge, convex antero-posteriorly, considerably extended laterally, and slightly concave in the transverse direction’. This ridge is not bounded by any descending process pos- teriorly, so that the jaw is left free for the movements of protraction and retraction. But this structure is widely different from that which facilitates similar movements in the Rodentia: in these there is a longitudinal groove on each side, in which the condyle of the lower jaw plays backwards and forwards, but is impeded in its lateral movements ; these, on the contrary, are freely allowed to the Wombat, and the oblique disposition of the lines of enamel upon the molar teeth corresponds with the various movements of which the lower jaw of the Wombat is thus susceptible. In the Koala the glenoid cavity is a transversely oblong depression, with a slight convex rising at the bottom, indicating rotatory movements of the jaw: in the carnivorous Dasyures it forms a concavity still more elongated transversely, less deep than in the placental Carnivora, but adapted, as in them, to a ginglymoid motion of the lower jaw. The joint differs in the absence of an inter-articular cartilage in the marsupial Carnivores. In all the genera, save the Wombat, retraction of the lower jaw is opposed by a descending process of the tem- poral bone immediately anterior to the meatus auditorius and tympanic bone. The glenoid cavity presents a characteristic structure in most of the Marsupialia. In all the species, the Petawrists excepted, the malar bone forms the outer part of the articular surface for the lower jaw; and in the Dasyurus Maugei, Dasyurus Ursinus, Perameles, Hypsiprymnus and Macropus, the sphenoid ala forms the inner boundary of the same surface ; but it does not extend so far backwards in the Wombat or Koala. The sphenoid bone has the same general form and relative position as in the ordinary Mammalia, but presents a similarity to that in the Ovipara in the persistence of the pterygoid processes as separate bones*. It is only in the Koala that I have observed a complete obliteration of the suture joining its basilar element of the sphenoid with that of the occipital bone. The chief peculiarity in the sphenoid bone is the dilatation of the root of the great ala already alluded to; this dilatation communicates with, and is filled with air from, the tympanum. It forms the hemispherical bulla ossea on each side of the basis cranii in the Dasyures and Phascogales, and the large semiovate bulla in the Myrmecobius ; but in the Koala the bulle are still more developed, and are produced downwards to an ' Pl. LXXI, fig. 6. ® See the separate pterygoid of the Wombat, Pl. LXXI. fig. 6 c. 3E2 386 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY extent equal with the ex-occipital processes ; they are somewhat compressed laterally, and instead of the smooth and polished surface which characterizes them in the preceding genera, terminate here in a rough ridge.. The dilated air-chambers or bulle of the sphenoid are relatively smaller in the Phalangers and Potoroos than in the Dasyures, and they are incomplete posteriorly in the Kangaroo and Wombat. In the Brush Kan- garoo the above process from the sphenoid joins the base of the large descending pro- cess of the ex-occipital. The pterygoid processes are relatively largest in the Kangaroo, Wombat and Koala, and present in each of these species distinct hamular processes. In the Potoroo, Kangaroo and Wombat the sphenoid ala combines with the pterygoid process to form a large and deep depression, opening externally. In the Kangaroo, Dasyures, Koala and Wombat, the great ale of the sphenoid articulate with the parietal bones, but by a very small portion in the two latter species; in the Perameles and Potoroos the sphenoid ale do not reach the parietals. There is little to notice in the parietal bones, except the obliteration of the sagittal suture in those species in which a bony crista is developed in the corresponding place ; they present a singularly flattened form in the Wombat, in an aged skull of which, and in a similar one in the Kangaroo, I observe a like obliteration of the sagittal suture. In the Kangaroo, Potoroo, Petaurus, Phalanger and Myrmecobius there is a triangular inter-parietal bone. The corresponding bone I find in three pieces in the skull of a Wombat. The frontal bones are chiefly remarkable for their anterior expansion, and the great share which they take in the formation of the nasal cavity. In the Thylacine the part of the cranium occupied by the frontal sinuses exceeds in breadth the cerebral cavity, from which it is divided by a constriction. The coronal suture presents in most of the Marsupials an irregular angular course, forming a notch in the frontals on each side, which receives a corresponding triangular process of the parietal bones: this form of the suture is least pronounced in the Myr- mecobius and Acrobates. A process corresponding to the posterior frontal augments the bony boundary of the orbit in the Thylacine, the Ursine Dasyure, and, in a slighter degree, in the Virginian Opossum; it is relatively most developed in the skull of the Myrmecobius fasciatus, where the orbit is large; but the bony boundary of the orbit is not complete in any of the Marsupials. In the Myrmecobius there is a deep notch at the middle of the supra-orbital ridge. I have found the frontal suture obliterated only in the Virginian Opossum and Petau- rists ; and in the latter it is remarkable that the other sutures of the head, as the lamb- doidal and sagittal, continue distinct. The lachrymal bones vary in their relative size in different Marsupialia. In the Koala they extend upon the face about a line beyond the anterior boundary of the orbit, and at this part they present a groove, with one large and two or three small perforations. In the Wombat their extent upon the face is slightly increased ; it is proportionately OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 387 greater in the Kangaroos, Potoroos, Phalangers, and Dasyures, in which this part of the lachrymal bone presents two perforations, but it is close to the orbit. The Thylacine, as compared with the Wolf, presents a greater extent of the facial portion of the lachry- mal bone, and thus indicates its inferior type. In the Myrmecobius the lachrymal bone exhibits its greatest relative development. The malar bone is very strong, and of great extent, in all the Marsupiata. Least developed in the Perameles lagotis, it here presents a singular form, being bifurcate at both extremities: the processus zygomaticus mazille superioris is wedged into the cleft of the anterior fork ; the corresponding process of the temporal bone fills up the posterior space: the lower division of this bifurcation is the longest, and in all the Marsupiata enters into the composition of the articular surface for the lower jaw, except in the Petaurists, where it just falls short of this part. The anterior bifurcation of the malar bone is not present in the Marsupiata generally: the external malo-maxillary suture forms an oblique and almost straight line in the Wombat, Phalanger, Opossum, Dasy- ures, and Kangaroo. Owing to the inferior development of the zygomatic process of the superior maxillary in the Wombat, the malar bone is not suspended in the zygomatic arch in this Marsupial, as in the placental Rodentia. It is of relatively much larger size, and of a prismatic form, arising from the development of the oblique external ridge above described. In the Kangaroo, Potoroo, Great Petawrus, and Phalanger, it is traversed externally by a ridge, showing the extent of attachment of the masseter: in the Koala it extends along the bone, near the upper margin, and the surface below presents a well-marked excavation. The nasal bones vary in their form and relative size in the different genera ; they are longest and narrowest in the Perameles; shortest and broadest in the Koala. Their most characteristic structure is the expansion of the upper and posterior extremity, which is well marked in the Wombat, Myrmecobius, Petaurists, Phalangers, Opossums, and Dasyures. In the Potoroos the anterior extremities of the nasal bones converge to a point, which projects beyond the intermaxillaries. In some Petaurists and the Perameles the corre- sponding points reach as far as the intermaxillaries, and in the skeleton of an old Pere- meles lagotis I found that the bony case of the nasal passages is further increased by the presence of two small rostral bones, resulting, as in the Hog, from ossification of the nasal cartilage. The intermaxillary bones always contain teeth, and the ratio of their development corresponds with the bulk of the dental apparatus which they support. They are con- sequently largest in the Wombat, where they extend far upon the side of the face, and are articulated to a considerable proportion of the nasal bones, but do not, as in the placental Rodentia, reach the frontal, or divide the maxillary bone from the nasal. They present the next degree of inferior development in the Koala, and both in this species and in the Wombat bulge outwards, and thus remarkably increase the transverse 388 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY diameter of the osseous cavity of the nose. Neither in Hypsiprymnus nor Macropus do I find the incisive palatal foramina entirely in the intermaxillary bones, as described by the author of the text in Pander and D’Alton’s ‘ Skeleti der Beutelthiere’ ; a small pro- portion of their bony circumference is due to the anterior extremity of the palatal process of the maxillaries ; and the same structure obtains in the Wombat, Koala, and Opossums. In the Dasyures and Phalangers a greater proportion of the posterior boundary of these foramina is formed by the maxillaries ; in the Petaurists they are entirely surrounded by the maxillaries, while in the Perameles the incisive foramina are wholly surrounded by the intermaxillary bones. ‘They always present the form of two longitudinal fissures. The maxillary bones in the Wombat send up a long, narrow, irregular nasal process, which joins the frontal and nasal bones, separating them from the intermaxillaries ; the part which projects into the temporal fossa, behind the orbit, presents two or three smooth tuberosities, formed by the thin plate of bone covering the pulps of the large curved posterior grinders. The corresponding part in the Perameles lagotis is perforated by numerous minute apertures, like a cribriform plate ; and this structure is presented in a slighter degree in the Potoroo and Ursine Dasyure. The antorbital foramen does not present any marked variety of size, which is generally moderate. It is much closer to the orbit in the carnivorous Marsupiata than in the corresponding placental quadrupeds. It is relatively largest in the Ursine Dasyure. It presents the form of a vertical-oblique fissure in the Wombat. Ihave observed it double in the Kangaroo. The chief diffe- rences in the maxillary bones, independently of the teeth and their alveoli, are presented by the palatal processes, the modifications of which I shall consider in conjunction with those presented by the palatal processes of the palatal bones. The perforations of the bony palate deserve particular attention ; they are generally specific, and of consequence in the determination both of recent and fossil species. In Phalangista Cookit', some of the Petaurists* and the great Kangaroo (Macropus Major), the bony palate is of great extent, and presents a smooth surface, concave in every direction towards the mouth ; this is pierced by two small posterior palatine fora- mina, situated at the anterior external angles of the palatine bones, close to the trans- verse palato-maxillary sutures : behind these foramina in the Kangaroo, and pierced in the suture itself in some Petaurists, are a few small irregular perforations. The bony palate is also entire in the Hypsiprymnus ursinus. In Macropus Bennettii’ there are four orifices at the posterior part of the bony palate : the two anterior ones are situated upon the palato-maxillary suture, of an ovate form, with the small end forwards ; the two posterior foramina are of a less regular form, and smaller size. In the Brush Kangaroo (Macropus Brunii, Cuv.) the posterior palatal foramina present the form of two large oval fissures, placed obliquely, and converging posteriorly. They 1 Pl. LXXI. fig. 2. * Ib. fig. 3. 3 [b. fig. 5. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 389 encroach upon the posterior border of the maxillary plate. Anterior to these vacancies there are two smaller foramina, and posterior to them are one or two similar foramina. In the Australian Potoroos', Wombat* and Koala’, the posterior palatal openings are large and oval, and situated entirely in the palatal bones; posterior, and external to these, there are two small perforations. In the Phalangers (Phal. Cookii excepted) the palatal openings are proportionally larger ; they extend into the palatal process of the maxillaries, and the thin bridge of bone which divides the openings in the Potoroo, &c., is wanting: the two perforations at the posterior external angles of the palatine bones are also present. In the Virginian Opossum the bony palate presents eight distinct perforations, besides the incisive foramina: the palatal processes of the palatine bone extend as far forwards in the median line as the third molares: a long and narrow fis- sure extends for an equal distance (three lines) into the palatal processes both of the palatines and maxillaries. Behind these fissures, and nearer the median line, are two smaller oblong fissures ; external, and a little posterior to these, are two similar fissures, situated in the palato-maxillary suture ; lastly, there are two round perforations close to the posterior margin of the bony palate. In the Thylacine* the two posterior palatal vacuities are an inch in length and half an inch in width, exposing to view the convo- lutions of the turbinated bones of the nasal cavity. In the Ursine Dasyure’ a large trans- versely oblong aperture is situated at the posterior part of the palatal processes of the maxillary bones, and encroaches a little upon the palatines ; this aperture is partly, per- haps in young skulls wholly, bisected by a narrow longitudinal osseous bridge*. In Dasyurus macrourus’ two large ovate apertures, situated in the palato-maxillary sutures, are divided by a broad plate of bone; posterior to these are four similar but smaller apertures, which, being situated nearer the mesial line, are divided by a narrower osseous bridge ; each posterior external angle of the bony palate is also perforated by an oval aperture. In the Viverrine Dasyure* the two vacancies which cross the palato- maxillary suture are in the form of longitudinal fissures, corresponding in situation with the penultimate and antepenultimate grinders; the posterior part of the bony palate is perforated by several small apertures. Now there is no carnivorous quadruped, in the placental series, which has a bony palate characterized by perforations and vacu- ities of this kind. In the Dog, the Cat, and the Weasel tribe, the bony palate is only perforated by two small oblique canals, which open in or near the palato-maxillary su- ture. The very great interest which is attached to the fossil jaws of the Stonesfield Didelphys,—the only mammiferous remains hitherto discovered in the secondary forma- tions, will justify the minuteness with which I have dwelt on characters that, inclusive of the teeth, serve to distinguish the cranium of the Opossum from that of any placental quadruped. 1 PLLXXI fig.4. * Jb fig.1. 3 PL LXIX.fig.3. * PLLXX.fig.1. > PL LXX. fig. 5. 6 The large aperture in the skull of the Dasyurus Ursinus, figured by M. Temminck, is the result of accidental injury to the bony palate——Monographies de Mammalogie, Pl. VIII. 7 Pl. LXX. fig.3. * Pl. LXX. fig. 2. 390 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY The structure of the bony palate in the Marsupiata is interesting in other respects. Since the defective condition of this part of the cranium is one of the characteristics of the skull of the Bird, it might be expected that some approximation would be made to that structure in the animals which form the transition between the placental and ovipa- rous classes. We have already noticed the large vacuities which occur in the bony palate of nearly all the Marsupials ; but this imperfectly ossified condition is most re- markable in the Acrobates and Perameles lagotis'. In the latter the bony roof of the mouth is wanting for a wide oval space, extending from the second spurious molars to the penultimate molars, exposing to view the vomer and convolutions of the inferior spongy bones in the nasal cavity. Behind this space there are six small perforations, two in a transverse line, midway between the great vacancy and the posterior margin of the bony palate, and four in a transverse line, close to that margin. Cavity of the Cranium.—The parietes of the cranial cavity are remarkable for their thickness in some of the marsupial genera. In the Wombat the two tables of the pari- etal bones are separated posteriorly for the extent of more than half an inch, the inter- space being filled with a coarse cellular diploé; the frontal bones are about two and a half lines thick. In the Ursine Dasyure the cranial bones have a similar texture and relative thickness. In the Koala the texture of the cranial bones is denser, and their thickness varies from two lines to half a line. In the Kangaroo the thickness varies considerably in different parts of the skull, but the parietes are generally so thin as to be diaphanous ; which is the case with the smaller Marsupials, as the Potoroos and Pe- taurists. The union of the body of the second with that of the third cranial vertebra takes place in the Marsupiata, as in the placental Mammalia, at the sella turcica, which is overarched by the backward extension of the lesser ale of the sphenoid. The optic foramina and the fissure lacere anteriores are all blended together, so that a wide open- ing leads outwards from each side of the sella. Immediately posterior, and external to this opening, are the foramina rotunda, from each of which, in the Kangaroo, a remark- able groove leads to the fossa Gasseriana, at the commencement of the foramen ovale ; the same groove is indicated in a slighter degree in the Dasyures and Phalangers, but is almost obsolete in the Wombat and Koala. The carotid canals pierce the body of the sphenoid, as in the Bird, and terminate in the skull, very close together, behind the sella turcica, which is not bounded by a posterior clinoid process. The petro-tympanic bones form a large convex prominence on each side of the base of the cranial cavity in the Perameles lagotis ; this prominence is hollow, contains air, and has very thin walls. The petrous bone in the Kangaroo, Koala and Phalanger, is impressed above the meatus auditorius by a deep, smooth, round pit, which lodges the lateral appendage of the cerebellum. The corresponding pit is shallower in the Dasyuri, and scarcely marked in the Wombat. The middle and posterior fissure lacere have the usual relative position, 1 Pl. LXXI. fig. 1. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 391 but the latter are small. The condyles are perforated anteriorly by two foramina. The composition and form of the foramen magnum we have already spoken of. It is of great size, in relation to the capacity of the cranium ; the aspect of its plane is backwards, and slightly downwards. In the Kangaroo and Phalanger a thin ridge of bone extends for the distance of one or two lines into the periphery of the tentorial process of the dura mater, and two sharp spines are sent down into it from the upper part of the cranium in the Phalangista Vul- pina. The tentorium is supported by a thick ridge of bone in the Thylacine; but it is not completely ossified in any of the Marsupiata ; indeed, the Dasyures, the Koala, and the Wombut, have not the bony crista above described. ‘There is no ossification of the , falciform ligament, as in the Ornithorhynchus. The anterior depression, or olfactory division of the cavity of the cranium, as it may be termed, from its large size, is sepa- rated in a well-marked manner from the proper cerebral division of the cavity. It is relatively smallest in the Koala. In all the Marsupials it is bounded anteriorly by the cribriform plate of the zthmoid bone, which is converted into an osseous reticulation by the number and size of the olfactory apertures. The cavity of the nose, from its great size, and the complication of the turbinated bones, forms an important part of the skull. It is divided by a complete bony septum to within one-fourth of the anterior aperture; the anterior margin of the septum is slightly concave in the Koala, describes a slightly convex line in the Wombat, Kangaroo and Phalanger, and a sigmoid flexure in the Dasyure. A longitudinal ridge projects downwards from the inside of each of the nasal bones, and is continued posteriorly into the superior turbinated bone; this bone extends into the dilated space anterior to the cranial cavity, which corresponds with the frontal sinuses. The convolutions of the middle spongy bone are extended chiefly in the axis of the skull ; the processes of the anterior convoluted bone are arranged obliquely from below, upwards and forwards. They are extremely delicate and numerous in the Dasyures and Phalangers ; they consist of thin lamin of bone, beautifully arranged on the convex surface of the os turbinatum, and placed vertically to that surface in the Potoroo; but the bone becomes very simple in the Kangaroo, Koala, and Wombat. The nasal cavity communicates freely with large maxillary sinuses, and finally terminates by wide apertures behind the bony palate. In the dry skull the nasal cavity communicates with the mouth, as before mentioned, by means of the various large vacuities in the palatal processes. The lower jaw of the Marsupiata is a part of their osseous structure which claims more than ordinary attention, in consequence of the discussions to which the fossil speci- mens of this bone, discovered in the oolitic strata of Stonesfield, have given rise. These specimens, which are well known to the English reader by the figures of them published in the ‘ Bridgewater Treatise’ of Dr. Buckland, and in the ‘ Elements of Geology’ of Mr. Lyell, were regarded by Cuvier as appertaining to the marsupial series of Mammalia, and to be nearly allied to the genus Didelphys. This opinion of the great founder of VOL, II.—PART V. 3F 392 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY osteological science has been called in question by other naturalists, and has been more especially opposed by Prof. Blainville, who conceives it to be more probable that they belong to a genus of Saurian Reptiles than to the Didelphys, or any genus of insec- tivorous Mammals. I have examined the two specimens in the possession of Dr. Buck- land, the specimen formerly in the collection of Mr. Broderip, and that which is pre- served in the Museum at York. The simple structure of the lower jaw, each ramus of which consists of one piece of bone, the convex condyle, and the double fangs of the molar teeth, prove the mammiferous character of these remains ; the size, elevation and form of the coronoid process of the lower jaw, the production of the angle of the jaw, with the development of the canines, and the pointed tubercular crowns of the molar teeth, indicate the carnivorous and insectivorous character of the species in question. The number of the incisors, eight in the lower jaw, and the structure and proportions of the molar teeth, approximate these small Insectivora most nearly to the smaller spe- cies of the modern genus Didelphys ; but the number of the molars in one of the speci- mens exceeds that of any Insectivore, placental or marsupial, which was known at the period when Cuvier wrote on this fossil. Recently, however, a genus of insectivorous Mammal (Myrmecobius) has been discovered in Australia, presenting the modifications of the cranium which characterize the Marsupiata, and having nine tuberculate molars in each ramus of the lower jaw’. Besides the osteological characters above alluded to, there is a character in the lower jaw of the marsupial animals, not peculiar to the genus Didelphys, which serves to distinguish it from that of the placental Mammalia. In the carnivorous Marsupials, as the Thylacine, the lower maxillary bone very nearly resem- bles in general form that of the corresponding placental species, as the Dog : a similar transverse condyle is placed low down near the angle of the jaw; the strong coronoid process rises high above it, and is slightly curved backwards ; there is the same well- marked depression on the exterior of the ascending ramus for the firm implantation of. the temporal muscle, and the lower boundary of this depression is formed by a strong ridge extended downwards and forwards from the outside of the condyle. But in the Dog, and other placental digitigrade Carnivora, a process, representing the angle of the jaw, extends directly backwards from the middle of the above ridge, which process gives fixation to the articulation of the jaw, and increases the power by which the masseter acts upon the jaw. Now although the same curved ridge of bone bounds the lower part of the external depression of the ascending ramus in all the Marsupiata, it does not in any of them send backwards, or in any other direction, a process corresponding to that just described in the Dog. The angle of the jaw is as if it were bent inwards in the form of a process, encroaching in various shapes and various degrees of develop- ment in the different marsupial genera upon the interspace of the rami of the lower jaw. In looking down upon the lower margin of the jaw, we see, therefore, in place of the 1 See Mr. Waterhouse’s Memoir, Zool. Trans. Vol. ii, Pl. XXVIII. figg. 2, 5. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 393 margin of a vertical plate of bone, a more or less flattened surface extended between the external ridge and the internal process, or inflected angle. In the Oposswms this internal angular process is triangular and trihedral, directed inwards, with the point slightly curved upwards. In the Dasyures it has a similar form, but the apew is extended into an obtuse process. In the Thylacine the base of the in- flected angle is proportionally more extended ; and a similar structure is presented by the jaw of the fossil Phascolothere. In the Perameles the angle of the jaw forms a still longer process ; it is of a flattened form, extended obliquely inwards and backwards, and slightly curved upwards. In the Potoroos and Phalangers the process is broad, with the apex slightly developed ;—it is bent inwards, and bounds the lower part of a wide and deep depression on the inside of the ascending ramus. In the Great Kangaroo the internal margin of this process is curved upwards, so as to augment the depth of the internal depression above mentioned. The internal angular process arrives at its maximum of development in the Wombat", so that the breadth of the base of the ascend- ing ramus very nearly equals the height of the same. This broad base also inclines downwards and outwards from the inflected angle, and the same peculiarity occurs in the jaw of the fossil Phascolothere. {In the Koala* the size of the process in question is also considerable, but it is com- pressed and directed backwards, with the obtuse apex only bending inwards ; so that the characteristic flattening of the base of the ascending ramus is least marked in this species. There is no depression on the inner side of the ramus in the Koala, but the smooth surface is simply pierced near its middle by the dental artery. There is a cor- responding perforation on the external surface of the ascending ramus, upon which we observe the external muscular depression bounded below by a broad angular ridge. In the Dasyure there is no external perforation corresponding with the dental canal on the ‘inside of the ramus. The ramus is likewise entire in the Petaurists, Phalangers, Pera- meles and Opossums. In the Wombat the ascending ramus is directly perforated by a round aperture* immediately posterior to the commencement of the dental canal: the corresponding aperture is of larger size in the Kangaroo ; but in the Potoroos both the external and internal depressions of the ascending ramus lead to wide canals, or con- tinuations of the depressions, which pass forwards in the substance of the horizontal ramus, and soon uniting into one passage, leave a vacant space in the intervening bony septum. This structure, if it had only existed in the jaw of a fossil Marsupial, would have supported an argument for its saurian nature, on account of a nearly allied struc- ture in the jaw of the Crocodile. The posterior aperture of the dental canal is situated in the Potoroos and Wombat, as in the Stonesfield fossils, just behind the last molar tooth ; and in the Wombat a vascular groove is continued from the foramen, along the 1 Pl. LXXI. fig. 6 d. ® Pl. LXIX. fig. 4. * A bristle is represented as passing through this aperture on the left side of the lower jaw, in Pl. LXXI. fig. 6 d. 3F2 394 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY inner side of the ramus of the jaw, as in the same fossils. In the Thylacine and Ursine Dasyures, and in their fossil congener the Phascolothere, the condyle of the lower jaw is placed low down, on a level with the molar series : it is raised a little above that level in the Opossums, and ascends in proportion to the vegetable character of the diet. In all those Marsupiata which have few or very small incisors, the horizontal rami of the jaw converge towards a point at the symphysis. The angle of convergence is most open in the Wombat, and the gradual diminution is most marked and direct. The internal surface of the symphysis menti is almost horizontal, and is convex from side to side in the interval between the molars and incisors. The suture becomes obli- terated in aged skulls. It is also wholly obliterated in the skull of a Koala now before me: in all the other marsupial crania which I have examined, the rami of the lower jaw are not anchylosed at the symphysis; and in the Opossum, both the ram of the lower jaw and all the bones of the face are remarkable for the loose nature of their connection. Of the Vertebral Column.—The vertebral column is divisible, in all the Marsupiata, into the usual classes of cervical, costal, lumbar, sacral and caudal vertebrae. The cervical vertebre invariably present the usual number, seven, and the usual character of the perforation of the transverse process, or rather the presence of both upper and lower transverse processes, and the union of their outer extremities with a rudimental rib. I found the cervical ribs distinct and unanchylosed in the dentata of a mature Perameles lagotis. Inthe Dasyures, Opossums, Perameles and Phalangers, the seventh cervical vertebra has only the upper transverse process, and consequently wants the character of the perforation, as in many of the ordinary Mammalia. In the Petaurists, Koala, Wombat, Potoroos and Kangaroos, the seventh vertebra is perforated like the rest; but in the Kangaroo both the dentata and atlas have the transverse processes srooved merely by the vertebral arteries ; and in the Koala and Wombat the atlas pre- sents only the perforation on each side of the superior arch. In Perameles and some other Marsupials, as the Cayopollin, an affinity to the Reptilia is manifested in the structure of the atlas, which exhibits a permanent separation of the superior lamine from the centre or body below. In the Koala and Wombat the body of the atlas remains permanently cartilaginous ; at least this is its condition in an adult skeleton of each of these animals in the Hunterian Museum, in which the lower part of the vertebral ring is completed by dried gristly substance. In the Petau- rists, Kangaroos and Potoroos, the atlas is completed below by an extension of ossifica- tion from the centres developed from the superior /amine into the cartilaginous nucleus representing the body ; and the ring of the vertebre is for a long time interrupted by a longitudinal fissure in the middle line, the breadth of which diminishes with age’. 1 'This fissure is represented in figures of the atlas of a Potoroo and Kangaroo, given by Pander and D’Alton (Beutelthiere, fig. c. Pl. III. and VII.); but in some of the skeletons of these Marsupials examined by me, I find the ring completed and the fissure obliterated. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 395 In all the Marsupiata the spine of the dentata is well developed, both in the vertical and longitudinal directions, but most so in the Virginian and Crab-eating Opossums, where it increases in thickness posteriorly ; in these species also the third, fourth and fifth cervical vertebra have their spines remarkably long and thick, but progressively diminishing from the third, which equals in height and thickness, but not in longitudinal extent, the spine of the dentata. These spines are four-sided, and being closely impacted, one behind another, must add greatly to the strength, while they diminish the mobility of this part of the spine. I know of no other mammiferous genus which presents the same structure: in the Armadillos the corresponding spines are largely developed, but they are anchylosed together. In the Orang the cervical spines are remarkably developed in length, but have the ordinary, slender, subcylindri- cal, rounded form. Tyson, who describes and figures the above structure of the cervical vertebre in the Opossum, conjectures that it is given to this arboreal animal in order that there might be no danger of its breaking its neck, should it happen to fall to the ground by chance or design. Unfortunately for this reasoning, however, the Phalan- gers, Petaurists, Koala, and other arboreal Marsupiata, whose arboreal habits render them equally liable to a fall, present the usual structure of the five posterior cervical vertebre, the spines of which are all much less than that of the dentata, and in the Phalangers and Petaurists almost obsolete. I observe in the Phalangista Cookii that the superior flattened arches of the five last cervical vertebrae bear a ridge on each side of the spine, having the same direction and form, and nearly the same size. The spinous processes are wanting in the five last cervical vertebrz of the Phascogale. The structure of the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrz, in the Opossum, is adapted to the strengthening and fixation of this part of the vertebral column ; they are expanded nearly in the axis of the spine, but obliquely, so that the posterior part of one transverse process overlaps the anterior part of the succeeding. This structure is exhibited in a slighter degree in the cervical vertebre of the Dasyures, Phalangers, and great Kangaroo. In the Petaurists, Potoroos, Wombat and Koala the direction and simpler form of the transverse processes allows of greater freedom of lateral motion. In the Koala and Wombat a short obtuse process is given off from the under part of the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra. In the Potoroos, Kangaroos, Petaurists, Phalangers, Opossums and Dasyures this process is remarkably expanded in the direction of the axis of the spine. In the Perameles corresponding processes are observed, progressively increasing in size, in the fourth, fifth and sixth cervical vertebre. The number of the dorsal vertebre is greatest in the Wombat, where it is fifteen, corresponding with the number of pairs of ribs. In all the other genera they are thirteen. In the Koala the length of the spine of the first dorsal hardly exceeds that of the last cervical, but in all other Marsupials the difference is considerable, the first dorsal 396 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY spine being much longer ; those of the remaining dorsal vertebra progressively diminish in length, and increase in breadth and thickness. They slope backwards towards the centre of motion, which in Mauge’s Dasyure is shown to be at the ninth dorsal vertebra, by the verticality of its spine, towards which both the preceding and succeeding spines incline. In the Perameles the centre of motion is at the eleventh dorsal vertebra ; in the Potoroo and Kangaroo at the twelfth ; in the Petaurists at the thirteenth vertebra. In the Phalangers, Opossums, Koala and Wombat the flexibility of the spine is much dimi- nished, and the centre of motion is not defined by the convergence of the spinous pro- cess towards a single vertebra, but they all incline slightly backwards. The lumbar vertebre are four in number in the Wombat, seven in the Petaurists, and six in other Marsupiata,—the total number of true vertebrz being thus the same in all the genera’. The pressure to which the trunk of the Wombat must occasionally be sub- jected, in its extensive subterranean burrowings, is probably the condition of the de- velopment of the additional pairs of ribs in that species. The anterior oblique processes, which begin to increase in length in the three poste- rior dorsal vertebre, attain a great size in the lumbar vertebre, and are locked into the interspace of the posterior oblique processes, which are double on each side, except in the Perameles, and in the last lumbar vertebre of all the other genera. The trans- verse processes of the lumbar vertebre progressively increase in length as the vertebra approach the sacrum ; they are most developed in the Wombat, where they are directed obliquely forwards. In the Kangaroos, Potoroos and Perameles they are curved for- wards and obliquely downwards. The length of these and of the anterior oblique pro- cesses is relatively least in the Petaurists, Phalangers and Opossums. The number of vertebra succeeding the lumbar, which are anchylosed together in the sacral region of the spine, amounts in the Wombat to seven ; but if we regard those vertebree only as sacral which join the ossa innominata, then there are but three. In the Phalangers there are generally two sacral vertebre, but in a small species from Tasmania (Phal. Cookit), the last lumbar assumes the character of the sacral vertebre, both by anchylosis and a partial junction with the ossa innominata. In the Kangaroos and Potoroos the impetus of the powerful hinder extremities is transferred to two an- chylosed vertebree. In the Perameles there is only a single sacral vertebra, the spine of which is shorter and thicker than those of the lumbar vertebre, and turned in the contrary direction, viz. backwards. In the Myrmecobius there are four sacral vertebrz by anchylosis, two of which join the ilia. In Mauge’s Dasyure two sacral vertebre are anchylosed ; but it is to the expanded transverse processes of the anterior one only that the innominata are joined. The same kind of union exists in the Viverrine Dasyure, but three vertebre are anchylosed together in this species. In the Phalangers and Pe- taurists there are two sacral vertebre. In Petawrus Taguanoides and Pet. macrou- ' In Phalangista Cookii the sixth lumbar vertebra is joined by a part of its transverse process to the ossa in- nominata. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 397 rus three are anchylosed together, although two only join the zlium. In the Wombat the transverse processes of the numerous anchylosed vertebre are remarkable for their length: those of the first four are directed outwards, and are confluent at their ex- tremities ; the remaining ones are turned in a slight degree backwards, and very nearly reach the tuberosities of the ischia, behind which they gradually diminish in size, and disappear in the three last caudal vertebra. The transition from the sacral to the caudal vertebre is very obscure in the Wombat ; if we limit the sacral to the three which join the ilium, then there remain twelve vertebrae for the tail. The spinal canal is complete in all but the last three, which consist only of the body. There are no inferior spines ; and as only the six posterior vertebrze, which progressively diminish in length, extend beyond the posterior aperture of the pelvis, the tail is scarcely visible in the living animal. In the Koala the tail is also very short. In the Cheropus it would seem to be wanting. In one species of Perameles I find eighteen caudal vertebrz, in another twenty-three. In two species of Potoroo there are twenty-four caudal vertebre, but the relative length of the tail differs in these by one-third, in consequence of the different length of the bodies of the vertebre. In the Hypsiprymnus ursinus there are more than twenty- six caudal vertebree. In the great Kangaroo there are twenty-two caudal vertebre ; in Bennett’s Kangaroo there are twenty-four caudal vertebre. In the Phalangista Vulpina there are twenty-one caudal vertebre. In the Petawrus macrourus I find twenty-eight caudal vertebre ; in Pet. Taguanoides there are twenty-nine, while in the Pet. sciureus there are but twenty. In both these species the bodies of the middle caudal vertebre are remarkably long and slender. In the Dasywrus Maugei I find twenty caudal ver- tebree. In the Didelphys cancrivora there are thirty-one, in the Virginian Opossum there are twenty-two caudal vertebrz : in the latter species the spinal canal is continued along the first six ; beyond these the superior spinous processes cease to be developed, and the body gives off above only the two anterior and two posterior oblique processes, which are rudimental, and no longer subservient to the mutual articulation of the vertebre. The transverse processes are single on the first five caudal vertebrz, and are nearly the breadth of the body, but diminish in length from the second caudal, in which they are generally the longest. In the other vertebra a short, obtuse, transverse process is de- veloped at both extremities of the body, on either side, so that the dilated articular surfaces of the posterior caudal vertebre present a quadrate figure. In most of the Marsupials which have a long tail this appendage is subject to pres- sure on some part of the under surface. In the Kangaroo this must obviously take place to a considerable degree when the tail is used as a fifth extremity to aid in supporting or propelling the body. In the Potoroos and Perameles the tail also transmits to the ground part of the superincumbent pressure of the body by its under surface, when the animal is erect ; but it is not used as acrutch, in locomotion, as in the Kangaroos. In the 398 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY Phalangers and Opossums the tail is prehensile, and the vessels situated at the under surface are liable to compression when the animal hangs suspended by the tail. To protect these vessels, therefore, as well as to afford additional attachment to the muscles which execute the various movements for which the tail is adapted in the above-mentioned Marsupialia, V-shaped bones, or inferior arches (hemapophyses), are developed, of various forms and sizes, and are placed opposite the articulations of the vertebrz, a situation which is analogous to that of the superior arches in the sacral re- gion of the spine in Birds, and in the dorsal region of the spine in the Chelonian Rep- tiles. The two crura of the subvertebral arch embrace and defend the blood-vessels, and the spinous process, continued from their point of union, presents a variety of forms in different genera. In Cook’s Phalanger I find the hemapophyses commence between the second and third caudal vertebre, increase in length to the fourth, and then progressively diminish to the end of the tail, the penultimate and antepenultimate presenting a permanent separation of the lateral moieties, and an absence of the spine. In the Virginian and Vulpine Opossum and Phalangers they are simple ; about a quarter of an inch in length where longest, directed obliquely forwards, and diminish in size as they approach the extremity of the tail. In the Potoroos the extremity of the long anterior spines is di- lated and produced both backwards and forwards ; the posterior smaller ones become expanded laterally, and give off similar but shorter processes from each side, whereby the base of support is extended. In the Great Kangaroo the spine of the first subvertebral arch only is simple and elongated ; the extremities of the others are expanded, and in some jut out into four obtuse processes, two at the sides and two at the anterior and posterior surfaces. In a carefully-prepared skeleton of Macropus Bennettii I found these inferior spines wanting between the last nine vertebre of the tail. In the Petaurists, Phascogales and Dasyures, where the tail acts as a balancing-pole, or serves, from the long and thick hair with which it is clothed, as a portable blanket to keep. the nose and extremities warm during sleep, the subvertebral arches are also present, but in less number, and of smaller rela- tive size ; they are here principally subservient to the attachment of muscles, their more mechanical office of defending the caudal vessels from pressure not being required. Of the Thorax.—Of the ribs, which, with the exception of the Wombat and Petaurists, are thirteen pairs, the first is the shortest, and, except in some of the Petaurists, the broadest. In the Pet. macrourus the fifth, sixth or seventh are the broadest ; and the ribs generally have, both in this species and in Pet. sciureus, a more compressed form than in the other Marsupials ; but this character does not exist in Petawrus Taguanoides. In the Great Kangaroo they are very slender and rounded, except at the sternal extre- mities, which are flattened for the attachment of the cartilages. In this species and the Bush Kangaroo the seven anterior pairs of ribs articulate directly with the sternum. The cartilages of the six false pairs are long and bent towards the sternum, but do not OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 399 join it, nor are they confluent, but have a gliding motion one over the other. In the Opossum there are seven pairs of true ribs, and six which may be regarded as coste nothe. In the Petaurists six pairs out of the twelve, and in the Wombat six pairs only out of the fifteen reach the sternum. The sternum consists of a succession of elongated bones, generally six in number, but in the Petawrus Taguanoides five, and in the Wombat four. The first bone, or manu- brium sterni, is the largest, and presents in many species a triangular shape, from the expansion of its anterior part, and sometimes a rhomboidal figure. A strong keel or longitudinal process is given off in many species from the middle of its inferior or outer surface ; the side next the cavity of the chest is smooth and slightly concave. In the Wombat, Phalangers and others, the keel is produced anteriorly into a strong pro- cess, against the sides of which the clavicles abut. The first pair of ribs join the pro- duced anterior angles of the manubrium. In the Dasywres, Opossums, Phalangers and Petaurists the manubrium is compressed and elongated, and the clavicles are joined to a process continued from its anterior extremity. The small clavicles of the Kan- garoo have a similar connection. The cartilages of the true ribs (which frequently become ossified in old Marsupials) are articulated, as usual, to the interspaces of the sternal bones ; the last of these bones supports a broad flat cartilage. Of the Pectoral Extremities.—The clavicles are present in all the Marsupials excepting the Perameles, and probably also the Cheropus. In the claviculate species they are relatively strongest and longest in the burrowing Wombat, weakest and shortest in the Great Kangaroo. In the latter they are simply curved, with the convexity forwards, and measure only two inches in length. In the Wombat they are upwards of three inches in length, and have a double curvature ; they are expanded and obliquely trun- cate at the sternal extremity, where the articular surface presents a remarkably deep notch ; they become compressed as they approach the acromion, to which they are at- tached by an extended narrow articular surface. In the Koala the clavicles are also very strong, but more compressed than in the Wombat, bent outwards in their whole extent, and the convex margin formed, not by a continuous curve, but by three almost straight lines with intervening angles, progressively diminishing in extent to the out- ermost line, which forms the articular surface with the acromion. In the Myrmecobius the clavicles are subcompressed, and more curved at the acromial than at the sternal end. In most of the other Marsupials the clavicle is a simple, compressed, elongated bone, with one general outward curvature. The scapula varies in form in the different Marsupiata. In the Petaurists it forms a scalene triangle, with the glenoid cavity at the convergence of the two longest sides. In the Wombat it presents a remarkably regular oblong quadrate figure, the neck being produced from the lower half of the anterior margin, and the outer surface being traversed diagonally by the spine—which, in this species, gradually rises to a full VOL. 1J.—PART V. 36 400 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY inch above the plane of the scapula, and terminates in a long, narrow, compressed acromion, arching over the neck to meet the clavicle. In the Koala the superior costa does not run parallel with the inferior, but recedes from it as it advances forwards, and then passes down, forming an obtuse angle, and with a gentle concave curvature, to the neck of the scapula ; a small process extends from the middle of this curvature. In the Potoroos the upper costa is at first parallel with the lower, but this parallel part is much shorter ; the remainder describes a sig- moid flexure as it approaches the neck of the scapula. In the Great Kangaroo, the Perameles, Phalangers, Opossums and Dasyures, the whole upper costa of the scapula describes a sigmoid curve, the convex posterior portion of which varies as to its degree and extent. The sub-scapular surface is remakable in the Perameles for its flatness, but presents a shallow groove near the inferior costa. In most other Marsupials it is more or less convex and undulating. In the Great Kangaroo the supra-spinal fossa is of less extent than the space below the spine, and the spine is inclined upwards. In the Perameles and Dasyures the pro- portions of the supra- and infra-spinal surfaces are reversed, and the whole spine is bent downwards over the infra-spinal surface. In the Potoroos and Phalangers the acromion is, as it were, bent downwards, so as to present a flattened surface to the observer ; in the Potoroos and Opossums this appearance is produced by a true expan- sion of the acromion. In the Perameles the coracoid process is merely represented by a slight production of the superior part of the glenoid cavity. In the Kangaroos and Potoroos it forms a protuberance on the upper part of the head of the scapula. In the other Marsupiata it assumes the character of a distinct process from the same part, and attains its greatest development in the Wombat and Koala, in the latter of which it is forcibly curved downwards and inwards. The humerus in the Dasyures and Thylacine resembles that of the Dog-tribe in the imperforate condition of the inner condyle, but differs in the more marked develop- ment of the muscular ridges, especially of that which extends upwards from the outer condyle for the origin of the great supinator muscle ; this ridge is terminated abruptly by the smooth tract for the passage of the musculo-spiral nerve. Jn all the other genera of Marsupials that I have examined the internal condyle of the humerus is perforated. It is so in the Petawrus macrourus and Pet. Taguanoides, but in the Petaurus sciureus the foramen is represented by a deep notch; in the Phalangista Cookw both foramen and notch are wanting. The ridge above the external condyle is much developed in the Petaurus macrourus and sciureus, and notched at its upper part ; but this notch does not exist in Pet. Taguanoides. I find similar differences in the development of the su- pinator or outer ridge in the genus Perameles. In the P. nasuta it is bounded above by a groove ; in a smaller species it is less developed and less defined. In the Kanga- roo0s, Potoroos, Wombat and Koala the outer condyloid ridge extends in the form of a OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 401 hooked process above the groove of the radial nerve. In all these, and especially in the Wombat, the deltoid process of the humerus is strongly developed : it is continued from the external tuberosity down the upper half of the humerus ; except in the Petau- rists, where, from the greater relative length of the humerus, it is limited to the upper third. The interspace of the condyles is occasionally perforated, as in the Perameles lagotis and Wombat. The articular surfaces at both extremities of the humerus have the usual form ; but it may be observed, that in some Marsupials, as the Koala, at the distal articulation the external convexity for the radius has a greater relative extent than usual, and the ulnar concavity is less deep. The bones of the fore-arm present little to detain our notice. They are always distinct and well developed, and their adaptation to pronation and supination is complete. The prehensile faculty and unguiculate structure of the anterior extremities appear to have been indispensable to animals where various manipulations were required in the economy of the marsupial pouch. When, therefore, such an animal is destined, like the Ruminant, to range the wilderness in quest of pasturage, the requisite powers of the anterior members are retained and secured to it by an enormous development of the hinder extremities, to which the function of locomotion is restricted. We find, therefore, that the bones of the fore-arm of the Kangaroo differ little from those of the burrowing Wombat, the climbing Koala, or the carnivorous Dasyure, save in relative size. They present the greatest proportional strength in the Wombat, and the greatest proportional length and slenderness in the Petaurists, or Flying Opos- sums, in which the radius and ulna are in close contact through a great portion of their extent, and thus lend a firmer support to the outstretched dermal parachute. They are also long and slender in the Koala. In general the radius and ulna run nearly parallel, and the inter-osseous space is very trifling ; it is widest in the Potoroos. The olecranon is well developed in all the Marsupials. In the Pet. Taguanoides it is expanded, and truncate at the upper extremity; in the Virginian Opossum and Petaurists we find it more bent forwards upon the rest of the ulna, than in the other Marsupials. In the Wombat, where the acromion is the strongest, and rises an inch and a half above the articular cavity of the ulna, it is extended in the axis of the bone. The distal end of the radius in this animal is articulated to a broad bone representing the os scaphoides and os lunure. The ulna, which in the same animal converges towards a point at its distal end, has that point received in a depression formed by the cuneiform and pisiform bones ; these are bound together by strong ligaments, and the pisiform then extends downwards and backwards for two-thirds of an inch. The second row of the carpus consists of five bones. The trapezium supports the inner digit, and has a small sesamoid bone articulated to its radial surface. The trapezoides is articulated to the index digit, and is wedged between the scapho-lunar bone and os magnum; this forms an oblique articular surface for the middle digit. But the largest of the second series of carpal bones is the cuneiform, which sends downwards an obtuse rounded process, and receives 3G2 402 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY the articular surface of the fifth and the outer half of that of the fourth digit, the re- mainder of which abuts against the oblique proximal extremity of the middle metatarsal bone. The five metatarsal bones are all thick and short, but chiefly so the outermost. The innermost digit has two phalanges, the remainder three. The unguial phalanx of all the digits is conical, curved, convex above, expanded at the base, and simple at the opposite extremity. In the Perameles the unguial phalanx of the three middle digits of the hand, and of the two outer digits of the foot, are split at the extremity by a longi- tudinal fissure commencing at the upper part of the base. This structure, which cha- racterizes the unguial phalanges in the placental Anteaters, has not been hitherto met with in other marsupial genera’. The terminal phalanges of the Koala are large, much compressed, and curved. The concave articular surface is not situated, as in the Cats, on the lower part of the prox- imal end, but, as in the Sloth, at the upper. The claws which they support are long. In the Great Kangaroo the first row of the carpus is composed, as in the Wombat, of three bones, but the apex of the ulna rotates in a cavity formed exclusively by the cuneiform. There are four bones in the second row, of which the unciform is by far the largest, and supports a part of the middle, as well as the two outer digits. In the Potoroos I find but three bones in the distal series of the carpus, the trapezoides being wanting, and its place in one species being occupied by the proximal end of the second metacarpal bone, which articulates with the os magnum. In the Perameles there are four bones in the second carpal row, although the hand is less perfect in this than in any other marsupial genus, Cheropus excepted, the three middle toes only being fully developed. In the Petaurists the carpus is chietly remarkable for the length of the os pisiforme. It would be tedious to dwell on the minor differences observable in the bony structure of the hand in other Marsupials ; I shall therefore only observe, that though the inner digit is not situated like a thumb, yet that the fingers enjoy much lateral motion, and that those at the outer can be opposed to those at the inner side, so as to grasp an object and perform in a secondary degree the function of a hand. In the Koala the two inner digits are more decidedly opposed to the three outer ones than in any other climbing Marsupial. But some of the Phalangers, as the Ph. Cookii and Ph. gliriformis of Bell, present in a slighter degree the same disposition of the fingers, by which two out of the five have the opposable properties of a thumb. A similar dispo- sition of the fingers may be observed in the Dormouse when it climbs, and it probably may not be uncommon in other placental Mammals of similar habits, and which have long, slender, and freely moveable fingers. As a permanent disposition of the digits, the opposition of three to two is most conspicuous in the prehensile extremities of the Chameleon. ‘ ! It would be interesting to examine the skeleton of the Cheropus with reference to this structure. OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 403 Of the Pelvic Extremities.—The pelvis in the mature Marsupial is composed of the os sacrum, the two ossa innominata, and the characteristic supplemental bones attached to the pubis, called by Tyson the ossa marsupialia, or Janitores Marsupit. We seek in vain for any relationship between the size of the pelvis and that of tne new-born young, the minuteness of which is so characteristic of the present tribe of animals. The diameters both of the area and the apertures of the pelvic canal are al- ways considerable, but more especially so in those Marsupialia which have the hinder extremities disproportionately large; as also in the Wombat, where the pelvis is re- markable for its width. The pelvis is relatively smallest in the Petaurists. The anterior bony arches formed by the ossa pubis and the ischia are always complete, and the inter- space between these arches is divided, as in other Mammalia, into the two obturator foramina by an osseous bridge continued from the pubis to the ischium, on each side of the symphysis. In the Kangaroos, Potoroos, Phalangers and Opossums, the ila offer an elongated prismatic form ; they are straight in the Opossum, but gently curved outwards in the other marsupial genera. In the Dasyures there is a longitudinal groove, widening upwards, in place of the angle at the middle of the exterior surface of the ilium. The ilia in the Petaurists are simply compressed from side to side. They are broader and flatter in the Perameles, and their plane is turned outwards. But the most remark- able form of the ilia is seen in the Wombat, in which they are considerably bent out- wards at their anterior extremity. In the Kangaroos and Potoroos the eye is arrested by a strong process, given off from near the middle of the ileo-pubic ridge ; and this process may be observed less developed in the other Marsupialia. The tuberosity of the ischia inclines outwards in a very slight degree in the Dasyures, Opossums, Phalangers, Petaurists, and Perameles ; in a greater degree in the Kangaroos and Potoroos ; and gives off a distinct and strong obtuse process in the Wombat, which not only extends outwards, but is curved forwards. In the Potoroos the symphysis of the ischia, or the lower part of what is commonly called the symphysis pubis, is produced anteriorly. The length of this symphysis, and the straight line formed by the lower margin of the ischia, is a characteristic structure of the pelvis in most of the Marsupials. The marsupial bones are elongated, flattened, and more or less curved, expanded at the proximal extremity, which sometimes, as in the Wombat, is articulated to the pubis by two points ; they are relatively longest, straightest, and most slender in the Pera- meles ; flattest, broadest, and most curved in the Koala, and shortest in the Myrmeco- bius', where they do not exceed half an inch in length. They are always so long that '! The presence of these characteristic bones in the skeleton of the Myrmecobius exposes the fallacy of the doubts of its marsupial character entertained by some naturalists, as M. Gervais, who had not confidence in the marsupial modifications of the cranium pointed out in Mr. Waterhouse’s original description of this genus. 404 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY the cremaster muscle winds round them in its passage to the testicle or mammary gland. The osteogenesis of the marsupial pelvis derives some extrinsic interest from the not- yet-forgotten speculations which have been broached regarding the analogies of the marsupial bones. These have been conjectured to exist in many of the placental Mam- malia, with a certain latitude of altered place and form, disguised, e. g. as the bone of the penis in the Carnivora, &c., or appearing as the supplemental ossicles of the aceta- bulum, which exist in the young of many of the Rodentia. In the os innominatum of an immature Potoroo it will be seen that the curved prismatic ilium contributes to form by the outer part of its base the upper or anterior third of the acetabulum; the rest of the circumference of this cavity is completed by the ischiwm and pubis, excepting a small part of the under or mesial margin, which is formed by a distinct ossicle or epiphysis of the ilium, analogous to that described by Geoffroy St. Hilaire as the rudimental marsupial bone in the Rabbit. Now here there is a coexisting marsupial bone ; but besides the five separate bones just mentioned, there is a sixth distinct triangular ossi- cle, which is wedged into the posterior interspace of the ischio-pubic symphysis. How easy were it to suggest that this single symmetrical bone may be the representative of the os penis, removed from the glans to the root of the intromittent organ! I regard it as a mere epiphysis of the ischium. The circumference of the acetabulum is always in- terrupted by a deep notch opposite the obturator foramen, which is traversed by a liga- mentous bridge, and gives passage to the vessels of the Harderian gland lodged in the wide and deep acetabular fossa. The femur is a straight, or nearly straight, long cylindrical bone, having a hemisphe- rical head, supported on a very short neck, especially in the Petaurists, and situated here almost in the axis of the shaft, above and between the two trochanters, which are nearly of equal size. In the Kangaroos and Potoroos the head of the thigh-bone is turned more inwards, and the outer or great trochanter rises above it. In other Marsupials the great trochanter is less developed. In all the species a strong ridge is continued downwards, to a short distance from the trochanter; and this ridge is so produced at the lower part in the Wombat, as almost to merit the name of a third tro- chanter. In the Wombat and Koala there is no depression for a ligamentum teres. The shaft of the bone presents no linee aspere. The canal for the nutrient artery commences at the upper third and posterior part of the bone in the Koala, and extends downwards, contrariwise to that in most other Mammalia. At the distal extremity of the femur the external condyle is the largest, the internal rather the longest. The in- termediate anterior groove for the patella is well marked in the Perameles, where the patella is fully developed, but is broad and very shallow in the Phalangers and Dasyures, where the tendon of the rectus muscle is merely thickened, or offers only a few irregular specks of ossification; and the corresponding surface in the Petaurists, Wombat and OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 405 Koala, is almost plane from side to side. I find distinct but small bony patelle in the Macropus Bennettit. In the knee-joint, besides the two crucial ligaments continued from the posterior angles or cresses of the semilunar cartilages,—one to the outer side of the inner con- dyle, the other to the interspace of the condyles,—there is a strong ligament which passes from the anterior part of the tibial protuberance backwards, to the inner side of the fibular condyle ; and a second continued from the same point, along the outer mar- gin of the outer semilunar cartilage, to the head of the tibia. The tibia presents the usual disposition of the articular surface for the condyles of the femur ; but in some genera, as the Wombat and Koala, the outer articular surface is continuous with that for the head of the fibula. a Kangaroos and Potoroos the an- terior part of the head is much produced, and in*the young animal its ossification com- mences by a centre distinct from the ordinary proximal epiphysis of the bone. A strong ridge is continued down from this protuberance for about one-sixth the length of the tibia. In the Koala a strong tuberosity projects from the anterior part of the tibia at the junction of the upper with the middle third. In this species and in the Wombat, as also in the Opossums, Dasyures, Phalangers and Petaurists, the shaft of the tibia is some- what compressed and twisted ; but in the Kangaroos, Potoroos and Perameles, the tibia is prismatic above and subcylindrical below. The internal malleolus is very slightly produced in any Marsupial, but most so in the Wombat. The fibula is complete, and forms the external malleolus in all the Marsupials. In one species of Hypsiprymnus, and in one species of Perameles (Per. lagotis), it is firmly united to the lower part of the tibia, though the line of separation be manifest exter- nally. In a second species of each of the above genera it is in close contact with the corresponding part of the tibia, but can be easily separated from that bone. In the Great Kangaroo the fibula is also a distinct bone throughout, but it is remark- ably thinned and concave at its lower half, so as to be adapted to the convexity of the tibia, with which it is in close contact and attachment. In each of those genera, there- fore, in which locomotion is principally performed by the hinder extremities, we per- ceive that their osseous structure is so modified as to ensure a due degree of fixity and strength ; while in the other marsupial genera, as Phascolarctos, Phascolomys, Phalan- gista, Petaurus, Didelphys and Dasyurus, the tibia and fibula are so loosely connected together, and with the tarsus, that the foot enjoys a movement of rotation analogous to the pronation and supination of the hand; and in the Petaurists, Phalangers, Opos- sums, and Koala, the inner toe is so placed and organized as to perform the office of an opposable thumb, whence these Marsupials have been termed Pedimana, or foot- handed. It is to this prehensile power that the modifications of the fibula chietly relate. Inthe Wombat, Koala, Petaurists and Phalangers, it expands to nearly an equal size with the tibia at the distal extremity, and takes a large share in the formation of the tarsal joint; but the articular surface is slightly convex, while that of the tibia is 406 - PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY slightly concave. The proximal extremity of the fibula is also much enlarged, but compressed, obliquely truncated, and giving off two tuberosities from its exterior sur- face ; to the superior of these a large sesamoid bone is articulated: I have observed the same sesamoid attached to the upper end of the fibula in a Dasyurus macrourus. Tem- minck figures it in the Didelphys ursina and Didelphys Philander. I find the following structure of the tarsus in the Wombat. The astragalus is con- nected, as usual, with the tibia, fibula, calcaneum and scaphoides. The upper articular surface for the tibia is, as usual, concavo-convex, the internal surface for the inner malleolus flattened, and at right angles with the preceding ; but the outer articular sur- face presents a triangular flattened form, and instead of being bent down parallel with the inner articular surface, slopes away at a very open angle from the upper surface, and receives the articular surface of the fibula so as to sustain its vertical pressure. A very small proportion of the outer part of the inferior surface of the astragalus rests upon the calcaneum ; a greater part of the superincumbent pressure is transmitted by a transversely-extended convex anterior surface to the scaphoid and cuboid bones. This form of the astragalus is also characteristic of the Koala, Petaurists, Dasyures, and the Pedimanous Marsupials. In the Kangaroos, Potoroos and Perameles, which have the pedes saltatorii, the fibular articular surface of the astragalus is bent down, as usual, at nearly right angles with the upper tibial surface. The calcanewm presents a ridge on the outer surface, which serves to sustain the pressure of the external malleolus, which is not articulated to the side of the astragalus. The internal surface, which joins the astragalus, is continuous with the anterior and slightly concave surface which articulates with the cuboides. The posterior part of the bone is compressed ; it projects backwards for nearly an inch, and is slightly bent downwards and inwards. This part is relatively shorter in the Koala, Phalangers, Opossums and Petaurists, but is as strongly developed in the Dasyures as in the Wombat. In the Dasyurus macrourus I observe a small sesamoid bone wedged in between the astragalus, tibia and fibula, at the back part of the ancle- joint. In the Petawrus Taguanoides there is a supplemental tarsal bone wedged in be- tween the naviculare and cuboides on the plantar surface. In the Wombat the scaphoid, cuboid, and three cuneiform bones have the ordinary uses and relative positions. The analogy of the carpal and tarsal bones is very clearly illustrated in this animal. The anchylosed naviculare and lunare of the hand correspond with the astragalus and naviculare of the foot, transferring the pressure of the focile majus upon the three inner- most bones of the second series. The long, backward projecting, pisiform bone of the wrist closely resembles the posterior process of the os calcis; the articular portion or body of the os calcis corresponds with the cuneiform bone of the carpus ; the large carpal unciform represents the tarsal cuboides, and performs the same function, supporting the two outer digits ; the three cuneiform bones of the tarsus are obviously analogous to the trapezium, trapezoides, and os magnum. The internal cuneiform bone is the largest of the three in the Wombat, although it supports the smallest of the toes: it is of course : L°GMOY SAULOPOIISVY GOS MART Teh WU WAS 78S 200g SF Ueeey Pha ror larch r fuscus Ly C bra Wd 1 jp 6 7 va ‘ 4 ; ef Wa ‘oot. 4 Joc Wt é St —~< hey from Vaure by G Scharf. a Dasyuras. 2 : aes / Thu lacinius tig y¥ ; YOY % > ee : Ys NR ~ “ SN % 3 PS x SS ; + > a \ 3 3 N - A SS : » TUIRWAS I Sp). 4 langusta. F Litauras. 4 [ly v Fig Feramdes lagots 2 Lha trom Jintare by C Sohow? OF THE MARSUPIALIA. 407 more developed in the Pedimanous Marsupials, where it supports a large and opposable thumb. In the Wombat the metatarsals progressively increase in length and breadth from the innermost to the fourth ; the fifth or outermost metatarsal is somewhat shorter, but twice as thick, and it sends off a strong obtuse process from the outside of its prox- imal end. The innermost metatarsal supports only a single phalanx ; the rest are suc- ceeded by three phalanges each, progressively increasing in thickness to the outermost ; the unguial phalanges are elongated, gently curved downwards, and gradually diminish to a point. In the Myrmecobius the tibial or innermost toe is represented by a short, rudimental, metatarsal bone, concealed under the skin. In the Dasyures the innermost toe has two phalanges, but it is the most slender, and does not exceed in length the metatarsal bone of the second toe. In the Petaurists it is rather shorter than the other digits, but is the strongest ; and in Petaurus Taguanoides the terminal phalanges are singularly flattened and expanded; the toes are set wide apart in this genus. In the Opossums and Phalangers the innermost metatarsal bone is directed inwards, apart from the rest, and, together with the first phalanx, is broad and flat. The second phalanx in the Opossum supports a claw, but in the Phalangers is short, transverse, unarmed, and almost obsolete. In all the preceding genera there are two small sesamoid bones on the under side of the joints of the toes, both in the fore and hind feet. The commencement of a degeneration of the foot, which is peculiar to, and highly characteristic of, the marsupial animals, may be discerned, in the Petaurists, in the slender condition of the second and third toes, as compared with the first, fourth, and fifth. In the Phalangers this diminution of size of the second and third toes, counting from the hallux, is more marked ; they are also both of the same length, and have no individual motion, being united together in the same sheath of integument as far as the unguial phalanges, whence the name of Phalangista applied to this genus. In the saltatorial genera of Marsupialia the degradation of the corresponding toes is extreme ; but though reduced to aimost filamentary slenderness, they retain the usual number of phalanges, the terminal ones being armed with claws, which appear as appendages at the inner side of the foot, for the purpose of scratching the skin and dressing the fur. The removal of the innermost toe, corresponding with our great toe, and the hallux of the Pedimana, commences in the Perameles. In one species I find the metatarsal bone of this toe supports only a single rudimental phalanx, which reaches to the end of the next metatarsal bone, and the internal cuneiform bone is elongated. In another spe- cies the internal toe is as long as the abortive second and third toes, and has two pha- langes, the last of which is divided by the longitudinal fissure characteristic of the unguial phalanges in this genus. In the Perameles lagotis the innermost toe is repre- sented by a rudimental metatarsal bone, about one-third the length of the adjoining metatarsal. In the Poephagous Marsupials no rudiment of the innermost toe exists. The VOL. I1.—PART V. 3H 408 PROF. OWEN ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE MARSUPIALIA. power of the foot is concentrated in all these genera on the two outer toes, but especially the fourth, which in the Great Kangaroo is upwards of a foot in length, including the metatarsal bone and the claw, which latter resembles an elongated hoof, but is three- sided and sharp-pointed, like a bayonet. It is with this formidable weapon that the Kangaroo stabs and rips open the abdomen of its assailant ; it will hold a powerful dog firmly during the contest with the anterior extremities, and firmly supporting itself be- hind upon its powerful tail, deliver its thrusts with the whole force of the hinder ex- tremities. The cuboid bone, which supports the two outer metatarsals in the Poephaga, is pro- portionally developed. The internal cuneiform bone is present, though the toe which is usually articulated to it is wanting ; it is also the largest of the three, and assists in supporting the second metatarsal ; it is joined with the naviculare and external cunei- form, the small middle cuneiform occupying the space between the external and in- ternal wedge-bones and the proximal extremities of the two abortive metatarsals. The great or fourth metatarsal is straight, and somewhat flattened ; the external one is com- pressed and slightly bent outwards ; the toe which this supports is armed with a claw similar to the large one, but the unguial phalanx does not reach to the end of the second phalanx of the fourth toe, and the whole digit is proportionally weaker. PLATE LXVIII. Side-view of the skeleton of the Wombat (Phascolomys Wombat). PLATE LXIX. Views of skull and lower jaw of the Koala (Phascolarctos fuscus). PLATE LXX. Fig. 1. Base of the skull of the Thylacinus Harrisii. 2. Base of skull of Dasyurus viverrimus. 3. —————— Dasyurus Maugew. 4. Dasyurus macrourus. D. —— Dasyurus Ursinus. PLATE LXXI. Fig. 1. Base of the skull of Perameles lagotis. Fig. 6. Base of the skull of Phasco- 2; ———— Phalangista Cookit. lomys Wombat. 3. ———_—_—____ Petaurus breviceps. 6 a. Exoccipital bone. 4. —— —— Hypsiprymnus Hun- 6 b. Tympanic bone. tert. 6 c. Pterygoid bone. a: ——— Macropus Bennettii. 6 d. Inferior maxillary bone. PLATE [ 409 ] DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES. 1. Coturnix erythrorhyncha 2. Coturnia Argoondah 3. Coturnix Pentah . 4, Hemipodius Taigoor. .J 5. Invertebrate animals, 6 7 8 9 +t Pteropus Whiter . 11. Cancri, and their details 14. Athalia centifolia 15. Histiophorus immaculatus 16. Octodon Cumingu . | 17. Ctenomys Magellanicus 18. | Lamellibranchiate Conchifera, and their details . 20. 21. Cephalopods, and their details 22. Gerbillus Burton . va 23. 24. ; . 9 ; Crania, &c. of species of Gerbillus 26. 27. a8} Myrmecobius fasciatus 29. Species of Sacred Beetles, and their details 30. 31. 32.+ Crania of species of Simia . « + + « + 33. 34. to face page 24 30 ink OS 70 74 . 102 . 130 . 148 . 148 . 154 . 163 Re! [ 410 } Pirate 35. 6. at vittata, G. Allamandi, and details . . . . . to face page 206 37. 38. Echiodon Drummondii . . . .. . chaeeatee eR Wiss ar -pattst tat Dilee 39. Aigocerus niger 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45 46. 47 48 49 50 51 52 Anatomical details of the Nubian Giraffe Rr SAY 4 any eds me gto! Kohwmops Velfairt:. ci os, 30 ae st oe ene RE tae LOU es details of Apiterya australists Aen Ener ne ee Oe . . . . ieydropiie gractis,and detals- .- . -) =. -udtuueMA-widemeee oh. OL4 58. Skulls of speciesiof Geleoptihecus > J = i sp OA 59, Skull of Meles Labrnaoma 2) 20/2 SSSA I, SD Re ae nn ae 64. 65. 67. 60. 61. 62. 635 [2 PishestottneMulcnunte set. toe ce se ay Get eee ee, ow OO so | 69. 70, { Osteology of Marsupialia . . - . - - . 1 - se ew s 2 407 71. Printed by Richard and John E. Taylor, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. LIST OF THE PAPERS CONTAINED IN VOL. II. Bett, Tuomas, Esq. Some account of the Crustacea of the coasts of South America, with descriptions of new genera and species; founded prin- cipally on the collections obtained by Mr. Cuming and Mr. Miller ........ Observations on the genus Galictis (Bell), with description of a new species Bennett, E, T., Esq. On a remarkable species of Pteropine Bat On the genus Octodon, and on its relations with Ctenomys, Blainv., and Poephagomys, F. Cuy. : including a description of a new species of Ctenomys .............4.. Cantor, Dr. Turopore. Observations upon Pelagic Serpents . Cuvier, M. Frep. Mémoire sur les Gerboises et les Gerbilles Garner, Roser, Esq. On the Anatomy of the Lamellibranchiate Conchifera Harris, Capt. W. C. Description of a new species of Antelope Lowe, The Rev. R. T. A synopsis of the Fishes of Madeira, with the principal synonyms, Portuguese names, and characters of the new genera Se Oe Me peecvsccvessaceces and species Maartin, W. C. L., Esq. On a new genus of Jnsectivorous Mammalia Owen, Ricwarp, Esq. Descriptions of some new and rare Cepha- MUA rel Petes Yaraic 308 tal sie stk clase elevate Osteological contributions to the Natural VOL. Il.—PART V. Page 39 201 31 75 . 303 131 87 213 - 173 249 oI P; History of the Orang-Utans (Simia, Hexleben)\ii5.2xcccmaniee.¥ “eeeaiatee Notes on the Anatomy of the Nubian Gi- WAG ie etsxaitipeict) fais ois dea dials eae oe On the Anatomy of the Southern Apteryx (Aptery2 Australis)... ).0<0ccc0 Outlines of a classification of the Marsu- ©, ehe\8 6 @'8\0/0 6.0 sje 5) 06 0 ses) pinion a wis a On the Osteology of the Marsupialia .... Rupretz, M.E., M.D. Mémoire sur une nouvelle espéce de Poisson du genre Histiophore, de la Mer Rouge Sykes, Lieut.-Colonel Wirt1am Henry. On the Quails and Hemipodii of India, . . . On the Fishes of the Dukhun Tempxeton, Rosert, Esq. Descriptions of a few Invertebrated animals obtained at the Isle of France ........ Tuomrson, Wiii1aM, Esq. On anew subgenus of fishes, allied to Ophi- dium we eeeerece OO SO ei aaa Warernovse, Grorce R., Esq. Description of a new genus of Mammiferous animals from Australia, belonging pro- bably to the Order Marsupialia ...... On the genus Galeopithecus ............ On the skull of the North American Badger, Meles Labradoria of authors.......... Wesrwoop, J. O., Esq. On several new species of insects belonging to the family of the Sacred Beetles .. .. Yarrety, Wit11aM, Esq. Some observations on the economy of an insect destructive to turnips 71 1 349 25 207 149 335 343 155 a Heepelyay wr asain. Leet ype aig ast 40 te fy mean tye bry Pak.) Salaam Ag eh We ‘edin’ a eee tye Cy ee any Ta Sh Laie ES a aR by amma abla i wll 4 al oie eee” } rt INDEX OF SPECIES IN VOL. II. Acanthonyx Petiverii, Edw., page 62. Acanthopterygiane, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 173. Acanthopterygii, on the fishes of this order inhabiting the Dukhun, 350. Acrobata, Desm., dentition of, 325. Actinia sanguineo-punctata, description of, 25. Ageneiosus Childreni, Sykes, description of, 375. Aigocerus niger, Harris, description of, 213. Alactaga, observations upon this genus, 132. Alactaga arundinis, description of, 134. Alepisaurus, characters of this genus of Scombride, 181. Alepisaurus ferox, Lowe, description of, 181. Ambassis Barlovi, Sykes, description of, 350. Ambulatoria, a subsection of the Marsupialia, charac- ters of, 318. Anatifa, species infesting aquatic serpents, 309. Anguilla Elphinstonei, Sykes, description of, 377. latirostris, Yarrell, notice of, 191. Anisomelus, characters of this new genus, 27. Anisomelus luteus, description of, 27. Anomiopsis, characters of this genus, 159. Anomiopsis Dioscorides, description of, 160. Sterquilinus, description of, 161. Antelope, description of a new species of (Aigocerus niger), 213. Anthias Sacer, Bl., notice of, 173. Aplurus, characters of this new genus of Scombride, 180. Aplurus simplex, Lowe, description of, 180. Apodes, on the fishes of this order inhabiting the Dukhun, 377. Apogon Rex Mullorum, Cuy., notice of, 173. Apteryx, on the anatomy of, 257 ; circulatory and respiratory systems, 271; renal and genital or- gans, 280; osseous system, 282 ; organs of sense, 293; on the affinities of, 294. Argonaut, observations upon, relating to its being constructed by a Cephalopod, page 114. Argonauta hians, Solander, observations upon, and description of, 113. Athalia centifolig, observations on the economy of this insect, 67. Atherina hepsetus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 184. presbyter, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 184. Atherine, or Sandsmelt, notice of, 184. Aurata massiliensis, Risso, notice of, 177. Bagrus Lonah, Sykes, description of, 371. Yarrelli, Sykes, description of, 370. Balistes forcipatus, Art., notice of, 193. lunulatus, Risso, notice of, 193. Balistide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 193. Bandicoots, characters of the, 319. Barbus Khudree, Sykes, description of, 357. Kolus, Sykes, description of, 357. Mussullah, Sykes, description of, 356. Belone Graii, Sykes, description of, 367. vulgaris, Cuy., notice of, 188. Beryz splendens, Lowe, description of, 174. decadactylus, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 175. Blennius inequalis, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 185. palmicornis, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 185. parvicornis, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 185. Phycis, Linn., notice of, 189. Boar-fish, notice of, 183. Bonito, the, notice of, 180. Bornean Pongo, on the skull and dentition of, 168. Box Salpa, Cuy, and Val., notice of, 178. — vulgaris, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 178. Braize or Becker (Pagrus vulgaris), notice of, 177. Brama Raii, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 179. marina, Flem., notice of, 179. Bramide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 178. Bream, notice of the Sea Bream, 177; Black Bream, 178; Ray’s Bream, 179. 312 414 INDEX OF Bungarus annularis, Daudin, observations upon, page 304. ceruleus, Daudin, observations upon, 304. Cantharus griseus, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 178. Capros aper, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 183. Caranx Cuvieri, Lowe, description of, 183. luna, Geoff., notice of, 183. Carcharias glaucus, Flem., notice of, 194. vulpes, Cuv., notice of, 194, Carpophaga, a section of the Marsupialia, characters of, 322. Cellepora, a species of, infesting aquatic serpents, 309. Centrina ? nigra, Lowe, notice of, 194. Centrina Salviani, Will., notice of, 194. Centriscus Scolopaz, Linn., notice of, 187. Cephalopod, observations upon the head and viscera of a specimen obtained at Port Jackson, 119. Cephalopoda, descriptions of some new species of, 103; on the female organs of generation of animals of this class, 121; on the classification of, 123. Cheropus, characters of, 320. Chetodon Leachii, Bowdich, notice of, 174. Chanda, Buch. Hamilton, observations upon, 350. Charaz cervinus, Lowe, description of, 177. Cheironectes Yapock, characters of, 322. Chela, B. Hamilton, characters of, 360. Chela Alkootee, Sykes, description of, 362. Balookee, Sykes, description of, 360. Jorah, Sykes, description of, 361. Owenii, Sykes, description of, 361. Teekanee, Sykes, description of, 362. Chondropterygiane, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 194. Chondrostoma, character of, 358. Chondrostoma Boggut, Sykes, description of, 359. Fulungee, Sykes, description of, 358. Kawrus, Sykes, description of, 358. Mullya, Sykes, description of, 359. Wattanah, Sykes, description of, 360. Citula Bancksii, Risso, notice of, 183. Clupanodon Sardina, Risso, notice of, 189. Clupea Maderensis, Lowe, description of, 189. Sardina, Cuv. ? description of, 189. Clupeide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 189 ; on the species inhabiting the Dukhun, 375. Cobitis Maya, Sykes, description of, 367. Mooreh, Sykes, description of, 366. Ruppellii, Sykes, description of, 366. SPECIES. Cod, three-bearded (Motella tricirrata), notice of, page 189. Conchifera, Lamellibranchiate, on the anatomy of, 87. Conger, the, notice of, 192. Congrus vulgaris, Cuy., notice of, 192. Cophias viridis, Merrem, observations upon, 304. Coprophagi, classification of the, 156. Coryphena Hippunoides, Raff., notice of, 183. hippurus, Cuv. and Val.? notice of, 183. Novacula, Linn., notice of, 187. Coturnix, characters of, 11. Coturnix Argoondah, description of, 17. dactylisonans, Mey., description of, 11. —_ erythrorhyncha, description of, 16. Pentah, description of, 19. textilis, Temm., description of, 15. Cranchia scabra, Leach, observations upon, 103 ; cha- racters of, 104. Crenilabrus caninus, Lowe, description of, 186. luscus, Yarrell, notice of, 187. pictus, Lowe, description of, 186. trutta, Lowe, description of, 187. Crustacea, descriptions of, and observations upon, some species from the coasts of South America, 39. Ctenomys, observations on this genus, 75 ; characters of, 83. Ctenomys Braziliensis, Blainv., description of, 83. Magellanicus, description of, 84. Cyclopteride, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 190. Cyprinidae, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 188. Cyprinus Abramiovides, Sykes, description of, 353. ——— auratus, Linn., notice of, 188. —- Morar, B. Hamilt., description of, 363. —— Nukta, Sykes, description of, 355. —~ Potail, Sykes, description of, 354. —— Ticto, B. Hamilt., description of, 365. Dasyures, on the osteology of, 379-408. Dasyurus, characters of this genus, 317. Dasyurus laniarius, dentition of, 317. macrourus, on the osteology of, 379-408. Maugei, on the osteology of, 379-408. Ursinus, on the dentition of, 317; on the osteology of, 379-408. viverrinus, on the osteology of, 379-408. Didelphys, characters of, 321; on the osteology of, 379-408. INDEX OF Didelphys Cancrivora, dentition of, page 321. erassicaudata, dentition of, 321. nudicaudata, dentition of, 321. Virginiana, dentition of, 321. Yapock, characters of, 322. Diodon Atinga, (3. reticulatus, Linn., notice of, 193. Diodon reticulatus, Linn., notice of, 193. Dipus, observations upon, descriptions of species of this genus, 131. Dipus Canadensis, Davis, observations upon, 135. —— Gerbillus, observations upon, 135. Indicus, Hardw., observations upon, 136; de- scription of, 143. —— Pyramidum, Geoff., observations upon, 136; description of, 141, Diprotodon, characters of, 332. Dory, the, notice of, 183. Echeneide, on the Madeiran fishes of this genus, 191. Echeneis ?, notice of, 191. Echeneis Naucrates, Linn., notice of, 191. Echiodon, characters of this new subgenus of fishes, 208. Echiodon Drummondii, description of, 208. Echinops, characters of this new genus of Insectivo- rous Mammals, 250. Lchinops Telfairi, description of, 251. Entomophaga, a section of the Marsupialia, characters of, 318. Epialtus dentatus, Edw., description of, 62. marginatus, description of, 62. Esocide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 188 ; on the species of, inhabiting the Dukhun, 367. Exocoetus exiliens, Cuy., notice of, 188. Esox Belone, Linn., notice of, 188. Esox Sphyrena, Linn., notice of, 175. Eurypodius Latreillii, Guér., 40. Fishes of Madeira, The Rev. R. T. Lowe’s synopsis of, 173; table of the comparative number and distribution of the British, Mediterranean, and Madeiran fishes, 197. Fistularide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 187. Gadide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 189. Gadus Merluccius, Linn., notice of, 189. Galeopithecus, Mr. Waterhouse on the species of this genus, 325. Galeopithecus marmoratus, observations upon, 336. Philippinensis, Waterh., description of, 339. SPECIES. 415 Galeopithecus rufus, observations upon, page 335. Temminckii, Waterh., description of, 336. Ternatensis, observations upon, 335. variegatus, observations upon, 335. Galeus vulgaris, Flem., notice of, 194. Galictis (Bell), Mr. Bell’s observations on this genus, and description of a new species, 201; charac- ters of the genus, 203. Allamandi, Bell, description of, 204. vittata, Bell, description of, 203. Gar-fish, or Sea-pike (Belone vulgaris), notice of, 188. Gar-pike, or Sea-needle (Belone vulgaris), notice of, 188. Gasterosteus Saltatriz, Linn., notice of, 183. Gempylus Prometheus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 181. Solandri, Cuv. and Val., noticé of, 181. Gerbillus, M. F. Cuvier’s observations upon, and de- scriptions of species of this genus, 135. Gerbillus Afer, Gray, observations upon, 137; de- scription of, 143. brachiurus, observations upon, 136. brevicaudatus, description of, 144. Burtoni, description of, 145. —_ £gyptius, Desm., description of, 141. Hudsonius, observations upon, 136. Indicus, description of, 143. Leonurus, observations upon, 136. ——— macrourus, observations upon, 136. megalops, observations upon, 136. ——— otarius, description of, 144. ———_ pygargus, description of, 142. — Pyramidum, description of, 141. Soricinus, observations upon, 136. Gerboa, observations upon, and descriptions of ani- mals of this group, 131. Gilt-head, toothed, notice of, 179. Giraffe, the Nubian, notes on the anatomy of, 217; organs of digestion, 220; organs of circulation, 228 ; nervous system, 229; muscles, 232; os- seous system, 234; generative system, 239. Globe-fish, Pennant’s, notice of, 193. Glyphisodon luridus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. Gobiade, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 185 ; on the species of, inhabiting the Dukhun, 352. Gobius Kurpah, Sykes, description of, 352. niger, Linn., notice of, 185. Goby, Black (Gobius niger), notice of, 185. 416 Gold Carp (Cyprinus auratus), notice of, page 188. Grison, notice of, 203. Gulo vittatus, Desm., notice of, 203. Gurnard, Cuckoo, notice of, 175. ——, Grey, notice of, 175. ———, Red, notice of, 175. Gymnodontide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 193. Halmaturus, F. Cuvier, dentition of, 328. Hamadryas ophiophagus, Cantor, observations upon, 304. Hake, the (Merluccius vulgaris), notice of, 189. Heliastes limbatus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. Hemipodius, on the species of, inhabiting India, 1. Hemipodius Dussumieri, Temm., description of, 23. pugnaz, Temm., description of, 21. Taigoor, description of, 23. Herbstia, Edwards, observations upon this genus, 46. Herbstia Edwardsii, description of, 46. Hippocampus ramulosus, Leach, notice of, 192. brevirostris, Cuy., notice of, 192. Hippocampus, short-nosed, notice of, 192. Histiophorus, observations upon this genus, 71. Histiophorus immaculatus, description of, 71. Homalopsis, observations upon, 307. Hyas Edwardsii, description of, 49. Hydrophis gracilis, Schlegel, observations upon, 305; habits of, 306. nigrocincta, Schlegel, habits of, 306; ex- periments on the venom of, 310. Pelamoides, Schlegel, habits of, 306. Pelamys, Schlegel, habits of, 306. schistosa, Schlegel, observations upon, 304; habits of, 306; experiments on the venom of, 310. striata, Schlegel, observations upon, 305 ; habits of, 306; experiments on the venom of, 310. Hypophthalmus, Spix, characters of this genus, 369. Hypophthalmus Goongwaree, Sykes, description of, 369. Taakree, Sykes, description of, 369. Hypsiprymnus, dentition of, 327; on the osteology of, 379-408. Hypsiprymnus dorcocephalus, dentition of, 327. Hunteri, on the osteology of, 379- 408. Ursinus, dentition of, 327. INDEX OF SPECIES. Insectivora, on a new genus of this group of Mam- mals, page 249; its affinities with Hrinaceus, Ericulus and Centetes, ib. Lulis Geofredi, Risso, notice of, 186. speciosa, Risso, notice of, 186. Ixodes, infesting terrestrial serpents, 308. Kangaroo, on the osteology of, 379-408. Koala, on the osteology of, 379-408. Labinia rostrata, description of, 42. Labride, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 185. Labrus Anthias, Linn., notice of, 173. Lamellibranchiata, on the anatomy of, 87; classifi- cation of, 101. Lamellibranchiate Conchifera, on the anatomy of, 87. Lamna cornubica, Cuv., notice of, 194. Lampris guttatus, Retz., notice of, 183. lauta, Lowe, description of, 183. Leirus, characters of this new genus of Bramide, 179. Leirus Bennettii, Lowe, description of, 179. , notice of, 190. Lepidoleprus celorhynchus, Risso, notice of, 190. Leptopodia sagittaria, Leach, 40. Lepadogaster ?. Leuciscus Chitul, Sykes, description of, 363. — Morar, Sykes, description of, 363. — Sandkhol, Sykes, description of, 363. Lichia glaycos, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 183. Loligo laticeps, description of, 108. Lophobranchia, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 192. Lutra vittata, Traill, notice of, 203. Mackerel, the, notice of, 180; Horse Mackerel of U.S., notice of, 183. Macropus, dentition of, 327. , on the osteology of, 379-408. - Macropus Bennettii, on the osteology of, 379-408. major, dentition of, 328; on the osteology of, 379-408. rufiventer, dentition of, 327. Macrourus rupestris, Cuv., notice of, 190. Madeira, The Rev. R. T. Lowe’s synopsis of the fishes of, 173. Menide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 178. Malacopterygiane Abdominales, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 188; on the species of, in- habiting the Dukhun, 353. Malacopterygiane Subbrachiales, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 189. Malacopterygii Apodes, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 191. INDEX OF SPECIES. Marsupialia, Mr. Owen on the classification of, page 315. , on the osteology of, 379; of the skull, 379; of the vertebral column, 394; of the tho- rax, 398; of the pectoral extremities, 399 ; of the pelvic extremities, 403. Mastacembelus armatus, Sykes, description of, 350. Meles Labradoria, Mr. Waterhouse’s description of the skull of, 343. Meriones, observations upon this genus, 135. Meriones opimus, observations upon, 136. apicalis, observations upon, 136. —— Gerbillus, Ruppell, observations upon, 137 ; description of, 142. Lybicus, observations upon, 136. musculus, observations upon, 136. robustus, Ruppell, observations upon, 137. Schlegelii, Smutz, observations upon, 137 ; description of, 143. Merluccius vulgaris, Cuv., notice of, 189. Microrhynchus, characters of this new genus, 40. Microrhynchus depressus, description of, 42. gibbosus, description of, 41. Mithrix denticulatus, description of, 54. nodosus, description of, 53. pygmeus, description of, 55. rostratus, description of, 51. Ursus, description of, 52. Motella tricirrata, Yarrell, notice of, 189. Mugillide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 184. Mugil cephalus, Penn., notice of, 184. Chelo, Cuv., notice of, 184. corrugatus, Lowe, description of, 184. labrosus, Risso, notice of, 184. Mullet, Striped Red, notice of, 175 ; the Thick-lipped Grey (Mugil Chelo), notice of, 184. Mullus imberbis, Linn., notice of, 173. Surmuletus, Linn., notice of, 175. Murenide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 191; on the species of, inhabiting the Dukhun, 377. Mureena, the, notice of, 192. Murena anatina, Lowe, description of, 192. Christinii, Risso, notice of, 192. Conger, Linn., notice of, 192. , Duck’s-bill, description of, 192. —— guttata, Riss. ?, description of, 192. Helena, Linn., notice of, 192. i 417 Murena unicolor, Cuv., description of, page 192. Mus Labradorius, Pennant, observations upon, 135. longipes, Pallas, observations upon, 135. meridianus, Pallas, observations upon, 135. Tamaricinus, Pallas, observations upon, 135. Mustelus levis, Flem., notice of, 194. Myliobatis Aquila, Cuv., notice of, 196. Myrmecobius, characters of, 149, 318; on the osteo- logy of, 379-408. Myrmecobius fasciatus, description of, 151; on the osteology of, 379-408. Mystus, B. Hamilt., observations upon this genus, 375. Mystus Badgee, Sykes, description of, 376. Naja tripudians, Merrem, observations upon, 304. Naucrates ductor, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 183. Notidanus cinereus, Cuv., notice of, 194. griseus, Cuy., notice of, 194, Notopterus, Lacepéde, observations upon this genus, 375. Nubian Giraffe, notes on the anatomy of, 217. Oblada melanura, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 178. Octodon, observations on this new genus, 75; cha- racters of, 80. Octodon Cumingii, description of, 81. Octopus, on the habits of, 111. Octopus semipalmatus, description of, 111 ; anatomy of, 112. Ocythoé Cranchii, Leach, observations upon, 114. Ophicephalus leucopunctatus, Sykes, description of, 352. Ophidium, Mr. Thompson’s description of a new sub- genus of fishes allied to, 207. Opossums, characters of, 321; on the osteology of, 379-408. Orang-Utans, on the osteology of, 165. Ostracion subrotundus, Artedi, notice of, 193. Othonia, characters of this new genus, 55. Othonia quinque-dentata, description of, 57. sex-dentata, description of, 56. Pagellus acarne, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. centrodontus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. rostratus, Lowe, description of, 177. Pagrus lineatus, Flem., notice of, 178. vulgaris, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. Paper Nautilus, observations upon a specimen of, 113. Pelia, characters of this new genus, 44. Pelia pulchella, description of, 45. 418 Perameles, characters of, page 319. ——, on the osteology of, 379-408. Perameles Gunnii, dentition of, &c., 320. Lagotis, observations upon, 320; on the osteology of, 379-408. nasuta, dentition of, &c., 320. obesula, dentition of, &c., 320. Perca Cabrilla, Linn., notice of, 173. Percidae, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 173 ; on the species of, inhabiting the Dukhun, 350. Pericera heptacantha, description of, 61. ovata, description of, 60. villosa, description of, 59. Petaurists, dentition of, 324; on the osteology of, 379-408. Petaurus, characters of, 324; on the osteology of, 379-408. Petaurus breviceps, dentition of, 325; on the osteo- logy of, 379-408. flaviventer, dentition of, 324. pygmaeus, dentition of, 325. sciureus, dentition of, 324. — Taguanoides, dentition of, 324. Phalangers, characters of, 322; on the osteology of, 379-408. Phalangista cavifrons, dentition of, 323. chrysorrhoos, dentition of, 323. Cookii, dentition of, 322; on the osteology of, 379-408. — fuliginosa, dentition of, 323. gliriformis, Bell, dentition of, 323. maculata, dentition of, 323. ursina, dentition of, 323. ————- vulpina, dentition of, 323. Pharyngiens Labyrinthiformes, Cuy., on the fishes of this family inhabiting the Dukhun, 352. Phascogale, characters of this genus, 317. Phascolarctos fuscus, on the dentition of, 326; on the osteology of, 379-408. Phascolomys, dentition of, 329. Phascolomys Wombat, on the osteology of, 379-408. Phascolotherium, characters of, 319. Pholis levis, Flem., notice of, 185. Phractocephalus, Agassiz, characters of this genus, 372. Phractocephalus Gogra, Sykes, description of, 374. Itchkeea, Sykes, description of, 373. Kuturnee, Sykes, description of, 372. INDEX OF SPECIES. Phycis furcatus, Bowd., notice of, page 189. Mediterraneus, Cuv., notice of, 189. Yarrellii, Lowe, description of, 190. Pigmy Petaurist, dentition of, 325. Pimelodus Seengtee, Sykes, description of, 374. Pirara, Spix, characters of this genus, 372. Piratesa, characters of this néw genus, 28. Piratesa nigro-annulata, description of, 28. Pisa aculeata, description of, 50. spinipes, description of, 50. Platystoma, characters of this genus, 371. Platystoma Seenghala, Sykes, description of, 371. Plectognathi, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 193. Pleuronectide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 190. Poephaga, a section of the Marsupialia, characters of, 326. Poephagomys, observations upon this genus, 75. Polymivia, characters of this new genus of Bramide, 178. Polymivia nobilis, Lowe, description of, 179. Polyprion cernium, notice of, 174. Pomatomus telescopus, Risso, notice of, 173. Potoroos, on the dentition of, 327 ; on the osteology of, 379-408. Priacanthus boops, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 174. Sulgens, Lowe, description of, 174. macrophthalmus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 174. Pristipoma Bennettii, Lowe, description of, 176. Prometheus atlanticus, Lowe, notice of, 181. Pteropus Whitei, observations upon, 31; description of, 37. Quails, on those of India, 1. Raia Aquila, Linn., notice of, 196. Pastinaca, Linn., notice of, 196. Maderensis, Lowe, description of, 195. Raiide, Madeiran fishes of this family, 195. Ray: Sting Ray, 196; Eagle Ray, 196. Rhizophaga, a section of the Marsupialia, characters of, 329. Rhodia, characters of this new genus, 43. Rhodia pyriformis, description of, 44. Rhombus Maderensis, Lowe, description of, 190. Rhotee, characters of this new genus of Cyprinide, 364. Rhotee Ogilbii, Sykes, description of, 364. Pangut, Sykes, description of, 365. INDEX OF SPECIES, Rhotee Ticto, Sykes, description of, page 365. ——- Vigorsii, Sykes, description of, 364. Rockling, Three-bearded (Motella tricirrata), notice of, 189. Sacred Beetles, on new species of, 155. Salarias atlanticus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 185. Salmonide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 188. Saltatoria, a subsection of the Marsupialia, characters of, 319. Sarcophaga, a section of the Marsupialia, characters of, 316. Sargus Rondeletii, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. Salviani, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 177. Saurus griseus, Lowe, description of, 188. lacerta, Risso, notice of, 188. Saury Pike-skipper, notice of, 188. Scansoria, a subsection of the Marsupialia, observa- tions upon, 321. Scarus mutabilis, Lowe, description of, 187. Sceliages, characters of this genus, 159. Sceliages Iopas, description of, 159. Schilbe Boalis, B. Hamilt., description of, 368. Pabo, B. Hamilt., description of, 367. Sciena angustata, Soland., notice of, 178. Scienide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 176. Scomber glaucus, Linn., notice of, 183. ——— macrophthalmus, Soland., notice of, 181. ——— pelamys, Linn., notice of, 180. Scomber, Linn., notice of, 180. Scombrus, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 180. Thynnus, Linn., notice of, 180. Scomberesox saurus, Cuv., notice of, 188. Scombride, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 180 ; on the species of, inhabiting the Dukhun, 350. Scorpena dactyloptera, Laroche, notice of, 175. Kuhlii, Bowd., description of, 176. —_ Maderensis, Cuv. and Val., description of, 176. Scrofa, Linn., notice of, 175. Scyllium Artedi, Risso, notice of, 194. Scymnus niceensis, Risso, notice of, 194. Sea-Snipe (Centriscus Scolopaz), notice of, 187. Sebastes imperialis, Cuv. and Val., description of, 175; notice of, 176. Kuhlii, Lowe, description of, 176. Maderensis, Lowe, description of, 176. Norvegicus, notice of, 176. VOL, II1.— PART V. 419 Seriola picturata, Bowd,, notice of, page 183. Serpents, Pelagic, Dr. Cantor’s observations upon’ 303; experiments on the venom of, 309. Serranus Anthias, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 173. Cabrilla, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 173. Couchii, Yarrell, notice of, 174. Jimbriatus, Lowe, description of, 173. — fuscus, Lowe, description of, 173. — marginatus, Lowe, notice of, 173. - rufus, Bowdich, notice of, 174. Serranus, the Smooth Serranus, notice of, 173. Shanny, or Smooth Shan (Pholis levis), notice of, 185, Shark, Long-tailed, notice of, 194; Fox Shark, ib. ; Blue Shark, ib. ; Porbeagle, ib; common Tope, ib. ; Smooth Hound, ib. Silurida, on the fishes of this family inhabiting the Dukhun, 367. Simia, Erxleben, on the osteology of the species of this genus, 165. Simia Morio, on the skull and dentition of, 168. Satyrus, on the skull and dentition of, 165. Wurmbii, on the skull and dentition of, 166. Smaris angustatus, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 178. — insidiator, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 178. Royeri, Bowd., notice of, 178. Sokinah,—Echinops Telfairi supposed to be identical with the Sokinah of Madagascar, 251. Sparide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 177. Sparus boops, Linn., notice of, 178. melanurus, Linn., notice of, 178. Salpa, Linn., notice of, 178. Sphyrena vulgaris, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 175. Squalide, on the Madeiran fishes of this family, 194. Americanus, Gmel., notice of, 195. cinereus, Gmel., notice of, 194. Galeus, Linn., notice of, 194. prionurus, Otto, notice of, 194. Zygena, Linn., notice of, 195. Syngnathide, on the Madeiran fishes of this order, 192. Taxidea, characters of this subdivision of the genus Meles, 347. Temnodon saltator, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 183. Tetrodon levigatus, Pennant, notice of, 193. marmoratus, Lowe, description of, 193. Pennantii, Yarrell, notice of, 193. stellatus, Flem., notice of, 193. 420 Thie, characters of this new genus, page 47. Thie erosa, description of, 48. Thylacinus, characters of this genus, 316; on the os- teology of, 379-408. Thylacinus Harrisii, Temm., characters of, 317 ; on the osteology of, 379-408. Thylacotherium, characters of, 319. Thynnus pelamys, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 180. vulgaris, Cuv. and Val., notice of, 180. Torpedo hebetans, Lowe, description of, 195. marmorata, Risso, notice of, 195. Trachinus Draco, Linn., notice of, 175, vipera, Cuy. and Val., notice of, 175. Trigla Cuculus, Linn., notice of, 175. Gurnardus, Linn., notice of, 175. ——-~ Hirundo, Linn., notice of, 175. —— lineata, Mont., notice of, 175. — pini, Bloch, notice of, 175. Triglide, on the Madeiran fishes of this genus, 175. INDEX OF SPECIES. Tripterygion nasus, Risso, notice of, page 185. Trygon Pastinaca, Cuy., notice of, 196. Tunny, the, notice of, 180. Tyche, characters of this new genus, 57. Tyche lamellifrons, description of, 48. Ursus Braziliensis, Thunb., notice of, 203. Varicorhinus Bobree, Sykes, description of, 355. Vipera elegans, Daudin, observations upon, 304. Viverra vittata, Schreb., notice of, 203. Weever, notice of the greater and lesser Weever (Trachinus Draco and Tr. vipera), 175. Wombat, dentition of, 329; on the osteology of, 379-408. Xenia Desjardiniana, description of, 25. Zeus aper, Linn., notice of, 183. — Childrenii, Bowd., notice of, 183. Faber, Linn., notice of, 183. Xirichthys Novacula, Cuv., notice of, 187. Zygena malleus, Cuy., notice of, 195. END OF VOLUME II. PRINTED BY RICHARD AND JOHN E. 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