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HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

BIBARARY

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MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.
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SURVEY DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS MINISTRY.

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A PRELIMINARY NOTE

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ARSINOFTHERTUM ZETTELL Beapy.
UPPER EOCENE STRATA OF EGYPT.

Bue J) be BEADNELL, F.G.S.,-F.R.G.8.

CAIRO:
NATIONAL PrintiInc DEPARTMENT
1902.

1903

ARSINOITHERIUM ZITTELT, Beadn.

A NEW EOCENE UNGULATE FROM EGYPYPT.

The interesting discovery of Hocene mammalian and reptilian remains
made last year by the Geological Survey of Egypt and briefly described
by Dr. C. W. Andrews, of the British Museum, in the Geological
Magazine (September and October, 1901) and by the writer (Decem-
ber, 1901), has attracted considerable attention from zoologists and
geologists. During the past three months the exploration of the
deserts bounding the Fayum depression has been continued, and has
resulted in the discovery of far more complete remains of some of
those animals already recorded, notably Palwomastodon, and in addi-
tion, of several entirely new genera of mammals and reptiles.

The most important of these is a large, heavily built, ungulate,
about the size of a rhinoceros, and for which the writer proposes the
generic name Ars/noitherium, from Queen Arsinoe, after whom the
Fayum was called in Ptolemaic times, the species being A. Zittel/, in
honour of the eminent geologist, who may be regarded as the pioneer
of geology in Egypt, and whose work when attached to the Rohlfs
Expedition of 1873-74 is well known to all geologists. The remains
obtained include nearly the whole of the skeleton, so that a tolerably
complete restoration will be possible. For the present a brief reference
to the skull, the remarkable appearance of which is seen in the accom-
panying plates, must suffice. It is relatively narrow compared with
the length which measures 75 centimetres, and is chiefly remarkable
for the enormous protuberance rising from a point slightly forward of
the centre. At the base this protuberance is cylindrical and of the
same width as the skull (24 centimetres) ; above this it expands slightly,
and higher up bifurcates into a pair of tapering, blunt-pointed horns,
slightly outwardly directed, which reach a height of 68 centimetres
above the lower surface of the posterior molar, the point of bifurcation
being 20 centimetres from the tip. In addition, two very small sharp
horns rise from the skull immediately behind, these are directed
outwards at an angle of about 45° from the vertical, their tips being

a

23 centimetres apart. The anterior portion of the skull is relatively
narrow and pointed in front, and narrows to an acute-angled median
crest above, posterior to which, and at the base of the large protuberance,
opens the large nasal fossa. The brain case is probably relatively
small.

The dentition, as far as yet seen, consists of seven cheek teeth, the
most anterior being close up to the extremity of the skull, but indis-
tinct alveoli suggest the presence of a pair a small incisors in both jaws,
so that I. 1/1, P.M. 4/4, M.3/3 probably represents the dental formula.
The mandible (of another individual) is massively built, the coronoid
process rising from close behind the posterior molar ; it has a transver-
sely placed condyle, is tapermg and pointed in front and, as already
mentioned, probably bore a pair of small incisor tusks.

The pelvic girdle is large, the total expanse of the ossa innominata
being 140 centimetres. This and the other portions of the skeleton
will shortly be examined and described. in detail, when the probable
position of the animal may be determined. At present it will be
sufficient to mention that from the characters of the teeth it seems
probable that we have in Arsinoitherium an ancestral form of rhinoceros,
although the presence of the protuberance above, recalling the Dino-
cerata of North America, at once distinguishes it from the known
rhinoceroses, in which the horns have no bony attachment to the skull.

Hues J. L. BEADNELL:

Cairo, 28th January, 1902.

LIST OF PLATES

PLATE L.
“ Arsinoitherium Zitteli, BEXDNELL.—Side view: of type specimen.
}
PLATE II.
v . . . ry ’ =n . .
Arsinoitherium Zitteli, BEADNELL.—Back view of type specimen.
Pe Sk
PEATE IIT.
Arsinoitherium Zitteli, BeapNett.—Upper teeth of second specimen.
PEATE, LV.
Arsinoitherium Zitteli, BreapNett.—Front view of second specimen.
PEATE Y,
Arsinoitherium Zitteli, BEADNELL.—Side view of second specimen.

PLATE VI.

Arsinoitherium Zitteli, BrspNELLt.—Type specimen photographed on
the spot where it was found.

Pian .

ARsINOITHERIUM ZEEE!

BEADN.

SUR. DEPT. P. W.M.

Pose. Ib

ARSINOITHERIUM ZITTELI
BEADN.

SUR. DEPT. P. W.M.

Piare Itt.

ArsinoitHeRIum ZITTELI
BEADN.

SUR. DEPT. P. W.M.

Prare IV.

ArsinoItHERIUM ZITTELI
BEADN.

SUR. DEPT. P. W.M.

Pose We

ArsinoitHerium ZITTELI
BEADN.

SUR. DEPT. P. W.M.

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ARSINOITHERIUM ZT TEL
BEADN.

SUR. DEPT. P.W.M.

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