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Show 1871.] MR. ST. GEORGE MIVART ON HEMICENTETES. 67 With the corrections and additions* possible at this date the osteological characters of these groups may be stated as follows :- GALEOPITHECIDiE. GALEOPITHECTJS, Pallas**)" Dentition: I. J=| C. J__J, P.M. |=|, M.J=f=34. Cranium broad, depressed ; muzzle obtuse ; skull broadest between posterior roots of zygomata, which are complete and strong, but short; well-developed postorbital processes, sometimes enclosing orbits; margin of orbit sharp, with a small process in front; orbit large, temporal fossa rather small; a tympanic bulla ; no alisphenoid canal; concave posterior margin of palate far forwards; pterygoid fossa minute ; no basisphenoidal or paroccipital processes; large swollen mastoid process on* each side; strong postglenoid process, tending much forwards ; optic foramen large; foramen rotundum and sphenoidal fissure represented by one opening; a supraorbital, but no suboptic foramen; several small suborbital foramina on each side; anterior palatine foramina very large; lachrymal foramen small, opening within the orbit; upper canine and second incisor each with two roots ; lower incisors pectinated ; upper and lower molars very complex. Thirteen or fourteen dorsal, five or six lunar, five or six sacral, and many caudal vertebrae ; ribs very broad ; clavicles long, a scapho-lunar bone, but no os intermedium ; ulna anchylosed to radius ; fibula complete, but smallest towards its upper end; metatarsals shorter than digits ; five digits to each extremity ; a large caecum. Hab. South-eastern Asia and Indian archipelago. MACROSCELIDIDiE. 1 -J q ^ q Dentition: I. g-g, C . ^ , P.M. j ^ . Skull broadest between posterior roots of zygomata, which are complete and rather deep ; orbits not encircled by bone ; generally no postorbital processes; dorsum of muzzle concave transversely ; palate sometimes decidedly extending backwards beyond last molar; orbit large, temporal fossa very small; a tympanic bulla ; no paroccipital process ; no alisphenoid canal, malar imperforate ; carotid, postglenoid, and suboptic foramina ; one opening representing both sphenoidal fissure and foramen rotundum ; foramen ovale large; lachrymal foramen opening well within the orbit; coronoid process of mandible not rising much, if at all, above condyle; canine close to premaxillary suture ; last upper premolars not more vertically extended than the true molars; upper molars quadricuspid, the anterior and posterior cusps being connected by transverse ridges. Thirteen dorsal and six or eight lumbar vertebrae, lumbar transverse processes much extended antero- * Prof. Flower, in his ' Introduction to the Osteology of the Mammalia,' p. 149, has noticed the conditions of the tympanic in the different groups. t Pallas, Act. Petrop. iv. 1. p. 208, tab. viii.; De Plain ville, ' Osteographie : Lemur,' pis. vi., viii., ix.; Waterhouse, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 335, pl. lviii.; Wagner, Schreb. Supplem. i. p. 318, v. p. 522. |