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Show 1876.] ON THE CRANIAL CHARACTERS IN RHINOCEROSES. 443 3. On some Cranial and Dental Characters of the existing Species of Rhinoceroses. By WILLIAM HENRY FLOWER, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. [Eeceived May 15, 1876.] While engaged lately in cataloguing the osteological specimens of the genus Bhinoceros in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and at the same time, through the kindness of Dr. Gunther, examining those at the British Museum (the two collections comprising a total number of fifty-four skulls), several points in relation to the distinctive characters of the different species came under m y notice, which I think may be worth bringing before the Society. The principal distinguishing characters in the skeleton, dentition, and even the folds of the skin, of three distinct forms of Asiatic rhinoceroses were clearly and concisely pointed out by Cuvier in the third volume of the last edition of the 'Ossemens Fossiles' (1834). De Blainville *, Duvernoy t, and Blyth J have also added to our knowledge of the same three forms, which in fact appeared to be well established as the only ones existing in that region of the world. The late Dr. Gray, however, with far more abundant material at his disposal than either of the above-named zoologists, came to very different conclusions from them, both as to the number, distinctive characters, and relations of the various species of the group § ; and it is partly with the view of ascertaining how far his views can be accepted that the observations about to be recorded have been made. It is the more necessary that this should be done without further delay, as Dr. Gray's arrangement of the species has already been adopted in zoological and palseontological literature ||. As is well known, the existing Asiatic Rhinoceroses are sharply differentiated from those of Africa by the presence, throughout life, of well-developed and functional incisor teeth. The M u s e u m of the College of Surgeons contains eighteen skulls of rhinoceroses of the former group of various ages, most of them, unfortunately, without locality. The British Museum contains twenty, making a total of thirty-eight Asiatic skulls, upon which the following observations are based. The whole of these, in m y opinion, can be grouped into three * Osteographie des mammiferes. Tome iii. " Rhinoceros " (1846). t " Nouvelles etudes sur les Rhinoceros fossiles," Arch, du Mus. t. iii. 1854- 55. | " A Memoir on the living Asiatic Species of Rhinoceros," J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xxxi. 1862, p. 151. § " Observations on the preserved Specimens and Skeletons of the Bhinocero-tidce in the collection of the British Museum and Royal College of Surgeons, including the Descriptions of three new Species," P. Z. S. 1867, p. 1003: mostly reprinted, with the illustrations, in the ' Catalogue of the Carnivorous, Pachydermatous and Edentate Mammals in the British Museum,' 1869. || See R. B. Foote, Bhinoceros deccanensis, ' Palceontologica Indica,' 1874. |