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Show 870 MR. OLDPIELD THOMAS ON A NEW [Dec. 17, When recently examining the specimens of this Antelope in the British Museum, Herr Oscar Neumann had come to the same conclusion, and had affixed to one of them the M S . name Cobus thomasi, under which he proposed to describe it. Tbe future name of the so-called Kob of British East Africa would be therefore Cobus thomasi, Neumann. The following papers were read :- 1. On Canolestes, a still Existing Survivor of the Epanorthidcs of Ameghino, and the Representative of a n e w Family of recent Marsupials. By O L D F I E L D T H O M A S , F.Z.S. [Received November 11, 1895.] (Plate L.) In the 'Proceedings' of the Society for 1860 \ Mr. E. F. Tomes, in working out a collection of small mammals obtained by Mr. Louis Fraser in Ecuador, published the first notice of the genus which forms the subject of the present paper. He spoke of his specimen as " a small animal about the size of a Water- Shrew," but " having a small and rudimentary pouch," and three years later2 gave a technical description of it under the name of Hyracodon fuliginosus. This technical description was unfortunately unaccompanied by anv remarks on the relationships of the animal, a want which has made itself felt by the entire failure of later authors to make out from the description what animal Mr. Tomes had before him. In fact I only know of two references to Hyracodon at all (those mentioned in the footnote 3 ) , and in both the authors express their inability to make anything of the description, although the first-named ' acutely suggested that the animal " might represent a distinct family," a suggestion most fully borne out by an examination of the specimen I now have the honour of bringing before the Society. In vindication of M r . Tomes's paper I should like to say, firstly, that his description, hitherto supposed (from our ignorance of any such animal) to be imperfect or incorrect, proves to agree, so far as it goes, very closely with the present specimen; and secondly, that remarks on the affinities of the animal must have been ait that date more easily wanted than given, since even now, with infinitely greater material and the best of advice *, I am unable to be at all 1 P. Z. S. 1860, p. 213. 2 P. Z. S. 1863, p. 50, pi. viii. (animal). 3 Alston, Biol. Centr.-Am., M a m m . p. 195 (footnote), 1880; Thomas, Cat. Mars.B. M . p. 370 (1880). 4 I would specially mention m y indebtedness to Mr. It. Lydekker, whose own extreme interest in the present animal has expressed itself in abundant and most serviceable help to me in working it out. |