OCR Text |
Show 1893.] PROF. E. C. STIRLING ON DIPROTODON-REMAINS. 473 Fig. 26. The germ of the 1st upper molar of M. giganteus. mv, germ of 2nd dentition ; m1, rudiment of 1st. 27. Premolars, canine, and abnormal incisors of Perameles (iA and i. fused). 28. Section through the dental lamina of Perameles between incisors 4 and 5 of the upper jaw, showing enlargement supposed to represent the true 5th incisor. 29. Palatal aspect of the premaxilla of a young Petrogale xanthopus, showing the three adult incisors in relation to the jaw and the vestigial canine. S, premaxillo-maxillary suture. M a y 16, 1893. OSBERT SALVIN, Esq., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. The Secretary exhibited on behalf of Mr. Rowland Ward, F.Z.S., a complete skin of Grrevy's Zebra (Equus grevyi), from a specimen recently shot by Col. Arthur Paget in SomaK-land. The following extracts from a letter, from Professor E. C. Stirling, M.D., C.M.Z.S., to Professor Newton, dated " Adelaide, April 10th, 1893 "\ were read:- ". . . . I am writing now to give you early information of a great ' find ' of Biprotodon remains which I have recently been exploiting, and the results will clear up the remaining points of doubt about this great beast. Some months ago I received information that large bones were visible in a watercourse in a large dry salt lagoon called Lake Mulligan, situated some 20 or 30 miles to the north of a still larger dry salt lagoon which you will find marked as Lake Frome on any good map of South Australia. The accounts were so favourable that I sent up a good man to inspect and report. His accounts were also favourable, and I induced our Museum people to institute a systematic search-and we sent up four m en with a complete outfit under the charge of a m a n who had some considerable experience of the kind of work. This party has been at work for nearly three months with very gratifying results from the reports I got. According to them there are hundreds of skeletons available and accessible, and many of them have already been excavated. Several nearly complete skeletons have been exhumed, and all the bones of the body have been found .... It appears that the animal had five well-developed toes, the five terminal phalanges of which are almost equal in size. The carpal and metacarpal bones have also been found, though I am not specially informed whether the digits of the manus are also five in number. This, however, is implied from the enclosed sketch which I a m able to send you. " There is a tail of 9 vertebrae, which in one instance was 1 foot 1 N.B.-Professor Stirling's telegram to Professor Newton published in ' The Times'of 25th April and ' Nature'' of 27th April (vol. xlvii. p. 606) is of later date. |