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Show 1899.] MR. W. L. SCLATER ON THE 'FAUNA OF SOUTH AFRICA.' 989 founded on the anterior part of a cranium, are one and the same and it further shows that the skull of Nesopithecus is provided with several features characteristic of the Malagasy Lemurs, amongst them being the character of the bulla before described, in which it completely agrees with them. The bullae are very spacious, and the outer opening of the meatus auditorius being very large, the free tympanic ring can be seen through it without difficulty. Other features of this remarkable skull are the following :- The orbits are open behind. The number and notation of the teeth are the same as in N. roberti. In the number of the upper series the latter agrees with American monkeys, but at the same time with the Lemurinae. In the lower series the number of premolars is as in the latter ; the number of incisiform teeth is two, as in the Indrisinas. On the other hand, several features presented by N. roberti, and in a minor degree by the present species, are decidedly those of the Anthropoidea, and scarcely a single one of the characters considered to distinguish the Lemuroidea from the Anthropoidea holds good in the case before us. In both the species of Nesopithecus the upper incisors are not separated in the median line; in their shape they decidedly resemble the incisors of the Cercopitbecidae, the lower incisiform teeth being inserted nearly vertically. The true molars, as previously stated (cf. Geol. Mag. 1896, p. 435), present the pattern of the Cercopitbecidae. The facial profile is steep in both species ; very steep in N. roberti, in which the orbits are directed straight forward and the lachrymal foramen is situated inside the orbit. These resemblances to the Monkeys are not limited to the skull, but extend to almost every one of the bones of the skeleton, most of which are at hand. As the question at present stands, we have then to inquire whether Nesopithecus is tbe most highly evolved of the Lemuroidea or the lowest of the Anthropoidea-that is to say, are its Simian characters independently acquired or not? I do not intend to enter into this difficult question this evening, as an attempt to answer it can only be made after a fuller description and discussion of all the characters. The beautifully preserved upper molar teeth of Megaladapis now exhibited form part of a complete set of teeth recently received from Madagascar, and agree in all particulars almost exactly with the correspondinhg teet of Megaladapis madagascariensis, but they are at least one-third larger, and thus indicate a huge Lemurid, the skull of which must have had the approximate length of 330 m m . I propose to call this new species Megaladapis insignis. Mr. W . L. Sclater, F.Z.S., Director of the South African Museum, Cape Town, explained the nature of a series of volumes, contributed by various authors, which he proposed to issue under the title of the ' Fauna of South Africa.' The first volume, which he hoped would be ready in a few days' time, would deal with the first portion of the Passerine birds; it had been prepared by the PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1899, No. LXI.V. 64 |
