188 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



One of the animals, a male Indian rhinoceros, had been in the 

 habit of trying to raise a transverse bar keeping him off from 

 the pen of the female, and this was attempted at one time 

 with so great violence as to tear the horn entirely off. Con- 

 siderable loss of blood ensued, which, however, was soon 

 stopped, and the surface healed. Soon after indications were 

 observed of the formation of a new horn, which, at the date 

 of the account, had already attained a height of one and a 

 half inches. The old horn was about twelve inches high, 

 and its base eight and a half inches in the long diameter and 

 five and a half across. 11 A, Jan. 3, 1871, 9. 



HABITS OF THE NARWHAL. 



The announcement of the presentation to one of the Eng- 

 lish museums of a narwhal having two tusks instead of the 

 one usually occurring has elicited some interesting commu- 

 nications from various parties in reference to the habits of 

 this animal. Mr. Gray, in Land and Water, states that the 

 narwhal is gregarious, and quite abundant in the northern 

 seas, the males and females being usually in separate herds. 

 They are said to be ground feeders, living mostly upon cut- 

 tle-fish, their stomachs being commonly full of the remains 

 of this animal. They, however, feed also upon the different 

 kinds of true fishes. Mr. Gray thinks that the horns of the 

 males are used for stirring up the mud while searching for 

 food as well as for weapons of defense. One observed by 

 him had a horn eight feet in length, and on being struck he 

 ran at the boat and drove his horn through its side into the 

 thwart, where it broke short off, leaving about six inches in 

 the boat. The flesh is said to be quite good for food, being 

 tender and of a gamy flavor. It is preferred by the Esqui- 

 maux to any other kind of food. 2 A, February 11, 104. 



SCARCITY OF REMAINS OF THE UPPER JAW OF MARSUPIALS. 



A large number of fossil mammals are only known from 

 the teeth and bone of the lower jaw, these being preserved 

 when no other trace (of the head at least) remains. This is 

 especially the case with the small marsupial mammals, found 

 in the mesozoic rocks of Great Britain, where, out of 10 gen- 

 era and 25 species, based upon numerous specimens, not more 

 than half a dozen series of teeth of the upper jaw have been 

 discovered, and no crania. 5 A, July, 321. 



