INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1876. clxxi 



nearly uniformly or very gradually attenuated and decurved rostrum, 

 as well as in the contour of the palate, etc. So great are these dif- 

 ferences that consistency with the generally accepted canons regu- 

 lating generic differentiation among the mammals necessitates the 

 expression of those differences in nomenclature by special generic 

 designations, and the newly discovered form may therefore be ap- 

 propriately contrasted under the name Zaglossus (Za, augmentative 

 particle, and yXoao-a, tongue) Bridjnii, with the previously known 

 Tachyglossus hystrix and Tachyglossus setosus. The Papuan species is 

 very much larger than the Australian ones, and w^as described by 

 the natives as being about as large as a dog, and having a decided 

 tail, and long, harsh fur. The external characters therefore, proba- 

 bly, also contrast with those of the Australian animals. The species 

 is highly esteemed by the Papuans as food, and is hunted down by 

 dogs. It conceals itself in small caves, and must be either rare or 

 difficult to catch, as the hunters of Mr. Bruijn were unable to obtain 

 more than the two skulls referred to. 



Of the monographs published the most noteworthy are those of 

 Professor Flower, on the existing species of Rhinoceros, and Mr. J, 

 A. Allen, on the existing and extinct species of Bison of the Ameri- 

 can continent, Mr. Alston's memoir on the classification of the Or- 

 der of Rodents will also be found to be of service. 



Having thus given some idea of the principal contributions to the 

 knowledge of existing vertebrate faunas, we now jDass to the con- 

 sideration of a few of those elucidating the extinct faunas. Our re- 

 stricted limits permit us only to do little more than refer to those 

 relative to the animals which formerly inhabited the countries at 

 present embraced within the limits of the United States, These 

 contributions have been chiefly, as for several years past, by Marsh, 

 Cope, and Leidy. 



During the period immediately preceding our own, the terrestrial 

 vertebrates that ranged over our territories were essentially the same 

 as those that now live here ; it has been shown, however, that on 

 the whole the mammals at least were larger in size. This was first 

 proved, on a considerable scale, by Professor Baird, and recent re- 

 sults have corroborated his conclusions. In 1876 Mr, J, A. Allen 

 described, from the lead-bearing regions of Illinois, the remains of a 

 deer and wolf analogous resjDectively to our recent Cnriacus virginia- 

 nus and Canis Inpus, but which are considerably larger, thus confirm- 

 ing the generalizations already enunciated. 



In the Miocene epoch existed a fauna quite different from our jjres- 

 ent one. The forms that then flourished, and which were among the 

 most characteristic of the time, apparently died out with that epoch, 

 without leaving any lineal descendants. One of the most remark- 

 able of the forms of the Lower Miocene was a peculiar type of mam- 

 mals related to the family of Rhinocerotids of the present time, 



