452 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Miocene into an Old World type of monkey on the African 

 side. When this stock became insulated in Madagascar it 

 had acquired characteristics of both these groups, the resem- 

 blance being closest with the former. Specialisation, and 

 subsequently degradation, characterised the Malagasy stock. 

 Finally, it is concluded that the separation of Lemuroidea 

 from Anthropoidea is no longer justifiable, the author 

 adding that in his opinion there is no close relationship 

 between the recent representatives of the former and such 

 ancient northern types as Adapts and Necrolemur. 



Here may be appropriately noticed a paper by Dr. Max 



Schlosser, published in the Fcstband (1907) of the Neues 



Jahrbuch fiir Mineralogie, on the osteology and systematic 



position of the Oligocene genus Necrolemur, with special 



reference to the phylogeny of the Primates in general. 



In this paper the author divides the Primates into the three 

 groups, Mesodonta, Lemuroidea, and Anthropoidea. The first 

 is sub-divided into three sections, viz. : Pseudolemuroidini, 

 with the families Hyopsodontidce, Notharctidce, and Adapidce ; 

 •(2) Palaeopithecini, with the families Anaptomorphidce and 

 Tarsiidcv ; and (3) Mixodectini, with Oldobotidce and Microsyop- 

 idce. The Hyopsodontidce may be the ancestors of the Anthro- 

 poidea, or, in any case, the Cercopithecidce may be deived from 

 this family. The Notharctidce are regarded as ancestral to 

 the Simiidce. The Adapidce, on the other hand, are con- 

 sidered to have given origin to the Malagasy Megaladapince, 

 and perhaps also to the Lemurince and Indrisincc. The whole 

 .group is regarded as of northern origin, and not to have 

 reached Africa till the Middle Miocene, and Patagonia till the 

 Upper Miocene. 



Dr. Schlosser's views, it will be observed, differ in toto from 

 those of Dr. Standing. Personally I am inclined to accept, 

 with some modifications, the former. On this view only the 

 .ancestors of the lemuroids, and perhaps of the Cebid<v, obtained 

 an entrance into Africa ; but probably at a period considerably 

 •earlier than supposed by the German palaeontologist. 



Before leaving the Primates it should be mentioned that 

 •considerable interest attaches to the discovery in the Norfolk 

 " forest-bed " of the lower extremity of the humerus of a 

 monkey, probably referable to the genus Macacas. In de- 

 scribing this specimen in the Geological Magazine for October, 



