8 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. XIV. 



ancient a group, otherwise wholly extinct, is a fact of the utmost in- 

 terest, and one whose discovery will be welcomed by every zoologist." 



"I have proposed for it ihenameCanolestes,as it is a modern member 

 of an ancient group." 



fl 'The affix 'lestes' is connected in mammalogy with small and an- 

 cient fossil marsupials, e. g., Microlestes, Amphilestes, etc., so that the 

 above name may be considered to represent an existing animal with 

 ancient fossil relatives." 



"C&nolestes, with its uninteresting exterior, appeals mainly to the 

 technical mammalogist. To him, however, with its intense palseontolog- 

 ical and geographical interest, and the added puzzle its structure gives 

 rise to in the general classification of the order, no animal will appear 

 more important or more worthy of close and detailed study. That by the 

 arrival of spirit specimens account of its anatomy may be rendered 

 possible is very much to be hoped." 



In these papers of Thomas, C&nolestes was classified as a diprotodont 

 and a member of the family Epanorthidae with the reservation that 

 ^ It is, however possible that, in spite of the resemblance of the teeth of 

 C&nolestes to those of certain Australian Diprotodonts, the study of 

 further material, including soft parts, skeleton, and milk-teeth, will 

 bring out differences of such importance as to necessitate its subordinal 

 separation from them." He says further, "It is clearly a diprotodont, 

 as not only does it possess the characteristic development of the lower 

 incisors, but even the molars resemble most closely in structure those of 

 certain members of the family Phalangeridae, while being wholly unlike 

 those of the typical Polyprotodonts. From all the existing Diproto- 

 donts, however, apart from its habitat and numerous detailed differences, 

 C&nolestes is at once distinguished by not being syndactylous, a character 

 which is always considered of family rank. It forms, therefore, among 

 existing marsupials a peculiar family, and one which in America rep- 

 resents the Diprotodonts of Australia, just as Didelphyidae do the 

 Polyprotodonts. " 



Although some further material was obtained in later years, it was 

 similar to that used by Thomas and consisted only of a few native-col- 

 lected skins and skulls. Additional study of these, therefore, added but 

 little to what was already known and opinions varied as to the inter- 

 pretation of the peculiar characters of the animal. 



The next reference to C&nolestes was a note by Ameghino (1897, p. 

 95) from which the following may be quoted: 



"M. Thomas est venu a La Plata, rapportant avec lui un crane de 

 Ccenolestes que nous avons soigneusement compare aux formes fossiles 

 de Patagonie et nous avons pu reconnaitre qu'il presente plus de rap- 



