8 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Measurements. — Alveolar length of upper tooth row, 7.6 mm.; 

 width of alveolus of 7n}, 2. 1 ; width of palate outside alveoli of m\ 6.4 ; 

 width of palate outside alveoli of ?/?', 6.5; length of crown of pm*, 2.0; 

 of m}, 1.9; width between alveoli of m^ (front corners), 2.1; lower jaw, 

 diastema, 4. 1 ; alveolar length of lower tooth row, 7.0; length of p?n4, 

 2.0; of nil, 1-7; of 7H2, 1.7. 



Specimens examined. — The type palate, eight lower jaws, and two 

 separate lower molars. 



Remarks. — Notwithstanding the similarit}' in general structure of 

 the enamel pattern, it is imlikely that this small species will prove 

 to be a member either of Brotomys or Boromys, if indeed the two latter 

 are really as distinct as supposed. The structure of the palate is 

 different in the present form and this coupled with its much less size 

 presupposes further important differences. Until better material is 

 available, however, it may stand provisionally with Boromys. The 

 pattern of the upper molars, as Miller (1916a) remarks is not very 

 different from that of Stichomys and it might be added, of Asteromys. 



It is a pleasure to associate with this interesting discovery, the name 

 of Professor de la Torre, whose investigations have so greatly enriched 

 our knowledge of the natural history of Cuba. 



The second species of rodent discovered, belongs to the group of 

 short-tailed Capromys-like animals, a group to which I here assign 

 generic rank. It may be defined as follows. 



Geocapromys Chapman (1901, p. 314).. 



Type Species. — By selection, Capromys brownii Fischer. 



Generic Characters. — Like Capromys, but the tail little, if any longer 

 than the hind foot with claws; the thumb much more reduced so as 

 to be scarcely evident. The most important cranial character is the 

 presence of an additional antero-internal enamel fold in the first lower 

 cheek-tooth, making three evident reentrants on the lingual side, 

 instead of two, as in Capromys, a character which in view of the rela- 

 tively small amount of variation in the enamel pattern of the two 

 genera, assumes here considerable importance (Plate, fig. 1-6, 8). 

 In addition, the upper tooth rows are more strongly convergent 

 anteriorly and the zygomatic portion of the maxillary is broader than 

 in Capromys. 



Three living species are included in this genus. Of these, Geocap- 

 romys brownii, of Jamaica, is the largest. The two others, G. thoraca- 



