404 ON A FOSSIL HUMERUS, 



Ox a Fossil Humerus. 

 By Charles W. De Yis, B.A. 



A humerus which seems to deserve attention from students of 

 our drift fauna has lately been received by the Queensland Museum 

 from the Darling Downs. In size it is about one-third less than 

 the arm bone of a Diprotodon, and at a passing glance is a reduced 

 copy of that bone. A little scrutiny, however, and differences are 

 seen to exist, which in the aggregate amount to at least specific 

 variation, and no sooner do we acknowledge that degree of 

 distinctiveness, than we are prompted to ask whether we can 

 accept it as a specific one only — in other words whether we may 

 fairly conclude from it that there existed in company with the 

 great Diprotodon, a comparatively small and not very closely 

 similar species of the genus. The obvious objection to this is that 

 we have no confirmatory evidence, more especially not a solitary 

 tooth, whereby to justify the assumption — and considering the 

 multitude of jaws of Diprotodon and its associations occurring in 

 the drift, the total absence of the teeth of this assumed species is a 

 fair though negative ground for putting aside the idea of its 

 existence. But if we do, there is nothing known to which the 

 humerus in question can be attributed. In size indeed, it 

 corresponds to the probable dimensions of the bone in Nototheriuin 

 Mitchelli, but to that animal a humerus of quite a different kind 

 has been already appropriated. Is it possible that exception may 

 reasonably be taken to that appropriation ? The suggestion is 

 ventured, and the considerations which have led to it are offered 

 with the utmost deference. 



The genus Nototherium, was established by Professor Owen in 

 1844, for the reception of the animal represented by certain molar 

 teeth, with which we are now familiar — teeth with closed fangs, 

 and therefore of limited growth — teeth which " suggested at first 

 sight that the fossils might belong to some smaller species of 

 Diprotodon." (Foss. Mam. p. 249.) When, subsequently, the 

 skull of Nototherium came into his hands, Professor Owen was 

 led to recognize in it certain marks of affinity with the Wombats, 



