Cope.] 5o* rJan,5, 



piece has a slight resemblance to the very peculiar head of the fibula in 

 the oppossum, but is not like that of Sarcophilus ursinus. I, however, 

 think it much more probably the proximal extremity of a marsupial bone. 

 A supposed cuneiform is subtransverse in position, and resembles in gen- 

 eral those of Oxymna and EstJionyx. It has the two large transverse prox- 

 imal facets, the anterior one-quarter wider than the posterior. The distal 

 facet (trapeziotrapezoidal) is simple. The navicular is much like that of 

 Oxymna forcipata, but is more robust. Its external tuberosity is flattened 

 anteroposteriorly, and is produced proximally. The three distal facets 

 are well marked, the median a little wider than the external, while the 

 internal is subround, convex, and sublateral in position. The entocune'i- 

 form is a flat bone, with cup-shaped facet for the navicular, and narrow 

 facet for the first metatarsus. This facet is transverse transversely, and 

 concave anteroposteriorly. It shows (1), that there is a pollex; (2), that 

 it is probably small ; and (3), that it w^as not opposable to the other digits, 

 as is the case in the opossum. (4). It does not show whether the pollex 

 has an unguis or not. 



Measurements No. 2. M. 



Transverse width condyle of mandible 0230 



Anteroposterior width condyle of mandible (at middle) .0103 



Diameters head of (^s marsupii[ tr'-^^^^erse 0220 



I. anteroposterior 0068 



Diameters cuneiform [ ''«^'*i^^^^ ^075 



I anteroposterior 0115 



^vertical in front..... 0085 



Diameters navicular \ transverse 0180 



'anteroposterior (middle) 0110 



/ vertical at middle 0100 



Diameters ectocuneiform \ anteroposterior (middle) . . .0140 



'transverse distally 0060 



Two other bones of specimen No. 2 I cannot positively determine. The 

 first resembles somewhat the trapezium of Sarcophilus ursinus, and still 

 more that of Bidelphys. 1 will figure it, as a description without identifi- 

 cation will be incomprehensible. The next bone is of very anomalous 

 form. It may be the magnum, which is the only unrecognized bone of 

 importance remaining, or it may be a large intermedium. It has no re- 

 semblance to the magnum of any mammal known to me. It was evi- 

 dently wedged between several bones, as it has eight articular fiicets. 

 Tw^o are on one side ; the largest (convex and oval) is on one edge ; three 

 are on one end, and two, the least marked, are on the other flat side, oppo 

 site to the first. 



Restoration. We can now read the nature of the primitive mammal 

 Miocloinus ferox, in so far as the materials above discussed permit. It was 

 a powerful flesh-eater, and probably an eater of other things than flesh. It 

 had a long tail and well-developed limbs. It had fivQ toes all around, and 

 the great or first toe was not opposable to the others, and may have been 



