682 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1884. 



representatives of the family Equidcc, fall into two subgenera, Equvs 

 and Asinus. Of the subgenus Asinus the best-known species are (1) tlic 

 wild am of Upper Nubia {Equus tcemopus), probably the origin of the 

 domestic ass; (2) the wild ass of Persia and Kutch {E. onager); (3) the 

 hemippe, or wild ass of the Syrian desert {E. hemippus)) (4) the kiang, 

 or wild ass of Thibet {E. hemionus); (5) the quagga {E. quagga) of 

 South Aftica; (C) the Burchells xebra {E. burehelU) of Southern and 

 Eastern Africa; (7) the zebra {E. zebra) of Southern Africa. No recent 

 species of horse referable to the subgenus Equus was known until 

 Prjevalskey on his third great journey to Central Asia brought back to 

 St. Petersburg an example of a new species of wild horse. This ani- 

 mal was described in 1881 in a Russian journal by J. S. Poliatow and 

 named Equus prjevaUJcii. There are some asinine characteristics about 

 the animal, but the preponderance of characters is towards the horse. 

 (Nature, August 21.) 



Miss Frances E. Babbitt has succeeded in shifting the interest with 

 regard to glacial man from New Jersey to Minnesota. The investigation 

 was conducted with the greatest care, and the result now depends upon 

 two considerations; the geological age of the bed, and the human work- 

 manship upon the objects. 



The report of Mr. Bandelier upon his archaeological studies among 

 the x)ueblosof New Mexico in 1881 was printed during the year, and is 

 apermanent contribution to our literature upon thatsubject. His results 

 are based upon careful and extended measurements. 



The Stone Age in China is a new inquiry, and should lead to good 

 results. Mr. Mark Williams announces that from Kalgan to Ylicho, 

 100 miles south, are ancient mounds in clusters on the plain, or singly 

 on eminences. They are about 30 feet high, circular or oval in shape. 

 At Kalgan is a group of forty mounds. The Kalgan mounds, 110 miles 

 west of Peking, have been investigated by Dr. Joseph Edkins. 



The Marquis de Nadaillac follows up his volume on prehistoric Amer- 

 ica with a compilation of what has been written upon the antiquity of 

 man on our continent, and an essay on the latest writings respecting 

 the mound-builders and the modern Indians. But the most remarka- 

 ble production of the last-named topic is that of Dr. Emil Schmidt on 

 the mound-builders and their relation to modern Indians, published in 

 Kosmos (Leipzig). In the same line are the papers of Carr, Henshaw, 

 Thomas, Royce, and Brinton. 



The first volume of the celebrated work, Mexico d traves los Siglos, 

 was prepared by Alfred Chavero. The volume comprises the ancient 

 history from prehistoric times till the capture of the city of Mexico by 

 Hernan Cort6s, and is composed of the following parts : 



Introduction : Comprising a review of all the sources of Mexican his- 

 tory, and an extensive bibliography of Mexican and foreign works on 

 its antiquities, and on all the unpublished hieroglyphics and manuscript 

 documents which are known. 



