234 Journal of Travel a7id Natural History 



No public collection in the world affords such abundant and 

 authentic materials for the study of the fossil species of Rhinoceros 

 as that in the British Museum. We here find either original 

 typical specimens or authentic casts of nearly all the forms that 

 have been described under a variety of names. Leaving these names 

 out of the question, from twelve to fourteen distinct fossil species 

 can be determined. Of these, however, only four belong to the 

 pliocene and subsequent periods. But though the number of actual 

 forms is so limited, and notwithstanding the circumstance that 

 there is apparently no great difficulty in distinguishing one from 

 the other — at any rate when brought together so conveniently for 

 comparison — the mass of confused synonymy with which they have 

 been overloaded is quite extraordinary. 



We cannot here enter at any length upon this subject, and 

 must content ourselves with a brief remark or two with regard 

 to one species with which Dr Falconer's name will always be 

 closely connected, and with respect to which we find, from a very 

 recent communication in the "Annalesdes Sciences Naturelles," that 

 M. Lartet entertains an opinion as regards the synonymy, in which, 

 as at present informed, we cannot agree, and in which he also 

 differs from Dr Falconer. 



The latest arrangement of fossil Rhinoceroses .adopted by Dr 

 Falconer is this : — 



Pliocene. 



I. No bony nasal septum. 



1. Rhin. leptorhinus, Cuv. {pro parte). 

 R. megarhinus, Christol. 



R. mercki, Kaup. 



II. Partial bony septum. 



2. R. etruscus, Falc. 



R. leptorhinus, Cuv. {pro parte). 



3. R. hemitoechus, Falc. 



R. leptorhinus, Owen {pro parte). 



Post-Pliocene. 



III. Complete bony septum. 



R. antiquitatis, Blum. 



R. tichorhinus, Fisch. and Cuv. 



And this arrangement, with the omission, perhaps, of the geo- 

 logical epochs to which the various species are assigned, appears 

 to us perfectly natural and very convenient. As regards the names, 



