22 



only ihe extreme development of this dilatation that gives to tlie 

 teeth of Propithecus a peculiarity of cliaracter rather resembling at 

 first sight that of the Monkeys than tlie Lemurs. The number of the 

 incisors of the lovver jaw ditfi rs from that oi' Letnur, biit occurs in 

 another genus, Indri: and it may be remarked, that in Propithecus, 

 as in Indri, the canine teeth of the lower jaw close behind those of 

 the upper, — aremark which tends to invalidatean opinion expressed 

 by M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, that the outer of the six incisors of 

 the losver jaw ought rather to be regarded as canine teeth, the usual 

 position of the lower canines when the mouth is closed being ante- 

 rior to the upper. The number of the falše molars in Propithecus 

 is one iess in each jaw than in Lemur, and they are less smooth and 

 not so acutely triangular; the second inthe upper jaw being infact 

 somevvhat tuberculate on its outer edge, and forming, as it were, a 

 transition from the falše to the true molars betweea which it is 

 placed. The posterior molars vvere not examined. 



The external characters by which it is distinguished from Lemur 

 are its shorter muzzle, terminated by more approximate nostrils, 

 the upper margin of which appears to be onl)' slightly lobulated : 

 its rounded ears: t!ie marked disproportion in length between its 

 liinder and anterior extremities : the greater length of its hands, 

 especially of the anterior: the shortnessof its anterior thumb, \vhich 

 is also placed much further back: the marked abbreviation of the 

 anterior index : the development and power of the hinder thumb, 

 which is nearly an equal opponent to the who!e of the fingers : and 

 the comparative shortness of the hairs by which the tail is covered. 



Mr. Bennett concluded by expressing his regret that no particu- 

 lars respecting the habits of this interesting addition to our cata- 

 logues of Mammaiia were kno\vn to him. He trusted, hovvever, that 

 the zealous correspondent by uhom it was presented to the Societj, 

 and to vvliose liberality the Society is so deeply indebted, would at 

 an early period obtain the reąuisite information, by inquiries in the 

 district of Madagascar in vvhich it is found, and \vhere it is stated 

 to be rare. 



Colonel Sykes took occasion to add the Viverra Rasse, Horsf., fo 

 his Catalogue of the Mammcdia of Dukhun, the two specimens ex- 

 hibited to the Committee, which he had hitherto regarded as va~ 

 rieties of the Viv. Indica, Geoū'., having been pronounced by Dr, 

 Horsfield to be the Viv. Indica and Viv. Rasse. The habitai of the 

 former is in the woods of the western Ghauts ; the latter is found 

 in the table land eastvvard of the Ghauts. 



Dr. Horsfield furnished the follovving account of the differences 

 between the two animals, In Vix!. Rasse the colour is grey, incli- 

 ning to tawny or dark fulvous ; the fonn is lengthened and slender ; 

 the ears are short and suddenly rounded, having somevvhat the ap- 

 pearance of being artificially clipped off ; the dorsal iines are eight 

 in number, broad and distinct ; and the lateral iines obscure, inter- 

 rupted and consisting of separate spots. In Viv. Indica the colour 

 is light grey inclining to yellow; the form is lengthened and slen- 



