41 



and Haiti there are several. Geological researches may assist the 

 explanation of these anomalies. There are three mountain-ranges 

 of different date aud vegetation. One of these constitutes the Ba- 

 hamas, north side of Haiti and Cuba : the Cibao range, covered with 

 pathless forests of Pinus occidentalis, re-appears in Cuba and the 

 Isle of Pines, terminating in Mexico. The precipitous mountains 

 of the Grand Anse are formed of limestone, which is prolonged 

 through Jamaica into Yucatan, covered with its peculiar production, 

 Myrtus Pimentą, equally remarkable for its individual beauty and 

 firagrance. 



" Pauca hsec vidimus operuni Det." 



April 13, 1847. 

 William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 

 The folIowing Communications were read : — 



1. SoME Observations on the Skull of Phascolomys Vombatus. 

 Br J. E. Ghay, Esq., F.ll.S. etc. etc. 



In the collection at the British Museum there are three skuUs 

 \vhich agree with Prof. Owen's character of Phascolomys Vombatus, 

 as described in vol. iii. of the Zool. Soc. Transactions : that is to 

 say, they have only slightly curved upper cutting teeth, short noses, 

 &c. Two were sent from Van Diemen's Land by Mr. Ronald 

 Gunn, and one from N. S. Wales was presented by my late friend 

 and admirable botanist, Mr. AUan Cunningham, F.L.S. 



The specimens from Van Diemen's Land are much smaller (the 

 largest being 6 in, 4 lines long), and more depressed and truncated 

 behind, and have two moderate-sized oblong holes in the hinder part 

 of the palate. The specimen from N. S. Wales is one inch longer, 

 and has two large triangular holes in the end of the palate. Ali the 

 three specimens diifer in the size of the teeth, and especiaUy in the 

 size and relative position of the upper cutting teeth. 



1 . The least of the Van Diemen's Land škulis has rather small 

 grinders, but the upper cutting teeth are small, compressed, rather 

 diverging from each other, forming an angle in front and only touch- 

 ing each other at the truncated inner edge. The crowns of these 

 teeth are 5 lines long and 2^ lines wide. The lower cutting teeth 

 are small ■vvitli a roundish crown. 



2. The other Van Diemen's Land skull, which is rather larger in 

 all its measurements, has larger grinders. The cutting teeth are 

 much larger : the upper large, oblong, diverging from each other, 

 forming together a segment of a circle in front, and only touching 



