﻿262 Allen's naturalist's library. 



of the molars of the Kangaroos, but not connected by a 

 median longitudinal ridge. The lower jaw differs from that of 

 the Afacropodidce in the absence of any pit on the outer side of 

 the posterior portion ; and the palate also differs from that of 

 the existing meuibers of the same family in being completely 

 ossified. 



That such an enormous and bulky animal could not have 

 hopped after the manner of a Kangaroo is self-apparent ; and 

 this is borne out by the characters of the Hmb-bones, which 

 show that the fore and hind legs were of normal relative pro- 

 portions. Until quite recently the structure of the feet was not 

 fully known, but from a letter from Dr. E. C Stirling published 

 in the " Proceedings of the Zoological Society," it appears that 

 the hind foot was furnished with five toes, and it is probable 

 that the front pair were similarly provided. In the living state 

 these toes were probably encased either in hoofs, or furnished 

 with large broad nails. The tail appears to have been relatively 

 short, measuring only a little over a foot in length, and was 

 thetcfore utterly unlike that appendage in the Kangaroo. 



Till a short time ago, we were acquainted with the Di^'^fotudon 

 only by isolated skulls, jaws, teeth, and bones ; but in the 

 letter just referred to Dr. Stirling announces the discovery of 

 hundreds of complete skeletons in a salt-lagoon situated some 

 twenty or thirty miles north of a still larger dry salt-lagoon in 

 South Australia known as Lake Frome, and situated about six 

 hundred miles to the northward of Adelaide, The deposits in 

 which this hecatomb of remams are embedded is referred to 

 the Pliocene period by the Australian geologists, or the one 

 immediately preceding the Pleistocene. 



According to Dr. Stirling's letter, Lake Mulligan, in which 

 the remains occur, is a relatively small lagoon of about eight 

 miles in diameter; the skeletons being situated about midway 

 between the east and west shores, and lying two or three feet 



