EXTINCT KANGAROOS, 25! 
FAMILY MACROPODID (sufra p. 11), 
GENUS PALORCHESTES. 
Palorchestes, Owen, Phil. Trans., 1874, p. 797. 
PALORCHESTES AZAEL. 
Palorchestes azael, Owen, op. cit., p. 798; Lydekker, Cat. Foss. 
Mamm. Brit. Mus., pt. v., p. 237 (1887). 
Characters.—This species, the sole representative of its genus, 
is by far the largest known member of the Kangaroo family ; 
the length of the complete skull being somewhere about six- 
teen inches. As a genus, this gigantic Kangaroo is charac- 
terised by the two branches of the lower jaw being firmly 
welded together at their union; so that the scissor-like action 
occurring between the lower incisor teeth of existing Kangaroos 
was impossible. ‘The union between the two branches of the 
lower jaw is elongated; while the interval between the incisor 
and premolar teeth was likewise of considerable length. The 
last upper premolar tooth, which is of medium length, has a 
well-developed lobe on its inner side, and thereby assumes a 
triangular form, thus totally departing from the cutting type of 
tooth characterising the existing members of the family. The 
corresponding lower tooth is of the same general type, but has 
its additional lobe on the outer, instead of the inner side. The 
molar teeth have smooth enamel, but lack any basal ledge in 
front of the first ridge, thus resembling the corresponding teeth 
of the existing J/acropus magnus, in the lower molars the 
median longitudinal bridge connecting the two transverse 
ridges is well developed. In spite of the union of the two 
branches of the lower jaw, the lower pair of incisor teeth had 
the same elongated and spatulate form which characterises 
—_- 
existing Kangaroos. 
