232 MAMMALS. 



with different menibers of the lusectivora, and has been a stiunbling-hloek to naturalists on account 

 of the difficulty of finding its projier place. ]?\^o other specimen was found until 1863, when 

 Sefior Pocy, of Havannah, obtained a second species in the mountains of Bavamo, in Cuba.* This 

 example came into the hands of Professor Peters, of Berlin, and he has carefully examined and 

 described it,t and has come to the conclusion that although it presents various points of affinity 

 with the Xorth American Moles (Scalops) and the Shrews and the Desman of Russia, and in some 

 respects with the Hedgehog, it must be placed in the same group as the ^Madagascar genera, 

 Cextetes, ERiCTJLrs and Echixogale (a group which usually, although not by Dr. Peters, is placed 

 in the same family as the Hedgehogs.) Dr. Peters parallels this most remarkable geograjohical 

 location by some otlier instances. He remarks that Madagascar is the only island where, if we 

 except the Brachylophxs fasciatis of Xew Guinea and the East Indies, iguanoid lizards with 

 the Pleurodont character, occur out of America, and the same island alone in the Old World 

 furnishes examples of the American Colubrine forms Xijihosoma and Heterodon. It is true that 

 one or two remarkable instances of resemblance between species froni Madagascar and America do 

 stand recorded in our books ; but they all require careful sifting, not only as regards their 

 affinities, but also the authority for the locality. It is part of my business for the purposes of this 

 work to do so, as we successively encoimtfr them ; and as regards the jiresent instance, the 

 SoLExoDON, I have to say that the grounds for referring it to the Madagascar type appear to me 

 to be iusufficient. That it has more outward resemblance to the Shrews than to the Cextetid-IL 

 cannot be disputed ; that it has many points in its anatomj' corresponding with that of the Shrews 

 is admitted ; and that the judging between their value and number is a nice and difficult operation 

 is also not denied. Therefore, even although the Madagascar element did seem to prevail in its 

 physiological relations, I confess that I should stiU prefer to question Dr. Peters' decision, and to 

 trust to the superficial resemblance, and the other admitted affinities nearer home, rather than to 

 the balance of physiological relations struck by him. A fair estimate of these, however, by no 

 means leaves the same impression on me as they have on Dr. Peters. "Wnere modifications of an 

 abstract type occur in exactly the same number and degree, in important organs and in less im- 

 portant ones, it may be that he awards the greater value as indicative of affinity to what he 

 considers accordance in the more important ones. On that footing these in the Solenodon may 

 possibly bring it nearest the Madagascar tj-pe. But this principle of valuation is, I think, erro- 

 neous. On the principle laid down by Agassiz, I hold that deviations on the more important 

 structures ought rather to refer to the larger divisions of the order than to the minor sections. 

 At first sight it may appear otherwise ; for it seems a natural inference that the more important 

 the organs in which correspondence occurs the more nearlj' alHed should be the animals in 

 which such correspondence appears. But these are the organs which go farthest back in time, 

 and indicate the general source from which the whole family sprung. Modifications on f/icm 

 speak of remote affinity, whereas resemblances in the less important and less vital characters, 

 such as outward appearance, colouring, hair, and anything not relating to what I may call the 

 foundation or great beams of the house, indicate more recent affinity. I, therefore, place Sole- 

 nodon next its nearest neighbours in geographical position, and those likest it in external 

 appearance, — the Shrews. 



* See for an account of its habits " Memorias sobra la t Peters, " Heber die saugc-thiev-gattung St.lcnodc n. 



Ilistoria Natural de la Isla de Cuba:" Pai- Felix Pocy, Abh. Ak. Wiss. Berlin. 1SG3. 

 liabana, 1861. 



