206 Dr. G. Kreftt on Professor Owen’s 
when adult. Of course the resemblance is remote, very much 
so; but there is a resemblance nevertheless. Again, we have 
rat-kangaroos, which (when despatched in skins without skulls) 
have been taken more than once for bandicoots by the best 
European authorities ; and there were kangaroos once upon a 
time which had firmly Joined lower jaws, and others with 
compressed grinders, not unlike the carnivorous marsupials. 
These two latter groups are not referred to by Professor Owen 
in part vui., and they will probably be discussed at some 
future time. 
The Professor’s treatise is illustrated by eight splendidly 
executed plates of the newly created genera, some of which 
represent unique specimens from the Australian-Museum col- 
lection ; and so faithfully executed are they, that I recognized 
the fioures at a glance, though I have not had an oppor tunity 
to look at the originals for six months and more. Professor 
Owen has found it necessary to alter the existing arrange- 
ment of the kangaroo tribe, retaining the term Macropus tor 
all the kangaroos proper, for the wallaroos ( Osphranter), and 
for the wallabies (Halmatur us) and rock-wallabies (Petr ogale). 
It appears, however, that, if we must subdivide the fossil 
species into several genera, we cannot well discard the arrange- 
ment formerly proposed and generally adopted*, which is 
simple, comprehensive, and meets all our wants. 
This arrangement is as follows :— 
Genus MAcROPUS. 
Large kangaroos with small premolar teeth, which are soon 
lost. 
Genus HALMATURUS. 
Kangaroos of smaller size, with permanent premolar teeth. 
This second group is capable of subdivision into four genera 
or subgenera, and the last, the rat-kangaroos, into two more. 
Of course it rests with naturalists which system to adopt; 
but as few museums have so extensive a series of kangaroo 
skulls and skeletons as our own, we must have some voice in 
the matter, and cannot be expected to change | our arrangement 
except upon more solid grounds than those given in Professor 
Owen’s comprehensive paper. 
Looking at the splendid drawings, we miss one of the chief 
characteristics of a kangaroo’s skull; and that is the upper in- 
cisive dentitions of the fossil species +. Without this, a proper 
* ‘Australian Vertebrata, Fossil and Recent,’ by Gerard Krefft, p. 10. 
+ Ihave seen some proof-plates of skulls of ’Prof. Owen’s second part 
of the Macropodide without the important iezsive dentition; but I do 
not a that the shape of the teeth, as indicated by faint lines, is cor- 
rect.—G. K. 
