33G Zoological Collections. 



with an enlarged cartilage, as in the hog ; the anterior nares opening down- 

 wards, at the inferior border. 



The whole surface of the body covered with fine silk-like hair, longer 

 and finer than that of the mole, but not so thick set. The anterior of the 

 chest is large, full, and strong; the anterior extremities, short, clumsy, 

 and powerful ; the hair is continued for some distance on the palm — the 

 phalanges of the hand united ; five powerful nails rising gradually one 

 above the other ; the external shortest and broadest ; the whole so arrang- 

 ed as to form a sharp cutting instrument, somewhat scooped ; very conve- 

 nient for progression under ground ; and such as must very much impede 

 motion on the surface- Hind legs weak and short — feet, long and narrow ; 

 the sole resembles considerably the human foot, having a well defined heel, 

 which rests flat upon the ground, and being arched in the middle ; toes 

 separate, nails flattened horizontally. 



Skull At first view, the bones of the cranium and face would appear 

 to constitute one solid case, the remnants of sutures are indistinctly visible 

 in some parts only. The cavity of the cranium is capacious ; the greatest 

 breadth, which is from ear to ear, is one inch ; greatest depth five-tenths; 

 length of the cavity, seven-tenths. One of the most remarkable pecu- 

 liarities of this skull consists in the two processes of bone above alluded 

 to, which project obliquely, forward, upward, and outward; from the os 

 frontis, anterior to the cavity of the cranium, and directly above the malar 

 bone ; giving to the front of the skull an aspect totally unique ; these 

 prominences are hollow, communicating with the frontal sinuses, and must 

 contribute in a great measure to enlarge the organ of smell ; there exists a 

 considerable concavity between them, which, in the recent state, was filled 

 with an adipose, gristly mass, which served to unite the skull to the plates 

 above. The snout commences anteriorly to these processes, and is rapidly 

 attenuated and depressed. The ossa nasi are broad and strong, slightly 

 arched transversely, extending anteriorly beyond the os incisivum, as does 

 likewise the osseous septum narium. The zygomatic processes are lateral- 

 ly arched; a small pointed process, descending near the malar bone, (some- 

 what like that in the sloth) ; the zygomatic fossae are large. 



The labyrinth is protuberant, and occupies the usual situation at the 

 base of the skull ; joined to which is the tympanum ; — to the last is at- 

 tached a bony cylinder, stretching first upwards behind the zygomatic pro- 

 cess of the temporal bone, around which it makes a sudden curve, and 

 runs forward and upwards to terminate at the external ear- This struc- 

 ture, which I believe is peculiar to the animal before us, will be better un- 

 derstood by referring to the plate- 



Lower jaw- Anterior portion shaped like that of the elephant, much 

 elongated ; the general form and proportion resembles very closely the 

 lower jaw of the sheep, the base being considerably arched, and the curve 

 at the posterior part, forming with the base nearly a right angle, project- 

 ing obliquely outwards : the base is marked by eight slightly elevated pro- 

 tuberances, occasioned by the roots of the teeth ; the condyloid process is 

 longer than the coronoid ; in the sheep, this is reversed : the articulation 



