Arr inge merit of the small Tenrecidse. 303 



a\ Skull heavily built, lnterorbital region 



parallel-sided. A. high lauibdoid 

 crest present. Zygomatic process of 

 squamosal prominent, projecting late- 

 rally beyond brain-case. Teeth stout 

 and heavy ; posterior secondary cusps 



reduced or absent 1. Nesogale, g. n. 



b 2 . Skull papery ; tapering forwards evenly 

 from the brain-case. Lambdoid crest 

 not or scarcely developed, and not 

 interrupting the smooth even profile 

 of the skull. Zygomatic process of 

 squamosal minute, surpassed by the 

 lateral inflation of the brain-case. 

 Teeth light and delicate ; posterior 



secondary cusps well developed .... 2. Microyale, Tlios. 



b. Internal basal lobe of molars obsolete. 



Incisors subequal, the bicuspid canine 



little surpassing i 3 . Muzzle long and 



slender, the teeth widely spaced. Fore 



claws longer than hind 3. Leptogale, g. n. 



B. Claws markedly foasorial, the third anterior 

 twice the length of the third posterior. 

 Canines dominant, always surpassing the 

 anterior incisor; their secondary cusp 

 quite small. 



a. Pollex absent. Fur ordinary. Skull less 



broadened behind 4. Nesoryctes, g. n. 



b. Pollex present. lur velvety, mole-like. 



Skull more broadened behind 5. Oryzorictes, Grand. 



In the following notes the more important generic 

 characters are not necessarily repeated, as they have been 

 already given in the synopsis above : — 



1. Nesogale, g. n. 



Genotype. N. dobsoni {Microyale dobsoni, Thos.). 



Other species -.—talazaci, Maj. 



A larger heavier form, related to Microgale, but with 

 more powerful teeth and heavily ridged skull. In side view 

 the skull is peculiar for the sinuosity of its profile, the high 

 transverse occipital ridge being succeeded anteriorly by a 

 concavity, in front of which again there is a marked con- 

 vexity whence the profile ruus straight to the tip of the 

 nasals, or is even slightly concave or sinuous. Below there 

 is a marked ridge connecting the postglenoid processes with 

 the entopterygoids, the ectopterygoids being practically 

 obsolete. 



Teeth essentially like those of Microgale, but stouter and 



