Dr. H. Burmeister on Ziphiorrhynchus. 505 
the second. This is the first vertebra with a spinous process, 
but it is also somewhat open on the right side of the arch. The 
third dorsal vertebra has the arch entirely closed, and is much 
larger than the second. From this the vertebre increase to the 
end of the lumbar part of the column, where the vertebra are 
largest, each of them being 12 centim. long. The number of the 
dorsal vertebree is ten, and that of the lumbar twelve. Of the 
ten pairs of ribs, six are united with the sternum, and four free. 
The sternum has precisely the same form as that of Hyperoodon 
figured by Vrolik, and this is the case also with the hyoid bone. 
The forms of the arm-bones are also exactly the same, except 
that the upper margin of the scapula is somewhat larger, and 
the carpal bones are not cartilaginous, but ossified. 
The twelve lumbar vertebre are followed by twenty caudals, 
the first eleven having spinous processes on the underside. 
The same region of the tail has also the smallest spinous pro- 
cesses of the dorsal side. The last three vertebree are very small, 
forming merely round osseous corpuscles; and the two preceding 
these last three are each perforated perpendicularly by two fora- 
mina on each side of the central line of the body. 
This is all that I can tell you of the general construction of 
the skeleton, and I hope you will find enough to make out the 
characters of the species. 
{The skull shows that this species is distinct from Epiodon 
Desmarestii of the Mediterranean; and it should be called 
Epiodon cryptodon, Burmeister.—J. E. Gray. ] 
I am very curious to see your work on the Edentata, as you 
know that { had the good fortune to be the first describer of 
some new species of this family, such as Dasypus hispidus and 
Praopus hirsutus, from Guayaquil, and the new Chlamyphorus. 
I hope you know my descriptions in the ‘ Abhandl. der Hallisch. 
Naturf, Gesellsch. I have had for some time a living Dasypus 
conurus, and have observed his curious habits : he walks, as you 
say, with only the tips of his claws touching the ground. His 
skeleton is most allied to that of the gigantic Glyptodon, which 
he also resembles in his general figure. We have many speci- 
mens in the collection here. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE VI. 
Fig. 1 shows the skull from the right side. 
Fig. 2, the nasal region, with the protuberance from the front. 
Fig. 3, the apex of the upper and lower jaws. 
‘ig. 4, a large tooth, natural size. 
‘ig. 5, a small tooth, natural size. 
In figs. 1 & 2, a marks the intermaxilla; 4, the maxilla; e, the parietal ; 
d, the frontal; f, the temporal; g, the os petrosum ; h, the occipital bone, 
and o, the nasal bones. 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist, Ser. 3. Vol. xvi, 20 
