42 THE MAMMALIAN ORDER PRIMATES [SECT. A 



effect of setting them in the lowest ranks. Among the members 

 of the Order (Insectivora) the East Indian Gymnura raffiesii seems 

 to combine almost the largest number of these lowly characters. 

 Yet it is in this respect displaced by another East Indian com- 

 petitor, viz. Tupaia and its allies. These (ex. gr. Tupaia) were 

 formerly included in the Order Insectivora but are now segre- 

 gated as the Order Menotyphla (cf. p. 26 supra). The following 

 anatomical features testify to their lowly status : 



1. The teeth : upper molars tri-tubercular 1 : lower molars 

 tuberculo-sectorial (Tupaia). 



2. A (small) "tympanic" process of the alisphenoid (cf. Fig. 13 

 for this marsupial character) persists (Tupaia). 



3. The organ of Jacobson is of the Marsupial type 2 . 



4. The scrotum is pre-penial, as in Marsupials, and on such 

 facts are based the reasons for regarding Tupaia as the best living 

 representative of a generalized Eutherian mammal. All the 

 more significant is the claim recently made on its behalf, for 

 admitting it into the Order Primates 3 . 



Passing to the Order of the Primates, it will be necessary to set 

 forth in detail the general morphological characteristics of the 

 Order as well as those of its several subdivisions. The latter 

 consist of Sub-orders, Families, Genera and Species, which may be 

 grouped as follows. 



Sub-order ( Family Lemuridae (several genera and species). 

 Lemuroidea \ Family Cheiromyidae (a single genus and species). 



_ \ A. single family (and genus ; one or two species). 



Family Hapalidae (one genus ; several species). 

 Family Cebidae (several genera and species). 

 Family Cercopithecidae „ „ „ 

 Sub-order I Family Simiidae „ „ „ 



Anthropoidea \ (? Family Pithecanthropidae ; number of genera and species 

 unknown : all the representatives are now extinct). 

 Family Hominidae (one or two genera, and at most, three 

 \ species, of which only one exists at present). 



1 Gregory, op. cit. 1910, p. 279. For the definition of tri-tubercular molar teeth 

 V. infra, p. 283. 



2 Broom, P.Z.S. (abstract), April 13, 1915. 



3 Kaudern, Zoologische Jahrbilcher, 1910. 



