LIFE OF FLOWER 133 



the latter order (such as sloths, ant-eaters, armadillos, 

 pangolins, and aard-varks) were discussed by him in 

 the Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



The trend of the paper last mentioned, as well as 

 that of some of his other communications published 

 shortly before, indicates that about this time, instead of 

 restricting his attention more or less entirely to their 

 anatomy, Flower was much occupied with the subject 

 of the classification of the Mammalia. And the reason 

 is not far to seek, for he had undertaken not only the 

 volume of the "Catalogue of Osteological Specimens in 

 the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons," dealing 

 with mammals other than man, but he had likewise 

 engaged (in co-operation with the late Dr. Dobson) to 

 write the article "Mammalia" for the ninth edition of 

 the Encyclopaedia Britannica. With the view apparently 

 of clearing the way for these two important contributions 

 to zoology, he published during the early part of 1883 

 in the Zoological Society's Proceedings a paper on the 

 " Arrangement of the Orders and Families of Mammalia." 



To discuss this important paper in detail on the 

 present occasion is quite unnecessary ; and it will suffice 

 to state that it has formed the basis on which all 

 modern classifications of the group are framed. Indeed 

 it has been accepted by most writers with little or no 

 modification. In this scheme it was proposed to divide 

 mammals into three primary groups, or sub-classes, 

 namely, Prototheria, or Ornithodelphia, as represented 

 only by the egg-laying group ; Metatheria or Didelphia, 

 including the pouched group, or marsupials ; and 

 Eutheria or Monodelphia, comprising the whole of the 

 remaining or placental groups. Of late years, owing 



