178 ON THE EXTINCT MAMMALIA OF 



considerable sized foramen behind the position of the former. In another adult 

 specimen, from a large individual, the infra-orbital foramen is divided into an upper 

 larger and a lower smaller portion. 



Superior vieio. — In examining the skull of Elotherium Mortoni from above, in 

 absence of other evidence one might suppose it belonged to a large carnivorous 

 animal. The cranium, with its capacious temporal fossae, high sagittal crest, and 

 wide arching zygomata, especially exhibits an approach to the carnivorous type of 

 construction, but its comparative shortness, together with the proportionately long 

 face, betray its suilline character. 



The cranium is cylindroid in the parietal region, but slightly narrows forward, and 

 becomes rather more abruptly narrowed immediately in advance of the sides of the 

 parietals and on a line with the bifurcation of the sagittal crest. Its sides slope back- 

 ward and outward to the acute lateral border of the inion and the anterior surface of 

 the posterior root of the zygoma ; they gradually rise on the high sagittal crest and 

 the broad, biallated summit of the inion, and in front they curve outwardly upon the 

 post-orbital arches. 



The sagittal crest is absolutely as long as in the much larger Hippopotamus. Con- 

 verging from the biallated summit of the inion it increases in strength anteriorly. Its 

 bifurcation is thick and prominent, and receives the pointed summit of the frontal. 



The spaces included by the zygomata resemble those of the Hippopotamus. They 

 are widest posteriorly and converge most externally. 



The forehead is broad and convex, but is rather deeply depressed in the middle, 

 especially posteriorly in the angle of bifurcation of the sagittal crest. The temporal 

 ridges are about as long as the latter, and curve from it at an angle of divergence of 

 about 45°. At first quite prominent, they gradually subside, and at the outer part of 

 their course are obtusely rounded. 



The supra-orbital foramina, of which one alone is preserved in a single specimen, 

 appear to be small, and are situated near the median line almost opposite the post- 

 orbital arches. 



The face above is cylindro-conical in form. Prom the position of the zygomata it 

 gradually narrows, less abruptly in advance of the orbits, to about the position of the 

 infra-orbital foramina or the middle of the face, when it again widens to accommodate 

 the canines, and afterwards is narrowed and rounded off to the front of the muzzle. 

 From side to side, in front of the orbits, the face forms a uniform convexity. 



The nasals continue the transverse arch of the face. Together they are coflSn- 

 shaped, and are widest between the ends of the angular processes of the frontal. 

 Their anterior extremity is notched, and the contiguous processes form a short 

 angular point, projecting above the nasal aperture as in Glmrodcs. 



