Miscellaneous. 391 



closed row commencing "25 of an inch anterior to tlie corresponding 

 six molars above, and continuing as far back as the latter. Besides 

 jthese, and separated from them by a concave, descending notch of 

 !'4j of an inch, just anterior to the anterior mental foramen, or 'Ij 

 lof an inch anterior to the commencement of the symphysis posteriorly, 

 ■is one- half of an alveolus for an additional or seventh molar, which, 

 when the specimen was first received, contained a portion of a fang, 

 since mislaid. This additional molar in the lower jaw is possessed 

 by only one other known genus of Kuminantia, the Dorcatherium 

 of Kaup. 



The crowns of the inferior molars are enveloped in the matrix in 

 luch a manner that they cannot be exposed without endangering the 

 ipecimen. Externally the three true molars present their columns 

 Eis sharply triangular prisms, as in Ovis, &c., and have no intervening 

 points or cones, as in Cervus, Dorcatherium, &c. 



The fourth premolar is trilobed externally, each lobe presenting a 

 cusp towards the crown. The third and second are compressed, and 

 the latter, I can perceive, has a trenchant crown. 



The position of the molars, though resembling that of Dorcathe- 

 rivm considerably more than that of any other genus of Kuminantia, 

 differs materially from it ; for while the teeth reach to the symphysis 

 in the latter, in the former they even extend anteriorly to its com- 

 mencement. 



From the foregoing description of theteeth, it will be perceived, that 

 in the possession of a seventh molar in the upper jaw, in the posi- 

 tion of the molars, and in several other minor peculiarities, this genus 

 differs from all others heretofore known, and is well characterized, 

 and I therefore propose for it the name of " P o'ebr other ium * ." 



[We omit some further details, and pass to the concludingremarks.] 



These bones belonged to an animal rather less in size than the 

 Dorcatherium. 



The species I have designated Wilsoni, in honour of Dr. Thomas 

 B. Wilson, a munificent patron of the natural sciences. 



Probable habit of the animal. — From the evidences of considerable 

 muscular strength in the posterior part of the inferior maxilla and 

 the trenchant crowns of the anterior premolars, it might be supposed 

 that the animal was adapted to eating flesh as part of its food, as 

 was thought by Cuvier to have been probably the case with the Ano- 

 plotherium gracile, a pachydermous animal having very similar cha- 

 racters ; but I should think its general structure would entirely pre- 

 clude the idea of its having been able to catch living animal prey, 

 and doubt very much whether its food could have been other than 

 vegetable. The anterior trenchant molars were more probably in- 

 tended for cutting branches and twigs of bushes, or tough grasses, 

 which afterwards underwent a finer trituration with the true molars. 



The position which the genus should occupy. — Poiibrotherium in its 

 dentition apj)roaches the Kuminantia to the Fachydermata, for in the 

 number of the molar teeth and the trenchant nature of the anterior 



• TToa, herha, fipow, pa.sco, 6i)p,fera. 



