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Couserans. But the most interesting specimens are, the two halves of 

 a jaw, with five molar teeth in each, in the possession of M. Dree. These 

 fossils were found at Comminge, by the side of Beine, five leagues from 

 Alan, a castle of the Bishop of Comminge. Similar teeth are also said, 

 by Fabbroni, to have been found in Italy. 



The teeth of the recent tapir are characterized by being divided by 

 transverse risings ; but this character, Cuvier observes, is not sufficient 

 to allow the attributing of any fossil teeth, with transverse ridges, to the 

 tapir ; since the same transverse risings on the crown are observable in 

 the teeth of the lamantin (Trichecus manatus), and in those of the kan- 

 guroo. In the lamantin, the upper teeth have two large risings, and 

 two smaller, or spur-like processes, one before, the other behind. On the 

 lower teeth are three risings. These risings are, in the germ of the tooth, 

 crenulated, both in the lamantin and in the fossil animal. 



Of the five molar teeth in M. Dree's fossil, the foremost has only one 

 ridge, which is flat ; but the four last have two ridges, with a spur behind, 

 which is largest in the hindermost teeth. The animal to which these teeth 

 belonged could not, as M. Cuvier observes, have been very aged, since the 

 ridges are not much worn, and since one tooth, at least, was wanting in 

 this jaw. This is, however, assumed on the supposition that the tooth 

 found at Vienna belonged to a similar animal. This tooth has three 

 ridges and a spur-like process ; and in that case, would have been placed 

 behind these ; since in herbivorous animals, the teeth composed of the most 

 pieces are always behind the rest. The tooth found at St. Lary, and 

 which agrees in the appearance of its enamel and matrix, with those of 

 M. Dree, has also three ridges, which confirms the opinion of this animal 

 having six molar teeth on each side. Reckoning from the size of the mo- 

 lar teeth of the fossil animal, it is supposed that it must have been one 

 fourth taller than the rhinoceros. But, by the same mode of reckoning, 

 it would have been five times longer than the known lamantin, and eight 

 times larger than the kanguroo, supposing it to have had the same pro- 

 portions as the species to which it may be imagined to belong. 



These fossil remains M. Cuvier considers as belonging to a large ani- 



