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cidedly, these fossil animals from the family of ruminants, and to ap- 

 proximate them to the daman and rhinoceros. 



The teeth found in the plaster-of-paris are of different sizes, but those 

 of the middling size occur most frequently. These, M. Cuvier has de- 

 monstrated, belonged to two different genera, one of which possessed 

 canine teeth, and the other, not. A careful examination showed also, 

 that the grinders of these different animals, although seemingly similar, 

 possessed decidedly different characters. 



Commencing his inquiries with the genus PAL^EOTHERIUM, the large 

 ancient animal, with canine teeth, he was enabled to ascertain that, as in 

 the rhinoceros and daman, so in this genus, there are seven grinders in each 

 side of the lower jaw, the first of which is small, compressed, and rather 

 sharp. The others have their outer surface formed like two portions of cy- 

 linders, except the seventh, which has three of these portions. At the base 

 is aprojecting line like a collar, beneath which is a root to everyportion. 



The internal surface of these teeth is, in some respects, the reverse of 

 the inner surface. Opposite to each of the crescents is a depression, 

 which narrows as it descends : the intervening projections, of course, 

 narrowing as they ascend. 



Before the first small grinder, the jaw is void of teeth, or alveoli, for a 

 little space, at the end of which space is the canine tooth. It is a simple 

 oblique cone, a little bent ; the internal face of which is a little flat, and 

 its external face more than half a cone. Its faces are separated by two 

 longitudinal ridges, and its bases are girted by the same collar-like pro- 

 jection as was observed in the molar teeth. The root is large, and pene- 

 trates into the jaw nearly as far as the root of the first grinder. 



This canine tooth is not a tusk projecting out of the mouth, as in 

 many species of hogs : it is rather concealed by the lips, as in the tapir, 

 hippopotamus, and Mexican hog. By the presence of this tooth, this 

 animal is separated from the rhinoceros and daman, whilst, by its grind- 

 ers, it is brought near to the tapir and hog. 



