206 Dr. G. Krefft on Professor Owen's 



when adult. Of course the resemblance is remote, very much 

 so ; but there is a resemblance nevertlieless. Again, we have 

 rat-kangaroos, which (when despatched in skins without skulls) 

 have been taken more than once for bandicoots by the best 

 European authorities ; and there were kangaroos once upon a 

 time which had firmly joined lower jaws, and others with 

 compressed grinders, not unlike the carnivorous marsupials. 

 These two latter groups are not referred to by Professor Owen 

 in part viii., and they will probably be discussed at some 

 future time. 



The Professor's treatise is illustrated by eight splendidly 

 executed plates of the newly created genera, some of which 

 represent unique specimens from the Australian-^Museum col- 

 lection ; and so faithfully executed are they, that I recognized 

 the figures at a glance, though I have not had an opportunity 

 to look at the originals for six months and more. Professor 

 Owen has found it necessary to alter the existing arrange- 

 ment of the kangaroo tribe, retaining the term Macropus for 

 all the kangaroos proper, for the wallai'oos [Osp/iranter), and 

 for the wallabies {Uahnaturus) and rock- wallabies {Petrogale). 

 It appears, however, that, if we must subdivide the fossil 

 species into several genera, we cannot well discard the arrange- 

 ment formerly proposed and generally adopted*, which is 

 simple, comprehensive, and meets all our wants. 



This arrangement is as follows : — 



Genus Macropus. 

 Large kangaroos with small premolar teeth, Mhich are soon 

 lost. 



Genus Halmaturus. 



Kangaroos of smaller size, with permanent premolar teeth. 

 This second group is capable of subdivision into four genera 

 or subgenera, and the last, the rat-kangaroos, into two more. 



Of course it rests with naturalists which system to adopt ; 

 but as few museums have so extensive a series of kangaroo 

 skulls and skeletons as our own, we must have some voice in 

 the matter, and cannot be expected to change our aiTangement 

 except upon more solid grounds than those given in Professor 

 Owen's comprehensive paper. 



Looking at the splendid drawings, we miss one of the chief 

 characteristics of a kangaroo's skull ; and that is the upper in- 

 cisive dentitions of the fossil species t- Without this, a proper 



* 'Australian Yertebrata, Fossil and Recent,' by Gerard Krefil, p. 10. 



t I have seen some proof-plates of skulls of Prof. Owen's second part 

 of the Macropodida ^\■ithout the important incisive dentition; but I do 

 not think that the shape of the teeth, as indicated by faiut lines, is cor- 

 rect. — G. K. 



