Miscellaneous. 65 



Sphmojjhyllum ; thus the close ulHuity of this genus with Astero- 

 2yhylliies appears to be finally established. The Calamites vcrtl- 

 cillatm of authors is probably the arborescent stem of one of these 

 plants. 



" On a newly discovered extinct Mammal from Patagonia 

 ( Homalodotheriam Cunninyhami).'" By William Henry Flower, 

 F.E.S. 



The author describes the complete adult dentition of a new 

 genus of mammal, founded on remains discovered by Dr. Eobert 

 O. Cunningham in deposits of uncertain age on the banks of the 

 Kiver Gallegos, South Patagonia. The animal appears to have 

 possessed the complete typical number of teeth, i. e. twenty-two 

 above and below, arrangecl in an unbrolcen series, and of nearly 

 even height, and presenting a remarkable gradual transition in 

 characters, in both jaws, from the first incisor to the last molar. 

 The molars more nearly resemble those of the genus Hhinoceros 

 than of any other known mammal ; and, judging only by the general 

 characters of the teeth, the animal would appear to have been a 

 very generalized type of Perissodactyle Ungulate, allied through 

 Hyracodon (a North-American Miocene form) to Rhinoceros, also 

 more remotely to Macrauehenia, and, though still more remotely, 

 to the aberrant Nesodon and Toxodon. The generic name Uomalo- 

 dotlierium was suggested for this form by Professor Huxley in his 

 Presidential Address to the Geological Society in 1870. 



MISCELLAXEOUS. 



On the Ster'de Efjys of Bees. By C. Claus and C. von Siebold. 



The existence of fecundated queen bees laying sterile eggs was 

 ascertained incontestably some years ago ; but no certain explanation 

 had been given of this abnormal fact. M. von Berlepsch indeed had 

 suggested that cases of this kind must be ascribed to some patholo- 

 gical state of the female; but no positive observations had been made 

 on this subject. Some opponents of parthenogenesis, such as still 

 exist in France, thought that the sterile eggs were laid by inifecun- 

 dated queens. The observations of !MM. Claus and von Sicbold 

 finally settle the question, and will compel those bee-keepers who 

 will not accept the facts of parthenogenesis to seek other arguments. 



The first case observed by M. Claus was that of an Italian queen 

 born in the middle of May and begiiming to lay in the middle of 

 June. From tliis period she continued to deposit eggs until the oth 

 of October ; but none of the eggs gave birth to larva). If this queen 

 had been constructed normally but had not been fecundated in May, 

 she ought at least to have produced males by parthemigcncsis. 

 Dissection proved that the oviducts and copulatory organs were pcr- 



Ann. d' Mafj.S. Hist. Her. 4. 17)/. xiii. o 



