NO. 4 THE GENUS GEOCAPROMYS CHAPMAN MILLER 3 



farther apart in Caproniys than in Geocapromys. This character is 

 not visible in complete skulls, but is evident in the broken-away palates 

 so often found in caves. The upper surface of such a fragment of 

 the maxillary (lower floor of nares) in the region between the anterior 

 zygomatic roots is traversed by a deep median sulcus in Capromys 

 occupying the space between the rather widely separated bases of the 

 opposite premolars ; in Geocapromys there is no median sulcus between 

 the premolars, but the maxillary rises as a broad flat plate to the 

 level of the connate bases of these teeth. Immediately behind this 

 level the groove begins, passing backward to the posterior nares 

 between the progressively more separated roots of the molars. 



The genus Geocapromys contains four species — the living G. hrownii 

 (Fischer) of Jamaica, G. thoracatus (True) of Little Swan Island, 

 Gulf of Honduras, G. ingrahami (Allen) of Plana Keys, Bahamas, 

 and the extinct though geologically Recent G. cohimhianus (Chap- 

 man) of Cuba (with its synonym G. cuhanus G. M. Allen). 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 

 All figures natural size 



Fig. I. Geocapromys brownii (Fischer). Adult female. No. 143851, U. S. Nat. 



AIus. Jamaica, i = base of incisor capsule. 

 Fig. la. Geocapromys brozvnii (Fischer). Adult male. No. 141908, U. S. Nat. 



Mus. Jamaica. Palate cut away from skull and viewed from above. 



pm = base of premolar, i ^ base of incisor capsule. 

 Fig. 2. Capromys pilorides Desmarest. Small individual, No. 103884, U. S. Nat. 



Mus. Cuba, pin = capsule at base of premolar, i = base of incisor capsule. 

 Fig. 2a. Capromys pilorides Desmarest. Large individual. No. 253232, U. S. 



Nat. Mus. Palate cut away from skull and viewed from above, pin =^ base 



of premolar, i = base of incisor capsule. 

 Fig. 2b. Capromys sp. No. 254679, U. S. Nat. Mus. Cuba (cave deposit). Palate 



cut away from skull and viewed from above, pm = base of premolar, i = base 



of incisor capsule. 



