Dr. J. E. Gray on Pigs and their Skulls. 433 



nearly allied to each other and having the same habits and 

 appearance. 



Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla are very good technical 

 terms to define that form of the feet in which the middle finger 

 is longer and thicker, and that in which the middle and ring 

 fingers are equally thick — just as one might apply Chirodactyla 

 to tlK)se animals that have the thumb-like great toe larger 

 than the rest, and Ptychodactyla to those that have the outer 

 and inner toes longer and stronger than the intermediate 

 three, as in the hind feet of the seals. 



The real fact is that each group of animals has a peculiar 

 kind of foot, that will not bend itself to human systems with- 

 out being distorted to suit their authors' views or theories. I 

 think it is much better to take the facts as they are, and admit 

 that in the bones of the feet, as in all other parts of the body, 

 there is a network of affinities, not in a single line, but in 

 various directions. 



• SETIGERA. 



Section A. Homodontina. The premolars permanent, forming with 

 the molars a continuous series ; molars solid, with a tubercular 

 crown. 



Subsection 1. Pseudoperissodactyla. Hinder feet ivith three toes; 

 the short external lateral toe of the hind feet wanting. Western 

 Hemisphere or America. 



The two middle front toes of the fore and hind feet are of 

 equal size, as in the pigs ; and these animals are placed in the 

 Artiodactyla, although they have an odd number of toes on 

 the hind feet, which we are told are more to be depended upon 

 than the front feet as giving a character of the group. It has 

 been well observed that " the attempt to define these groups 

 will break down with the increase of our knowledge of fossil 

 forms," overlooking the fact that they did break down wlien 

 the recent genera were properly studied. As regards number 

 of toes they agree with the tapirs, which are referred to the 

 Perissodactyla or odd-toed Ungulata. 



True pigs are found in America, but only in a domestic or 

 semidomestic state, having been introduced from Europe or 

 Asia. 



Family Dicotylidae, Gray, Cat. B. M. p. 300. 



The sides of the skulls are dilated and much expanded in 

 front of the orbit as far as the zygomatic arch. Both the 

 peccary or tajacu and the taguicati (or white-lipped peccary) 

 are at birth of a pale brown colour, not striped ; and the 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Vol. xi. 28 



