Miscellaneous. 141 



mens, amoug which are two exhibiting the casts of both valves in 

 connexion. It then immediately became evident that several sepa- 

 rate dorsal valves in our collection belonged to the same species. I 

 have therefore now abundant material to illustrate the species, 

 which I shall do soon, but in the mean time propose to notice its 

 leading characters briefly. 



The ventral valve, in young specimens, is somewhat straight 

 along the median line, but becomes more and more arched as the 

 size increases. It is ovate, rounded in front, widest a little in ad- 

 vance of the mid-length, thence tapering with nearly straight sides 

 to the beak, which is narrowly rounded, almost acute. In the sub- 

 stance of the shell there are two large tubes, which extend from 

 about the mid-length to the beak. These are joined in the beak by 

 two others, one on each side. All of these tubes are open anteriorly, 

 but closed at their terminations in the beak. The area is large, 

 concave, and transversely striated. The dorsal valve is much shorter 

 than the ventral, more convex, and has its beak very strongly in- 

 curved ; it has two tubes, which extend nearly to the apex of the 

 beak. The shell is marked with coarse concentric accretion-ridges 

 of growth. Length of the largest specimen 3| inches, width 

 3 inches. 



The above is sufficient to show that this species is quite distinct 

 from T. fjrandis. If a section were to be made across the beak of 

 a perfect shell of T. acuminata, it would show four perforations 

 arranged in a curve, exactly as in the similar section of the Swedish 

 species figured by Dr. Lindstrom. But if the beak of T. grandis 

 were to be cut across, it would show only two orifices, and they 

 would be the homologues of the two lateral perforations in the sec- 

 tion of T. acuminata, because in T. (jrandis the two central tubes 

 do not extend into the beak, but terminate before they reach it.— 

 Silliman^s American Journal, June 1871. 



On the Skull of the Madoqua (Neotragus Saltianus) //-om Abyssinia, 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



The British Museum has just received the skuU of a female 

 Neotragus Saltianus from Abyssinia. It is peculiar for being short 

 and broad, with orbits very prominent and the nose much com- 

 pressed ; suborbital fissure small, triangular ; concavity in front of 

 the orbit very large, deej) behind ; the nose-hole very large, more 

 than half the length of the nose ; the intermaxillary bones very long 

 and slender, slightly dilated and expanded outward in front, much 

 broader and truncated behind ; the nasal bones very short, broad, 

 as broad as long, deeply notched on each side of the margin. Lower 

 jaw very slender, elongate, straight, with a weK-produced hinder 

 angle. The chin compressed, keeled. 



In the size of the nose-hole it is most allied to the genus Pro- 

 capra, and in some respects to Saiga. 



