534 Dr. C. I. Forsyth Major on the 
the tubercles of the second series from without—the “ para- 
cone”’ and “‘metacone’”’—are found to be in close juxtaposition; 
the talon has diminished in size, but nevertheless attains to 
about two thirds of the height of the ‘‘ paracone.” Inter- 
mediate tubercles as such are not present ; on the other hand, 
from both sides of the talon, in the neighbourhood of which 
they broaden out to a certain extent, two basal ridges run 
towards the exterior along the anterior and posterior margin 
of the tooth, the anterior one reaching the external margin, 
while the posterior ends at about the middle of the tooth. 
Solenodon.—The “ paracone”’ and ‘ metacone”’ are fused 
together, in consequence of which the molars have become 
still narrower than in the foregoing genus. The talon, too, 
has diminished still further in height andextent. The poste- 
rior basal margin ends on the inside, in line with the talon, in 
a more feebly developed tubercle, the homologue of the 
“ metaconule”’ of Myogale. 
In Centetide the “ paracone”’ and “ metacone”’ likewise 
appear to be fused together. ‘That it actually is a case of 
fusion, 7. e. that the main cusp of the molars is not to be 
regarded as homologous with the “ paracone ” alone, is shown, 
on the one hand, by the state of things in Potamogale, in 
which the molars in this and other respects occupy an inter- 
mediate position between those of Insectivora with “ para- 
cone” and “‘ metacone”’ widely separated one from another 
and those with an unpaired main cusp (Solenodontide, 
Chrysochloride, Centetide), and, on the other, by the con- 
dition seen in Oryzoryctes. In the intact J/.1 of this genus, 
as also in the intact P.d.1—in the case of O. hova more 
distinctly than in that of O. tetradactylus aud O. niger—the 
“‘paracone”’ appears bicuspid; the posterior cusp is much 
Jess developed than the anterior, and, as in the case of Pota- 
mogale, is shifted somewhat further than the latter, towards 
the outside. In Oryzoryctes this metacone occurs besides 
in P.d. 2 (Hens.) and P.d.3 (Hens.), and is seen with great 
distinctness in their successors P.2 and P. 3. In the case of 
Microgale 1 find that it is present neither in the molars nor 
in the premolars, with the sole exception of P.d. 2 (Hens.). 
The talon (“protocone”) in Centetide is reduced still 
further than in Solenodon, until it entirely disappears 
(Centetes) ; on the other hand, in the latter genus the anterior 
and posterior basal ridges on both sides of the internal base 
of the united para- and metacone swell up in the shape of 
cusps, the posterior to a greater degree than the anterior; 
the former appears as an independent cusp on P.1 and P, 2. 
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