1865.] MESSRS. MURIE AND MIVART ON HYRAX CAPENSIS. 329 
1. On Tue Myotocy or Hyrax capensis. By James Muriz, 
M.D., anv Sr. Georce J. Mrvart, F.Z.S. 
Since the time of Cuvier, naturalists seem generally to have agreed 
to follow him in associating the Hyraz with the perissodactyle Pachy- 
derms. 
Professor Huxley, however, in an elaborate and interesting paper 
on the structure of the placenta in this species, read before the 
Zoological Society in June 1863, stated important facts, which had 
led him greatly to doubt the accuracy of his illustrious predecessor’s 
determination. 
It therefore becomes a matter of great zoological and anatomical 
interest to ascertain precisely the details of the anatomy of this some- 
what anomalous genus, so that valid data may be obtained for the 
formation of a true judgment as to its real affinities, and from which 
its definite place in the system of nature may be correctly ascertained. 
It would be a superfluous task to enumerate here all the earlier 
_ and well-known dissertations on, and descriptions of, this animal ; 
but we may refer to two papers published in the « Proceedings’ of this 
Society,—one by Professor Owen, read in December 1832, containing 
a most interesting description of its internal structure, and comparing 
many of its varied characters with those of the Rodents, Pachyderms, 
and Edentates; the other by the late Mr. W. Martin, read in 
February 1835, corroborating Pallas’s and Professor Owen’s observa- 
tions. We may also allude to H. Kaula’s earlier Monograph, pub- 
lished in 1830 *. 
Since this present paper was undertaken, our attention has been 
called to a notice by Prof. J. F. Brandt, in the ‘ Bulletin de 1 Aca- 
démie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg,’ tome v. no. 7, 
p- 908, in which that author appears inclined to restore the H yrax to 
the place assigned to it by Pallas, namely, among the Rodents, 
although at the same time he mentions his discovery in it of a sac- 
like enlargement of the Eustachian tube similar to that existing in 
the Horse. 
The author further announces his intention of soon laying before 
the Imperial Academy a complete account of the anatomy of the 
Hyrazx ; but we are not aware that this has yet been done; so that we 
may, in fairness, be permitted to state the results of our examination 
of the myology of this animal—the more go since, as far as we know, 
scarcely anything has hitherto been published on this subject beyond 
Meckel’s observations, and because several of the facts we have noticed 
seem to us of considerable interest, and perhaps may even be found, 
if taken along with the peculiarities of the skeletonto contribute 
some little towards the elucidation of its natural affinities, 
Before proceeding to the description of the muscles, we must 
express our regret that the mutilated condition of the lower part of 
the neck and the abdomen in our specimen, prevented the accurate 
determination of several points of considerable interest. 
* Monographia Hyracis. Diss. inaug. quam preside Rapp. publ. examini sub- 
mittit H. Kaula. Tubing. 1830. 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1865, No. XXII. 
