NATURE 
311 
Bae i 
=—— = 44 
| sais: 
_ Inthe middle line above there are six small somewhat 
_ chisel-shaped incisors, increasing in size from within out- 
wards. Next succeeds a large curved conical canine, 
- flattened on its external aspect, and bearing a slight 
- median longitudinal groove. There are seven teeth in 
the molar series, of which the first four appear to be pre- 
molars. These teeth present characters common to most 
ruminant genera, the premolars showing one double 
crescent, and the true molars two double crescents ; the 
convexity of the crescents being turned inwards as in the 
upper jaw of ail ruminants, They are very square in 
eneral shape, and the crescents are very convex. The 
unction of the anterior and posterior crescents externally 
_ is raised into a strong column, and a similar column pro- 
_ jects as a third lobe on the posterior molar, 
In the lower jaw eight teeth appear in front ; the six 
middle ones of about the same size as the incisors of the 
__upper jaw, but more cylindrical. The extreme tooth on 
each side, homologically a canine, is considerably larger 
' and more chisel-shaped. The upper canine bites imme- 
diately behind this tooth ; and behind this again is a long 
curved caniniform tooth similar to the canine of the upper 
jaw. Three premolars and three true molars succeed. 
They are generally similar to those of the upper jaw, 
' but have the convexities of the crescents turned out- 
wards. Throughout the series of teeth there is no dias- 
tema, except just as much as will allow the canine teeth 
to fit compactly above and below. 
The following are, roughly, the dimensions of the large 
skull No. 1 :—Length on upper surface, 13} or 14 inches ; 
height posteriorly 8} inches ; anteriorly, nearly 6 inches ; 
length of lower jaw, 10} inches ; length of molar series of 
upper jaw, 6 inches. 
A brief comparison with some other skulls will assist 
in giving an idea of the affinities of the Oreodonts, The 
Peccary presents perhaps the greatest number of resem- 
blances. The sagittal ridge and frontal surface are some- 
what alike, but the sagittal ridge is much longer and 
higher in Oreodon. The part of the squamosal (with the 
high crest) posterior to the glenoid cavity is similar, but 
not nearly so elevated or so widely diverging from the 
middle line. The supra-orbital foramen is on the level of 
the anterior, and not the posterior of the orbit. The post- 
occipital fossa and the condyles are very much alike ; so 
is the narrowing of the palate behind the molars ; but the 
palate is wider and not so long proportionally:in Oreoden. 
The posterior edge of the mandible is similar. 
But the differences between Oreodon and the Peccary 
are many and important ; the characters.of the teeth are 
very different: the Peccary has a large diastema; the 
mandibular rami are not parallel, the nasal cavities are 
smaller in proportion ; there is no lachrymal fossa ; the 
orbit is incomplete ; there is scarcely any post-glenoid 
process of the squamosal. 
The pig exhibits somewhat more likeness to Oreodon 
in the relations and size of the par-occipital and the 
auditory bulla ; but differs still more importantly in the 
wide separation of the two temporal fossz by the inter- 
vening flat parietals. 
The Camel agrees with Oreodon in the large size and 
close proximity of its temporal fossze, which are separated 
by a sagittal crest, but the latter is low, and the floor of 
the temporal fossa is exceedingly convex. There are vast 
re ge in the face, teeth, mandible, and auditory 
bulle. 
In the ordinary Ruminant, as the sheep, it is the face 
which presents most resemblances to our specimens. 
These consist in the shape of the nasals, the nearly ver- 
tical maxillz, the complete orbits, the antorbital fossa of 
the lachrymal, the Ruminant molars, and the form of the 
palate between the molars, But the posterior part of the 
i ee 
skull is very unlike. Even in the molar teeth, while the 
type is the same there are considerable difierences which 
will be hereafter fully described. 
The Llama is much less like Oreodon than the 
camel is. 
The casts of brains and the limb and trunk-bones and 
vertebrz promise to afford very interesting matter, but I 
have not yet made a careful examination of them. 
G. T. BETTANY 
ASTRONOMICAL ALMANACS, 
A COMPARATIVE HISTORY OF THE “ CONNAISSANCE 
DES TEMPS,” THE “ NAUTICAL ALMANAC,” AND THE 
“ JAHRBUCH” OF BERLIN.* 
I.—The “Connaissance des Temps” of Picard and Lefebvre. 
lies 1666 a celebrated bookseller of Paris, Jean de la 
Caille, at the sign of the “ Fontaine d’or,” in the Rue 
Jacob, published, at his own expense, the “ Astronomical 
Ephemerides” of Hecker, the Astronomer of Dantzig, 
These Ephemerides were calculated on the observations of 
Tycho Brahe and Kepler, according to the rules given in 
the Rudolphine tables—tables constructed at the expense 
of Rudolph II., Emperor of Germany, by Tycho Brahe, 
Kepler and himself. Their title was, “ Johannis Heckeri 
Motuum Czlestium Ephemerides, ad anno 1676, ad 
annum 1680, ex observationibus correctis nobilissi- 
morum Tychonis Brahei et Johannis Kepleri. Hypo- 
thesibus Physicis, tabulisque Rudolphinis ad meridianum 
Uraniburgicum in freto Cymbrico.” 
These tables gave for the meridian of Uranibourg 
(island of Heven, between Copenhagen and Elsinore)— 
which derived considerable importance from the immortal 
observations of Tycho Brahe—and for each day the longi- 
tudes and latitudes of the sun, of the moon, of Mercury, 
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn ; the longitudes in de- 
grees and minutes for the planets and the sun, in degrees, 
minutes, and seconds for the moon; the latitudes in de- 
grees. They contained, moreover, an announcement of 
the eclipses of the sun and of the moon for the whole 
period indicated, and a table of geographical co-ordinates 
(latitude and longitude reckoned from Uranibourg) of the 
principal towns. 
These Ephemerides, the best that then existed, stop- 
ping at the year 1860, Picard, the creator of exact astro- 
nomy, resolved to continue them. But on account of 
a voyage which King Louis XIV. was about to undertake, 
and during which the work which Picard proposed might 
be useful, the French astronomer decided to advance by 
a year the date of his publication, and to commence 
with the year 1679. 
The Ephemerides of Picard are thus titled :—* La 
Connaissance des Temps ou Calendrier et Ephémérides 
de lever et coucher du soleil, de la lune et des autres 
planétes, avec les éclipses, pour l'année 1679, calculées 
sur Paris, et la manére de s’en servir pour les autres 
élévationsy ; avec plusieurs autres tables et traités d’astro- 
nomie et de physique, et des Ephémérides de toutes les 
planétes en figures.” 
This work contains the following information :—1. The 
time, almost to the minute, of the rising and setting of 
the sun and moon at Paris, for every day of the year, 
2. The time of the rising and setting of the sun (every 
fortnight) and of the moon (every ten days) for Calais, 
Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. From these tables the pre- 
ceding time could be calculated for every point of France. 
3. Announcement of eclipses of the sun and moon. 
4. The time of the passage of the moon across the me- 
ridian and the rght ascension of the sun for every day 
of the year. We have thus the time of the tide. Be- 
* Translated from La Revue Scientifique, July x 
+t The word é/évation is synonymous with /atitude, 
