358 SCOTT. [Vol. V. 



meryx zu den in Nordamerika so stark vertretenen Vorlaufern 

 der Camelina (Oreodon, Procamelus, Leptauchenia, etc.) hinzu- 

 deuten und denjenigen von Tragulina und Cervina sehr fern zu 

 stehen. Zu demselben Schluss scheint mir das fast vollstandig 

 erhaltene Gebiss zu fuhren. Von vorn herein ist es bemerklich 

 durch die den Kameelen so eigenthumliche Unregelmassigkeit 

 der Ausfiihrung des selenodonten Baues von obern und untern 

 Molaren, aber auch die Praemolaren stehen vor allem denjenigen 

 von Tragulina sehr fern ; eher liessen sie sich — mindestens fur 

 diejenigen des Unterkiefers — in dem stark abgetragenen Zu- 

 stand, den die Abbildung darstellt, mit solchen von Coassina 

 vergleichen. Aber weit naher scheinen sich wieder denjenigen 

 von Procamelus und ahnlichen kleinen Prodromal-Formen anzu- 

 schliessen. Nach jeder Richtung scheint mir also Leptomeryx 

 den hornlosen Wiederkauern des europaischen Miocens sehr 

 feme zu stehen " (No. 45, pp. 98, 99). 



Though we now know pretty nearly all parts of the skeleton 

 of Leptomeryx, the proper reference of the genus is by no means 

 easy. As a preliminary to the discussion of this problem, it 

 may be useful to point out some of the peculiarities which sepa- 

 rate the Pecora from the Tragulina. It will not be necessary 

 to consider the Tylopoda in this connection, for it must be 

 obvious from the foregoing description that Leptomeryx can 

 have nothing to do with this group, such resemblances as do 

 occur being merely primitive characters common to all the early 

 selenodonts, which the Tylopoda have retained. 



The salient characters of the traguline skull are, according to 

 Rutimeyer the following: (1) Very small size. (2) The cranio- 

 facial axis is straight. (3) The orbits are very large, median in 

 position, and separated by a thin septum, but they do not pro- 

 ject much beyond the sides of the skull; the optic foramina are 

 confluent. (4) The cranium is long, narrow, and low, and the 

 parietal zone is correspondingly long. (5) The occipital surface 

 is unusually high, narrow, and convex, and the supra-occipital 

 is extended upon the side walls of the cranium. (6) The alae 

 orbitales are extraordinarily extended, reaching to the roof of the 

 skull. (7) A short sagittal crest is formed. (8) The frontal 

 zone is limited to the roof of the orbits and nasal cavity. To 

 these should be added (9) the large size of the auditory bullae, 

 which are filled with cancellous tissue. 



