9 
7 
The skull is much elongated, especially its facial portion; and 
studying it isolately, one would be tempted to refer it to an animal 
of the Edentate order, and probably to the family of Ant-eaters, 
Myrmecophaga, &c. ‘The sutures of its bones are not obliterated as 
those of the Monotremata of the same age, but their distinction is less 
marked on the face than in the cranial region properly so called. 
The nasal bones are elongated, and terminate in an angle project- 
ing at their point of junction with the anterior margin of the fron- 
tals; these are contracted at the interorbital portion, but they pre- 
sent no postorbital process to contribute towards the formation of a 
complete circular orbit : their antero-posterior development exceeds 
the transverse diameter. 
The skull is broader in the parietal region, and the brain appears to 
have been more voluminous than in most other marsupial animals. In 
this form of cranium we perceive an analogy in the genus Macroscelides. 
The cranial cavity is proportionally more ample than in the great 
Ant-eater (Myrmecophaga jubata). ‘The occipital vertebra in the in- 
dividual described is not perfect, and does not extend beyond the an- 
terior occipital or interparietal, which is large and much broader than 
in the Myrmecobius. The ex-occipital, or, more correctly perhaps, 
the mastoid, articulates with the lateral margin of that bone. There 
is neither parietal crest nor occipital. The two temporal fossz com- 
municate by a nearly circular opening. The palatine portion of the 
intermaxillaries, and the anterior portion of the maxillary bones, 
have two small incisive foramina, and these are somewhat elongated ; 
there is moreover in the palate two elongated openings, separated 
only by a very narrow bony ridge; the posterior boundaries of 
these openings and the termination of the palate, owing to the frac- 
tured condition of the skull, could not be seen. The suture between 
the nasal and maxillary bones, as well as the lachrymal, which is rather 
small, are nearly obliterated; the lachrymal canal is visible. The 
maxillaries, the length of which is proportionate to the nasal bones, 
give origin to a zygomatic process, and in fact there exists a complete 
zygomatic arch. The malar bone is of moderate thickness and 
depth ; its posterior portion gives off a small process which projects 
aboye the temporal apophysis, and appears to represent, in a rudi- 
mentary condition, the little osseous temporal process observed in the 
Echidna, rather than a true orbital process of the zygoma, which in 
fact is wanting, as well as the orbital process of the frontal; and in 
this respect the Tarsipes differs from the Myrmecobius, with which 
there exists an analogy as regards some other characters. The al- 
veolar portion of the maxillaries is very hard and presents a cutting 
edge, which is elevated in such a manner as to give to the palate a 
slightly concave surface. 
The infra-orbital opening is small, and placed in a longitudinal 
groove of the maxillary bone situated a little in advance of the bone 
of the zygomatic process through which it is perforated.. The 
auditory bulle are convex, and nearly continuous with the squamous 
portion of the temporal. The tympanic circle is complete, and com- 
municates in a direct manner with the bull by a large canal, which 
