Association of American Geologists. 179 



Dmotherium constitutes one of the most curious and interesting animals 

 of an antediluvian Fauna. M. Klipstein, Professor in the University of 

 Giessen, a few years since, discovered a perfectly preserved specimen of 

 the skull on the borders of the Rhine. Baron Cuvier had many years 

 previously described, in his Fossil Animals, some remains of this animal 

 as allied to the genus Tapir. The fragments subjected to his observa- 

 tion consisted only of two imperfect pieces of the lower jaw, and some 

 molar teeth. From such data alone, he was able to represent them as 

 belonging to two distinct species, Dinotherium giganteum and D. Cuvieri, 

 and to estimate the size of the larger species at eighteen Paris feet, which 

 was subsequently proved to be correct. In 1829, Mr. Kaup, director of 

 the museum at Darmstadt, discovered and described numerous portions 

 of this animal, all obtained from the same strata of the tertiary sand of 

 Eppelsheim. 



The whole animal creation, fossil or recent, presents no parallel to the 

 structure of the lower jaw and tusks of this animal. The anterior portions 

 are recurved downwards, and from which depend two enormous tusks, in 

 a direction downwards and backwards. The upper jaw is destitute of 

 incisors. The configuration of the anterior nares and their vicinity, de- 

 monstrates that the animal was supplied with a proboscis, and like the 

 hippopotamus and tapir, the habits of the animal were evidently aquatic ; 

 and the peculiar arrangement of the tusks was evidently adapted to the 

 nature of the animal's food and the means of attaining it — they would be 

 very useful in unison with its powerful claws, in eradicating from the mud 

 the thick and succulent roots of aquatic plants, which probably constitu- 

 ted its principal nourishment. A correct notion of the enormous dimen- 

 sions of this animal may be obtained by a view of the models of the tusk 

 after nature, as well as by a series of the molars of one side of the lower 

 jaw. It evidently attained a size far exceeding that of the hippopotamus 

 of our day. 



The last or ungual phalange, presents so close analogy to that of the 

 Manis or scaly ant-eater, that Cuvier, at first sight, referred this spe- 

 cies to an animal of that genus, and named it Manis gigantea. In offer- 

 ing you my own views of this peculiar specimen of a departed type, 

 it should be stated that various notions exist among different naturalists 

 as to the real nature and habits of the animal in question. Some German 

 naturalists place it among the Phocce. Blainville took it for a pachyder- 

 matous animal, closely allied to the elephant. Kaup considered that it 

 might range as a fifth and last family of the class Edentata. Others re- 

 ferred it to the herbivorous Cetacea, &c. &c. 



Dr. H. also made some observations upon the remains formerly- 

 described by him as belonging to the " Basilosaurus," but which 

 he is now satisfied, from the microscopic examinations of a section 



