296 MR. ©. W. ANDREWS ON THE [Feb. 18, 
Fig. 22. Yellowish contour-feather from a species of Cinnyris, the tips of the 
barbs diverge and are unconnected. 
Fig. 28. Barbules from above feather taken from region marked a. Ob. 3", 
Oc. B. 
Fig. 24. Modified terminal barbules ee from region marked 6, showing 
“metallic” structure. Ob. 3” 
Fig. 25. Three distal barbules from a Pests quill- feather of a Humming-bird, 
to show notched condition of the lamina in some cases. 25a shows 
the true shape of the distal region as See with its apparent one 
under ordinary conditions. Ob. 4’', Oc. B 
Fig. 26, Barbule from edging of tail-quill of Pheasant, non-metallic. 
Fig. 27. Dark green metallic barbule from breast-feather of Pheasant. 
4. On a Skuil of Orycteropus gaudryi, Forsyth Major, from 
Samos. By C. W. Anprews, F.G.S., Assistant in the 
British Museum (Natural History). 
[Received February 4, 1896.] 
The existence of a member of the genus Orycteropus (the Ant- 
Bear or Aard-Vark) in the Lower Pliocene of Samos was first made 
known by Dr. C. I. Forsyth Major in the well-known paper’ 
which he described the results of his excavations in that island. In 
this preliminary note he merely stated that the Pliocene species is 
about one-fifth smaller than the recent forms and that the lateral 
metatarsals are proportionately larger. In a subsequent communi- 
cation * he pointed out some characters in the dentition and in the 
form of the skull, particularly in the size and shape of the lachry- 
mal, which further differentiate the fossil from the living species. 
In the present note it is proposed to give figures and a brief 
description of an exceedingly perfect and well-preserved skull of 
this species from Samos which has recently been acquired for the 
National Museum. In this specimen the only important portion 
missing is the anterior end of the snout, which has been broken off 
about 5 centim. in front of the orbit and about 3 centim. from the 
hinder end of the nasals. The right zygomatic arch is lost, but the 
left, is complete, and the tympanic ring, frequently lost in mace- 
ration in recent specimens, is preserved on both sides and on the 
left retains its natural position. The mandibular rami are pressed 
together so that their lower edges are in contact throughout their 
length. The size indicates an animal about one-fifth less than the 
living species, exactly agreeing in this respect with the type of 
O. gaudryt, to which species it is referred. It will be seen that, on 
the whole, the fossil resembles the northern Orycteropus cethiopicus 
rather more than it does the southern O. capensis *. 
On the occipital surface the mastoid portion of the periotic is less 
prominent than in the recent species, and is more overlapped by 
1 Comptes Rendus de |’Académie des Sciences, vol. evii. (1888), p. 1178. 
2 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 239. 
3 For a detailed comparison of the skulls of the recent species, see Duvernoy, 
us poe sur les Oryctéropes,” Ann. Sei. Nat. (Zoologie), ser. 3, vol. xix. (1853), 
Pp: . 
