72 DR. A. SMTTH WOODWARD ON REMAIKS OF [Jan. 23, 



Another interesting feature of the new piece of skin consists in 

 the dwindling and even total absence of the ossicles towards the 

 ventral border. A section along the edge marked d in Roth's 

 photograph exhibits only two diminutive nodules of bone in a 

 length of 01 m. ; while another similar section taken vertically 

 from the skin of the limb near le shows no trace of ossicles, except 

 perhaps two little specks. It must, however, be noted that the 

 limb was not entirely destitute of armour ; for on the border 

 marked g, i, the bones are as well developed and conspicuous as on 

 the middle of the flank. In the newly-cut sections the skin has a 

 translucent aspect, showing that it is merely dried and not tanned 

 in any way. 



The hair on the new specimen vai'ies in length from 007 m. 

 or 0-10 m. at h to 0-15 m. or 0-22 m. on the limb. It is 

 thus longer than that of the previous piece of skin. Masses of 

 still longer hairs— some 0-30 m. in length — were found detached 

 among the excrement, and these are also believed by Roth to 

 belong to the same animal. His determination is probably correct ; 

 for, when examined microscopically, these long hairs are observed 

 to have a perfectly smooth cuticle, while some transverse sections 

 (kindly made by Mr. R. H. Burne) demonstrate the complete 

 absence of a medulla, exactly as in the short hail's. The latter 

 feature proves that they cannot be referred either to the horse or 

 to the guanaco. 



Excrement. 



The large cylindrical pieces of excrement, which may be referred 

 to Grypoiherium without any hesitation, have already been 

 described and figured by Dr. Roth. They consist of irregular 

 discoids of herbaceous matter closely pressed together, the largest 

 measuring no less than 0*18 m. in diameter. Mr. Spencer Moore 

 has kindly examined them from the botanist's point of view and 

 reports that they are composed " in large part apparently of grasses, 

 as the haulms, leaf-sheaths, fragments of leaves, &c. of these 

 plants are frequent in the mass. A spikelet, almost entire, of 

 what seems to be a species of Poa, and the flowering glume of 

 another grass, probably avenaceous, have also been found. Besides 

 these there are at least two dicotyledonous plants, one herbaceous 

 and the other almost certainly so, the latter having a slender 

 greatly sclerotized stem. Unfortunately, as no leaves have hitherto 

 been observed attached to the fragments of stem, their affinities 

 are altogether doubtful. There are numerous siliceous particles in 

 the excrement, and there are many pieces of the underground 

 parts of the plants, suggesting that they have been pulled out of 

 the ground. A few pieces of stems are sharply cut, not bruised 

 or torn at the end." The latter fact is especially important in 

 connection with Dr. Hauthal's discovery of cut hay in the cavern, 

 and his theory that the Qrypolherium was kept in captivity and 

 fed by man. 



