296 MR. 0. W. ANBBEWS ON THE [Feb. 18, 



Fig. 22. Yellowish contour-feather from a species of Cinnyris, the tips of the 



barbs diverge and are unconnected. 

 Fig. 23. Barbules from above feather taken from region marked a. Ob. \", 



Oc. B. 

 Fig. 24. Modified terminal barbules taken from region marked 4, showing 



" metallic " structure. Ob. j", Oo. B. 

 Fig. 25. Three distal barbules from a metallic quill-feather of a Humming-bird, 



to show notched condition of the lamina in some eases. 25 a shows 



the true shape of the distal region as contrasted with its apparent one 



under ordinary conditions. Ob. \", Oo. 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 Skull of Orycteropus gaudryi, Forsyth MajoFj from 

 Samos. By C. W. Andrews, 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 ' in 

 which he described the results of his excavations in that island. In 

 this preliminary uote he merely stateil 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 tlie present note it is proposed to give figures and a brief 

 description of an exceedingly perfect and well-preserved skull of 

 tills species from Samos which lias 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 centiin. 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 

 0. gaudryi, to which species it is referred. It will be seen that, on 

 the whole, the fossil resembles the northern Orycteropus cetJdojncus 

 rather more than it does the southern 0. 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 Oomptes Eendus de I'Acad^mie des Sciences, vol, cvii. (1888), p. 1178. 



" Proc. Zool. Soc. 1893, p. 239, 



' For a detailed comparison of the skulls of the recent species, see Duvernoy, 

 " Mfimoiro sur les Oryctdropes," Ann. Sci. Nat. (Zoologie), ser. 3, vol. xix. ( 1 853), 

 p. 185. 



