OCTOBKE 31, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



715 



EOCENE SIRENUNS IN EGYPT. 



Dr. C. W. Andrews published in July his 

 third paper* on extinct vertebrates of Egypt, 

 including a fuller description of a new 

 species of Sirenian belonging to the genus 

 Eosiren. The specialization of Eosiren is very, 

 notable. The author concludes : " It is 

 remarkable that, except in the presence of pos- 

 terior incisors and canines, this early (Middle 

 Eocene) Sirenian is scarcely at all more gener- 

 alized than the later Halitheriwin, and it ap- 

 pears that the Sirenia must have branched off 

 from their parent stock at an extremely early 

 period. In some respects, particularly in the 

 structure of the teeth and of the humerus, 

 there is a certain similarity with Mceritherium, 

 and it seems not improbable, therefore, that 

 the relationship between the Sirenia and the 

 Proboscidea suggested by Blainville and oth- 

 ers may have a real existence. 



PROGRESS OF THE EXPLORATION FOR FOSSIL 

 ~ HORSES. 



This is the second year of exploration by 

 the -American Museum of Natural History 

 from the fund presented by William 0. Whit- 

 ney especially for researches on the evolution 

 of the horse. Last year a number of Upper 

 Miocene skulls and feet were found in Texas, 

 but the chief discovery was the nearly complete 

 skeleton of Anchitherium, the three-toed, 

 marsh-living horse, which has just been mount- 

 ed in the Museum. A nearly complete skele- 

 ton of Mesohippus hairdi was secured from a 

 Western collector during the winter. The 

 Montana expedition from the Museum during 

 the present summer has fortunately secured a 

 specimen of the little-known Mesohippus 

 xuestoni, the horse of the Lower Oligocene, or 

 Titanothere beds proper, a species first 

 named by Cope from the Swift Current 

 Creek region of Canada. Word has just been 

 received of the very fortunate discovery in 

 Nebraska of the remains of a small herd of 

 Hipparion. They consist of one skull, which 

 promises to be fine, parts of others, eight hind 

 limbs and feet, mostly complete, foizr fore 



* ' Extinct Vertebrates from Egypt,' III., Geo- 

 logical Magazine, N. S., Decade IV., Vol. IX., pp. 

 291-295, July, 1902. 



limbs and feet, one pelvis, and enough verte- 

 bra and ribs to make up one complete verte- 

 bral column. Altogether there is no doubt 

 that a complete animal can be mounted. The 

 feet are of the very long, slender type, termina- 

 ting in narrow, pointed phalanges. 



THE PERISSODACTYLES TYPICALLY POLYPHYLETIG. 



The study of the fossil horses of this coun- 

 try, so far as it has progressed, proves conclu- 

 sively that there were at least three and prob- 

 ably four parallel phyla, of which Anchitheri- 

 um, Protohippus and Hipparion are the most 

 conspicuous representatives in the Miocene, 

 thus confirming results previously reached by 

 Scott, Pavlow and others. This accords with 

 the demonstration recently made by Osborn 

 of four parallel phyla of Titanotheres, and of 

 the long-known existence of two parallel phyla 

 of Palseotheres. The theory that the Ehinocer- 

 oses included at least six parallel phyla is 

 now finding fresh confirmation. The Lophio- 

 dons are certainly diphyletic, including the 

 extremely light-limbed and the heavy-limbed 

 forms. It thus appears that the Tapirs alone 

 failed to conform to this law. This law is 

 nevertheless a matter of comparatively recent 

 recognition, the genealogy of the Horses, Rhi- 

 noceroses and Titanotheres having been wide- 

 ly treated as if they were monophyletic, ever 

 since Huxley placed Anchitherium, Hipparion 

 and Equus in a linear series. 



H. r. OSBORN. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 



Dr. Woodrow Wilson was installed as presi- 

 dent of Princeton University on October 25, in 

 the presence of many distinguished educators 

 and other prominent men. Addresses were 

 made by ex-President Cleveland, by Dr. Fran- 

 cis L. Patton, the retiring president of the 

 University, and by Dr. Wilson. We hope to 

 publish the inaugural address of Dr. Wilson 

 next week. 



The degree of LL.D. was conferred on Dr. 

 Alexander Graham Bell at St. Andrew's Uni- 

 versity on October 23, on the occasion of the 

 installation of Mr. Andrew Carnegie as rector. 



At the centennial celebration of the found- 

 ing of Washington and Jefferson College, held 



