110 DR. C. I, FORSYTH MAJOR ON [Feb. 18, 



anteriorly situated small inner cusp, separated by a constriction 

 from the blade, the molar approaches somewhat Meles by being- 

 more extended antero-posteriorly than in the recent species of 

 Mustela proper, and by the presence of a third cusp to the inner 

 side of the postei'o- external tubercle. Likewise, the lower m. 1 

 has its talon more complicated than in Mustela. 



In the same year as Weithofer's publication I identified with 

 his species an incomplete skull (the facial part missing) ^ which I 

 had discovered in the contemporaneous deposits of Samos, in the 

 locality Andrianb near the village Mitylini, 



Schlosser- discusses Weithofer's type under the heading 

 " Meles ? {Mustela) 2}Cil(^cittiGaj" and unites with it an isolated 

 upper molar, also from Pikermi, which he had formerly been 

 disposed to regard as " Martes pentelici Gaudry," and which there- 

 fore bears this name in the explanation of his plate viii. (fig. 16). 

 Two years later ^ Weithofer's type was registered by Schlosser as 

 Meles palceatticus. 



Yon Zittel in his turn proposes for it the new generic name 

 Promeles, and places it with the Melince * ; whereas Winge refers 

 Promeles to the MustelincB, and places it side by side with 

 " Martes " ^ 



In the Geological Museum of Turin I came upon the skull of a 

 small Carnivore from Pikermi, which had been received many 

 years before. It was kindly intrusted to me by Professors Parona 

 and Sacco, and proved, when cleaned, to belong to the same 

 species as the one described by Weithofer. Being so much more 

 complete than my specimen from Samos, I have preferred to 

 describe and figure the Turin specimen rather than the latter. 



The skull is somewhat laterally compressed and otherwise 

 distoi-ted. Both zygomata are incomplete, the left one less than 

 the right. The principal lesion is in the lateral region of the 

 right side, the posterior part of the frontal and the parietal being- 

 lost. The mandible was in its natui-al position, and so firmly 

 adhering to the skull, that to detach it as a whole would have 

 been impossible without endangering the teeth. I determmed 

 therefore to sacrifice part of the right mandibular ramus — which 

 was ali-eady damaged — rather than spoil the teeth, and succeeded 

 in developing- satisfactorily the ?n. 1, ^;. 1, and p. 2 of the right 

 upper, and the m. 2, m. 1, and p. 1 of the right lower jaw. 



Weithofer assigns to his specimen the size of Mustela martes, 

 only slightly more robust ; the teeth as figui-ed show no signs of 

 wear. The Turin specimen shows the teeth moderately worn, and, 

 as will appear from the measurements, it was slightly larger than 



1 C. Rendus, 31 Dec. 1888, p. 1179. It is no. 272 of Mr. W. Barbey's collection at 

 Valleyres (Switzerland). See Forsyth Major, 'Le Gisement ossifere de Mitylini et 

 Catalogue d'Ossements fossiles recueillis a Mitylini, lie de Samos/ p. 27, no. 272 

 (1894). 



2 Pal. Oesterr.-Ung. viii. p. 352 (1888). 



3 Id. op. cit. viii. p. 469 (1890). 



^ Handbucli der Palaeont. iv. p. 690 (1890). 

 s E Museo Lundi, (2) iv. pp. 66, 69 (1895). 



