ATJDITOBT OSSICLES OF EHTTINA STELLEEI. 367 



tunity of examining an actual specimen. Through the courtesy 

 of Professor ¥. A. Smitt, of Stockholm, Superintendent of the 

 Collection of Mammalian Skeletons in the Swedish Department 

 of the recent International Fisheries Exhibition, I have been 

 enabled to examine the malleus of the Bhytina obtained in the 

 ' Vega ' Expedition. The skeleton in question formed a conspi- 

 cuous object in the Exhibition. By taking the specimens of 

 mallei of Salicore and Ilanatus to the Swedish Department, I had 

 an opportunity of comparing the bones and of making measure- 

 ments. I have also been able to inspect the right ossicula in situ 

 from a specimen kindly lent to Professor Elower by the Commis- 

 sioners of the United- States Department of the same exhibition. 



The mallexis in the ' Yega ' skeleton only exists on the left 

 side, and is firmly fixed to the tympanic bone by a very stout pro- 

 cessus gracilis over 3 centimetres in length. It resembles the 

 malleus of Manatus rather than the same bone in ILalicore. The 

 body, as in the second genus, is very bulky, and well-developed 

 anteriorly and internally ; in Halicore the body is much smaller, 

 the manubrium forming almost half the bulk of the bone. Bulky, 

 however, as is the body of the malleus in Bhytina, the manubrium 

 forms a larger proportion of the entire ossicle than is the case in 

 Mmiatus. 



The manubrium in Wiytina is, I find, of a diff'erent character 

 from the same process in Mcmattis ; nor does it resemble that of 

 Salicore. In all three genera a groove separates the root of the 

 manubrium, superiorly from the body ; this groove is relatively 

 faint in Bhytina. In this extinct species the outer border of the 

 manubrium forms a very wide and perfectly regular curve directed 

 outwards. This border is very narrow, though well separated 

 from the sides of the manubrium by sharp edges ; the tip is hardly 

 dilated. The inner border is distinctly sharper than the outer : 

 in this point Bhytina agrees with Salicore ; whilst in Manatus 

 the corresponding border is exceedingly blunt. 



The manubrium in the malleus of the American specimen has 

 been broken off inferiorly, or worn down by the action of water *, 

 and bruised at its upper angle ; though that angle with the upper 

 border is still well marked and straight compared to the same 

 border in Manatus. The inner border is sharp, and bears a notch 

 produced apparently by injury. The length of the entire manu- 



* The plates accompanying Claudius's work Qoc. cit.) represent a malleus 

 with the manubrium worn down in the same manner. 



