616 



MU. C. FORSTER COOPER ON MIOCENE 



It is, however, not so much that the cusps are necessarily more 

 developed, as that their comparative isolation from the ridges is 

 the point that strikes the eye. And a greater char-acter is the 

 fact that they are single in each valley. An absolutely unworn 

 third lower molar similar to the tooth in the ja.w described above 

 is here figured (PI. II. fig. 1 and text-fig. 3), but being in better 

 condition, it shows the characters more clearly. 



Of European forms in the collection of the British Museum, 

 the nearest approach in general appearance to the Indian teeth 

 is a damaged specinfen with the first ridge and front part of 

 the second broken away (PI. II. fig. 2). The main cusps were 

 probably divided as in the Indian specimen, but the divisions 

 have become obliterated by slight wear. The thiid ridge shows 

 the presence of the second valley cusp, which is small but enough 

 with the larger anterior one to close the valley. The third 

 valley is similar to the Indian specimen in having only one cusp. 

 The talon of the Indian specimen is very small and consists of 



Text-figure 3. 



SunoIopJiodon angustklens. Third lower molar in side view 



two cusps only, and this is rather a feature of the Indian teeth, 

 which have either two or never more than three cusps on this 

 ridge. French forms seem to have three or four cusps as in the 

 specimen figured, while Schlesinger figures * four molars, two of 

 subtajnroidea with two cusps, one of typica from France with two, 

 and one of tyjrica with three. On the whole, the Indian lower 

 teeth seem to come more under Schlesinger's heading of typica, 

 while the upper teeth approach that of subtapiroidea'f. 



A larger and more worn third lower molar (text-fig. 4) is 

 figured which shows a distinct curvature of the lateral borders. 

 This curvature Lydekker has quoted as one of the characters of 

 var. pakeindica, but the presence of perfectly straight teeth in 

 these deposits shows that it has no great significance. On the 

 other hand, it shows very clearly that the valley cusps are single. 



* Schlesinger, Joe. cj#. pi. viii. 

 _t In one case the upper and lower teeth belono 

 his distinction of less value. 



to one individual, which renders 



