Mr. R. Lydekher — On a New 8]3ecies of Hyopotamus. 131 



"which the latter has communicated to the French. Academy of Sciences. 

 Dr. Liudstrom states that this Scorpion is in a good state of pre- 

 servation, and that one of the stigmata is visible on the right side, 

 clearly proving that the animal respired air. He further remarks 

 that in the construction of this Scorpion a feature of great importance 

 is observable, viz. the presence of four pairs of thoracic legs 

 which are stout and pointed like those of the embryos of many 

 Tracheata and of forms like Campodea. This form of the leg no 

 longer exists in the fossil Scorpions of the Carboniferous formations, 

 in which fossils these appendages resemble those of existing species. 



It will be noticed that both these Scorpions were obtained from 

 the Upper Silurian, whereas the wing of the Cockroach was, as before 

 stated, obtained from the Middle Silurian (Silurien Moyen). This 

 wing is therefore of even greater antiquity than the Scorpions, and 

 consequently represents not only the oldest known insect, but the 

 oldest known terrestrial animal. 



The discovery of air-breathing land animals in the Silurian rocks 

 is of course of importance to geologists from the evidence thus 

 afforded of the terrestrial and atmospheric conditions of the period ; 

 and the fact that the ancestors of the ubiquitous Cockroach were the 

 most ancient representatives of the class lusecta, and of all land 

 animals, cannot but be interesting to zoologists. 



V. — Note on an apparently New Species of Htopotamus {B. 



PiCTETi, nobis). 



By E. Lydekiler, E.A., F.G.S., etc. 



SINCE describing the skull of Anthracoiherium Gresslyi ( = Hyopo- 

 tamus Gresslyi. EiJt.) in the last Number of the Magazine (p. 63), 

 I have observed that the right maxilla of a small anthracotheroid 

 from the Upper Eocene " Bohnerz " of Canton Vaud, Switzerland, 

 has been figured by Pictet in his " Materiaux pour la Paleontologie 

 Suisse — Vertebres de la Faune Eocene, Supplement, pi. xxiv. fig. 5," 

 under the name of H. Gresslyi. The British Museum has recently 

 acquired some upper true molars from the same formation agreeing 

 precisely with those of Pictet's specimen; and a comparison of these 

 teeth with those of the Brit. Museum specimen of A. Gresslyi (figured 

 in my memoir already quoted) shows that they are quite different ; — 

 being distinguished by their slightly inferior size, the more inward 

 inclination of the outer surfaces of the external columns, as well as 

 the more distinct loop connecting these columns. These teeth agree, 

 in fact, with those of brachydont species of Hyopotamus, like H. 

 porcimis. Pictet's figure also shows that his specimen differs from 

 Anthracotherium Gresslyi in having an elongated, instead of a tri- 

 angular pm- 3. 



There is no question of the distinctness of the form under con- 

 sideration from the last-named species, and as its molar teeth are 

 j)recisely similar in structure to those of the much larger Hyopotamus 

 porcinus, it may be at least pi'ovisionally referred to the same genus. 

 As I am unable to identify it with any named form, it may receive 

 a new specific name, and I accordingly propose that of H. Ficleti. 



