RHINOCEROS ETRUSCUS. 



3G3 



VII. — Description of Cranium with Teeth, Humerus, Tibia, and 

 Fibula, in the Museo di Storia Naturale della E. Uni- 

 versita, at Bologna. 



\?,th May, 1861. 

 ' Modello in gesso dell' intera regione palatina delle ossa mascellari, 

 colla doppia serie dei molari quasi interi di un grancle Einoceronte 

 fossile piuttosto giovine, e probabilmente della specie denominata dal 

 Cuvier Rhinoceros leptorhinus. L'originale dal quale si e cavato questo 

 modello fa trovato a poca distanza da Barberino del Mugello in quella 

 stessa localita dove furono rinvenuti gli altri denti e mandibule di 

 Einoceronte che si conservano nel Gabinetto sotto i no. 2,381, 3,450, 

 3,758, regulati dal veterinario di quel paese Signor Onorio Da Bar- 

 berino. Vedi per il pezzo ora descritto la di ltd lettera che si conser- 

 va nel museo sotto questo nuniero. La forma onde ottenere questo 

 modello e stato levata dull' originale con tutta diligenza dal modellatore 

 dei Gabinetti Anatomici dell' Universita Signor Giuseppe Astorri.' l 



Description of the original specimen in the Bologna Museum, to which 

 the above memorandum applies. — Rhinoceros Etruscus, PI. XXIX. 



This specimen (represented in PI. XXIX.) consists of the maxil- 

 laries on both sides, with part of the zygomatic arch of the left 

 side, the palate, the palatine echancrure, with the entire series of 

 molars on either side in the finest state of preservation. The cranial 

 portion is broken off behind the palatine bones, and all of the facial 

 part of the chaffron is broken on both sides in a line a little above the 

 upper margin of the zygomatic arches; the lower boundary of the nasal 

 echancrure to the bottom is perfect on the left side, and nearly so on 

 the right. The left suborbitary foramen is distinctly shown ; that on 

 the right side is broken and concealed by an attached portion of dis- 

 tinct bone, enveloped in (Sansino) matrix. There remains in the 

 front of the series of molars about 2^ inches in length of the diastemal 

 beak ; but no indication of the descending portion of the nasal septum, 

 the position of which is occupied by (Sansino) matrix. 



The dentition, as regards the age of the molar teeth, is in the most 

 perfect state to give the dental characters of the species; the ante- 

 penultimate true molar being but slightly worn, the penultimate less so, 

 and the last true molar but very slightly affected by wear. Some of 

 the crowns are more or less damaged, but what is wanting from this 

 cause on one side is happily supplied on the other. The teeth belonged 

 to an animal that was perfectly adult, but not aged ; the three last 

 premolars are beautifully seen on the left side ; on the right there is 

 most happily preserved the alveolus (triple) of the pre-antepenultimate 

 premolar, which had dropped out, and the antepenultimate at its 

 front erlge shows distinctly the disc of pressure of the fallen tooth. It 

 is therefore clear that there were seven -molars in the adult state, viz. 4 

 premolars and 3 true molars. The following are the principal dimen- 

 sions : — 



1 II pezzo originale e stato poscia ac- 

 quistato pel Gabinetto dal lodato Signor 

 Da Barberino pel tenue prezzo di ro- 

 mani seudi quattro, e si conserva sotto 



questo stesso nuniero nel museo, dove fu 

 depositato in Marzo del 1847, con altre 

 ossa fossili scavate nella stessa localita. 



