18 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



remains, Dr. Boas has kindly furnished me {in liLL) with the following 

 details: "The remains were found in a heavy deposit of ashes in a cave 

 in the Jobo district, l)etween Utuado and Arccibo. In the same deposit 

 Avas the burial oi' a child. A Ncry lai'^c num))ev of sheJls of crabs and of 

 various kinds ol' snails were round. Tlie deposit was undoubtedly arti- 

 ficial. I do not believe tliat it was purely an accumulation of kitchen 

 refuse. It seems more likely that it, was made for some other purpose. 

 There is no indication of post-Columbian disturl)ance of the deposit, but 

 I do not presume that it is more than a few hundred years old." 



The mammal remains include nearly 400 pieces, representing- nearly 

 all parts of the skeleton, and all are apparently referable to a single spe- 

 cies. They are for the most part fragmentary, but some of them are 

 complete, there being entire bones of all the principal parts of the skeleton 

 except the vertebra3 and the feet. They are lightly coated with a gray 

 ashy covering, easily removed with a soft brush, and have the appearance 

 and general character of recent Ijoncs, having undergone no mineraliza- 

 tion nor much discoloration. These remains may be listed as follows : 



20 skulls, none of them quite complete, the occipital and parietal^ I'e- 

 gions and the nasals being usually lacking, while many consist of only the 

 middle portion of the skull. 



150 mandibular rami, including a score or more in nearly perfect con- 

 dition; in many the condylar portion is defective or Avholly lacking. 



15 scapulEe, including several nearly entire. 

 1 clavicle, the distal end Avanting. 



15 humeri, several complete and others nearly so. 



30 ulna3, mostly Avell preserved. 



10 radii, mostly in good condition. 

 . 25 femora, some perfect, others nearly complete. 



40 tibise, many in good condition. ' 

 5 fibulse, mostly in fair condition. 

 1 sacrum, almost perfect. 



50 ribs, many Avell preserved. 



50 innominate bones, a few Avith the borders only slightly abraded, 

 but the greater part are fragmentary. 



Besides the above, there are several hundred fragments of little or no 

 scientific value. 



These remains indicate an animal about the size of Capromys pilorides, 

 but with a broader and shorter skull, and a slenderer body and longer 

 limbs. It differs widely in dentition from Capromys, in which respect it 

 approaches Plagiodontia, as it does also in the sizQ and shape of the skulL 

 It is generically distinct from either, and may be described as follows: 



