1900.] GBYPOTHERIUM (nEOMYLODOtO LISTAI. 71 



nearer the middle of the specimen and less conspicuous. A vacuity 

 in the skin seems to be due to accidental tearing or to a thrust 

 after it was dry : it may even have been caused by the fallen blocks 

 of stone found lying upon it. 



The specimen, as preserved, measures about a metre across in 

 one direction by 93 centimetres in another direction. As already 

 observed by Roth, its irregular folding makes the determination 

 of its position on the trunk very difficult ; but 1 am convinced 

 that its state of preservation is not sufficiently good to justify an 

 attempt to unfold the skin by the ordinary method of steaming. 

 Taking all facts into consideration, Roth seems to be correct in 

 ascribing it to the right flank and the postero-superior part of 

 one of the limbs. It most probably belongs to the fore limb, as 

 Roth supposes ; but there is no clear proof that it is not referable 

 to the hind-quarters. The direction of the comparatively short 

 hair of the flank determines the anterior and posterior borders of 

 the specimen to be those respectively marked/, b, g, i and e, d,h, I- 

 in Roth's photograph. The border marked /, a, e is thus directly 

 antero-posterior, parallel with the median longitudinal line of the 

 back; while the piece bounded by the letters g, i, c, k, 7i, with 

 comparatively long hair, which is inclined chiefly towai'ds a median 

 vertical line, but also slightly downwards, can only be referred to 

 the posterior face of a limb. 



The original situation of the piece of skin being thus determined, 

 it is interesting to observe the disposition of the ossicles in the 

 lower layer. Owing to abrasion, contraction, and partial disinte- 

 gration, they are conspicuous in most parts of the specimen. 

 They are very irregular in shape and size, and closely compacted 

 together, as in the previous specimen. It is, however, to be noted 

 that in some parts (PI. VIII. fig. 1) there is a distinct tendency to 

 arrangement in regular, straight, parallel rows. The long axes 

 of the elongated ossicles are nearly always coincident with the 

 direction of these rows. They are especially well shown on the 

 middle of the flank, from which the drawing is taken ; and, as 

 might be expected, the rows are here disposed vertically, parallel 

 with the ribs. 



In some parts of the skin the ossicles are exposed on their outer 

 face ; but appearances render it almost certain that this exposure 

 is due to the disintegration and abrasion of the specimen. In one 

 patch (PI. VIII. fig. 2) thus uncovered by the removal of the soft 

 parts, the ossicles are seen to form a closely -arranged, flattened 

 pavement ; and their outer face is much more conspicuously 

 marked by pittings than that of any ossicle extracted from the first 

 discovered piece of skin. In fact, as Roth remarks, the pitting 

 is here quite similar to that observable on many ossicles dug up in 

 association with the fossil skeletons of Mylodon ; though it does 

 not form so regular a reticulate pattern as that of the dermal ossicles 

 of Mylodon in the British Museum figured on the former occasion \ 



1 P. Z. 8. 1899, pi. xv. figs. 4-6. 



