from the Isle of Wight. 45 



Now the extinct Pachyderms of the Paris basin, besides revealing forms which, 

 as in the case of the Charopotamus, tend towards the ferine group of Mammalia, 

 contain other genera, which, in the modifications of both their dental and locomo- 

 tive organs, lead away in another direction, and almost complete the transition 

 from the pachydermatous to the ruminant order. 



Among these genera the Dichobunes of Cuvier is the most remarkable, inasmuch 

 as the posterior molars begin to exhibit a double series of cusps, of which the 

 external present the crescentic form; and in one species {Dichob. murina, Cuv.,) 

 the crescents are acute and compressed laterally, so that when viewed separately 

 they might be mistaken for the teeth of a true Ruminant*. In the lower jaw of the 

 Dicy^oftMnes the penultimate and antepenultimate grinders present two pairs of cusps, 

 the last grinder three pairs, of which the posterior are small and almost blended 

 together, so that when worn down they appear single. In this respect, as well 

 as in the form of the ascending ramus of the lower jaw, Cuvier, who is not prone 

 to exaggerated expressions, observes, that the Dichobunes prodigiously resemble the 

 young Musk-Deerf. 



Now with respect to the fragment of the lower jaw described and figured in Mr. 

 Pratt's memoir, there is undoubtedly a close resemblance to the Musk-Deer ; but 

 the differences which I have pointed out forbid their association in the same 

 genus. On the other hand, we perceive, both in the structure of the teeth and the 

 form of the jaw, a much closer resemblance between the Isle of Wight fossil in 

 question and the genus Dichobunes. But besides being somewhat larger than the 

 Dich. leporinum, the ascending ramus of the lower jaw differs in form and ap- 

 proaches nearer to that of the true Anoplotherium. To this family (Anoplotherida) 

 Mr. Pratt's interesting fossil without doubt belongs, and apparently indicates a 

 new species, which, until the form of the anterior molars and incisors be known, 

 might be referred to the genus Dichobunes, under the name of Dichobunes cervinum. 



* La position et le nombre des pointes y (Dichob.) sont les memes que dans I'espece precedente ; mais 

 les pointes sont plus aigues et comprimes lateralement, ce que tend encore davantage a les rapprochcr 

 des molaires des Ruminans. (Ibid. p. 64.) 



f Or cette dentition, cette forme de branche montante, cette grandeur meme, ressemblent prodigi- 

 eusement a ce qu'on observe dans les jeunes Chevrotains. (Ibid. p. 61.) 



