24 E. LTDEKKEE ON THE CRANHTM OE 



'Zoologie et Paleontologie Prangaises,' 2nd ed. p. 53, and I am. 

 unacquainted with, any otliers. The first of these five is S. major, 

 Pomel, from the Upper Pliocene of Puy-de-D6me, which is said to 

 be somewhat larger than E. euro_pcBus, and to have thicker molars 

 and stouter limb-bones ; in the absence of a figure it is, however, 

 almost impossible to say whether this form is really entitled to speci- 

 fic distinction, and it can, therefore, only be regarded as a nominal 

 species. E. arvernensis *, from the Lower Miocene of Auvergne, is 

 known only by the mandible, and is a small species, apparently 

 agreeing very closely with some of the Asiatic forms. The third 

 species, E. sansaniensis, Lartet f, from the Middle Miocene of Sansan, 

 is also of small size, and is known by teeth, fragments of the man- 

 dible, and limb-bones ; but it can hardly be considered more than a 

 nominal species. The fourth species, E. duhius, Lartet J, from the 

 same formation, is founded on a fragment of a mandible with three 

 teeth, which, judging from the description, most probably belongs to 

 the genus Plesiosorex §. The fifth species, E. nanus, Aymard, from 

 the Lower Miocene of Eonzon, is a very small form, which was sub- 

 sequently made the type of a new genus Tetracus || , PinaUy, Lartet^ 

 mentions fraguients from the Middle Miocene of Sansan, which 

 indicate a species equal in size to E. europceus. 



Reverting now to the fossil, it may be observed that it indicates 

 a species nearly equal in size to E. europa3us, the length of the 

 cranium from the foramen magnum being 0'048 m. in the former, and 

 0-052 m. in a full-sized example of the latter; the second incisor bears 

 nearly the same proportion to the third as obtains in E. europaus, 

 but the first incisor is relatively smaller than in that species ; there 

 is a diastema between the third incisor and the canine, and each of 

 these teeth appears to be inserted by two roots. The second pre- 

 molar has two roots **, and there is no diastema between it and 

 pm. 3 , the latter tooth being large and complex ; the second true 

 molar is relatively smaller in comparison with m- 1 than in E. 

 europcaus. The zygomatic arch is complete, but the state of pre- 

 servation of the hinder part of the palate does not admit of close 

 comparison with recent skulls. 



The presence of two roots to pm. 2 ^ and probably to i^, distin- 

 guishes the specimen from E. europctus ; and a comparison with 

 the fine series of skulls in the British Museum has shown that it 

 cannot apparently be referred to any other existing species. It 

 comes, on the whole, nearer to the ISTorth African E. algirus than to 

 any other species, but difi'ers by the relatively smaller m^ and m. 3 , 

 and the relative proportions of the incisors. 



Of the named fossil species, the only one which could possibly be 



* See Cat. Poss. Mamm. Brit. Mus. pt. i. pp. 17, 18 (1885). 



t Notice sur la Colline de Sansan, p. 12 (1851). 



\ Log. cit. 



^ See Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit. Mus. pt. i. p. 19 (1885). 



[| See Filhol, Ann. Sei. G-eol. vol. xii. art. 3, pp. 8-14 (1881, vol. dated 1882). 

 The question is discussed whether this genus may not be identical with one of 

 those described by Pomel. ^ Op. cit. p. 13. 



*^ In examining this tooth the crown broke off and revealed the two fangs. 



