'ctoc / 



THE 



QUAHTERLY JOURNAL 



OF 



THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Vol. XLVIII. 



1. 0>i Dacrytherium ovixTTM/y-om fA^ Isle op Wight a^c^QuERcr. 

 By E. Ltdekker, Esq., B.A., F.G.S. (Head November 11, 1891.) 



[Plate I.] 



As far back as 1857 Sir Richard Owen described and figured in 

 this Society's Journal^ the nearly complete mandible of an Ungulate 

 mammal from the Headon beds (Lower Oligocene) of the Isle of 

 Wight under the name of Dichohune ovina. Subsequently it was 

 pointed out by P. Gervais - that this species could not belong to the 

 genus Dichohune (or Dichohunus, as it should be called), but that 

 it was closely allied to Xipliodon. At a stiU later period I myself^ 

 came to the conclusion that the so-called DicJiobune ovina should be 

 referred to the genus Dacrytherium^ established by Dr. H. Pilhol * 

 on specimens obtained from the Quercy Phosphorites of Central 

 Prance, and I accordingly adopted for the name of the species 

 Dacrytlierium ovinum. 



With regard to the Erench specimens on which the genus and 

 species Dacrytherium Cayluxi were established by Dr. Eilhol, it may 

 be observed that the most important are a cranium and a mandible, 

 which were said to be associated. These specimens were subse- 

 quently described in the ' Ann. Sci. Geol.' vol. viii. (1877) pp. 217 

 et seq., the cranium being represented in pi. xviii. figs. 311-313 

 and the mandible in pi. x. figs. 254-256. It being assumed that 

 the cranium and mandible were associated, neither was specially 

 distinguished as the type, but since the name Dacrytherium was 

 appropriately given from the presence of a large lachrymal fossa in 



1 Quart. Journ. Geo! Soc. voL xiii. (1857) p. 254, pi. vai, 



2 Zool. et Pal. Fran<,-aises, 2nd ed. (1859) p. 159. 



^ Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit. Mus. pt. ii. (1885) p. 187. 

 * Comptes Rendus, vol Ixxxii. (1876) p. 288. 



Q. J. G. S. No. 189. B 



