1836.] 



from the Sub-Himalayas. 



583 



crush by which the whole posterior portion of the head has been flat- 

 tened and disfigured. The dimensions selected for comparison in the 

 following' table are those least likely to be affected by the accident. 

 Our recent specimen belongs to an adult male fox, of a species com- 

 mon in the N. W. provinces of India. Its size, the colour of its fur, 

 and other external characters, appear to correspond with the descrip- 

 tion of C. Corsac (Pallas), which Cuvier is inclined to identify with 

 C. Bengalensis of Pennant — figured also in " Hardwicke's Illustra- 

 tions," PI. II. Parts XV. and XVI. 



Recent. 



J, 000 

 ,390 

 ,205 

 ,253 

 ,202 



,2S7 



,338 

 ,130 



,500 

 ,410 



Fossil. 



1,000 

 ,433 

 ,206 

 ,298 

 .251 



,295 



,319 

 ,133 



,470 

 ,415 



Length from occipital condyle to anterior of canine, taken 

 as modulus, and assumed at 



Breadth measured across mastoid processes, 



Least breadth of cranium at the temporal fossae, 



Breadth from point to point of styloid processes, , 



Ditto across occipital condyles 



Ditto of frontal from point to point of post, orbitary 

 apophyses, 



Greatest breadth measured externally across both lines of 

 molars, 



Horizontal diameter of occipital foramen, 



Length occupied by line of molars and canine taken toge- 

 ther, 



Ditto ditto molars alone 



The chief differences here exhibited are those of greater breadth in 

 the posterior portion of the fossil's head, and must, though they 

 appear natural, be liable to the suspicion of having been caused more 

 or less by the crush before alluded to ; but there are some points of 

 dissimilarity which must be considered free from this objection. The 

 transverse occipital ridge is thicker and higher in the fossil ; the post, 

 orbitary apophyses are altogether broader and more prominent ; the 

 hollow or depression in their upper surface, forming a valley between 

 the outer edge of the apophysis and the swell of the frontal, (consti- 

 tuting one of the distinctions between the fox and the other varieties 

 of canis) is in the fossil more marked. From the rear of these apo- 

 physes start two ridges, which at first converge towards the occiput in 

 a curvilinear direction, until the distance between them is reduced to 

 about half an inch, after which they run nearly parallel for some dis- 

 tance, and then converge again, till they unite near the occiput and 

 become blended with the parietal crest. We have been particular in 

 describing this formation, as a very similar one was observed by 

 Cuvier in the skull of the " Renard Tricolor," C. cinereo-arcjenteus, 

 Linn. It will be observed from the table of measurements, that the 

 length occupied by the molars and canine teeth together is less in the 

 fossil, while that occupied by the molars alone is proportionally 

 greater. This difference is only apparent, and is caused by the ad- 



