Greenwich Natural History Society, 4241 



from its extremity. The animal is said to take its food chiefly at night, and it is pro- 

 bable that the great mobility of its snout and nostril, enables it to obtain its food with 

 greater facility. 



Geeenwich Natubal-History Sociftt. 

 November 26, 1853. — George Busk, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Quadrumana of the New and Old World. 



A paper was read intituled, " A Comparison between the Quadrumana of the New 

 and Old World, with especial reference to their Nasal Peculiarities," by Cuthbert Col- 

 lingwood, M.A., F.L.S., Hon. Soc. 



The author commenced with a brief review of the classification and geographical 

 distribution of the Quadrumana, pointing out and illustrating the chief characteristic 

 distinctions between the Old and New World Families ; namely: — 1. Their compa- 

 rative size. 2. The presence or absence of cheek-pouches. 3. The development of 

 the tail. 4. Their dental peculiarities. 5. The degree of opposability of the thumb. 

 He also laid particular stress on the great distinction founded by Geoffroy St. Hilaire 

 on the width of the nasal septum and the aspect of the nostrils: and then proceeded to 

 examine each of these nasal characters separately, and to test several species of Quad* 

 rumana by the definitions which St. Hilaire has himself given of the terms Catarrhini 

 and Platyrrhini, in order to show that they are of by no means universal application ; 

 but that, on the contrary, the description of a Catarrhine monkey would apply perfectly 

 to some of the Platyrrhine group, and that of the Platyrrhini to some Catarrhini. The 

 most marked examples adduced as exceptional in support of this assertion were some 

 of the Colobi, especially Colobus Guereza among the Old World, and the whole genus 

 Brachyteles (Eriodes) amongst the New World Quadrumana. In all these, it was 

 shown that both the characters involved in the definitions above referred to, were 

 misapplied ; and that, in several other instances, one or other of these characters was 

 reversed. 



The author then called attention to a character which, in his opinion, would unite 

 all these exceptional cases, and define the boundaries of the Catarrhine and Platyr- 

 rhine groups much more perfectly, and would, at the same time, have the advantag i 

 of even greater simplicity, since it would involve only one element. This character, 

 stated in the fewest words, is as follows : — 



Simla Catarrhini. Lowermost angles of the nostrils pointing outwards. 



Simice Platyrrhini. Lowermost angles of the nostrils pointing inwards. 

 And it was found that this character applied as perfectly to the cases before referrec 

 to, in which both St. Hilaire's characters were reversed, as it it does to the mass of th< 

 species ; because it depends not upon the width of the nasal septum, but upon its form 

 which is that of a wedge in the Catarrhini, but of an hour-glass-shape in the Pla- 

 tyrrhini. 



This paper was illustrated by osteological preparations from the Museum af Guy'} 

 Hospital, and by diagrams. 



