1038 On the genus Hexaprotodon. [Dec, 



tunities offered, adding to our stock of geographical knowledge. It would 

 further possess the advantage of extending and keeping up a most 

 desirable local knowledge, not without benefit to government, amongst 

 the officers of a corps capable of rendering important service to the state, 

 if its sphere of usefulness were extended for general employment in India 

 instead of being confined to a subordinate presidency, which is like 

 having the British navy under the Irish government. 



IV. — On the genus Hexaprotodon of Dr. Falconer and Captain 

 Cautley. By J. McClelland, Assist. Surgeon, Bengal Service. 



Dr. MacLoed, physician general, on return to Calcutta from his 

 tour of inspection, brought with him a small collection of the fossil 

 bones of mammalia from the Pinjore valley, with the intention of 

 forwarding them to England; prior to doing this they were oblig- 

 ingly submitted to my inspection, but for this circumstance and the 

 desire of Dr. MacLoed that I should point out whatever might appear 

 most deserving of notice, I should not offer, on this occasion at least, 

 any remarks on a subject, of which there are already so many successful 

 and experienced cultivators in India. 



Hexaprotodon is the name given by Dr. Falconer and Captain 

 Cautley to an unknown group nearly allied to the genus Hippopota- 

 mus, tmd with which we are only acquainted from the observations of those 

 gentlemen on fragments of skeletons which they discovered in the Siivalik 

 beds. Dr. MacLoed's collection contained a very characteristic frag- 

 ment of one of these animals, which at once attracted my notice, and with- 

 out being acquainted at that time with the excellent memoir of the gen- 

 tlemen alluded to, though it is printed but not yet published in the 1st part, 

 XlXth volume of the Asiatic Researches, 1 pursued an inquiry into the 

 group as far as the materials in Dr. MacLoed's collection, as well as 

 that of Col. Colvin in the Society's museum, enabled me to go. After 

 this I had the gratification of finding the results to which I was led 

 corresponded nearly, and I may say perfectly in all essential particulars, 

 with the previous report of Dr. Falconer and Captain Cautley 

 already alluded to. On some points however I feel justified in forming 

 bolder conclusions especially regarding the affinities of the group, and the 

 number of species that belonged to it. With regard to the first part of 

 the subject it is necessary to refer to the Hippopotamus, one of those 

 genera whose remains are extensively dispersed throughout the superfi- 

 cial strata of the earth, though the habitat of the only existing species 



