E. 8. Biggs — Skull of Amp Metis. 257 



Akt. XXXII. — On the Skull of Amphictis ; by E. S. Riggs. 



The genus Amphictis has so far been made to include three 

 species: A.antiquus* from Saint-Gerard-le-Puy, and A. lepto- 

 rhynchus* and A. ambiguus\ from the Quercy phosphorites. 

 All of these forms are based upon mandibular characters, and 

 so far only a single upper tooth has been described.^ The 

 genus is characterized by Schlosser as follows :§ " Diese Gat- 

 tung zeichnet sich vor Allem aus durch den einfachen Bau der 

 JPr und durch die Lange des unteren zweiwurzligen M^. Die 

 Yorderpartie dieses Zahnes besteht aus einem Aussen- und 

 einem Innenzacken, der Vorderzacken ist schon sehr undeut- 

 lich geworden. Der Talon ist sowohl am M l als auch am M 2 

 als Schneide entwickelt, wenigstens der Hauptsache nach." 



An almost complete skull (No. 11455) in the Princeton col- 

 lection from the Phosphorites probably belongs to this genus, 

 although it is decidedly smaller than the specimens hitherto 

 referred to it, and the means of positively determining it as 

 such are not at hand. 



Lateral view of the skull x 1. 



The upper dentition is, 13, CI P4, M2. The incisors have 

 conical crowns slightly compressed antero-posteriorly. The 

 third is much larger than the first and second. The canines 

 are somewhat recurved and are oval in cross section. The first 

 premolar is still functional, but has lost the anterior root. The 

 second is larger, two-rooted, concave on both borders and 

 retains a slight basal cingulum posteriorly. The third premolar 

 is only a little larger than the second but has a basal cingulum 

 on the anterior as well as on the posterior side. The sectorial 

 is similar to that of Putorius, but has a stronger internal 

 tubercle and a less prominent anterior cingulum. There is no 

 fissure between the median cusp and the heel as in the civets. 



* Pom el, Catalogue metbodique, p. 6R. 



f Gorvais, Zoologie et Paleoutologie, gen. ii, p. 51. 



% Schlosser, Die Lemuren, Chiropteren, etc., des europaischen Tertiars, p. 121. 



§ Idem, p. 1 18. 



Am. Jour. Sol — Fourth Series, Vol. V, No. 28.— April, 1898. 

 17 



