Lect. v.] extinct mammals. 145 



Mesozoic Mammalia, now representing upwards of sixty indi- 

 viduals, has convinced the writer that they cannot Ije satis- 

 factorily 2~)laced in any of the present Orders. This appears to 

 be equally true of the European forms which the writer has 

 had the opportunity of examining. "With a few possible excep- 

 tions, the Mesozoic mammals best preserved were manifestly 

 low generalised forms, without any distinctive Marsupial 

 characters. ISTot a few of them show features that point more 

 directly to Insectivores, and present evidence, based on speci- 

 mens alone, would transfer them to the latter group, if they are 

 to be retained in any modern Order. This, however, has not yet 

 been systematically attempted, and the known facts are against 

 it. In view of this uncertainty, it seems more in accordance 

 with the present state of science, to recognise the importance of 

 the generalised characters of these early Mammals as at least of 

 ordinal value, rather than attempt to measure them by special- 

 ised features of modern types, with which they have little real 

 affinity." The original paper, however, will be referred to by 

 the palaeontological reader, not without feelings of profound 

 gratitude to Dr Marsh and his fellow-workers for their excellent 

 labours in this field. 



OwEX, Richard, F.R.S., " Catalogue of Fossil Mammalia and Aves, 

 contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons," 

 London 1845. 



Scott, Professor W. B. and Magee,^. F., "Preliminary Report upon the 

 Princeton Scientific Expedition of 1882," Princeton, X.Y., 1882. 



' " Contributions from the E. M. Museum of Geology and 



ALTchaeology of Princeton College," Bulletin l^o. 3, Princeton, 

 K Y., May 1883. 



SuESS, E. VON, " !N"eue Reste von Squalodon aus Linz," Jahrhuch. 

 d. K.K. Geolog. Reichsanstalt, 1868, Bd. xviii. pp. 287-290, 

 Taf. X. 



