684 General Notes. [August, 



Cist Graves in Ohio.— No. 56 of the Western reserve and 

 Northern Ohio Historical Society's tracts describes ancient burial 

 cists in Northeastern Ohio, similar to those described by Dr. 

 Joseph Jones in Tennessee. The graves opened by Mr. Cornelius 

 Baldwin, are situated near Parkman, Geauga county, Ohio. 



Special Collections in the new National Museum.— As we 

 have previously stated, the new National Museum will be entirely 

 anthropocentnc in its arrangement. At an early day we shall 

 lay the whole scheme before our readers. Number 7 of the cir- 

 culars is by Dr. James M. Flint, U. S. N, and gives an idea ot 

 what the entire exhibit will be when completed. Dr. Flint's cir- 

 cular is a classification of the forms in which drugs appear and 

 are administered. The collection of medicines when completed 

 will constitute an object lesson on the anthropology of medicine, 

 including those of all ages and races of men. 



GEOLOGY AND' PALEONTOLOGY. 



New Marsupials from the Puerco Eocene.— In preceding 

 numbers of the Naturalist, the characters of two new species 

 of as many genera of kangaroo-like Marsupialia from the Puerco 

 Eocene were given. I now add to these three additional species, 

 one of which represents a new genus. The bones obtained with 

 the teeth confirm the reference to the marsupial order which has 

 already been made. In one of the species, Catopsalis pollux m., 

 the astragalus is preserved. It considerably resembles that of a 

 kangaroo ; the reduced navicular facet and the large cuboid facet 

 indicate the predominant development of the external digits, and 

 the reduction of those of the inner side of the foot. Caudal ver- 

 tebrae indicate a large tail. 



Poly mastodon taoensis, gen. et sp. nov. Char. gen. — Known 

 only from the inferior dentition. Supposed formula : I. I ; Co; 

 P.-m. o; M. 2. The first true molar is large, exceeding the sec- 

 ond, and supports three longitudinal series of tubercles. Func- 

 tion of the molars grinding. 



In this genus the molar part of the dentition assumes the ex- 

 clusive control of mastication, having already displayed a pre- 

 dominance in Catopsalis. The molars are similar in their general 

 character to those of Ptilodus and Catopsalis, but the three rows of 

 tubercles distinguish them from both. 



Char, specif.— -The first true molar is two-fifths of itself longer 

 than the second molar, and viewed from above, it has an oval out- 

 line, a little narrowed anteriorly and with rounded extremities. 

 Its tubercles are small and closely packed together, so that those 

 of the middle row have a subquadrate outline. There are eight 

 tubercles in the internal row, twelve in the external and nine in 

 the median. There are -no basal cingula. The second and last 

 true molar has a pyriform outline when viewed from above, the 

 posterior extremity being the narrow one. The contraction ot 



