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1894.] Geology and Paleontology. 53 
Madagascar, anticipating that a rich fauna of extinct vertebrata would 
be speedily forthcoming. Little has, however, been added to our 
knowledge since 1851 to the present time. In addition to the remains 
of a Crocodile, two Chelonians, and a Hippopotamus, first discovered 
by Grandidier, the number of distinct forms of Æpyornis is now 
rapidly increasing, and promises to rival in variety the New Zealand 
species of Dinornis, whilst the disclosure of a rich mammalian fauna 
seems only waiting to reward the carrying out of systematic explora- 
tion. 
“Four collections of sub-fossil vertebrates, from various regions of 
Madagascar, have recently been acquired by the British Museum of 
Natural History. Amongst one of these sent over by Mr. J. T. Last 
is a somewhat imperfect skull of strange appearance obtained with 
numerous fragmentary Chelonian, Crocodilian, Hippopotamus and 
Æpyornis, remains from a marsh at Ambolisatra on the southwest coast 
of Madagascar. For this remarkable fossil Dr. Major proposes the 
name Megaladapis madagascariensis, and the establishment of a distinct 
family of the sub-order Lemuroidea, of which Megaladapis appears to 
be a much specialized gigantic member, being approximately three 
times the size of the cranium of the largest existing Lemurid. 
“The salient features of the skull are the enormous lateral develop- 
ment of the anterior inter-orbital portion of the frontals, extending 
over the small, thick-walled tubular orbits. The post-orbital frontal 
region is comparatively narrow and elongate, and separated by a slight 
contraction from the equally narrow parietal region, bearing a thick 
and flattened sagittal crest. The brain-case is low, short and narrow, 
and placed at a considerable higher level than the elongate facial por- 
tion. Both the cranial and facial portion are somewhat bent upwards, 
the former posteriorly, the latter anteriorly. A striking general 
character is the remarkable pachyostosis (thickening) of the cranium. 
“The author points out that, in its peculiar features, this skull only 
carries to an extreme, characters which are present, but in a much lesser 
degree, and in varying gradations, in the different members of the 
Lemuroidea, both recent Lemuridae, and extinct Adapidae. In the 
very simple pattern of the molars, the superior of which are of the 
pure tritubercular type, Megaladapis approaches closely to the Mala- 
gasy Lemurides, Lepidolemur, and still more to Chirogaleus. 
“The diminutive size of the brain-case (comparable only with what 
‘we find amongst the Marsupialia and the Insectivora) is viewed by the 
author, in this instance, as a degeneracy, other characters being equally 
indicative of a retrogressive evolution undergone by this Lemuroid. 
