A NEW FOSSIL RUMINANT GENUS. 3 



cranium where the plane of the occipital meets that of the brow : and 

 at the muzzle which is truncated a little way in front of the first molar. 

 The only parts which are still concealed, are a portion of the occipital, 

 the zygomatic fossse on both sides, and the base of the cranium over the 

 sphcenoid bone. 



The form of the head is so singular and grotesque that the first glance 

 at it strikes one with surprise. The prominent features are — 1st, the great 

 size approaching that of the Elephant : 2d, the immense developement and 

 width of the cranium behind the orbits : 3d, the two divergent osseous 

 cores for horns starting out from the brow between the orbits : 4th, the 

 form and direction of the nasal bones, rising with great prominence out of 

 the chafFron, and overhanging the external nostrils in a pointed arch ; 

 5th, the great massiveness, width and shortness of the face forward from 

 the orbits : 6th, the great angle at which the grinding plane of the 

 molars deviates upwards from that of the base of the skull. 



Viewed in lateral profile, the form and direction of the horns, and the 

 rise and sweep in the bones of the nose, give a character to the head widely 

 differing from that of any other animal. The nose looks something like 

 that of the Rhinoceros : but the resemblance is deceptive, and only owing 

 to the muzzle being truncated. Seen from in front, the head is somewhat 

 wedge-shaped, the greatest width being at the vertex and thence gradually 

 compressed towards the muzzle ; Avitli contraction only at two points 

 behind the orbits and under the malars. The zygomatic arches are almost 

 concealed and nowise prominent : the brow is broad, and flat, and swelling 

 laterally into two convexitives ; the orbits are wide apart, and have the 

 appearance of being thrown far forward, from the great production 

 of the frontal upwards. There are no crests or ridges : the surface of the 

 cranium is smooth, the lines are in curves, with no angularity. From the 

 vertex to the root of the nose, the plane of the brow is in a straight line, 

 with a slight rise between the horns. The accompanying drawings will at 

 once give a better idea of the form than any description. 



