256 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



from all those now known in a living state. 

 This series is contained in several cases and in 

 glazed boxes which are placed above them. 



"We first observe heads and fragments of heads 

 and jaws of various species of palaeotherium and 

 anoplotherium, next those of the genera adapis 

 and cheropotamus, with the feet bones of these 

 genera, their long bones, and those of their body. 

 We must look above the cases for considerable 

 portions of the skeletons of the anoplotherium 

 commune, so remarkable for the size of its tail ; 

 the palceotherium magnum and minus, still in- 

 crusted with the gypsum which forms their 

 gangue(i). 



At the end of the genera of which we have 

 just spoken, and which all belong to the pachy- 



(i) The system which M. Cuvier has introduced in comparative 

 anatomy has enabled him to determine to what genus even an insulated 

 bone belongs, although the animal should have no living analogue. 

 When he established the genus anoplotherium, it was from the scat- 

 tered bones of different individuals that he determined the general 

 form and distinguishing characters ; a short time after, the almost 

 entire skeleton was discovered, which we see above the cases, and it 

 was found perfectly conformable to the description which he had 

 given of it. 



Fossil vegetables do not offer the same means of determining then- 

 place, because the form of the leaves of an unknown plant cannot 

 enable us to guess at the characters of its fructification ; we can only 

 tell whether it should be classed with the monocotyledons or the 

 dicotyledons. It is somewhat singular, that the fossil plants found in 

 the oldest formations all appear to be monocotyledons. 



