A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON SOME NEW MAMMALS FROM THE 

 UPPER EOCENE OF EGYPT. 



PHIOMIA SERPJDENS, Gen. et sp. not: 



(Figures 1, 2 and 3). 



The most remarkable of the smaller mammals in the present collec- 

 tion is perhaps the most peculiarly specialised type of carnivore known. 

 At present the only part of the animal obtained is the anterior portion 

 of the left ramus of the mandible, but continued search will probably 

 yield further remains. At first sight the specimen presents consider- 

 able superficial resemblance to the mandibular ramus of a large 

 rodent, owing to the fact that the median incisors are enormously 

 developed, with a long edentulous diastema behind. The incisor is of 

 peculiar form ; the inner border, where the tooth abuts against its 

 fellow of the opposite side, is nearly straight ; anteriorly it terminates 

 in a blunt point, while the outer border, which is sharp-edged, bears a 

 number of prominent crenulations. The upper surface of the tooth is 

 concave from side to side, the ventral convex. These teeth, which 

 arc very large, and widen out toward the base, are implanted in deep 

 sockets which appear to extend nearly as far as the hinder border of 

 the symphysis, determining the peculiar form of the anterior portion 

 of the ramus. (See figs. 1 and 2). There is no trace of the other 

 incisors or of the canine. 



The symphysis itself is very extensive and widens out backwards ; 

 behind it the ramus is sharply curved outwards and at the same time 

 narrowed from above downwards. Throughout this region the alveolar 

 border is sharp-edged and edentulous ; it is concave in outline, the 

 concavity being external. Behind this, the ramus again curves directly 

 backward and bears the cheek teeth, two of which are preserved in the 

 specimen under description. The inner face of the ramus at this point 

 is flat, the outer convex ; two foramina are seen on its outer surface, 

 one a short distance behind the socket of the incisor, the other beneath 

 the anterior border of the second cheek-tooth. 



