298 
Miscellanea. 
ridges like those of the lower jaw, and the enamel presented the 
wrinkled and punctate surface peculiar to the genus. With these 
was found a large scalpriform incisor, whose bevelled cutting edge 
showed that it worked upon a similar tooth in the lower jaw. 
The Diprotodon, therefore, had molars like the kangaroo ; but, 
instead of the two large incisors in the lower jaw being opposed 
to six smaller in the upper, as in the kangaroo, it had two large 
incisors above as well as below, agreeing in form and structure, 
and relative size, with those of the Wombat. Prof. Owen con¬ 
sidered himself justified in concluding that the Diprotodon com¬ 
bined the characters of Phascolomys with those of Macropus, 
exhibiting both upon a gigantic scale, and constituting one of 
those links in the chain of being which the course of time has 
broken and destroyed. Prof. Owen also stated that a large col¬ 
lection of bones of the Dinornis had been obtained from a new 
locality by Mr. Percy Earle. This collection contains four of the 
species of Dinornis already described, including the three most re¬ 
markable for gigantic stature. One of these, with a stature nearly 
equalling the ostrich, presents in all the bones of its leg double the 
thickness in proportion to their length, and must have been the 
strongest and most robust bird in proportion to its size that ever 
existed. Of the gigantic species, vertebrae, ribs, and an almost 
entire sternum, most resembling that of the Apteryx, have been 
obtained. The Rev. Mr. Williams has also transmitted the 
cranial portion of a skull related in size to the Dinornis stru- 
thoides, manifesting many peculiarities and a striking resemblance 
to the same part in the Dodo and Apteryx.— Proceedings Brit. 
Association, Cambridge. 
A new genus of Sea-Snake from Port Essington. —By J. E. 
Gray, F.R.S. 
The snake here described formed part of the extensive collection 
brought home by Mr. Jukes, the naturalist to H.M.S. Fly. It is 
remarkable as having the compressed shape, the short blunt head, 
the peculiar lunate valvular nostrils on the upper surface of the 
nose, the small superior eyes, the head-shields, and the compressed 
tail of Hydrus, but differs from it in having large polished smooth 
