CA-.. mtitotipeajr "-^ NRLF D TO THE OF MAMMALIA (MAMMALIAN, OSTEOLOGICAL, CETACEAN) IN THE / DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). ILLUSTRATED BY 57 WOODCUTS AND 2 PLANS. [FOURTH EDITION.] PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TEU6TEES. 1892. Price Sixpence. THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID GUIDE TO THE 0-.A.L L IE ZR,I E S OF MAMMALIA (MAMMALIAN, OSTEOLOGICAL, CETACEAN) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY), ILLUSTBATED BY 57 WOODCUTS AND 2 PLANS. [FOURTH EDITION.'] PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES 1892. ALERE FLAMMAM. PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, BED LION COUKT, FLEET STREET. BS PREFACE. THE present Guide has been prepared with the object of being of service not only to those who endeavour to learn something from a cursory view of the collections on a single visit to the Museum, but also to those who desire, by closer study, to acquaint them- selves with the general arrangement and the principal features of the members of this class of animals. In the preparation of the parts relating to the Mammalian and Osteological Galleries much assistance has been given by Mr. OLDFIELD THOMAS, the Assistant in charge of these collec- tions. The portion describing the contents of the Cetacean Gal- lery has been written by the Director, Professor FLOWER, F.R.S. ALBERT GUNTHER. Zoological Department, February 14, 1885. M369S75 PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. THE alterations introduced into the present edition consist chiefly in changes of nomenclature, and in references to the more im- portant additions which have been placed on exhibition since the previous issue of this Guide : such as specimens of the Two-humped Camel of Central Asia, of the Pigmy Hippopotamus of Liberia, of a fullgrown ram of Hodgson's Sheep ; skeletons of the Killer- Whale and Grey Whale of the North Pacific; the recently discovered Mole-like Marsupial from Central Australia. The opening-up of the countries of Eastern and Central Africa has yielded several new and interesting forms of Antelope, whilst Mr. St. G. Littledale has enriched the collection with a pair of the European Wild Bison, a series of Polo's Sheep, and several other large game-animals, all obtained by himself during his expeditions into the Caucasus and Central Asia. Finally, the exhibition of heads and horns of big game will be found con- siderably enlarged by a magnificent donation of A. 0. Hume, Esq., C.B., who has presented to the Trustees the whole of his Collection of Indian Mammals. A. G. Zoological Department, July 3, 1892. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Introductory Page General Notes on Mammals 1 Their Systematic Arrangement 3 Mammalian Gallery 5 Osteological Gallery The Skeleton of Mammalia 61 The exhibited Skulls and Skeletons .... 67 Cetacean Gallery General Notes on Cetaceans 104 The exhibited Specimens 109 Alphabetical Index 124 INTRODUCTORY. MAMMALIA are vertebrate * air-breathing animals, more or less clothed externally with hair ; the females are provided with mammary or milk-glands, and the young are brought forth alive, with the exception of the Australian Ornithorhynchus and Echidna, which are oviparous. Their limbs are usually four in number, the hinder pair being, however, sometimes either mo- dified into swimming-paddles or suppressed altogether, while the anterior are in some cases developed into wings, and in others into nippers. The tail may be quite rudimentary, as in Man and the higher Apes ; long, simple, and forming an apparently useless appendage, as in Cats ; prehensile f, as in the American Monkeys and Opossums ; provided with a long tassel for driving away insects from the skin, as in Elephants, Cattle, &c. ; or, finally, modified into a swimming-organ, either by the development on it of broad " flukes/' as in the Whales, or merely by being itself flattened vertically as in the Beaver, or from side to side as in the Musk- rat, Potamogale, and others. The heart of Mammalia consists of two completely separated divisions, each with a ventricle and auricle. Their blood main- tains a uniformly high temperature, with the exception of some of the lowest forms^ as Echidna. The number of known kinds of Mammals at present existing * i. e. with a backbone. t i. e. with the power of curling round and grasping objects. B on the earth, and sufficiently distinct from each other to be regarded by zoologists as species, has been estimated at about 3000, and there are doubtless many, especially among those of smaller size, still to be discovered. Mammals make their first appearance as far back as the Triassic or early Mesozoic period, a few minute teeth, representing three small species, having been found in the Rhsetic beds of Germany and England. Later than these are the early Jurassic or Middle Mesozoic Mammals, found at Stonesfield in Oxfordshire, where several more or less complete lower jaws have been discovered, such as those named Amphltherium and Phascolotherium, figured in the Geological Guide, p. 77. In Upper Jurassic times also a very large number of small mammals must have lived in this country, as evidenced by remains found at Swanage, now exhibited in the Palseontological Gallery. Of the exact affinities of these Mesozoic Mammals it is almost impossible to form an idea ; but there can be little doubt that their nearest living allies are the Marsupials, that is " Didelphian " Mammals, in which the young are brought forth in an embryonic condition, completing their development in a pouch formed of the external integuments of the mother. To this day Marsupials show the same division into two groups, according to their dentition, which is observed in the ancient Swanage genera Plagiaulax, as figured in the Geological Guide, representing the modern dipro- todont *, and the others the polyprotodont * Marsupials. At the commencement of the Tertiary period te Monodelphian " Mammals were already abundant, many of them resembling living species a fact which shows how imperfect is our knowledge of the intermediate time during which all these forms must have been gradually developed from their Mesozoic ancestors. Thus the Eocene, the earliest of the Tertiary periods, has yielded remains of Bats, Insectivores, Carnivores, Rodentia, many Ungulates^ Sirenia, and Cetacea. The Mammals of the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene periods, for which the Visitor is referred to the Geological Guide, have increased in number and variety to the present day; but, at least for those that dwelt on the land, the maximum of size has long For the explanation of these terms see p. 99. 3 been past, the modern forms being as a whole but diminutive de- scendants of their gigantic predecessors. On the other hand, the evidence of fossil remains shows that at no time have Whales existed so large as those that now swim in our seas. The subjoined Table shows the manner in which the Mammalia e classified exhibition : 'are classified and arranged in the Galleries devoted to their Systematic Arrangement of the Class Mammalia. Subclass I. MONODELPHIA. Order I. PRIMATES. Suborder 1. ANTHROPOIDEA. Pages Section 1. Catarrhini: Man and Old- World Monkeys .. 6, 67 2. Platyrrhini : New- World Monkeys 9, 70 Suborder 2. LEMUHOIDEA 10, 71 Order II. CARNIVORA. Suborder 1. FISSIPEDIA. Section 1. JEluroidea : Cats, Hyaenas, and Civet-Cats . . 13, 72 2. Cynoidea : Dogs, Wolves, and Foxes 16, 74 3. Arctoidea : Bears, Weasels, and Raccoons .... 19, 75 Suborder 2. PINNIPEDIA : Seals, Walrus, and Sea-Lions .... 21, 77 Order III. INSECTIVORA : Shrews, Moles, Hedgehogs, &c 24, 78 Order IV. CHIROPTERA : Bats. Suborder 1. FRUGIVOBA : Flying-Foxes 27, 81 2. INSECTIVOBA : Insectivorous Bats 28, 81 Order V. DERMOPTERA. GALEOPITHECIDJE : Flying Lemurs : 29, 82 Order VI. RODENTIA. Suborder 1. SIMPLICIDENTATA. Section 1. Sciuromorpha : Squirrels 31, 84 2. Myomorpha : Rats and Mice 32, 84 3. Hystricomorpha : Porcupines 33, 85 Suborder 2. DUPLICIDENTATA : Hares and Rabbits 33, 86 B2 4 Order VII. UNGULATA. Pages Suborder 1. PROBOSCIDEA : Elephants 34, 86 2. HYRACOIDEA : Coneys 35, 88 3. PEBISSODACTYLA : Rhinoceroses, Tapirs, Horses, and Asses 36, 89 4. ARTTODACTYLA 38, 91 Section 1. Bunodonta : Hippopotamus and Pigs 38, 91 2. Tylopoda. "^ f Camels and Llamas . . 40, 92 3. Tragulina. j Chevrotains 41, 92 4. Pecora. ^ uminants -j Oxen, Antelopes, Deer, ,. and Giraffe 41,' 92 Order VIII. SIRENIA : Manatees and Dugongs 94 Order IX. CETAOEA : Whales and Dolphins. Suborder 1. ODONTOCETI : Toothed Whales and Dolphins 109 2. MYSTACOCETI : Whalebone Whales 117 Order X. EDENTATA. Suborder 1. PILOSA : Sloths and Anteaters 49, 97 2. LORICATA : Armadillos 50, 98 3. SQUAMATA : Pangolins 52, 98 4. TUBULIDENTATA : Aard-Varks 52, 99 Subclass II. DIDELPHIA. Order XL MARSUPIALIA : Pouched Mammals (Kangaroos, Opossums, &c.) 53, 99 Subclass III. ORNITHODELPHIA. Order XII. MONOTREMATA: Ornithorhynchus and Echidna . . 59,102 [A series of Catalogues, in which the contents of the Zoological collections are described in detail, has been published by the Trustees. The entire series or single volumes may be purchased in the Director's Office at the Museum, or ordered through any bookseller.] The MAMMALIA are exhibited in three Galleries : 1. The Mammalian Gallery (on the first floor), in which is placed the series of stuffed specimens, with the exception of the Sirenia and Cetacea. Skeletons of the most important types are incorporated with this series. Also the collection of Antlers of the family of Deer are ranged along the tops of the cases. 2. The Osteological Gallery (on the second floor), which con- tains the complete series of skeletons and skulls. The stuffed Sirenia and the collection of Horns of the Oxen, Antelopes, and Sheep are also placed in this Gallery. 3. The Cetacean Gallery (in the basement), which contains stuffed specimens and skeletons of the Whales and Dolphins. MAMMALIAN GALLERY. In this Gallery^ which is devoted to the exhibition of the stuffed specimens, the contents are arranged in a continuous series in the Pier-cases, the order commencing on the left hand as the visitor p.L e . e enters. Large specimens are placed in the Recesses between the Cases or in the Saloon at the western end of the Gallery. Some large Cases in the centre of the Gallery contain the Seals and Sea- Lions, and certain of the larger Ungulates, and the collection of Antlers of Cervidcs or Deer is distributed throughout the Gallery, on the top of the Cases or on the Piers. The great size of some of the Cetaceans (Whales and Dolphins) has prevented them from being placed with the other members of their Class ; and a separate Gallery in the basement has been prepared for their reception. 6 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Order I. PRIMATES. (Cases 1-10.) The Primates consist of Man, Monkeys, and Lemurs. The Monkeys most nearly allied to Man are the so-called Anthropoid * Apes (the Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Orang Outang, and Gibbons), which in many points of their internal structure approach more nearly to Man than to the other Monkeys, though their resemblance to him, both in osteological and external characters, Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Fig. 1. Skull of Man. Fig. 2. Skull of old j and fig. 3, of young Gorilla. * From the Greek anthropos, Man; anthropoid = Man-like. MONKEYS. 7 is far greater in their infancy than after they have attained to maturity. They are tailless, and habitually assume a semi-erect position, using their disproportionally long arms to balance themselves by resting their knuckles on the ground. Their great toes are opposable, like thumbs, to the other toes, so as to form a second pair of hands, on account of which the term Quadrumana (four-handed) has been applied to them and the other Monkeys. Several specimens of the Gorilla (Anthropopithecus gorilla) of various ages are exhibited in the separate Case in the first recess on Fig. 4. Gorilla. 8 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. the right of the Gallery (between Pier-cases 95 and 98), conspicuous among them being two remarkably fine male specimens, whose projecting jaws, powerful teeth, and enormous brow-ridges give them a ferocious and savage appearance, wholly unlike that even of the lowest of men, or of their own young. In the corresponding Case on the left are the Chimpanzees (Anthropopithecus niger and calvus) and Orang Outangs (Simla satyrus)j the former being closely allied and very similar to the Gorilla, and, like it, natives of the forests of Western and Central Africa. The large male Orang in this Case shows very well the Fig. 5. Head of adult Orang Outang. peculiar shape of the cheeks, which are provided with thick fleshy protuberances. The Gibbons (Hylobates) , far less man -like in [Case 1.] every way, are exhibited in Case 1. Their remarkable variability in colour, exemplified by the groups of H. pilealus and lar, should be specially noticed. The Orangs and Gibbons are found in Sumatra and Borneo, the latter extending also northwards to Burmah, Assam, and the Island of Hainan. Passing now to the ordinary Monkeys, the first of the series are the Cercopithecidte (Cases 2-6), comprising : (1) The long- tailed Indian Monkeys (Semnopithecus) (Cases 2 and 3), of MONKEYS. 9 medium size, with long tails, small posterior callosities, and generally rather short crisp fur, nearly uniform in colour, natives of India, China, and the East-Indian Archipelago. The most striking species both in form and colour is the Proboscis Monkey (so called on account of the remarkable length of its nose) (Nasalis larvatus) of Borneo, of which a fine male example is placed in the centre of the case. (2) The Colobi (Case 4), closely allied to the [Case 4.] last, but natives of Africa ; some are dull rufous or grey, and others finely marked with sharply contrasting black and white, with long tufted tails, noticeably the Guereza (Colobus guereza}, which has on its side a peculiar fringe of long white hairs reaching quite down to the ground, and probably serving as a protection from the fierce African sun. (3) The long-tailed African Monkeys (Cerco- pithecus) (Cases 3 & 4), provided with cheek-pouches in which food can be temporarily stored, large posterior callosities, and extremely long tails; many of them are brilliantly coloured, as for example the Mona Monkey (C. mono). (4) The Macaques, chiefly inhabitants of Southern Asia, one species (Macacus inuus) occurring in North Africa and leading a precarious existence on [Cases 5 the rock of Gibraltar (Cases 5 & 6). (5) The Baboons (Cyno- and 6 ^ cephalus), hideous animals with powerful teeth, projecting jaws, nearly equal fore and hind limbs, and dull-coloured fur, natives of Africa and Arabia (Case 6) : one species, the Mandrill (Papio maimon), has a short stumpy tail, and a perfectly naked face, the skin of which is brightly marked with blue and vermilion ; all the others are dull-coloured animals, with well-developed tails. All the species hitherto enumerated, from Man down to the Baboons, are classed together as one group, the Catarrhini*, or " narrow-nosed," distinguished by the very narrow division between their nostrils and by having only 32 teeth; they are entirely re- stricted to the Old World. The Monkeys following form the group of Platyrrhini, or " broad-nosed 3> Monkeys, peculiar to America, and characterized by their widely separated nostrils, frequently prehensile tails, less perfectly opposable thumbs, &c. The first family of this group is the Cebida, comprising : (1) The [Cases 7 Spider-Monkeys (Ateles) (Cases 7 & 8), remarkable for their ex- * tremely long and slender limbs of which, alone among the Platyr- * From the Greek kata, below, and rhis, nose ; the nostrils directed downwards. 10 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. rhini, the anterior are longer than the posterior their rudimentary thumbs, and long prehensile tails. (2) The Howling Monkeys (Mycetes, Case 7), the males of which possess a most extra- ordinary voice, the resonance of which is increased by a peculiar chamber formed by the middle portion of the bone of the tongue (see p. 70) : they are stout, thick-set animals, with well-developed thumbs, prehensile tails, and are generally of a uniform red, brown, or blackish colour; the males are furnished with short thick beards. (3) The Negro-Monkeys (Lagothrix, Case 8). (4) Tne Yarkees and Uakaris (Pithecia and Ouakaria), two closely allied genera, the first with peculiarly long thick hair all over its body and tail, which latter, though long, is not prehensile ; the second distinguished from all the other American Monkeys by having scarcely any tail ; one species (O. calva), exhibited in this Case, is quite bald ; and all are very thinly haired, in marked contrast to the Yarkees. (5) The Squirrel-Monkeys (Nyctipithecus, Callithrix, and Chrysothrix, Case 9) are all beautiful little creatures, with soft bright-coloured fur, long, hairy, non-prehensile tails, and well-developed thumbs; they live partly on insects. (6) The [Case 9] Sapajous, or Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus, Case 9), are a genus of numerous dull-coloured species, with thick prehensile tails and well-developed thumbs. Being comparatively hardy and easily tamed, trained specimens are frequently exhibited in this country. The second family of the Platyrrhiui are the Hapalidae or Mar- mosets, differing from the others by their non-opposable pollex *, which is provided with a claw instead of a nail, their rudimentary hallux f, long, hairy, and never prehensile tail, and the different number of their teeth. They are small animals, some not exceed- ing a rat in size, and of bright and varied appearance, many being ornamented with long tufts of hair on their ears, and all being more or less brightly coloured. They are almost entirely con- fined to the forests of tropical South America, a single species only extending as far north as Panama. The second Suborder of the Primates the LEMUROIDEA consists of a number of very remarkable animals, of a far lower type * The first or innermost digit of the fore limb, corresponding to the human u thumb," a name inapplicable when it is not opposable to the other digits, t The first digit of the hind limb, corresponding to our " great toe." LEMURS. 11 than those we have hitherto mentioned ; they are for the most part natives of Madagascar, although a few aberrant members of the group are found in Africa and Southern Asia. They are invariably arboreal in their habits, with generally long, bushy, and non-pre- hensile tails, opposable thumbs and great toes, large eyes, and long dog-like faces. They are divided into three families, of which the typical one, the Lemurida, contains all but the whole of the species. It is subdivided into the following groups : 1. The Indrisince (Indris and Propithecus) , from Madagascar, characterized by their disproportionately long hind limbs, hind toes united by skin, and the possession of only 30 teeth. They are exhibited in separate Cases in the centre of the Gallery, and in Case 10. They are singularly variable in their colour, as may be seen by the mounted groups of the different species. When on the ground they move in an upright position, holding their arms over their heads in order to balance themselves, and progressing by short leaps, in a most awkward and ludicrous manner. 2. The Lemurince or true Lemurs (Case 10) , also confined to [Case 10.] Madagascar, have fore and hind limbs of nearly equal length, toes free to the base, and 36 teeth. They are more quadrupedal in their actions than the last group, moving about both on the ground and in trees with great activity. Like the Propitheci, they are very variable in their coloration, being marked with various shades of red, brown, and black. Specimens of the Ruffed Lemur (Varecia varia) are exhibited in one of the separate cases. 3. The GalagmincB are distinguished by the unusual elongation of their tarsal bones. There are two genera, of which the first, Chirogale, contains 3 or 4 small species, with long bushy tails and soft woolly fur. They are very like large dormice, both in their appearance and habits, building nests and hibernating during the winter. Galago, the second genus, is found in Africa, and dis- tributed from Senegambia to Mozambique. 4. The group of Lorisince contains 5 or 6 rare and curious forms, such as the Potto (Perodicticus potto) of Western Africa, and the Loris of India and Ceylon. Specimens of both are exhibited in Case 10. The second and third families of the Lemuroidea, the Tarsiidte and Chiromyidcs, contain each a single species only, viz. the Tarsier 12 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. [Case 10.] (Tarsius spectrum), an extraordinary little animal about the size of a rat, with 34 teeth, very long feet, long tufted tally and extremely large eyes ; it is a native of the islands of the East-India Archipelago. The Aye-aye. The type of the second family is Chiromys madagascariensis, the Aye-aye of Madagascar, a still more specialized form, with only 18 teeth, large ears, a long bushy tail, and long compressed claws on all the fingers and toes, with the exception of the hallux, which is opposable and has a flat nail. The middle finger of the fore foot is unusually thin, and it is said that with this finger the Aye-aye pulls out of their holes the wood-boring caterpillars which form part of its diet. It also uses its powerful incisors or cutting- teeth, which are shaped like those of a Rodent, to gnaw through the stems of sugar-canes and other similar plants, in order to obtain their succulent juice. Order II. CARNIVORA. (Cases 11-26.) The Carnivora comprise the whole assemblage of animals known by the name of Beasts of Prey the Cats, Wolves and Dogs, Bears, Weasels, and many other allied animals. From this terrestrial type another has been developed, adapted for an aquatic life, with limbs modified into swimming-organs, viz. the Carnivora Pinnipedia, or Fin-footed Carnivores Seals and Walruses. CARNIVORA. 13 The CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA, or Land Carnivores, are divided into three great grQups, of which the first, or ./ELUROIDEA*, contains the Cats, Hyaenas, and Civet-Cats ; the second, or CYNOIDEA f, the Dogs, Wolves, and Foxes; and the third, or ARCTOIDEAJ, the Bears, Weasels, and Raccoons. The Cats, or Felidce (Cases 11 to 16), are the most highly orga- [Cases hized of all the Beasts of Prey, representing the predaceous type H-16.] of animal in its fullest perfection. They are all lightly but strongly built, with small heads, short ears, and, except in the Lynxes, long hairy tails, which are never prehensile. They are invariably digitigrade that is to say, they walk on their fingers and toes, not on their palms and soles; and are provided with five toes on their fore feet, of which the first, or pollex, does not touch the ground, and four on their hind feet, the first being entirely suppressed. Their sharp, powerful, and strongly-curved claws are retractile, i. e. they can be drawn back when not in use, to prevent them from being blunted by contact with the ground ; the mechanism of retraction is explained on p. 73, in connection with the osteology of the family. In disposition the Cats belong to the fiercest of animals, and man has succeeded in taming, to a certain extent, one member of the group only, our common House- Cat; but all the other species become savage and bloodthirsty when adult, even if, as kittens, they are apparently docile and attached to their masters. The geographical distribution of the Cats extends over the whole world, with the exception of Mada- gascar and the Australian region. Of the Lion there are exhibited an adult male Barbary Lion, [Case 11.] showing the thick black mane, which is especially well developed in North-African individuals; a maneless Lion from Gujerat, formerly thought to represent a distinct species ; and a fine Lioness from South Africa. There is a also a Lion-cub, bred in England, which shows traces of the dark spots so general in the family of Cats, a fact which appears to indicate that the ancestors of our tawny spotless Lion had spotted coats like the other Cats. The present range of the Lion extends over the whole of Africa, through Persia to the north-western corner of the continent of India. Above the Lioness, in Case 12, are placed two specimens of the [Case 12.] * Ailourosj a cat. t Kuon, a dog. J Arktos, a bear. 14 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Ounce or Snow-Leopard (Felis undo), a beautiful, soft-furred, long-tailed species, which inhabits the snowy regions of the Hima- layas and Central Asia, at elevations varying, according to the season, from 9000 to 18,000 feet above the sea, never ranging very far below the snow-line. Once only it has been brought alive to Europe. The upper part of Cases 11 and 12 contains specimens of the Leopard (Felis pardus), one of the largest of the spotted Cats, whose range extends over all Africa and Southern Asia as far north as Persia and Tibet. In India it is extremely destructive to cattle and other domestic animals^ and aged individuals frequently become " man-eaters." [Cases The Tiger (Fells tigris), Cases 13 and 14, is the largest and J most dangerous of the Felida?, exceeding the Lion slightly in size, and far surpassing him in destructiveness. It is the only Cat ornamented with cross stripes on the body, a type of coloration which is very scarce among Mammals ; these cross stripes help to render the animal inconspicuous among the reeds in which it commonly hides itself, and where it would be comparatively easily seen if marked with spots or longitudinal bands. It inhabits nearly the whole of Asia, from Persia, across Siberia, to For- mosa, and southwards throughout India and Burma to Sumatra, Java, and Bali, while it is not found in either Ceylon or Borneo. Specimens are exhibited of the smaller, softer-furred variety of Persia, and of the very large, short-haired Bengal form. The remainder of the true Cats are placed above the Tigers in [Cases Cases 13 and 14, and in the lower parts of Cases 15 and 16. Of 15 & 16.] these the most noteworthy are the series of the Central and South- American Ocelots, and the Clouded Tiger of Assam. The fine col- lection of Norwegian, Canadian, and other Lynxes is also placed here. The Lynxes differ from the ordinary Cats by their short tails, tufted ears, and by certain differences in their skulls and dentition, and are confined to the North Temperate and Arctic zones of both the Old and New Worlds. The most aberrant member of the Felidae is the Cheetah or Hunting Leopard (Case 16), characterized by its small round head, its light and slender form, semi-retractile claws, and various other peculiarities, osteological and external. It is a native of the whole CATS. 15 of the African and the western part of the Indian regions. In India it is trained for hunting antelopes and similar game. Its speed at times, and for short distances, is marvellous, surpassing that of a race-horse, and, when well trained, it always runs down its quarry, although in the wild state it uses the same tactics as other Cats when stalking its prey, availing itself of every inequality of the ground to steal close up to a spot whence it can suddenly spring upon the unsuspecting animal. The second family of the ^Eluroidea comprises the Hysenas only [Case 15.] (Case 15), of which there are three species Hyana striata and brunnea, the Striped and Brown Hysenas, and Hycena crocuta, the Spotted Hyaena of South Africa. They are all of about the size of a large wolf, of cowardly and nocturnal habits, feeding for the most part on carrion, and rarely attacking other animals which are able to defend themselves. They have four toes on each of their feet, non-retractile claws, and rather short, hairy tails. The family Protelida contains only a single species, the Aard- Wolf of the Cape Colony (Proteles cristatus), of which there is a fine specimen in Case 16. This animal looks like a diminutive hyaena, but is almost toothless, living nearly entirely on decomposing car- cases, and on termites, which its strong claws enable it to dig out of their nests. The last family of the ^Eluroidea is the Viverridce, consisting of [Casea the Civet-Cats and their allies. These are all comparatively small * ^ -I animals, of low build, dull coloration, and with long hairy tails ; they are entirely confined to Africa and Southern Asia, with the exception of two species which are found in South-western Europe. The most noteworthy groups of the Viverridte are: (1) Crypto- procta, containing but one species, the Foussa (C.ferox), peculiar to Madagascar, and the largest Carnivore of that island ; it is remarkable for its cat-like head, retractile claws, and other feline characters. It is quite untamable, and excessively savage when caught or wounded. (2) The true Civet- Cats (Viverra], with hairy soles and semi-retractile claws, of which there are four species, one African and three Indian ; these animals secrete in a glandular pouch beneath the tail the scent known as civet, which is obtained by the natives from specimens kept in captivity for that purpose. (3) The Genets (Genettd), smaller than, but very 16 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. similar to, the last, of which there are four or five African species, one of them, the Common Genet (G. vulgaris), extending into Europe as far north as Central France. (4) The Palm-Civets (Paradoocurus) , long-bodied, short-limbed animals, with short ears, long powerful hairy tails, naked soles, and semi-retractile claws, common in India and the Malay Archipelago. They are arboreal in their habits, and feed either on rats, lizards, small birds and eggs, or on vegetable food, such as rice and fruit. (5) The Mungooses (Herpestes, &c.) 5 of Africa and India, with naked soles, and long, straight, non-retractile claws. They feed on reptiles and birds, rats and mice, eggs, &c., and are often domesticated for the purpose of clearing houses of vermin. They are most useful in destroying poisonous snakes, whose bites they avoid by their won- derful watchfulness and agility ; the stories of their having recourse to some plant as an antidote to the snake's poison are entirely without foundation. There are about 30 species of Mungooses known, of which the most noticeable are the Egyptian Mungoose (Herpestes ichneumon], which is found also in Spain, and feeds largely on the eggs and young of the crocodile ; and the Grey Mungoose (Herpestes griseus), the species tamed in India. Some years ago the latter was introduced into the island of Jamaica, where rats had multiplied on the sugar-plantations to such an extent as to inflict the greatest losses upon the planters, who were nearly ruined. In a short time the Mungooses cleared the plantations of the vermin, and are now under the protection of the law. Allied to the Mungooses are several aberrant animals found in Madagascar, among which may be specially mentioned the curious Eupleres goudoti, exhibited in Case 18, which obtains the beetles and worms on which it lives by burrowing in the earth with its elongated snout. [Cases The second Suborder of the Carnivora, the CYNOIDEA, consists 17-20.] O f a s i n g.} e f am ily^ the Canidce, or Dogs, Wolves, and Foxes. They are on the whole lightly built animals, of great speed and endurance, obtaining their prey, as a rule, by running it fairly down, rather than by pouncing upon it in the manner of the Cats and their allies. They are digitigrade, and have, with a single exception, five toes on their fore and four on their hind feet ; their palms and soles are always hairy, the only naked parts being DOGS. 17 the foot-pads. Their osteological characters are referred to on p. 74. This family contains a large number of species, all more or less closely allied to each other, with the exception of one or two aber- rant forms. The principal genus is Canis, which comprises Dogs, Wolves, and Jackals. The history of the development and domestication of the Common Dog is a highly interesting subject, which is as yet far from being fully understood. Many naturalists, to within a very recent period, entertained the view that there had existed one original wild species from which, by man's agency, all the various races of Dogs had been developed. This view has now been abandoned ; in its place it is believed that in many parts of the world the natives have tamed the wild species indigenous to their country, and that in course of time, as certain nations became more civilized, their Dogs were more and more adapted to their various requirements by careful breeding, and by the selection and perpetuation of the most useful varieties, until many of them ceased to show resemblance to their far-distant wild ancestors. In support of this view the fact may be adduced that at the present day, among savage and primitive tribes, the tame Dogs bear a striking resemblance to the wild species of Dog found in their country. Thus the Esquimaux Dog resembles the North- American Wolf (Canis occidentalis), the Hare-Indian Dog the Coyote or Prairie- Wolf (C. latrans), while in British Guiana the natives are known to train and domesticate the indigenous Wild Dogs. In the Old World the Hungarian Sheep-Dog might be readily mistaken for the European Wolf (Canis lupus), the Street- Dogs of Constantinople and Cairo for Jackals, and certain of the Indian Pariah Dogs for individuals of the Indian Wolf (Canis pallipes). The degraded Bushmen of South Africa have a tame Dog which agrees in many of its characters with the Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) of that region. Thus there can be no doubt that these tame or semi-domesti- cated Dogs are individuals of the same stock as the wild species of the country, with which indeed they readily mix whenever they cease to be under the control of their masters. In more civilized countries the process of domestication and c 18 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. [Cases selection has gone so very much further, that the Dogs have '-' gradually lost nearly all traces of their wild ancestry, and have developed into the innumerable different races now existing, races so distinct that, were they natural instead of artificial, they would be referred to several different genera. Dogs were domesticated by man long before the earliest records of history, their remains being found in association with the rude implements of the ancient cave- and lake - dwellers of Central Europe. Several varieties of the Domestic Dog are exhibited in Case 19; in Case 20 two diminutive Lap-Dogs, not six inches long, and representing the smallest development of the tribe as yet attained ; behind them a head of the largest known Dog, a prize Great Dane, the skeleton of which is mounted in the Osteological Gallery ; the weight of this Dog when alive was nearly 13 stone. A speci- men of the Dingo (Canis dingo), the Wild Dog of Australia, un- doubtedly introduced in that continent, though longbefore the advent of Europeans, and an example of the African Hunting-Dog (Lycaon venaticus), remarkable for the possession of only four toes on each of its feet, and for its superficial resemblance to the Hyaenas, are exhibited in the same Cases. In the upper compartments of Cases 17 and 18 are the Wolves, among them a specimen of the European Wolf (Canis lupus) from Moscow, and one of the Black Wolf of Thibet (C. laniger). Wolves range all over Europe, continental Asia, and North America. The Jackals of Africa and India (Case 19) and the Wild Dogs of India (Case 20) are smaller in size. Among the Foxes (Vulpes) maybe noticed the Common Fox (V. vulgaris), the Cross-Fox of North America (V.pennsylvanica), and others. The white race of the Arctic Fox (V. lagopus), one of the most valuable fur-bearing animals, changes the colour of its coat according to the season, like many other Arctic animals; while the blue race retains its colour all the year round and yields in winter a still more rich and valuable fur than the white. The beautiful large-eared Fennecs of Africa are closely allied to the Foxes. The Bush-Dog of Guiana and Brazil (Icticyon vena- ticus) and the Raccoon Dog of China and Japan (Nyctereutes procyonoides) are other remarkable types of Dogs, very aberrant OTTERS. 19 externally, but closely related to the ordinary Canidse in their more important dental and cranial characters. With these is placed a specimen of the Long-eared Fox of South Africa (Otocyon megalotis), remarkable for its very numerous teeth and its sharp-pointed and long ears ; special interest is attached to it, as it has been considered to represent the original type of canine animal, whence all the wild forms of Dogs and Foxes of the present day have been developed. The last great division of the fissiped Carnivora is the ARCTOIDEA, consisting of the. Bears, Weasels, .Raccoons, &c. The most typical members are completely plantigrade, walking flat on their palms and soles ; and all have five toes on each of their feet. Thefirst family, Mustelidce (Cases 21 and 22), contains the Weasels, Otters, Badgers, &c., which all agree very closely in their skulls and dentition, but may be readily separated into three Tribes by their general form, and by the structure of their feet and claws. These tribes are: (1) The Mustelince, the Weasel tribe, the mem- bers of which have long, low bodies, with short legs, short and partly webbed toes, and small, sharp, and often semi-retractile claws. The fur of some of the species forms an important article of trade, as of the Martens and Sables (Mustela) of Northern Europe, Asia, and America. Of these one species is British, namely the Pine-Marten (M. martes), now nearly exterminated in England, but still holding its own in the wilder parts of Scotland. The true Weasels (Putorius) consist of about 20 or 30 comparatively short-haired species, inhabiting nearly all parts of the world. Among them may be mentioned the common English Stoat or Ermine (Putorius ermineus), three specimens of which have been mounted to show the seasonal change of fur ; the Weasel (P. vulgaris) ; the Polecat (P. putorius}, of which the Ferret is a domesticated form. Poecilogale albinucha is the brightest marked of the tribe ; and its largest member, the Glutton (Gulo luscus), a heavily built, powerful animal, much resembling a small bear, and very destructive to the larger game. (2) The Melince, or Badger tribe, have comparatively stout, thick- set bodies, covered with fur generally marked with more or less sharply contrasted black and white bands or patches, and long toes provided with large straight claws, more powerful on the fore than on the hind feet. They include the Badgers (Meles), Ratels c2 20 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. (Mellwora) , and Skunks (Mephitis), the latter with a bad repu- tation on account of the intensely disagreeable and evil- smelling fluid which they emit when provoked. (3) The Lutrinif, or Otter tribe (Case 22), have short feet, webbed toes, small claws, and long powerful tails. There are about 15 species known, all very similar externally, in colour, size, and general proportions, our English Otter (Lutra vulgaris) being a very typical member of the group. The most aberrant is the Sea-Otter (Latax lutris), which has its hind feet very peculiarly modified into flippers, somewhat as in the Seals. This animal frequents the salt water, and was once abundant on all the coasts of the North Pacific ; but owing to the merciless persecution to which it has been subjected for the sake of its valuable fur, its numbers have been so much thinned, that it is sure to be exterminated unless effectual measures be taken for its protection. The Procyonidce (Case 22) form the second family of the Arc- toidea. They are wholly American, and contain, among others, the Raccoons (Procyon), the peculiar long-nosed Coatis (Nasua), and the Kinkajou (Cercoleptes) , the last a nocturnal animal with a long prehensile tail. All the members of this family habitually live largely on vegetable food, such as fruit, berries, &c., as well as on small mammals, birds, insects, worms, eggs, &c. The brilliantly coloured Panda (^Elurus fulgens), exhibited in the same Case, is closely allied to the last family, although it occurs in a very different part of the globe, viz. in North India and Assam. It lives at a great altitude in the Himalayas, seldom descending lower than about 7000 feet above the sea, and feeds wholly on fruit and other vegetable food. [Cases ^ ne * rue Bears (Ursidte), Cases 21-26, form the last family 21-26.] of the land Carnivores. They are characterized by their large size, thick and clumsy build, rudimentary tails, plantigrade, five-toed feet, long, blunt, and nearly straight claws, small ears, and long shaggy fur. Their distribution includes Europe, Asia, and North America, while they are entirely absent from Aus- tralia, Africa, and the greater part of South America. The most noteworthy members of the group are : The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), Case 23, of Europe and North Asia, which was formerly found in England, having only been exterminated within SEALS. 21 historic times. The Syrian Bear (Case 21). The Polar Bear (U. maritimus), Case 24, the largest of the family, an excellent swimmer, and wholly carnivorous, living on seals, which it captures by stalking, and on the carcases of large animals. The Grizzly Bear (U. ferox) > Case 25, the most formidable beast of prey of North America, in Miocene times spread over the whole of Europe, but now restricted to the Rocky Mountains. The Spectacled Bear (U. ornatus), Case 26, an interesting species, found isolated from the others in the Andes of Peru, no representative of this family occurring in Central America. The FIN-FOOTED CARNIVORES, or CARNIVORAPINNIPEDIA, con- sist of the Seals and their allies, and are distinguished by their limbs being developed into nippers, and adapted for locomotion in the water while they are almost useless on land, a modification fore- shadowed in the hind limbs of the Sea-Otter. They have very short tails, close fur, and large eyes, and have the power of closing their nostrils and ear-openings. They live for the greater part of the year in the sea, generally close to the shore, but at times wandering far from land, to which, however, they invariably resort during the breeding-season in order to bring forth their young. Their food consists almost entirely of fish, varied with crabs and cuttlefish, while the smaller species in their turn are preyed upon to a great extent by certain of the toothed Whales, such as the " Killer " ( Orca gladiator) ; and an enormous number, both of the Eared and True Seals, are killed every year by the sealers for the sake of their valuable fur and oil. The Eared or Fur-Seals (Otariidce) are distinguished from the remainder of the Order by possessing small external ears, and by being able to bend their hind feet forwards under their bodies and to use them for walking on land, showing in both respects a closer relationship to ordinary land animals than do the true Seals, in which the outer ear has been entirely lost, and the hind feet project straight backwards and are only used for swimming. The Eared Seals are exhibited in the Cases in the centre of the Gallery, and very fine male specimens of the Northern Sea- Lion (Otaria stelleri) and of the Southern (Of aria jubata) in a smaller separate case. Especially striking among these animals is the great difference in size between the male and female; MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Fig. 7. Northern Fur-Seal ( Callwliinus ursimis), rf and $ ; after Elliot. all Eared Seals seem to be polygamous. Of the numerous species, one of the most worthy of mention is the Fur-Seal (Callorhinm ursinus), of the North Pacific, from which most of the seal- skins sold are obtained. It may be observed that the coats of the stuffed specimens do not show any resemblance to the "seal-skin " of thetrade; in the latter only the soft under-fur of immature andfemale specimens is preserved, all the long coarse hairs having been removed. Intermediate in many respects between the Eared and True Seals are the Trichechida, containing but a single species, Triche- chus rosmarus, the Walrus, which lacks external ears, but uses its hind limbs after the manner of the Eared Seals. In one respect, however, it is quite unique namely, in its possession of enormously long and powerful canine teeth, or " tusks/' which project downwards far below the lower jaw, and are used for fight- ing, for climbing from the water on to the ice, and for digging on the sea-bottom for the shell-fish and crustaceans on which this species chiefly lives. Its range extends all round the North Pole, along the edges of the ice-fields. In the Phocida, or True Seals, the adaptation for an aquatic SEALS. 23 life has reached its highest development. They are without external ears, the palms and soles of their feet are covered with Fig. 8. The Common Seal (Phoca vitulina). hair, and their coat has no woolly under-fur, consisting only of long stiff hairs lying closely against the skin ; so that their fur is of value only for the manufacture of coarse wearing apparel. The family contains eight or ten genera, separated chiefly by the form of their teeth and the varying development of the toes, which in some are all of about the same length, while in others the first and fifth toes are much elongated beyond the rest, in order to support the web. The most noteworthy of the Phocidse exhibited are : the Sea-Leopard (Stenorhynchus leptonyx) , of the Antarctic seas ; the Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata), from Greenland, the male of which has a peculiar bag of skin on its muzzle, which it has the power of inflating with air when excited ; the Sea-Elephant (Macrorhinus leoninus), the largest of the family, sometimes attaining nearly 20 feet in length ; and various other smaller Seals, such as the Common Seal of the English coast (Phoca vitulina] . 24 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Order III. INSECTIVORA. (Case 27.) The small Order known as the Insectivora, or Insect-eaters, is a group of which our common English Hedgehog, Shrew, and Mole are typical examples. The members of it are small animals, of dull and inconspicuous coloration, gaining their living either by burrowing in the ground for worms and larvae, by hunting for beetles and other insects in the grass and underwood, or, more rarely, by climbing among trees after their prey. By far the greater portion are purely animal-feeders. Their voracity is extraordinary, in- stances being recorded, both of Moles and Shrews, in which two indi- viduals kept in the same cage have attacked each other, the victor eating the whole of its opponent, leaving the skin only. A fast of only three or four hours is fatal to most of them ; so that the total number of worms and insects destroyed by the members of this Order must be enormous. The range of the Insectivora extends over the whole world, with the exception of South America and Australia. They are divided into the following families : The Tupaiidce, or Tree-Shrews of India and Malaysia, so like Fig-. 9. The Tupaia (T'upaia tana). Squirrels both in appearance and habits as to be easily mistaken for them. They feed on various insects, and also to a small extent INSECTIVORA. 25 on fruit, and are the only Insectivores which habitually seek their [Case 27.] food by day. There are about twelve brightly-coloured, bushy- tailed species belonging to the family. The Elephant- Shrews (Macroscelididae) are long-nosed and long- legged little animals, natives of Africa, which use their long hind legs for leaping about over the sand 5 like kangaroos or jerboas, seldom putting their fore feet to the ground. This modification for leaping is very common in animals living in tracts of desert country, as it facilitates progress over deep loose sand. The Erinaceidte contain three genera Erinaceus, the Hedge- hogs, of which there are nineteen species, all extremely similar to our English Hedgehog, both in appearance and habits, and distri- buted over Europe, Africa, and Asia ; Gymnura, a long-tailed animal, closely related to the Hedgehogs, but looking externally much more like a large rat ; and Hylomys, also rat-like, but with a very short tail ; the two latter are natives of Malacca, Sumatra, and Borneo. Of the Mole family (Talpidae) there are two well-marked groups : (1) The long-tailed Myogale, one species of which lives in the neighbourhood of the Caspian Sea, and the second in the Pyre- nees. They are entirely aquatic in their habits, living on water- insects and crustaceans, which they obtain by the help of their long and peculiarly formed snouts. Their feet are edged with stiff A A, Fore foot of Mole (Talpa). B, Fore foot of the Golden Mole ( Chrysochloris). The digits are distinguished by numerals, the fifth being absent in ChrysoMoris. bristles to assist them in ' swimming, and> for the same purpose, their powerful tail is flattened from side to side. (2) The group of true Moles (Talpidce), which comprises a considerable number MAMMALIAN GALLERY. [Case 27.] of species, all strikingly alike externally, but differing among them- selves in the structure of their skulls and teeth. They are long- nosed, short-tailed animals, with rudimentary eyes, soft velvety fur, of such a structure as to lie equally well in either direction, thus enabling the Mole to move freely in its burrows either back- wards or forwards, and with short, broadened, spade-like fore feet, the toes being strong and all of nearly the same length (see fig. 10, A). With these highly efficient instruments the Mole is able to force the earth aside and throw it backwards while ikis burrowing in the ground. The Shrews (Soricida) form a family containing a very large number of mouse-like animals, differing from each other mainly by slight variations in their teeth, but all presenting very much the same external appearance. The great majority are terrestrial in their habits (as, for example, the English Common and Pygmy Shrews), burrowing on or close to the surface of the ground, and living on small beetles, worms, or any other animal food they can obtain. The large Indian Shrews, provided with scent-glands, by which a substance of a most penetrating odour is secreted. Others live in ponds and streams, feeding on water-beetles and crustaceans, for which they swim and dive with great facility. To this group belongs our common Water-Shrew (Crossopus fodiens) , a beautiful velvet-coated animal with a long tail, and with its feet, like those of the Myogales, provided with lateral swimming-bristles. The family of Tanrecs (Centetidce) is confined to Madagascar, and consists of about half a dozen species the spiny Tanrecs, or Ground-Hogs (Centetes) (among the largest of the Order), and the striped Tanrecs (Hemicentetes). To these is closely allied the rare Potamogale velox, a native of West Africa. In its habits it resembles the Otters, living almost entirely in the water, and feeding on small fishes, crustaceans, and water-beetles. The last family is that of the Golden Moles (Chrysochlorida), natives of South Africa, which are very like our European Moles in their general shape, but are distinguished, among other points, by the entirely different form of their anterior digging limbs, which are narrow, and each provided with an enormous central claw, the outer toes being quite small (see fig. 10, B) . There are five species BATS. 27 of Chrysochloris, some of them remarkable for the iridescence of their fur, which can be preserved by placing the animal in spirit, but entirely fades when it is dried and stuffed. Order IV. CHIROPTERA. (Case 27.) The Chiroptera *, or Bats, form one of the most sharply defined [Case 27.] of all the Orders of Mammalia, being characterized by the modifica- tion of the fore limbs into true wings, which have the power of flap- ping and propelling the animal through the air. The structure of a Bat's wing is of a very simple character. It consists of a frame- work formed by the bones of the arm and the enormously elon- gated fingers, between which the flying membrane (a continuation of the skin of the body) is expanded, being attached behind to the front of the hind leg. In most species there is also an addi- tional membrane spread between the hind legs, in which the tail is included. The thumb alone is free and assists in locomotion during the awkward attempts of the animal to walk on all fours. The hind limbs, which in other mammals have the function of propelling the body forwards, are almost entirely relieved of that office, being singularly weak and feeble, and of but little use to the animal except while asleep or resting, when it hooks the sharp claws, with which the hind toes are furnished, on to some support, and remains suspended with the head downwards until again ready to fly. The Chiroptera are divided into two distinct Suborders the Frugivorous and Insectivorous Bats, of which the first, as a rule, are of large size, with flattened teeth, suited for munching fruit, and with claws both on their first and second fingers ; the latter are of smaller size, with sharp-pointed teeth, suitable for crushing insects, and with claws on their thumbs only. Of the fruit-eating Bats, the most worthy of mention are the large brightly-coloured Flying Foxes, of which certain species, for example the Philippine Fruit-Bat (Pteropus jubatus), reach to * Greek, cheir, a hand, and pteron, a wing. 28 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. / between 4 and 5 feet in spread of wing. One of this group, Pteropus medius, is extremely common all over India, doing an enormous amount of damage to the fruit-gardens, to pillage which it is said they will make nightly expeditions of from ten to twenty miles, returning each morning to their accustomed sleeping- places. In striking contrast to these great animals is the tiny Carponycteris minimus, a true Fruit-Bat, but no bigger than a Mouse, which inhabits South Asia and Australia. Another notice- able species is the Long-nosed Bat (Harpyia cephalotes) , whose nostrils are elongated into peculiar tubes, the special use of which still remains to be discovered. There are about 70 species of Fruit-Bats, spread over all the tropical parts of the Old World. The Insectivorous Bats are much more numerous than the Frugivorous, numbering about 350 species, distributed over the whole world, and extending even to remote islands in the Pacific, where they are the only indigenous Mammals. With but few ex- ceptions they are of dull coloration. Though in other respects much alike, they present striking modifications in their facial cha- racters, many of them developing on their muzzles very remark- able structures, known as nose-leaves, which seem to be tactile organs of extreme delicacy, and which are of wonderful variability both in shape and size (see fig. 11). Fig. 11. Mountain Horseshoe-Bat of India (Rhinolophus luctus). Of the Insectivorous Bats exhibited, the following may be noticed : The Great Nose-leaf Bats (Megaderma) of Africa, Asia, and Australia^ which are the analogues among Bats of the Carni- vora^among Mammals generally, preying habitually on the smaller BATS. LEMURS. 29 species of Chiroptera; the Horseshoe-Bats of Europe (Rhino- lophus ferrum-equinum and hipposideros) ; the Long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritus], whose ear is nearly as long as its body; the Noctule (Vesperugo noctula), the largest of our English Bats; the peculiar-looking Cheiromeles torquatus of the East Indies; the White Bat (Diclidurus albus) of South America, one of the very few Mammals, and the only Bat, normally white in colour; the Vampire ( Vampyrus spectrum) , the largest of the American Bats, formerly erroneously supposed to be guilty of blood-sucking ; and, finally, the real blood -sucking Bat (Desmodus rufus), of which the specimen exhibited was caught by Mr. Darwin in the act of sucking blood from a horse. These Bats attack men as well as animals in their sleep, fanning the victims with their wings. The wounds they inflict are small, but often continue to bleed after the Bats are satisfied, and do not readily heal. Order V. DERMOPTERA. The single genus of this Order (Galeopithecus) has been placed Fig. 12. Galeopithecus. 30 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. by some with the Lemurs, by others with the Insectivores, but differs sufficiently from both to be considered apart. It contains the so-called Flying Lemurs of Malaysia and the Philippines, animals of about the size of a cat, with a lateral extension of the skin of the body, supported by the four limbs and tail, and forming a sort of parachute. By the help of this parachute, the Galeopitheci can float through the air for considerable distances from tree to tree, but their flying leaps are always in a descending direction, as in Flying Squirrels and Flying Lizards, and not as in Bats, which have the power of flapping their wings and rising and falling in the air at their pleasure. Galeopithecus lives exclusively on vege- table food. Two specimens, one of which has the parachute opened, are exhibited. Order VI. RODENTIA, OR GNAWING MAMMALS. (Cases 27-32.) The Rodentia, or Gnawing Animals, comprise the Squirrels, Rats, Hares, &c., and form by far the largest order of Mammals, containing over 900 distinct species, a number more than double that of the next largest, the Chiroptera. As a whole, the Rodents are distinguished by their small size, nocturnal habits, and vege- tarian diet, all of them living mainly on fruits, leaves, nuts, and other similar food, although many of the species will occasionally eat eggs, birds, fish, or other animal food. Their peculiar denti- tion, by which they are distinguished from other Mammals, is described on p. 83. With regard to their geographical distribution, they are, next to the Chiroptera, the most widely spread of all Orders, extending over the whole world, with the exception of the more remote Pacific islands, to which they have never had means of access. Many of the species are arboreal, like the Squirrels, or aquatic^ like the Water- Voles and Musquashes ; but the great majority are bur- rowing and terrestrial animals, which only come forth by night to seek their food, on which account, although so numerous, they are but little seen by ordinary observers. The Order is divided into those with only one pair of incisor teeth in the upper jaw, and those with two. The first of these SQUIRRELS. 31 Suborders contains by far the greatest number of species, and is itself divisible into three sections, of which the Squirrel, Rat, and Porcupine are severally typical. Of the Sciuromorpha, or Squirrel section, may be mentioned the following : The Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrels (Anomalurus) of Equatorial Africa (Case 27, above) , with membranous parachutes like the Flying "Case 27.] Lemurs described above (p. 30), and with a series of pointed scales so placed under the base of their tails as to be of use when the animal is resting on a vertical tree-trunk, the points of the scales sticking into the surface of the bark. The true Flying Squirrels of Southern Asia (Pteromys), perhaps the most brightly coloured of all Mammals ; with the exception of their flying membrane, there is no structural difference between them and the ordinary Squirrels. The Chipmunks, Sousliks, and Marmots (Tamias, Spermophilus, an&Arctomys) (Case 28, above) live in burrows of their own construc- tion. The Common Marmot (Arctomysmarmotta] inhabits the Alpine regions of Europe. The North-American Prairie-Marmots (Cy- nomys), better known as Prairie-Dogs, excavate a large number of deep burrows close together, forming what is called a town. Frequently they have to share their home with weasels, burrowing owls, and rattlesnakes, which quarter themselves on the unfortunate Marmots, and feed on their young. The Squirrels (Sciurus) (Case 28, below) form the largest genus of [Case 28.] the present group, about 70 species being known, distributed over the whole world with the exception of the Australian region. They range in size from species more than a foot in length, such as the Purple Squirrel (Sciurus indicus) of India, down to others scarcely larger than Mice, as, for example, the Black-eared Squirrel of Borneo (S. melanotis). Squirrels are generally bright-coloured, and vary in an extraordinary degree, as may be gathered from an examination of the instructive series of S. hypopyrrhus, the Grizzled Squirrel, placed in the lower part of Case 28. This species is orna- mented with patches or bands of white, yellow, grey, brown, and black, in every combination, each variety passing, by insensible gradations, into the next. Specimens of our common Squirrel also (S. vulgaris), killed respectively in England, Switzerland, and 32 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Siberia, would appear so different from each other as to be readily taken for three separate species, were it not that all the inter- mediate stages are known. The colours, moreover, change some- what according to season, winter specimens of the English species being decidedly greyer and less ruddy in tint than those killed in summer. [Case 29.] The Beaver (Castor fiber) (Case 29) is distinguished by its flat and scaly tail, webbed hind feet, and soft, thick fur. Its incisor teeth are of remarkable strength and sharpness, and it is able with them to gnaw through the trunks of large trees, which it requires for the construction of dams, in a short space of time. This interesting animal is rapidly becoming exterminated, owing to the great demand for its fur *, so that whereas it formerly in- habited the whole of Northern Europe, Asia, and America, it is now only to be found in a few isolated localities in the most inac- cessible parts of its proper range. Some naturalists regard the American Beaver as distinct from the European, and name it Castor canadensis. [Cases The Myomorpha, or Rat section (Cases 29 and 30), contains 29 & 30. J aDOU t go genera and 500 species, which are spread over the whole world, and externally present but few striking differences between the various forms. They possess generally large ears, long and more or less scaly tails, and bright prominent eyes. The families included in this section are : (1) The Myoxidce, or Dormice, beautiful soft-furred, bushy-tailed little animals, natives of Europe, North Asia, and Africa, of which one small species, Muscardinus avellanarius, the common Dormouse, is a native of England. (2) The Muridce, or Eats and Mice, of which may be mentioned the Gerbilles of India and Africa (Gerbillus}, with elongated hind feet, on which they jump like kangaroos ; the Rats and Mice of the Old World (Mures) } and the Vesper-Mice (Sigmodontes) of America; the Voles (Microtus, or, as they have been commonly called, Arvicola), whose best-known members are the common English Field- Vole (Arvicola agrestis), the Water- Vole or Water- R-at (Arvicola amphi- bius), and its ally the North-American Musquash (Fiber zibethi- cus), a beautiful albino example of which is exhibited in Case 30. * In the years 1864-1875 the Hudson's Bay Company sold on an average 150,000, and in the years 1876-1891 108,200 Beaver-skins per annum. PORCUPINES. 33 (3) The Bamboo-Rats and Rodent Moles of Asia and Africa (Spalacida), with short tails, thick heavy bodies, and powerful digging claws. (4) The Gophers and Pouched Mice (Geomyida), somewhat similar to the last, but provided with pouches in their cheeks, outside their mouths, often large enough to hold a walnut. (5) The Dipodida (Case 30), consisting of the long- legged and long-tailed Jerboas of North Africa and Asia, specially modified for leaping lightly over a yielding sandy soil. The Jumping Hare of the Cape Colony (Pedetes capensis) is also a member of this family. The Hystricomorpha, or Porcupine section, contains the fol- lowing : (1) The Octodontida (Case 31), with 17 or 18 genera, [Case 31.] nearly all confined to South America, of which the best known is the aquatic Coypu (Myopoiamus coypu), whose habits are similar to those of the Water- Vole, and whose fur is thick and soft, arid of considerable value. (2) The Porcupines (Hystricidd) (Cases 29 and [Cases 30, above), found both in the Old and New Worlds, are all covered 29 & 30< ^ with stout variegated spines, although in some of the species these are hidden in the long thick hair. The Porcupine of Southern Europe (Hystrix cristatd] is now becoming very rare, but several species closely allied to it are still very common in India and the Malay Archipelago. They feed on fruit, bark, and roots, and live in burrows of their own construction, with the exception of the South-American Tree-Porcupines, which are wholly arboreal, and have long prehensile tails. (3) The Chinchillas ( Chinchillida) , celebrated for their beautiful soft fur. (4) The Agoutis and their allies (Dasyproctidce) ; and (5) the Cavies (Caviidte) (Case 32), [Case 32$] to which belong the little animals known to us as Guinea-pigs, and the great Capybara (Hydrochcerus capybara}, by far the largest of the Order. Its habits are somewhat similar to those of the Hippopotamus, it being thoroughly aquatic, and feeding on water- weeds, grass, and other vegetable substances. The last three families are all entirely restricted to South America. The second suborder of Rodents, distinguished by possessing [Cas^s two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw, consists only of the Hares 31 & 32.] and Rabbits (Lepus) and the Pikas (Lagomys), animals far less specialized for gnawing than the other Rodents, and showing, in some respects, the links by which the Rodents are related to other D 34 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Mammals. Lepus (Cases 3] and 32, above) contains about 45 species, all on the whole very much alike, of which the three British species, the Common Hare (Lepus europaus), the Alpine or Varying Hare (L. variabilis), found both in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland, and the Rabbit (L. wmiculus) are typical examples. Lagomys (Case 32, below) consists only of about 8 species ; they are short-eared, little animals, known as Pikas or Calling-Hares, from the peculiar calling sound they make. They resemble Guinea-pigs in their external appearance, and are natives of Northern Asia and North America. Order VII. UNGULATA, OR HOOFED ANIMALS. Suborder PROBOSCIDEA. This Suborder, so named from the long trunk or proboscis into which the nose is produced, consists, at the present day, of two species only, the African and Indian Elephants. They are the survivors of a very large number of species which are now extinct, but ranged in former times over the whole of the northern half of both the Old and New Worlds. Elephants are heavijy-built animals,, with large ears, nostrils produced into a long flexible trunk, thick limbs, each provided with 5 toes, enclosed in a common skin, so that only the nails show externally, and of these there are, as a rule, only three or four on the hind foot ; tail well developed, reaching nearly to the ground ; skin almost naked, although in the extinct Mammoths it was clothed with long shaggy hair. Incisor teeth growing into long curved tusks, directed downwards and forward. The two existing species are : (1) The Indian Elephant (Elephas indicus), of rather smaller size than the African, with much smaller ears, a back arched upwards, with always 4 and sometimes, though very rarely, 5 nails on the hind feet, a finger-like process at the tip of the trunk, and with only small tusks in the female. It is an inhabitant of the Indian region from India and Ceylon, through Burmah and Malacca, to Sumatra. Of this species a rather small stuffed specimen is placed in the Saloon at the end of the Gallery, and there are several skeletons and skulls in the Osteological Gallery, which will be referred to later on (see p. 86). ELEPHANTS. 35 (2) The African Elephant (Elephas africanus) is of a somewhat larger size than the Indian, and has enormous ears, a more or less hollow back, only 3 nails on each of its hind feet, and its trunk ends in two equal-sized lips. The female has well-developed tusks, Fig. 13. A B Tips of Trunks of (A) Indian and (B) African Elephants. though not so large as those of the male. This species inhabited the whole of Africa south of the Sahara, but is now driven back towards the centre of the continent ; its fossil remains have also been found in North Africa and Southern Europe. It is more courageous and more ill-tempered than its Indian ally, and therefore more difficult to tame. The ancient Carthaginians and Romans understood how to train it, but none of the present African natives have attempted its domestication. Owing to the value of its ivory it is continually hunted, and it is therefore much to be feared that the species will ere long become extinct. Owing to the great difficulty of preserving the thick skin of so large an animal under the tropical sun of Africa, only a very young animal can be shown, at present, in the Saloon. But skeletons and skulls of full-grown individuals are exhibited in the Osteological Saloon. Suborder HYRACOIDEA. Allied both to the Elephants and Rhinoceros are certain small [Case 35.] animals looking like short-eared Rabbits, and known as Coneys (Hyrax, or, as they are now sometimes called, Procavia) (Case 35), of which about 14 species are distributed over Africa, and extend northwards into Arabia and Palestine. They are distinguished from their ponderous allies by their small size, peculiar dentition, and active habits. Their feet are provided with four anterior and three posterior rounded hoofs, quite unlike the claws of Rodents, and D2 36 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. their soles are covered with fleshy pads, which enable them to adhere to, and climb with safety up, smooth surfaces of rocks or trees. These animals are entirely vegetable feeders, some dwelling among rocks, others climbing up trees. Among the Rock-Coneys may be Fi>. 14. The Coney (Hyrax syriacus). specially mentioned the Hyrax syriacus, which is the " Coney " of our English translation of the Bible. Suborder PERISSODACTYLA. The Perissodactyla, or Odd-toed Ungulates, are represented at the present day by three well-known animals, the Rhinoceros, Tapir, and Horse, which have in common many important cha- racters, chiefly in their teeth and limb-bones, which will be better explained in connection with the skeletons exhibited in the Osteo- logical Gallery. Whilst in Miocene and Pliocene times this Sub- order was represented by a very large number of different forms, it is now so deficient in species and individuals that it must be supposed to be in a mure or less decadent condition. Of the Rhinoceroses there are five or six known species, all large animals, with such thick and unyielding skins as to neces- sitate in some the formation of deep folds to enable them to move their limbs with any facility, and with three toes on each foot. The horns, which are placed on their muzzles, differ essentially in structure from those of other Mammals, being composed of modified and agglutinated hairs. This group is now restricted to the African and Indian regions^ RHINOCEROS. 37 but in former times they were spread over all Europe, Asia, and America. One of them (R. tichorhinus) } a native of Europe and N. Asia, was invested with a coat of thick woolly hairs, just like its contemporary, the Mammoth. Specimens of the following species are exhibited on the left of the Saloon : The Indian Two-horned Rhinoceros (R. niger), a native of the Malayan peninsula, one of the rarest of the genus. The Common African Black Rhinoceros (R. bicornis), found all over Africa. It is distinguished from the next species by its elongated and pre- hensile upper lip, smaller size, and different habits. Its two horns are very variable in length, the front one being generally much the longer of the two, but in some specimens the posterior horn is as long as or longer than the anterior ; these latter specimens are often considered to be a distinct species, to which the name of " Keitloa-" is given. The White Rhinoceros (R. simus) of S. Africa, with a square upper lip, is a large species, of which no full-grown specimens have ever been sent to England. Its anterior horn is very slender, and has been found to attain to a length of four feet ; the animal being of a mild and timid disposition, and feeding chiefly on grass, uses its horn rarely, either for digging or for attack. This species is becoming very scarce and in danger of being exterminated, which is the more to be regretted, as from all accounts it was capable of being tamed. A young mounted specimen is placed near the R. bicornis. The large Indian Rhinoceros (R. unicornis), a one-horned species from North-eastern India, of which a full-grown male is exhibited. On the tops of Wall-cases 45, 46, 53, and 54, is a series of Rhinoceros horns representing variations of growth. The Tapirs (Tapirus) (Cases 35 and 36) are swamp-loving [Cases animals, excellent swimmers and divers, of which one species occurs 35 & 36.J in Malaysia and the others in Central and South America a distribution which shows that at some former period of the world's history they ranged all over the intervening countries, through China, Kamtschatka, and North-west America. In fact a fossil Chinese Tapir has been discovered in which the teeth are so perfectly preserved as to show that the species can only have become recently extinct. Of the five species of Tapir known 38 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. the Malayan has a white back, while the rest are nearly uniformly black when adult, although all when young are marked with lon- gitudinal stripes of yellow or white. They are thick-set animals, with short ears, and with their nose elongated into a short pre- hensile proboscis ; they have four toes on their fore, and three on their hind feet. In the Horses, Asses, and Zebras (Equidce) the toes are reduced in number to an extent entirely unique among the Mammalia, there being only a single digit on each of the four feet, enormously strengthened to bear the weight of the body, but yet retaining the same composition as our own middle finger. The wild species of this family are indigenous in the open plains of Asia and Africa. The herds of Wild Horses now found in America are the de- scendants of domesticated and introduced animals. Curiously enough, however, that continent was in former ages the head- quarters of the family, many different forms having been there developed, and become again entirely extinct. The two Cases in the centre of the Gallery show several members of the family, as, for instance, the nearly extinct true Zebra (Equus zebra) ; the comparatively common BurchelPs Zebra (Equus bur- chelli) of Central South Africa, distinguished by the different arrangement of the stripes on the body ; the Wild Ass of Central Asia; and several interesting cross-breeds between different members of the Horse family. Suborder ARTIODACTYLA. The Artiodactyla, or Even-toed Ungulates, are distinguished by having the two central hoofs of each foot equal in size. They consist of two very distinct groups. The members of the first are the Hippopotami and Pigs, which are non-ruminant, the second comprising all the Ruminants, or Mammals that chew the cud. Of the Hippopotamidce, which were once extremely numerous in this country, in Southern Europe, and India, only two species have survived, viz. the Common Hippopotamus (H. amphibius), too well known to require further notice, and of which several stuffed specimens are exhibited in the Saloon ; and the much smaller Liberian Hippopotamus (Case 37), which does not exceed a Wild Boar in size, and occurs only in a few localities in West Africa. PIGS. 39 The Pigs, or Suidte (Cases 37-40), are distinguished by their long snout, flattened in front, small eyes, four-toed feet, short tails, strongly- built bodies, and in disposition by their remarkable [Cases courage arid ferocity. They are represented in the Old World by the genus Sus, of which the Wild Boar of the continent of Europe may be looked upon as the most typical species. This animal, unlike its domesticated descendant, our Common Pig, is covered all over with thick grizzled hair, has a longer arid narrower- head, and great projecting tusks, with which it can rip up and kill a man at a stroke. The species is spread all over Europe (now exterminated in England), North Africa, and Western Asia, being replaced in China and India by another very closely-allied animal, almost identical in external appearance (Sus cristatus). Other noteworthy Old- World species are: The Papuan Pig (Sus papuensis) of New Guinea (Case 38) ; the Wart-Hog (Phacochcerus) and the peculiarly-coloured River-Hog (Potamochcerus) of Tropical Africa (Cases 37 and 38); the Babirusa (Babirusa a?furus)of Celebes (Case 40, above), an extraordinary hairless species, with long, upwardly-curved tusks, which in old age may grow so long as to describe an almost complete circle. The Pygmy Hog (Sus salvanius), of Nepal and Assam, is noticeable for its diminutive size, being seldom more than one foot in height and two in length; but is in other respects quite similar to the ordinary Pigs. In the New World, Pigs are represented by the Peccaries (Dicotyles) (Case 39), animals much smaller than an ordinary Wild Boar, and differing in their skulls and dentition from the Old- World Suidse. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the upper canine teeth do not project outwards and upwards, and are therefore less formidable weapons than the Boar's tusks ; but, notwithstand- ing this, the Peccaries are more dangerous to man than any other of the Pig-tribe, as they herd together in bands of from 15 to 40, arid make most determined attacks on any person the moment they are aware of his presence ; unless he is able to take refuge in a tree, or to kill nearly the whole of the band, he is very likely to fall a victim to their ferocity. They are themselves preyed upon by the Jaguar and Anaconda. The second great group of the Artiodactyles consists of the Ruminants, and contains (1) the Tylopoda or Camel tribe, (2) the 40 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. T/agulina or Chevrotains, and (3) the Pecora, or the Oxen, Ante- lopes and Deer, and the Giraffe. The molars of all these Mammals consist of two pairs of crescent- shaped lobes, and their stomach is composed of four, or, rarely, three divisions, from one of which their food is returned to their Fig. 15. Stomach of a Sheep, cut open to show the internal structure, oe, oesophagus, or gullet ; ru, rumen, or paunch ; ret, reticulum, or honey- comb ; ps, psalterium, or manyplies ; ab, abomasum j py, pylorus j du, duodenum, the commencement of the small intestine. mouth after it has been swallowed, in order to be chewed a second time, a process known as ruminating or chewing the cud. (1) The Tylopoda, the Camels and Llamas, are distinguished from the other Ungulates by their elongate and prehensile upper lip, their thick woolly fur, long neck and legs, two- toed feet, the pads of skin beneath their hoofs (whence the name Tylopoda, or " pad-footed "), their complicated stomach, whose walls contain a peculiar set of large cavities, the so-called " water-cells " (supposed, though with much doubt, to be for the purpose of storing water), their oval blood -corpuscles (all other Mammals having round ones), and by numerous other special characters. The first genus, Camelus, contains the Dromedary and the Camel, both domesti- cated, and ranging from North Africa, through Arabia, Persia, and Central Asia, to India. The Dromedary, with one hump on the back, is not known in a wild state ; while the two-humped Carnal (C. bactrianus) has recently been discovered living in a wild state by Russian travellers in the mountain-ranges of Central Asia. Even these, however, are supposed by some authors to be the descendants of domesticated individuals. The humps are large masses of fatty substance serving as a store of nutriment, which during periods of scarcity of food is gradually absorbed, and replenished when LLAMAS. 41 the animals meet again with abundant pasturage. As they also have the power of retaining water in their capacious stomachs for more than a week, Camels are quite invaluable as carriers in desert countries, where food and water cannot regularly be obtained, although in disposition they are both obstinate and ill-tempered, and are said never to attach themselves to their masters. The second genus of the Tylopoda is Lama, containing two [Cases species the Huanaco, which is the wild form of the domesticated a U 4*J Llama and Alpaca, and the much smaller Vicuna. They are natives of the Andes and adjoining plateaus of South America; the domesticated forms being used as beasts of burden in the same way as the Camels ; their wool, especially that of the Alpaca, is long and fine, and of considerable value. They are without humps on their backs, and much smaller and more lightly built than the Camels. The wide distance which separates the Llamas from the Camels at the present time has been partially bridged over by the recent discoveries of a large number of fossils referable to this group in North America, near the Rocky Mountains. Specimens of each of the two species of Camels are placed in the centre of the Recess facing the Llamas, which are in Cases 39 to 42. (2) The Tragulina, or Chevrotains (Case 42), are a group of [Case 42,1 small deer-like animals, of about the size of rabbits. Their feet are more like those of pigs, and their stomachs have only three, instead of four divisions. There are two genera in the group, namely, Tragulus, with five or six beautiful little species, ranging from India to Borneo ; and Dorcatherium, with but one, the Water-Chevrotain (D. aquations), of Western Africa. (3) The Pecora consist of a very large number of closely related animals, characterized by their generally lightly-built and graceful forms, their long narrow ears, large eyes, rudimentary or absent outer toes, absence of teeth in front of the upper jaw, and their com- plicated stomachs, which consist of four compartments. Among themselves they differ but little, at least in the more important characters, the horns and antlers, with which the males of most of the species are furnished, affording the most important points by which they can be subdivided. The families of Pecora are the following : The Bovida, or Bull tribe, containing the Oxen, Sheep, Antelopes, and Gazelles, is distinguished by the possession of true horns, present for the most 42 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. part in both sexes. Each horn consists of a bony core (an extension of the frontal bone of the skull), surrounded by the fibrous horn- substance, which grows from the base, while it is worn away at the tip, and which is never dropped off entire. This horn is never branched, but consists of a single hollow stem, which in the dif- ferent species varies considerably both in shape and size, as may be seen by an examination of the fine series placed along the tops of the Cases in the Osteological Gallery. The most remarkable specimens of Wild and Domesticated. Cattle are exhibited in the Saloon and the adjoining part of the Gallery, viz. : The head of a Hungarian Bull, as a representative of the Common Domesticated Ox (Bos taurus), the numerous races of which have been produced partly by crossing originally wild species (Bos primigenius, Bos lonyifrons, Bos frontosus), which now survive in their domesticated descendants only, and partly by artificial selection. A Brahmin Bull or Zebu (Bos indicus), the sacred Cattle of the Hindoos ; this specimen was bred from a pair presented by Her Majesty to the Zoological Society, and was thirteen years old at the time of its death in 188-k A pair of the Gaur (Bos gaurus], a native of North and Central India, almost untamable, and strong enough to hold its own against the Tiger. A Gayal (Bos frontalis), a species living domesticated in Assam and the neighbouring countries, but not known, at least in that region, to occur wild ; it is said by some authorities to be a modified domestic race of the Gaur, but by others, with more probability, to be a distinct species, of which wild specimens have been obtained in the mountains of Tenasserim. A Banteng (Bos sondaicus), the indigenous Cattle of Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. No specimen of the Common Buffalo (Bos bubalus] is exhibited at present; but numerous horns, showing the varieties of size and shape, are fixed on the wall of the Osteological Saloon. The Buffalo attains its greatest development in its original home, India, where one race (called the Ami) is armed with horns upwards of 6 feet in length ; it ranges into North Africa and South Europe. A pair of the wild Buffalo of South Africa (B. caffer] are ex- hibited, showing their enormously thick solid horns, the bases of which almost touch each other in the middle of the forehead. The European Bison or Wizent (B. bonasm), originally a native of the large forests of Europe, now restricted to the Caucasus, whence MUSK-OX. 43 came the pair of specimens presented by Mr. St. G. Littledale, and to the forest of Bialowicza in Lithuania, where it is protected by the Emperor of Russia, the donor of the fine Bull exhibited sepa- rately. The American Bison, erroneously called Buffalo (B. ameri- canus), which, except where protected, is now practically extinct, but which used to wander in innumerable herds over the prairies of North America, forming the chief means of subsistence to tribes of Indians, equally doomed to speedy extinction. Finally, the Wild Ox of Central Asia, the Yak (Bos grunniens), partly reclaimed and domesticated in Tibet and Mongolia. The Musk- Ox (Ovibos moschatus) is represented by a remark- ably fine series in Cases 57-60, for which we are indebted to the various British Arctic Expeditions. It is covered all over with very Fig. 16. The Musk-Ox. (Discovery Bay ; Voyage of H.M.S. ' Alert/) long hair, often nearly two feet in length, and with a thick woolly under-fur. It inhabits the Polar regions of the Western Hemi- sphere, between the 60th and 83rd parallels of latitude, and is found in herds of from 10 to 30. It is surprising that so large an animal should be able to subsist during the long Arctic winter on the scanty vegetation of those regions. When fat its flesh is well -flavoured, but lean animals smell strongly of musk. Notwith- standing the shortness of its legs, the Musk-Ox runs fast, and [Cases 57-GO.j 44 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. climbs rocks and precipices with as great ease as a Wild Sheep, to [Cases w ^ich it is more allied than to the Ox tribe. 47-52. J The Sheep form a small group, well characterized by their thick, heavy, and transversely-ridged horns, curved spirally outwards, and by their peculiar physiognomy, quite distinct from that of all their allies. Some of the wild species are as large as a donkey, and their horns are of enormous weight and strength. The specimens are placed in the large Case against the north wall of the Saloon, on the top of which are also some of the finest pairs of horns, the remainder being arranged in the Osteological Gallery. The most worthy of note are: The Wild Sheep of Cyprus (Ovis ophiori) ; the races inhabiting the Alpine ranges and plateaus of Fig. 17. Marco Polo's Sheep. Central Asia (Ovis poll, Ovishodgsoni, Ovis ammon, Ovis cyclocer os) '> of the first of these (Ovis poll), besides those in the case in the Saloon, a particularly fine series, shot and presented by St. George Littledale, Esq., are exhibited in the Central Case near the entrance to the Gallery ; the Wild Sheep of Kamtschatka and North-western America (0. nivicola) ; the Bighorn of North America (O.cana- densis); the Mufflon of Corsica and Sardinia (O . musimon) ' } the Burrhel (O. nahurd] ; and, finally, the very peculiar, long-haired, long-bearded Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus tragelaphus),vi\t\\ horns quite different both in character and direction from those of all its allies. Of the horns exhibited, by far the finest are those of Marco Polo's Sheep (O.poli), of the Pamir Plateau, Central Asia, of which the tips of the two horns are 56 inches apart, while each horn measures along the curves 64 inches, and describes more than a circle and a quarter when viewed from the side. Still larger examples are placed in the Osteological Gallery above. The habits of the different Sheep are all very similar : they live in highlands, some of the GOATS. 45 Himalayan species being seldom found lower than from 12,000 to 16,000 feet above the sea, climb with great facility, and are of all game the most wary and difficult of approach. It is almost impos- sible to ascertaiu now which of the Wild Sheep represent the ancestral stock from which the domestic races have descended. Probably, as in the case of oxen and dogs, they have a mixed origin from several distinct wild species. The Goats are distinguished from the Sheep by their laterally flattened horns, which are placed more upright on the head arid curve nearly directly backwards, often almost touching each other at their tips, by their long beards, shorter and less thickly-haired tails, and their strong, disagreeable odour. The Wild Goat (Capra agagrus), of the mountains of South-western Asia (Cases 53 [Cases and 54), is certainly the ancestor of our common domestic animal, & 54 'J which is in some respects degenerated, being much smaller, and possessing horns not half the size of those of the wild stock. The specimens in the Case were obtained in the Taurus Mountains of Asia Minor, and on Mount Ararat. The other Wild Goats, such as the Wild Goats of the Caucasus [Cases 45, (Capra caucasica and pallasii), the Pyrenean Thar ( C. pyrenaica) , and the Ibexes of the Himalayas, Alps, and Pyrenees, are exhibited in Cases 45, 61 to 66. The next group is that of the Antelopes and Gazelles (Cases 67 [Cases to 83), distinguished by their light build, bright colours, and slender arid variously curved horns. They are found in their fullest development in Tropical Africa, more than three fourths of the species being restricted to that continent. As might be expected from this fact, they are all peculiarly suited to life in open plains and deserts, being very swift of foot, and, as a rule, of such a colour as to harmonize well with their general surroundings. Of the Antelopes exhibited, too numerous and too closely allied for a detailed description here, the following may be noted : The Elands of Central and South Africa (Oreas), the largest of the group, and formerly acclimatized in this country, are placed in a separate case in the Saloon. The beautiful Lechee Antelope (Kobus lechee) . (Cases 67 and 68.) The Water-Buck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) (between Cases 63 and 66), and the Sing-Sing from Abyssinia (Kobus defassus) (between Cases 67-70). 46 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. The Sable and Roan Antelopes (Hippotragus niger and leuco- ph(us). Between 25 and 28 on the left, and 71 and 74 on the right side of the Gallery. The Bush-bucks (Cephylulophus^, some scarcely larger than rabbits; found all over Africa. (Case 71.) The Dwarf Antelopes (Neotragus and Nanotragus), the former with elongated tubular nostrils. (Between Cases 71 and 72.) The Saiga (Saiga tartarica], a very aberrant and peculiar species, a native of Russia and South Siberia, which has a still more elongated and tapir-like snout. (Case 73.) The Gemsbock (Oryx gazella) (between Cases 91 and 94), and the Beisa Antelope of Abyssinia (Oryx beisa). (Case 74.) The Gazelles (Gazella) (Cases 75 to 77) with their close allies, the curious long-necked Gerenook (Lithocranius walleri) and Clarke's Gazelle (Ammodorcas clarkei). The spiral-horned Indian Antelope or Black Buck (Antilope cervicapra}. (Case 78.) A fine male specimen and a younger female of the so-called Mountain-Goat of North America, a Mountain-Antelope, inhabiting the wildest parts of the northern Rocky Mountains (Haplocerus montanus), are temporarily placed in the Saloon. (Case 46.) Specimens of the Chamois from the Alps, Transylvania, and the Caucasus (Rupicapra tragus). (Case 79.) The Harnessed Antelopes (Tragelaphus). (Cases 81 and 82.) The Kudu (Strepsiceros kudu), one of the handsomest and largest Antelopes. (Between Cases 9 and 12 on the left, and 87 and 90 on the right.) The Gnus (Connuchetes), grotesquely built animals, which appear to have the head and fore-quarters of a buffalo, with the hind- quarters and tail of a pony. (Case 83.) Several species of Hartebeest (Alcelaphus caama, between Cases 29 and 32; Alcelaphus tora, between Cases 33 and 36; Alcelaphus lichtensteinii, between Cases 37 and. 40). Specimens of the Sassayby (Damalis lunatus) are exhibited in the same Case with the Cape Hartebeest and of Hunter's Antelope (Damalis hunteri) with Alcelaphus tora. [Case 84.] The Antilocaprida, the second family of the Pecora, contains only a single species, the Pronghorn of North America (Antilo- capra americana) (Case 84), the only one of the hollow-horned DEER. 47 Ruminants in which the horns are bifurcated, and are shed and renewed annually, the horny sheath slipping off its bony core, and being replaced by a fresh horny growth, a process wholly unlike anything found either in the Antelopes or Deer. In its habits it resembles the Antelopes, and is found in the open prairies of North America. The Giraffida, containing only the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopar- dalis), of which a stuffed specimen 17 ft. 4 in. in height, and a skeleton are placed in the centre of the Saloon* Its true horns are two in number, small, solid, persistent, and covered with hair, but it has besides a bony protuberance on the middle of the face, which increases with age, and in old animals appears as a third horn; it has only two toes on each foot, the outer ones being entirely absent. At the present time Giraffes are being driven further and further back into the centre of Africa, over the whole of which they used to range, like the other large animals of that continent, and it is feared that before very long the species will be entirely exterminated. Giraffes browse partly on ground vegetation, partly on the leaves of trees, their great height and long extensile tongues enabling them to strip branches which are far out of the reach of other animals. The Cervidce, or Deer family, consists of a very large number of genera and species inhabiting Europe, Asia, and America, but is, except for one species found in Barbary, entirely unrepresented in Africa. They are distinguished from the other Ruminants by their antlers, which in the majority of the species are present in the males only. Antlers are bony outgrowths of the frontal part of the skull, annually shed and renewed, without any horny sheath over them, but during growth covered with a sensitive hairy skin provided with blood-vessels, the so-called " velvet.-" When they have reached their full size, the blood-vessels become aborted at the "buny" close to the skull, and the "velvet" dries up and is rubbed off; the antlers, then bare and non-sensitive, are ready for their sole function fighting. The time of the growth of the antlers precedes the pairing-season ; after this is over, by a process of absorption near the base, they become detached from the skull, and are "shed.-" A more or less elongated portion or " pedicle " always remains on the skull, from the summit of which the new antler grows next year. The antlers increase in strength and complexity with the age of the animal, from the simple upright 48 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. suag of the one-year-old "Brocket" to the large many-tined antlers of the "Royal Hart/' as the fully adult Red Deer is generally called. These differences in the development of the antlers are also those of species as well as of age, some of the Deer never having more complex horns than a young Red Deer, while others have no antlers at any age. The series of separate antlers is placed on the tops of the Cases all round the Gallery. The following Deer may be specially mentioned : The Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) , formerly ranging over the greater part of Europe, is now found only in the northern regions of both the Old and New Worlds. It is the only member of the family in which both the male and female have antlers ; and these also are peculiar in not being quite alike on the two sides, the great pal mated brow-antler being, as a rule, developed on one side only. A set of European Reindeer are placed between Cases 17 and 20 on the left, and specimens from America between 79 and 82 on the right side of the Gallery. Only the European race has been domesticated. The Elk (Alces machlis) is the largest of the family, and also circumpolar in its distribution. European specimens are placed between 13 and 16 on the left, and American between 83 and 86 on the right. The Wapiti (Cervus canadensis) from North America, repre- sented by a stuffed male in Case 86. The Muutjacs (Cervulus), a small Asiatic group, in which the antlers are supported on long hair-covered pedicles of bone, longer than the portion which is annually shed and renewed. (Above Case 92.) The Fallow Deer (Dama vulgaris), a native of Southern Europe and Asia Minor ; introduced into England at an early but uncer- tain period, perhaps by the Romans. (Case 88.) The Roebuck (Capreolus capr&a), formerly found in all forests of Great Britain, but gradually driven to the north ; it has been reintroduced in certain places in the south of England. There is, for instance, a flourishing colony at Blandford, in Dorsetshire, a fine male from which is exhibited, with others, in Case 91. The Virginian and Mule Deer (Cariacus virginianus and macrotis) of North America. (Cases 92 and 93.) DEER. 49 The Pudu (Pudu humilis), of the Andes. (Case 93.) The Peruvian Roebuck (Furcifer antisiensis), from the Peruvian Andes. (Case 94.) The Musk-Deer (Moschus moschiferus) differs in many impor- tant structural characters from the other Deer, especially by its entire want of horns, and the great development of its canine teeth, which project outside the mouth some way below the chin. It is covered with a coat of long and thick hair, well adapted for keeping out cold ; its toes are so articulated as to open out very widely, an arrangement by which it is enabled to pass with ease over deep snow. It is an alpine animal, inhabiting the mountains of Central Asia from Thibet to China and Siberia. The " musk," which is now used as a perfume rather than a medicinal drug, continues to be a valuable article of trade. It is contained in a pouch of the size of a small hen's egg, on the lower part of the abdomen of the male. Order VIII. SIRENIA. See Osteological Gallery, p. 94. Order IX. CETACEA. See Cetacean Gallery, p. 104. Order X. EDENTATA. (Cases 33 and 34.) The Edentata, so named on account of the incompleteness of their dentition, or entire want of teeth, contain several widely different groups. The first, that of the Pilosa or Hairy Edentates, comprises the Sloths and Anteaters, which, though apparently very distinct, are yet linked together by numerous fossils filling up the gap between them. The Sloths (Bradypodidae) are characterized by their short round [Case 33.] heads, long fore legs, toes fastened together by skin and termi- nating in long curved claws, and by their coat of coarse brittle hairs. They are entirely tailless. They pass their whole existence on trees, hanging by their long and powerful claws to the under- side of the branches, never descending to the ground unless 50 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. compelled, and feeding on leaves and young twigs, for the masti- cation of which their few and simple teeth are sufficiently well suited. They are slow in their movements, but by no means so helpless as is often supposed, although they escape their enemies less by their own exertion than by the difficulty with which they are distinguished from the branch to which they cling. They inhabit the forests of Tropical America. The living species of Sloths are not much larger than a cat ; but remains of an extinct Sloth (Megatherium] occur in abundance in the Pampas of South" America, which exceeded an elephant in bulk. So ponderous an animal could only live on the ground. The Anteaters (Myrmecophagida] have narrow heads with long snouts, to accommodate their enormously long worm-like tongues ; their tails are well developed, and in some species prehensile, their toes separate from each other, as in ordinary mammals, and the third on the fore foot is provided with a huge digging claw. Like the Sloths, they are all natives of Tropical America. The Great Anteater (Myrmecophaga jubata) is about four feet in length and has a long black mane along its back, and a thick bushy tail. It is terrestrial in its habits, and feeds entirely on ants, which it catches with its long sticky tongue, after having torn open their nests with its powerful claws. Much smaller are the Tamanduas and the Two-toed Anteater, the latter being scarcely larger than a rat. Both lead an entirely arboreal life. The Loricata, or Shielded Edentates, consist of the single family Dasypodidcs, or Armadilloes, remarkable for the thick plates of ossified skin with which their bodies are covered, and which form immovable shields across the shoulders and hips, while the centre of the back is protected by a greater or less number of transverse bands of plates, jointed to each other by flexible skin. The head and tail are also covered by a mosaic of bony plates; but the belly and the inner sides of the limbs are clothed with soft skin only. They possess teeth, which are, however, of very simple character. Their fore feet have a variable number of long and powerful claws, and their hind feet have always five rather small claws. About twenty species are known. Prionodon maximus, the Giant Armadillo, is the largest, measuring more than two feet in length ; while the smallest, rarest, and in many respects the most interesting, is the Mole- Armadillo (Chlamydophorus truncatus), which has the outer shield ARMADILLOES. 51 attached to the hip-bones by peculiar bony processes. Like a mole, it leads a subterranean life. The Three-banded Armadilloes Fig. 18. West- African Pangolin (Manis tricuspis). (Tolypeutes) have the power of rolling themselves up into a perfect ball like hedgehogs, the head and tail fitting into corresponding notches in the dermal shield. Armadilloes are ground-animals. E2 52 MAMMALIAN GALLERY. Case 34.1 able to burrow in the soil with surprising rapidity, either with the object of escaping danger or in search of their food, which consists of roots, insects, worms, reptiles, and carrion. They are found in the warmer parts of America only, where also the remains of their extinct gigantic predecessors (Glyptodori) occur in great abundance. In the Old World the Edentata are represented by the Manid 3 ^ S o CS-3 all- S* 5 ^ o 3 1 ** r^ fn -CO ^ 3! r^ SEALS. 77 dentition being that of animals living as much on vegetable as on animal food. They are wholly plantigrade, and their claws are non- retractile. They are a remarkably homogeneous group, there being but few differences between them other than their relative sizes and the proportions of their teeth. Skeletons are mounted of Brown (Ursus arctos) and Polar Bears (U. maritimus), besides" a large series of skulls of different species. The second great division of the Carnivores, the Carnivora Pinnipedia, or Seals, is strikingly modified in general form, yet shows clearly its relationship to the Land Carnivores, and especially to the Bears. The skeleton of a typical Seal (fig. 35) is elongate, with a small skull, no clavicles, rudimentary tail, and limbs of which the upper bones are very short, while the hands and feet are long, with five well-developed toes. The hind legs are turned backwards, so that the two soles are opposed to each other when the animal swims, the two together forming a single posterior swimming-paddle. Their action is similar to that of a person propelling a boat with a single oar worked from the stern. The skull (see fig. 36) has no postorbital processes, and the posterior teeth are not differentiated in the same way as those of Fig. 30. Skull of Sea-Leopard (Stenorhynchus). the Land Carnivores, there being no specialized sectorial tooth, nor any flat tubercular teeth at the back of the mouth, all the teeth being long and sharp, with the points directed towards the throat, and forming admirable instruments for catching and hold- 78 OSTEOLOGICAL GALLERY. ing such slippery prey as the fishes on which Seals feed ; but the teeth are useless for biting the prey into small pieces, each fish being invariably swallowed whole. Some of the Seals have their teeth provided with additional sharp-pointed cusps along their edges, as in the Sea-Leopard (Stenorhynchus leptonyx] (fig. 36). This description applies fully only to the true Seals or Phocida, the Otariida, or Eared Seals, resembling ordinary Carnivores far more, especially in the position of their hind limbs, as already explained on p. 21. The Walrus is in many ways intermediate between these two families, but its dentition is very remarkable, the canine teeth being enormously developed, while all the other teeth are small and rudimentary and with flattened crowns. A skeleton of this animal is exhibited in the recess between Cases 7 and 8, and several skulls and tusks are in Case 7, Division D. Order III. INSECTIVORA. [Case 8.] The Insectivora (Case 8 A) are a group of animals not easily defined by common osteological characters, and containing many forms in which parts of the skeleton are remarkably modified. Their teeth are strong and well developed, and, in the majority, clearly separable into the usual divisions ; but in some, such as the Fig. 37. A Dentition of (A) Tanrec (Centetes ecaudatus) and (B) Hedgehog (Erinaceus europceus). c, canines ; i, incisors j m, molars ; pm, premolars. INSECTIVORA. 79 Shrews and Moles, the incisors, canines, and premolars are by no means readily distinguished. Throughout the Order the premolars and molars are covered with minute, pointed cusps, suitable for crushing the insects on which, as may be gathered from their name, nearly all the Insectivora feed. The zygomatic arches are generally either weak or entirely absent. The dentition offers many important differences : thus the Desmans (Myogale) have enormous incisors and small canines, while the opposite is the case in the Moles (Talpd) and the Tanrecs (Centetidce) . And, further, the whole Order is divided into two groups, distinguished by the shape of the molars, which are either triangular and tricuspid, as in the Tanrecs and Golden Moles, or square and multicuspid, as in the Hedgehogs, Moles, and Shrews (see fig. 37, A & B) . Skeletons of all the chief types are exhibited ; the most note- worthy are those of the Moles (Talpa) (fig. 38), in which the Fig. 38. Fore part of Skeleton of Common Mole. A, Side view. B, Front view of shoulder -girdle. c } carpus ; cl, clavicle ; /, falciform "bone ; h, humerus ; me, metacarpus ; phj phalanges ; r, radius ; sc, scapula ; st, sternum ; u } ulna. 80 OSTEOLOGICAL GALLERY. humerus (h) is enormously large, strong, and ridged,, to afford inser- tion for the powerful digging-muscles ; the scapula (sc) is long and straight, and the fore foot, in addition to its proper complement of five toes with strong nails, possesses a much enlarged os falciforme (/), adding to the breadth and strength of the palmar surface. The pelvis or hip-bone is much compressed, in order that the hind legs, which are comparatively weak and small,, should not project too much laterally. OrderlV. CHIROPTERA. [Case 8.] The Chiroptera, or Bats, are characterized by the possession of the power of flight; for this purpose the whole fore limbs are enormously elongated and strengthened, the finger-bones being especially long (fig. 39). The forearm is formed almost entirely by Fig. 39. Skeleton of a Fruit-Bat (Pteropusjubatus). d, clavicle ; cv, cervical vertebrae : d, dorsal vertebrae ; fb, fibula ; fm, femur ; h, humerus ; hx, hallux ; I, lumbar vertebrae ; me, metacarpals ; mt, metatarsals ; ph, phalanges ; pv, pelvis ; px, pollex ; r t radius ; s, sacral vertebrae ; sc, scapula; s&, skull; b, tibia; ts, tarsus; u, ulna. BATS. 81 the radius (r), the ulna (u) being rudimentary. The thumb (px} is short, free from the flying-membranes, and provided with a claw (ph) ; while the other fingers are long, slender, and clawless, with the exception of the index, corresponding to our fore finger, which in some genera also possesses a claw. Clavicles (cl) are well developed in all the species. The hind limbs, on the other hand, are thin and feeble, and dif- ferent from those of all other mammals in that they are rotated backwards, so that the knee, like the elbow, is directed backwards. Those species which are provided with a flying-membrane between the hind le at a corresponding sacrifice of strength and rigidity. As already mentioned (p. 31), Rodents are divided into two Suborders, according to the number of their upper incisors, those with only a single pair being the Simplicidentata (see fig. 44), while those that have a second smaller pair behind the large front ones are called Duplicidentata (fig. 45). [Case 8.] Of the Simplicidentata, the Squirrel section (Div. B, above) are distinguished by always having at least one premolar, by having a flattened, not twisted, lower jaw, small palatine foramina, and by their two shin-bones, the tibia and fibula, always remaining separate from each other during life. They generally have well-marked postorbital processes. To this group belong the Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrels (Anomalurus) , the true Squirrels (Sciurus), the Beavers (Castor), &c. The Beaver's incisors are, perhaps, the finest exam- ples of gnawing-teeth, being the instruments with which that animal is able to cut down good-sized forest-trees, to build them up into dams for their dwelling-places. The Myomorpha, or Rat tribe (Div. B below), have a variable number of premolars (0-3), a flattened lower jaw, no postorbital processes, very long palatine foramina, perfect clavicles, and their tibia and fibula are always joined to each other about halfway down (see fig. 43) . Of the large number of genera and species belonging to this tribe, there are exhibited skeletons of Dormice (Myoxus), common Rats and Mice (Mus), Voles (Microtus), Mole- Rats (Spalax), Pouched Rats (Geomys), Jerboas (Dipus), and numerous others. The Hystricomorpha, or Porcupine tribe (Divs. C E), have PORCUPINES. 85 almost invariably one premolar above and below, a peculiarly twisted lower jaw, variable palatine foramina, generally no postorbital pro- Fig. 43. Lower hind leg of Rat. f. fibula ; t, tibia. cesses, and separate sbin-bones. The animals forming tbis section are very variable botb in size and osteological characters. The most noteworthy are the true Porcupines (Hystrix), which have Fij?. 44. Skull of Common Porcupine (Hystrix cristatd). The outer part of the bone of the lower jaw has been removed, to show the whole length of the lower incisor tooth. i, incisor teeth ; m, molars ; pm, premolars. the facial part of the skull curiously dilated (see fig. 44) ; the Capybara (Hydrochoerus capybara}, the largest of the Rodents; 86 OSTEOLOGICAL GALLERY. the Paca (Ccelogenys pacd), whose zygomatic arches are much en- larged and swollen, and protect a pouch opening into the mouth. The second Suborder (Duplicidentata) (Div. F) consists of the Hares and Rabbits (Lepus) and the Pikas (Lagomys). Their chief peculiarity is that some bones of their skulls are singularly im- perfect, consisting in parts merely of a sort of bony network, Fig. 45. Skull of Common Hare (Lepus europceus). i, incisors ; m, molars j pm, premolars. especially in the neighbourhood of the olfactory chamber. They possess postorbital processes, very large palatal foramina, and united shin-bones. Order VII. UNGULATA. Suborder PROBOSCIDEA. Numerous teeth and skulls of both species of Elephant, and of [Case 9.] different ages, are placed in Case 9; several other skulls and six skeletons (of an African male, Sumatran female, a gigantic Indian tuskless male, two tuskers, and one female) are exhibited in the adjoining Saloon. The Elephants (Case 9) are characterized by the strength and solidity of all their bones, and by their incisor teeth being deve- loped into long and formidable tusks. Their skull (fig. 46) presents many special features : it is pro- portionately very large and high, and the occipital surface looks obliquely upwards, instead of backwards as in other Mammals. ELEPHANTS. 87 The nasal aperture is on the top of the skull, and directed nearly vertically upwards ; but in the living animal it forms the base of the elongated trunk, at the extremity of which are the real external nostrils. The great size of the skull, which is necessary for the support of the heavy tusks and trunk, is produced by an unusual development of air-cells in the cranial bones, so that the outer surface of the skull of an old elephant is often nearly a foot Fig. 46. Skull of African Elephant (Elephas africanus). distant from the inner wall of the brain-case, the latter increasing but little in size as the animal gets older. These air-cells may be seen in the longitudinal section of an Indian Elephant's skull in Division B ; or, through the bullet-holes, in the skull of the old " rogue" Elephant mounted in the Saloon. Elephants possess no lower incisors, and the single upper pair form the great ivory tusks ; there are no canines ; the molars are remarkable in that their succession does not take place in a ver- tical direction, as is usual among mammals, but from behind for- wards. Never more than one, or portions of two, molars are in use at any one time, and as that is pushed forwards and finally falls out, the next one behind it takes its place. In this way six molars are successively brought into use and shed during the animal's life. The inverted skull in the Saloon shows the manner of this succession very well, the fifth tooth of the series being in place both above and below, with the sixth and last one ready formed behind to take its place. 88 OSTEOLOGICAL GALLERY, The crowns of these grinding-teeth are made up of a variable number of lamina or thin plates, each composed of an outer layer of enamel and a core of dentine, the laminae being themselves bound together side to side by a substance known as cement. In the African Elephant each lamina, when seen in section, is lozenge- shaped, so that the grinding-surface of the tooth when worn has the appearance shown in fig. 47. In the Indian species, however, the lamina? have flattened parallel sides, and thus the tooth-surface pre- sents numerous transverse parallel bands of enamel, as in fig. 48. Fig. 48. Molars of African and Indian Elephants. Various modifications of these patterns have been found in the teeth of extinct Elephants, and a large number of species have been distinguished accordingly. Suborder HYRACOIDEA. [Case 10.] The Coneys (Case 10, Div. A) are of small size, which alone is sufficient to distinguish them from their huge allies; but they are also characterized by their peculiar dentition. The molars much resemble those of the Rhinoceros, whilst the incisors are quite unique in structure and shape, the upper ones being rootless like those of CONEYS. 89 the Rodents, triangular in section, with one of the angles directed forwards, so that, by a somewhat similar mode of wearing as that described in Rodents, a sharp point is formed and preserved at this angle. The lower incisors are short, flattened, and rooted. The dental formula is: I. J, C. , Pm. |, M. |x 2 = 34. No extinct forms at all closely related to the Hyracoidea have been discovered. Suborder PERISSODACTYLA. The Perissodactyla, or Odd-toed Ungulates, composed at the present time, as already noted, of the Rhinoceros, Tapirs, and Horses, are characterized by the central line of the foot passing Fig. 49. Fig. 50. IV HL Bones of fore foot of Horse and Rhinoceros, c, carpus ; me, metacarpus. down the middle of the third toe, which is always the largest, the other toes being ranged in a receding series on each side of it (see fig. 50). Generally only one or three toes are present ; but the Tapirs possess a fourth outer toe on their fore feet, the third toe, however, still forming by itself the central and main axis of the foot. The Perissodactyla are further marked by having their 90 OSTEOLOGICAL GALLERY. premolar and molar teeth in one unbroken series, the posterior premolars much resembling the true molars in shape and size. The dorsal and lumbar vertebrae together number at least twenty- two ; and, as in all other Ungulates, clavicles are entirely absent. The three existing families of this Suborder, the Rhinocerotida, Tapirida, and Equidce, are sharply separated by the structure of their molar teeth and by the numbers of their toes ; these families are, however, very closely connected by numerous intermediate fossil forms, the majority of which have been found in North America. Such are the Lophiodontida, the oldest Perissodactyles, from the Lower and Middle Eocene, allied to the Tapirs ; and the Hyracodontidce, Macrauchennda, Chalicotheriid