1G8 Capt. Cautley on a Fossil Rmamant allied to Giraffida?. 



dimensions its congener of the present period, or the Ursus 

 SpelcBus and bears of the German caves, with a species of 

 hyaena at least one-third larger than that now existing. The 

 reptiles also have their gigantic representative in an entirely 

 new genus of the tortoise, for which we propose the generic 

 name of Megalochelys, from the enormous proportions of its 

 remains as yet discovered, and the size of its femoral and hu- 

 meral extremities equaling those of the largest rhinoceros. 

 The question, however, does not appear to be whether the ani- 

 mals of former periods were larger than those now existing, 

 but whether the genera of larger animals were not more nu- 

 merous? AVe appear to be gradually losing all the larger 

 forms of the creation. The elephant and giraffe of the present 

 period will in all probability share the same fate as the Mas- 

 todon and Sivatherium of former eras, and be only recognized 

 in the proofs exhibited by the researches of the geologists. 



Having discovered the type of a gigantic Ruminant amongst 

 the fossils of the Siwaliks in company wdth the remains of the 

 larger Pachydermata, and having at the same time proved the 

 existence of the camel, with other numerous species of the 

 cervine and caprine family of Ruminants, it was not by any 

 means improbable that the present tribe of Giraffidce should 

 have its representative, so that the connexion of the chain of 

 existing and fossil Ruminants might be still more perfect. 

 The discovery of the Sivatherium and camel in conjunction, 

 led to the probability of the existence of the giraffe, giving this 

 genus the first position amongst the family of Cervidce. The 

 fossil now to be described appears to throw some light on the 

 subject ; and should further research tend to corroborate the 

 contents of this paper, it w ill be interesting to remark on the 

 co-existence of the Sivatherium, Camel and Giraffe wdth Qua- 

 drumana, Anoplotheria, Mastodons, and reptiles so closely re- 

 sembling those of the present rivers, that it is not possible to 

 discover, in their osteological pictures at least, any remarkable 

 deviation from the type Avhich has been left to us. 



The remain which I wish to describe is the third cervical 

 vertebra : it was cleared out of a block of sandstone, and as is 

 usual in similar cases, is very perfect in all its parts and pro- 

 portions, and sufhciently armed with processes for the pur- 



