on the left bank of the Irawadi in Ava. 57 



paring, as I have done, the grinders with those of the Indian 

 elephant, as well as the accurate descriptions and representations 

 of both in the work of Cuvier. In the different species of ele- 

 phants the crown of the molares or grinders is marked by su- 

 perficial transverse bands. In the mastodon the form is wide- 

 ly different, the crown being marked by deep transverse fur- 

 rows and ridges, the latter divided into two or more obtuse py- 

 ramidal points or mamillae. It was this singular appearance 

 which made the mastodon a long time be considered erroneous- 

 ly as a carnivorous animal. Five species of the genus masto- 

 don are supposed by Cuvier to have been discovered, and I 

 imagine the bones now under consideration will be found to 

 constitute a sixth species, for the molares, on which he princi- 

 pally rests for his specific distinctions, differ very materially 

 from the representations which he has given of the ascertained 

 species. The mastodon of Ava, if it be a distinct species, will 

 be found equal in size to the great mastodon of Ohio, which is 

 reckoned to be equal in size to the Indian elephant. A grinder 

 which I examined measures in circumference between sixteen 

 and seventeen inches, and the circumference of a humeriis round 

 the condyles is not less than twenty-five inches. Several of the 

 grinders and bones, however, apparently of an animal of the 

 same species, are much smaller than these, but this is probably 

 on account of their belonging to younger individuals. I need 

 hardly observe that our mastodon, like others of the same ge- 

 nus, and all the species of the elephant, had tusks. Several 

 fragments of these, but no entire tusks, are contained in the 

 collection. 



The next most remarkable remains of the collections after 

 those of the mastodon are those of the fossil rhinoceros. There 

 are several molares of an animal of this genus in the collection, 

 Cuvier describes four species of the fossil rhinoceros to have 

 been ascertained, all differing from the living species. The 

 l)ones now found bear a striking resemblance to one of the spe- 

 cies represented by Cuvier, but the molares are considerably 

 larger than any of those which he has represented. 



The collection seems to me to afford evidence of the exist- 

 ence of two other animals of the same family with the ele- 

 phant, mastodon, and rhinoceros, at least teeth which I have 



