632 CLASS XVIT. 



Phalanx I. Prohoscidea. 



Family X. Ehphantina. Incisor teeth in upper jaw two, 

 exsert, large; canine teeth none; molars large, with crown elon- 

 gate. Feet pentadactylous. Nose elongated into a long, prehensile 

 proboscis. Two pectoral mammfe. 



To this division belongs only a single genus now living, that of 

 the elephants, of which also there are fossil remains from the 

 diluvial period. To it belongs in addition the extinct genus 

 Mastodon Cuv., in which the crowns of the molars have nipple- 

 shaped tubercles placed in pairs, and of which the species lived 

 in the tertiary and diluvial periods.- 



Mastodon giganteus Cuv., Pander u. D'Alton Die Shelete der Pachy- 

 dermata, Tab. in. The fossil remains of this animal are found in North 

 America. (The name of Mammoth has been given incorrectly to this 

 animal; it belongs to ElepJias primigenius.) A skeleton of this species is 

 known that weighs looo pounds; it was of the height of the elephant but 

 longez-. In younger individuals two incisor teeth occur in the under jaw 

 also; they are short and lie horizontally; these have introduced the genus 

 Tetracaulodon ; Godman Transact, of the American Phil. Soc, new Series, 

 Vol. III. P. 2, Philadelphia, 1830, pp. 478 — 485 (transferred to the Ann. 

 des Sc. nat. xx. 1830, pp. 292 — 301). Sometimes one or two incisors are 

 persistent on the right side, in the male according to the surmise of OwEN, 

 which would seem to be analogous to the tusk of the male Narwhal 

 {Annals and Magaz. of nat. Hist. XI. 1843, pp. 147 — 151 ; see also Owen, 

 History of British fossil Mammals and Birds, London, 1846, pp. 292, 293, 

 and Laurillard in the fourth edition of Cdvier Rech. sur les Oss. foss. 

 1S34, II. pp. 372, 373. Remains of Mastodon axe found in various coun- 

 tries of Europe which belong to another species {Mastodon angustidcns 

 Cuv.) ; see CuviER Eech. sur les Oss. foss. i. 3ifeme ^d. p. 250 et suiv. 

 But the distinction between Mastodon and the elephants is not so sharply 

 defined, or else there exist transitions in some molars which have been dug 

 up. Owen Hist, of Brit. foss. Mamm. p. 273, Odontography, p. 614. 



2-2 

 Ele^has L. Molar teeth mostly ^ — - , lamellose. 



The large tusks, which supply the ivory, are the incisors of the upper 

 jaw. The molars, consisting of several plates united together by cement 

 (see p. 575), succeed each other from behind forward, by slow advancement. 

 Cominonly two such are visible, sometimes three or even one only. Although 

 there are five fingers, yet these are not distinguishable on the heavy feet, 

 which appear as though truncated, except by the nails or hoofs, which on 

 the fore feet are five or four in number, on the hind feet four or three. The 

 most remarkable part of the elephant is its proboscis or trunk, of which 

 ■we have already spoken above. The elephants live in forests in the tropical 

 regions of the old world, mostly in troops. Tlie size of these animals is 



