ON BRITISH FOSSIL MAMMALIA. 213 
centre; the summits of the plates are originally divided, with more regularity, 
-in general, than those in the Indian Elephant, into three digital processes, 
the middle being usually the broadest and thickest ; this character is shown 
by the middle dilatation when the three digitations are worn down to their 
common base. Only in one small molar, from the brick-earth at Grays, Essex, 
in the collection of Mr. Wickham Flower, have I seen the median rhomboidal 
dilatation, extending, in the abraded plates, so near the end of the section as to 
approximate the characteristic shape of the plates of the African Elephant’s 
molar; from which, however, the fossil was far removed by its thinner and 
more numerous plates. The fictitious character of the Klephas priscus of 
Goldfuss and of V. Baer, one of the eight fossil species admitted in the com- 
pilation of V. Meyer, has been demonstrated by Cuvier. I have met with no 
nearer approach to this nominal species among the numerous British Mam- 
moth’s grinders that I have examined, than the example just quoted from 
Grays; I need hardly say that I regard it as another of the numerous varie- 
ties to which the molars of the Mammoth were subject. 
The clefts that separate the transverse plates are deeper at the sides than at 
the middle of the tooth in all Mammoths’ grinders ; hence the ridges of enamel 
in a much-worn molar are confined to the outer and inner sides of the grinding 
surface, which is traversed along the middle by a continuous tract of dentine. 
The layer of enamel extends to this exposed tract, is reflected back upon the 
opposite side of the lateral cleft, bends round the outer margin of the remain- 
ing base of the plate, and is continued into the next fissure, and so on. When 
the edge of this sinuous coat of enamel is exposed by friction, it describes what 
Mr. Parkinson has called a “ Deedalian line,” and he has figured two examples 
of teeth so worn down in the ‘Organic Remains*.’ Having noticed the 
structure in three specimens, Mr. Parkinson conceives it to be characteristic 
of a distinct species of Mammoth. But the ordinary teeth of the Mammoth, 
from the unequal vertical extent of their plates above described, must neces- 
sarily produce the continuous undulating lateral lines of enamel when worn 
down to a certain extent. I have seen it only in a few amongst the numerous 
molars of the Mammoth examined by me, for teeth so worn down are rare. 
It is well shown in the remains of a very large molar, found in the beach near 
Happisburg, Norfolk, which on a grinding surface of 4 inches 9 lines in length 
and 4 inches wide, shows seven dentinal plates worn down to their common 
uniting base of dentine, along the middle of the surface. 
It sometimes happens that the outer and inner margins of a plate, which 
are always deeper than the middle part, are not on the same transverse line, 
but one is inclined a little in advance of the other. In this case the abraded 
crown of the tooth, when worn down to the common middle base of dentine, 
displays an alternating disposition of the folds of the outer and inner sinuous 
lines of enamel. This variety affords grounds of the same kind and value for 
a distinct species of Mammoth as for the two other new species proposed by 
Mr. Parkinson. 
A consideration of the anatomical structure and an extensive comparison 
of the teeth in question have led me to the conclusion, that whilst some of 
the supposed specific characters are due to effects of changes produced by 
age, the others are due to the latitude of variety to which the highly complex 
molars of the Hlephas primigenius were subject. 
In proof of such variety we have the analogy of existing species: that such 
variety is the characteristic of a particular part of the enduring remains of 
the Mammoth, may be inferred from the absence of any corresponding dif- 
* PI, 20. figs. 5 and 7. 
