CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOEPHOLOGY OF THE MAMMOTH. 333 



restored condition and false direction of the tusks of the Adams 

 Mammoth skeleton were unrecognized by Cuvier, to whom it was 

 known only from a drawing. By the reproduction of Tilesius' 

 draAving in his celebrated work, the same was made loiown to, and 

 distributed throughout, the world, and thereby false ideas regarding 

 the tusks of the mammoth were disseminated. For wherever a 

 picture of a mammoth skeleton is desired, a copy of the drawing 

 above mentioned is always to be found. 



The discovery of the Beresovka Mammoth, which helped to clear 

 uj) the misconception regarding the position and direction of the 

 tusks, is, therefore, so much the more important. It is quite certain 

 that some one will yet be fortunate enough to find in the Siberian Far 

 North a skull of Elephas pi'im-igenius with fully developed tusks still 

 in their original position, and preserve them for science ; and I believe 

 such a discovery will establish positively my views as here given. 



The knowledge of the exterior of the mammoth is, through the 

 carcass brought to light at Beresovka, if not carried to finality, at 

 least extended in an important degree. The completeness of the dis- 

 covery was thwarted, as above mentioned, principally by the insuffi- 

 cient protection afforded by the provisional shelter of the body. 

 Thereby a large part of the hairy covering of the epidermis was 

 detached, a part of the back and all the soft parts of the head were 

 destroyed, particularly the characteristic organ of the proboscidi- 

 ans — the trunk — a part of Avhich was, however, found by the original 

 discoverer. Yet, through the Beresovka Mammoth, many deficien- 

 cies and many errors in our knowledge of the morphology of 

 Elephas primigenius are corrected, and we are placed in a position 

 through this discovery to make a more nearly accurate picture of this 

 fossil elephant than was possible previously. 



