368 Mr. White s OhfervatioHs on a 



of elephants ; and many modern philofopherS 

 have held the Mammouth to be as fabulous as 

 the Centaur. 



The great difference in fize they endeavour 

 to account for, as arifing from difference in age, 

 fex, and climate; and the caufe of their being 

 found in tliofe northern parts of the world, 

 ■where elephants are no longer natives, nor can 

 even long exift, they prefume to have arifen 

 from hence ; that, in the great revolutions which 

 have happened in the earth, the elephants, to 

 avoid deftruftion, have left their native country, 

 and difperfed themfelves wherever they could 

 find fafety. Their lot has been different. Some 

 in a longer, and others in a fhorter time after their 

 death, have been tranfported to great diftances by 

 fome vaft inundations. Thofe, on the contrary, 

 which furvived, and wandered far to the north, 

 muft neceflarily have fallen victims to the rigours 

 of the climate. Others, without reaching to fo 

 great a diilance, might be drowned, or perifli 

 with fatigue. 



In the year 1767, Dr. Hunter, with the afTift- 

 ance of his brother, Mr. J. Hunter, had an 

 opportunity of inveftigating more particularly 

 this part of natural hiftory, and has evidently 

 proved, that thefe foffil bones and tufks are not 

 only larger than the generality of elephants, but 

 that the tuflcs are more twifted, or have more of 

 the fpiral curve than elephants' teeth, and that 



the 



