64 Memoir vpon living and fossil ILtephanti, 



To this difFerence in form, may be added another in point 

 of the number : the larainffi of tlie African elepl ant being 

 hroader, it requires les» of them to form a similar length of 

 tooth ; nine or ten of these laminae lorm a tooth as large as 

 13 or 14 of the Indian species would do. 



It seems that these two species preserve the Fame propor- 

 tion in teeth of the same aire as in those of the same length. 

 Thits, bv comparing our skulls from Asia with i hose from 

 Alrica at nearly the same age, we find in the back teeth of 

 the former 1 i or 15 laminae, and in those of the latter 9 or 

 10 only. 



Besides, we never saw a tooth of the African species which 

 Iiad more than 10 lamina;, while those of the Indian species 

 have, according to Mr. Coxe, 23, and we have seen fossil 

 teeth of this species having 24 and 25. 



Thtse characters, taken from the grinders, being once 

 ascertained with respect to living elephants, it was natural 

 to examine with this view the fossil elephants, since, with 

 the exception of the tusks, the teeth are most frequently 

 found and preserved. 



Tlie questions which occurred were the following : 



Which of the two living species of elephants do the fossil 

 teeth resemble most ? 



Do they resemble one of them entirely ? 



Are all fossil teeth similar to each other? 



There is no doubt as to the first question. The greatest 

 number of fossil teeth resemble at first sight those of the 

 Indian elephant, and are composed, like the latter, of stripes 

 nearly equal in breadth and festooned. 



We maybe certain of this by consulting PI. VI. (marked 

 Elephants) in which we have represented fossil teeth, both 

 upper and lower, of different ages, and one half of their na- 

 tural size. 



Fig. 1. is a lower tooth of an old elephant, much worn, 

 found last year in the forest of Bondy, with its next tooth. 



Fig. 2. belongs to a very young elephant; a real young 

 tooth from Fouvent. 



'ip:. 



