48 ON THE ANATOMY OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 



however fragmentary, for the benefit of future dissectors of either of 

 these huge animals. 



The subject of these notes was a young female, which had been in the 

 possession of the Alexandra Company only about eighteen months, but 

 was probably four or five years old at the time of its death. I took the 

 following measurements of the carcass : 



inches. 

 From forehead to root of tail (along back) 78 



Length of tail, from root 26 



Height at shoulder (measured to spines of vertebrae over body) 58 



Circumference of right foot, fore 25 



Circumference of right foot, hind 25 



Length of ear, from front of meatus 19 



Greatest depth 27 



These measurements show that the ordinarily accepted rule that the 

 height of an Elephant = twice the circumference of its feet very nearly 

 expresses the truth. 



As usual in this species, the fore limbs were provided with four, the 

 hind with three nails. 



There were eight molars in all in place. In all those of the upper jaw 

 I counted five plates ; in those of the lower, there were six in the first, 

 and seven in the second, tooth, of each side. 



The most remarkable point observed, when the ribs and other walls 

 of the right side of the body had been removed, was the enormous extent 

 of the thoracic cavity, which extended backwards above till near the 

 sacrum, and the comparatively small part occupied by the abdominal 

 viscera ; this was, as far as I could judge, not more than about one third 

 of the whole trunk. As is usually the case with Elephants, there was 

 no fat visible, either in the subcutaneous tissue or in any part of the 

 abdominal cavity. 



Mouth and Tongue. The palate, gums, and cheeks were throughout 

 smooth, with no ridges or papillae, except a few small caruncular 

 projections near the anterior ends of the lower gums. 



The tongue (fig. 1, p. 49), as in the Indian species, is small for the 

 size of the animal, much compressed, and rather deep*. Its anterior 

 end alone is free for about 2| inches, and is bent down at an angle 

 with the rest of the organ, and somewhat pointed. The length of the 

 tongue in a straight line was 13| inches, along the curve 15 inches. 

 The filiform papillae are extremely fine and small, so that the tongue has 

 an almost velvety touch. At the sides of the anterior part, extending 



* Dr. Mojsisovics's figure (I. c. Taf. v. fig. 1) is evidently taken from a preserved and 

 distorted specimen, and fails to show accurately the real shape of the tongue when 

 fresh. 



