154 



THE VITAL FUNCTIONS. 



of the grinding tooth of the elephant, in which 

 they are more completely and equally inter- 

 mixed than in that of any other animal. Fig. 

 281 presents a vertical section of the grinding 

 tooth of the Asiatic Elephant, in the early stage 



of its growth, and highly polished ; so as to 

 exhibit more perfectly its three component 

 structures. The enamel, marked e, is formed 

 of transverse fibres ; the osseous, or innermost 

 structure is composed of longitudinal plates : the 

 general covering of crusta petrosa, c, is less 

 regularly deposited : p is the cavity which had 

 been occupied by the pulp. In this tooth, which 

 is still in a growing state, the fangs are not yet 

 added ; but they are, at one part, beginning to 

 be formed. The same tooth in its usual state, 

 as worn by mastication, gives us a natural and 



