340 



vented them from committing the tusks to the earth, lead to the belief 

 that by far the greater number of these remains which have been dug 

 up, have been deposited here, not by the hands of man, but by the 

 changes which, at least, the surface of this globe has undergone, at very 

 remote periods. The circumstances, indeed, under which many of these 

 have been found, afford indubitable proof of this fact. 



In France, where it is well known that living elephants have been 

 much less frequent, at least in times of which we have any record, than 

 either in Italy or in Greece, their fossil remains have been found in a 

 great number of places, and in situations which prove their deposition at 

 a very remote period. The whole valley through which the Rhine 

 passes, yields fragments of this animal, and perhaps more numerously on 

 the side of Germany than on that of France. Not only in its course, but 

 in the alluvise of the several streams which empty themselves into it, are 

 these fossil remains also found. Thus Holland abounds with them, and 

 even the most elevated parts of the Batavian Republic are not exempt 

 from them. 



The whole of Germany and of Switzerland appear to particularly 

 abound in these wonderful relics. The greater number which has been 

 found in these parts is, perhaps, as is observed by M. Cuvier, not at- 

 tributable to theiV greater abundance, but to the number of well-in- 

 formed men, capable of making the necessary researches, and of report- 

 ing the interesting facts they discover. 



As in the banks of the Rhine, so in those of the Danube, do these fos- 

 sils abound. In the valley of Altmiihl is a grand deposit of these remains. 

 The bones which have been found at Krembs, in Sweden; at Baden, near 

 Vienna; in Moravia; in different parts of Hungary and of Transylvania; 

 at the foot of the rfartz ; in Hesse ; at Hildersheim ; all appear to be re- 

 ferable to this animal. So also are those which are found on the Elbe, 

 the Oder, and the Vistula. Different parts of the British Empire are 

 not less productive of these remains. 



In London, Brentford, Harwich, Norwich, Gloucestershire, Stafford- 



