ANIMALS. 



489 



the nose to the insertion of the tail ; from six to seven feet 

 high ; and the circumference of its body is nearly equal to its 

 length. It is, therefore, equal to the elephant in bulk : and if 

 it appears much smaller to the eye, the reason is, that its legs 



In examining these bones it is a remarkable circumstance, that tliey very 

 nearly resemble each other in character, from whatever country or climate 

 they may have been brought, and present sufficiently strong cliaracters to 

 determine a new species. Although in height they resemble the Indian 

 or Asiafic elephant, they difier from it in the greater number of laminae 

 forming each molar tooth, and consequently an equal portion being employ, 

 ed in mastication, more laminae are bared. Mr Corse says, that in the Indi- 

 an elephant, ten or twelve laminaj are all which are exposed, but in the 

 Mammoth olten as many as twenty-four are seen, and the enamel is less 

 wavily disposed than in the former. The tusks generally are not more 

 curved than in the Indian elephant, though occasionally they are foimd to 

 assume an eliptical or semicircular figure ; but this may have originated 

 from accidental circumstances, wliich have caused their growth in such 

 direction as to prevent their being used, and therefore they have by 

 their natiu-al growth acquired tliis curve ; a circumstance frequently ob- 

 eer^ed in our domestic animals, as rats, &c., in which the cuspid teeth hav- 

 ing accidentally taken such direction as to prevent their use, continue to 

 grow in a circular manner, so as to prevent the animal opening its mouth. 

 One other and very striking peculiarity is the hair ; in this, the Mammoth 

 differs particularly from the Indian or African elephant, in baring a strong 

 mane, and in the body being covered with long and short hairs, the former 

 of these from twelve to fifteen inches in length, as_ tliick as a horse's mane, 

 and of a brown colour, whilst the latter are about nine inches long, are finer, 

 and of a yellowish colour, but the roots of both are embedded in a fine, 

 Eoftish, curly, bright yellow wool, wliich covers a deep grey skin. This 

 covering of hair evidently proves that the animal was intended for a cold 

 climate ; and by what means its bones ha^'e been conveyed into the regions 

 of .South America, wliere such warm clothing was not required, save by al. 

 lowing the occurrence of some great eoni'ulsion of nature, and that by 

 ■vvater, it would be diflicult to account. 



lu 1826, Mr Ranking published a very amusing and interesting work, 

 entitled Historical Researches on the Ware and Sports of the Mongols 

 and Romans, in which he has taken great pains to prove tliat the fossil bones 

 of elephants, and other animals so frequently found, are the remains of those 

 animals which were slaughtered in the grand hunting parties of the f(jrraer, 

 or the amphitheatrical exhibitions of the latter ; and in support of that part 

 of his opinion which relates to the Romans, he shows, that in almost CAcry 

 instance Avhere t!ie remains of a theatre have been found, there have been 

 also discovered fossil Iwnes in the neigliboui-hood. That to^ certain extent 

 this is true no one can doubt, and even Cuvier himself readily admits it, but 

 with this diflerenee, that such fossU bones are found in a more recent soil ; 

 whilst the remains of Blumenbach's E. Primigemus are deposited in a soil 

 of much more ancient existence ; and the bones themselves differ in many 

 very remarkable points from those of the present known species. In the 

 fcctne of his work, Mi' liaukiui,' also speaks of the great collection of fossil 



