THREE EXTINCT SPECIES OF ELEPHANT. 229 
Naturally much struck with such an extraordinary deviation from the otherwise univer- 
sally received conception of the proboscidians as animals of colossal size, Dr. Falconer 
entered upon the study of its remains with his usual zeal; and he appears to have con- 
templated the presentation to the Royal Society of a paper on the subject, including 
observations on the Mediterranean Cave-fauna generally,—a design the non-execution of 
which by such a man cannot be too deeply regretted. But, so far as I have been able 
to trace in his notes, he has left behind him no record of observations upon any of 
the bones except the teeth, doubtless having reserved the remainder for subsequent 
study. With respect to the teeth, however, he has left some very interesting and 
important remarks, the substance of which, and, so far as is possible, the words, will be 
recorded in the following pages. 
Since the decease of Dr. Falconer, the collection of remains from the Zebbug Cave 
has been placed in my hands by Captain Spratt, with a request that I would undertake 
the completion of the task left unaccomplished by that distinguished paleontologist. 
This I have endeavoured to perform, though haud pari passu, and fully sensible of the 
loss that science has sustained from the change of hands into which the description has 
fallen, and especially since the only assistance I can derive from the notes of my la- 
mented friend is, as I stated, on the subject of the teeth; but, in addition to these 
notes, I would remark that Dr. Falconer had had careful drawings made by Mr. 
Dinkel of some of the principal bones, under his own inspection, some of which will 
form part of the illustrations appended to this paper. 
Under the circumstances, therefore, it is scarcely necessary to observe that I am alone 
responsible for nearly the whole of the descriptive part, so far as it relates to the bones 
of the skeleton, and that any errors or misconceptions contained in it must be laid to my 
charge alone. 
It is proper also to mention that Dr. Leith Adams has, for the last year or more, been 
engaged in the exploration of fossiliferous caverns ir various parts of Malta, and has been 
very successful in procuring abundant elephantine remains, both large and small, the 
examination of which will, doubtless, in his hands, supply maay deficiencies in the 
account I now venture to lay before the Society. 
Captain Spratt’s collection of proboscidian bones and teeth is very considerable; but 
a great part of it is made up of broken and often much-rolled fragments; still among 
the remainder are several well-marked and characteristic specimens of many of the more 
important bones, and a very fine collection of milk- and permanent teeth in excellent 
preservation. 
When I began to arrange the collection for examination, I found, to iny extreme 
surprise, that it apparently comprised the remains of not less than three distinct species 
of Elephant—two of diminutive, and one of tolerably large dimensions. With the 
presence of the latter form, I was aware that both Dr. Falconer and Captain Spratt 
were acquainted ; but neither of them were, I believe, at all cognizant of the existence 
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