ThAN S&C EO N's 
OF 
Pee Zoe LOG TCA LT Sori? y. 
I. On the Dentition and Osteology of the Maltese fossil Elephants, being a Description 
of Remains discovered by the Author in Malta between the years 1860 and 1866. 
By A. Lerta Avams, W.B., F.RS., F.GS. 
Read June 24, 1873. 
[Puates I. to XXIT.} 
I. IntRODUCTION. 
THE discovery of remains of large quadrupeds in a fossil state in the superficial 
deposits of the island of Malta has been recorded by one of its earliest historians’; and 
subsequently the geologist Dolomieu’ detected teeth of Hippopotamus; but no further 
attention seems to have been given to the subject until of late years, when the contents 
of other cavern- and fissure-deposits disclosed remains of extinct species of elephants, 
also exuvie of large rodents and aquatic birds, descriptions of which are contained in 
the sixth volume of the Society’s Transactions*. Associated with the above were 
reptilian remains, with indications of the presence also of Carnivora, which, however, 
were represented only by traces of fierce gnawing on several elephants’ bones from the 
Zebbug cave. 
The geological conditions in connexion with the animal exuvie from Zebbug have 
been fully detailed‘; it only remains to describe the reptilian bones thoroughly, so as to 
complete the osteology of the Maltese fossil fauna collected by Admiral Spratt, C.B. 
In the following I will attempt to define the characters and relations of the teeth 
1 Abela’s ‘Della descrittione di Malta? 1647. 7 Appendix to St. Priest’s ‘Malta.’ ° Pages 119, 227-307. 
4 « On the Bone-caves near Crendi, Zebbug, and Melliha in the Island of Malta,” by Capt. Spratt, R.N., C.B., 
E.RBS., F.G.8., Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxiii, page 283. 
VOL. IX.—PART I. November, 1874. B 
