186 HEPORT— 1873. 



In the choice of a name for this proboscidian I have been prompted by 

 considerations purely incidental, inasmuch as the gap or rock-fissure from 

 which I obtained the most perfect specimens of its teeth and bones is situ- 

 ated in the immediate vicinity of a remarkable megalithic structure supposed 

 to have been built during the Phoenician occupation of the Maltese Islands. 

 I have accordingly named this new species the Eleplias mnaidriensis. 



2nd. The dwarf species named Elej;>has melitensis by Falconer and Busk is 

 well shown in my collection by many important bones, besides what appears 

 to me to be the entire dental series. This species seems to have varied con- 

 siderably in size ; indeed it would appear to link the two extremes represented 

 by the Elephas mnaidriensis and the smallest form, Elephas Falconer i. The 

 majority of the bones indicate, however, that its average height may 

 have been nearly 5 feet, as previously estimated by Dr. Falconer and Mr. 

 Busk, from the Zebbug collection. The dentition of Elejjhas melitensis, as 

 determined by Falconer, receives ample confirmation from the data furnished 

 by my collections, the ridge formula being : — 



Milk Molars. True Molars. 



X 3 X : X 5 X : X 8 X. x 8-9 x : x 9-10 x : x 12 x. 



The only discrepancy between our estimates is an additional ridge in the 

 penultimate true molar of my specimens, which it may be observed is not a 

 rare occurrence in the equivalent tooth of the African elephant. It is clear 

 therefore that, like the larger form, the above belonged to the Loxodon 

 group, with a ridge-formula almost identical to that of E. mnaidriensis, ex- 

 cepting in the penultimate milk-molar, which in the former holds 5 instead 

 of 6 plates, besides talons — a distinction maintained in various specimens in 

 my collection. 



The crown-patterns of worn molars in the two elephants are also very much 

 alike ; but the relative dimensions of teeth of equivalent stages of growth 

 differ a great deal, indeed more so than perhaps in large and small indivi- 

 duals of any known species. 



Again, we find thick- and thin-plated varieties among the last true molars 

 of both forms, just as obtains in other species ; so that, taken in conjunction 

 with the bones, it seems to me that they cannot be reconciled with sexual 

 or individual peculiarities of one species of elephant. 



3rd. The smallest adult bones in my collection represent a very diminu- 

 tive elephant. In some instances, as compared with other species, there are 

 evidences of individuals even under 3 feet in height. With reference to 

 dental materials, there is some variety in dimensions of molars ascribable to 

 the Elephas melitensis ; but, allowing a fair margin in this respect, and taking 

 into consideration their absolute similarity in every other particular, it seems 

 to me impossible to make out a third species from the teeth alone. There 

 are, however, vertebrae and other bones which fairly establish the pigmy 

 proportions of the Elephas Falconeri of Busk ; at the same time there is no 

 difficulty in arranging a graduated series of specimens, from the smallest up 

 to the largest bones ascribable to the Elephas melitensis. 



But whilst the differences in size between the two dwarf forms are not so 

 great as usually obtains between large and small individuals of living species, 

 there is a remarkable dissimilarity in this respect between the lai'gest specimens 

 representing the Elephas mnaidriensis and the smallest of Elephas Falconeri ; 

 indeed the estimated height of the former shows an elephant nearly three 

 times as tall as the latter, thus displaying a range much exceeding any 

 known instances of individual variation among recent and extinct species. 



