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X. Description of the Bemains of three extinct Species of Elephant, collected hy Capt. 

 Spratt, C.B., B.N., in. the Ossiferous Cavern of Zehhug, in the Island of Malta. 

 By George Busk, F.B.S. ; partly from the Notes of the late H. Falconer, M.B., 

 F.B.S. 



Read Juue 27th, 18G5. 



[Plates XLIV. to LIII.] 



§ I. Introductory. 



XN the following observations I have confined myself principally to the anatomical 

 characters of certain proboscidian remains which were collected some years since (1859) 

 by Captain Spratt, C.B., R.N., at that time in command of H.M. Surveying Ship 

 ' Medina,' in an ossiferous cavern some distance inland in the Island of Malta, under 

 circumstances which will be fully detailed by that gentleman elsewhere *. 



As any extended geological account of the locality would be here out of place, it will 

 suffice for the present occasion to state, from information supplied by Captain Spratt, 

 that the cavern in question is situated on the north side of a rocky valley separating the 

 town or casal of Zebbug from another town about a mile distant, called Siggieni. 

 The cavern, when first opened, was filled to the roof with yellow and grey sandy clay, and 

 it had no stalagmitic floor. Amidst this deposit, which had evidently been washed in 

 by water, were numerous fragments of bones and teeth of at least two species of 

 Elephant, manifestly widely distinct in size, some of the bones indicating an animal of 

 very dwarf dimensions, as compared with all other known forms, recent or extinct. 

 Besides these elephant-remains, those of other apparently extinct animals were also met 

 with, all mingled with subangular but not waterworn fragments of the limestone rock. 

 The cavern ran nearly horizontally from the face of the ra\'ine or inland cliff, having a 

 short branch terminating in a small chamber. It varied in height from 4^ to 5^, and 

 in width from 1^ to 2\ feet. 



Amongst the other bones associated with those of the Elephant were many of 

 aquatic Birds, and especially of a large extinct species of Swan {Cygnus falconeri. Park.), 

 a few jaws and other bones of perhaps more than one species of Dormouse, one of which 



* Since this paper 'was read, Captain Spratt has communicated a paper on the " Geological relations of the 

 Zebbug Cavern," which will be found in the 23rd volume of the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society (1867). 

 Two Reports, also, on other ossiferous Caverns in Malta, in which numerous remains of Elephants and other 

 animals have been collected by Dr. Leith Adams, have appeared in the Reports of the British Association for 186.T 

 and 1866 ; and I should also state that Dr. Leith Adams, who has been for some years indefatigable in his re- 

 searches in the caves and fissures of Malta, has made an immense collection, more especially of Elephantine 

 remains, an account of which, when they have been more fully worked out, will add very considerably to our 

 knowledge of the various species, and more especially, as it seems to me, of the largest one, and of E. melitensis. 

 — June, 1867. 



VOL. VI. PART V. 2 K 



