THREE EXTIXCT 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 Eoyal 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 palaeontologist. 

 This I have endeavoured to perform, though haud jMvi 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 many 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 my 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, 1 believe, at all cognizant of the existence 



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