THREE EXTINCT SPECIES OF ELEPHAXT. 231 



that any determinations I have made in this matter are open to future rectification. 

 I have, however, in the following paper thought that it would be most convenient to 

 consider what I regard as the remains of each species separately, in its mature and im- 

 mature states, and I shall therefore commence with the large species. 



§ 11. Elephas, sp. ^ (Plates XL! v., XLV.). 



There are between twenty and thirty fragments of bones belonging to an Elephant of 

 considerable size, which in fact may be judged to have attained nearly, if not quite, eight 

 feet in height. But of these fragments there are only three or four which it will be 

 necessary or useful to describe in any detail. The remainder consist of various-sized 

 ii-regular fragments of long and flat bones, including the cranium and pelvis, which are 

 too imperfect to allow them to be turned to any useful purpose. 



The more readily identifiable portions of the adult skeleton consist only of (1) the 

 symphysial portion of the lower jaw, (2) a large portion of the head of the left (?) 

 humerus, and (3) a nearly complete spine of probably the l7th or 18th dorsal 

 vertebra. Beside these may be briefly noticed : — a large fragment of a femur, appa- 

 rently of even greater proportional dimensions than the other bones ; a considerable 

 fragment of the spinous process of another dorsal vertebra ; and a considerable frag- 

 ment of a tusk near the base. 



1. Of these, by far the most important fragment is the portion of the lower jaw 

 (PI. XLIV. fig. 1). It is evidently that of a mature, if not aged, animal ; and it consists of 

 the entire symphysis, and a portion of the ramus on either side, about 4 inches in length, 

 measured along the lower border. The upper border on each side is broken off on a level 

 with the large mental foramen and canal, which is thus represented on either side by a shal- 

 low groove, more than 0"-5 in width. The rostrum, or prolonged beak of the symphysis, if 

 it existed, is broken off, the fracture extending chiefly to the left side. The fractured sur- 

 face looks as if it were in part of ancient, and in part of recent date ; and there are several 

 other marks on the under surface of the bone, which show that it has been recently sub- 

 jected to rough usage with a sharpish or pointed instrument, probably a pickaxe or geolo- 

 gical hammer. Owing to the circumstance that the fracture at the apex of the symphysis 

 is chiefly on the left side, the right border of the symphysial gutter remains almost 

 entire, as does also a considerable portion of the left border above and behind the 

 broken part ; an accurate measure, therefore, of the width of the gutter can be taken, and 

 its exact form perceived, whilst at the same time the angle at which its borders descend 

 can be determined. The width of the gutter at the highest point at which it can be 

 measui-ed, and nearly on a le\el with the mental foramen, is about 2" ; and its borders 

 descend in front almost vertically downwards, as in Ele])lias j^nmigmivs and in old 

 E. indicus. As before said, it is extremely doubtful, from the appearance of the borders 

 of the gutter, whether there was any rostral prolongation whatever. The depth of the 

 symphysis, measured in a vertical direction from the bottom of the symphysial gutter, 



