234 



ME. BUSK ON THE EEMAIXS OF 



entirely in the appearance of the surface of the bone, with that of a young Afi-ican 

 Elei^hant in the British Museum, in which specimen all the bones of the cranium and 

 face are perfectly separate; and in the lower jaw the 3rd molar is in full wear, no 



^"estiges remaining of the 2nd molar. 



The dimensions of the two bones are as under: — 



It will thus be seen that in general dimensions and proportions the two bones 

 are remarkably alike ; but they present certain differences, which would appear, as I 

 think, clearly to indicate that they belong to different species. 



In the first place, notwithstanding the apparent similarity of age, it will be observed 

 that the fossil is very much thicker in the part occupied by tlie paramastoid cells, and 

 that the proportions of the condyloid articular surface are not the same. But the most 

 striking distinction consists in the circumstance that, in the African Elephant, the 

 cerebellar fossa is very concave or deep, and that the sulcus for the lateral sinus is also 

 very deep, and separated from the opening of the paramastoid cells by a sort of vertical 

 wall ; whilst in the Maltese fossil the cerebellar fossa is only slightly hollowed, and 

 there is scarcely any trace of a sulcus for the lateral sinus. And in another very 

 young (or perhaps foetal) cranium of the African Elephant (No. 708^, B.M.), in an 

 exoccipital having a greatest diameter of o"'l, and least of 2"'9, the sulcus for the 

 lateral sinus is quite as well marked as in the above, — whence it may be concluded 

 that this character is not dependent upon age, and may probably be relied upon as 

 indicating a distinction between the Maltese form and E. africanus. I have not 

 had an opportunity of comparing the exoccipital of the Indian Elephant of the same 

 age. In the young African Elephant the opening into the paramastoid cells is tri- 

 angular, and a transverse septum may be observed within, dividing the main cavity 

 into two primary loculaments, of which the posterior is shallow, and the anterior very 

 deep, communicating at the bottom with two deeper cells. In the Maltese fossil the 

 same primary division into two chambers is observable ; but the slender trabecular 

 septum between them is absent, and replaced simply by an angular ridge. It should be re- 

 marked in addition, that in the African species the concavity or sulcus above the 

 condyle is much deeper than in the Maltese, and that the curve of that part of the 

 foramen magnum which is formed by the exoccipital is different in the two cases. 

 * Throughout this paper the measures are given in inches and tenths. 



