THEEB EXTINCT SPECIES OF ELEPHANT. 235 



The portion of the shaft of a femur (fig. 5) like the exoccipital, and probably belonging 

 to the same animal, presents all the external characters of a very young bone. It is broken 

 at either end at some distance from the epiphysial termination. The entire fragment 

 measures 8"-4 in length, and its least tr. d. is 2"'15, and least circumference 5"'9. In 

 a young E. indicus in the British Museum, in which all the epiphyses are separate, and 

 the ossification of the articular ends themselves very incomplete, the length of the 

 shaft is 21", the least tr. d. 2"-4, and the least circumference 6"-7. In general form 

 the two bones resemble each other very closely, except that in the Maltese fossil the 

 posterior surface rises more into an angle than it does in the other, in wliich it is mii- 

 formly rounded and even. The nutrient foramen in both is on the inner side, about 

 the junction, as it may be estimated, of the upper and middle third, or a good way 

 above the middle of the bone, whilst in the African species it is much lower down ; and 

 this I am inclined to believe will be found a constant and not unimportant character. At 

 any rate, so far as it goes, it further tends to show a distinction between the Maltese 

 and existing African species. 



Besides the above bones belonging to the largest of the three Maltese forms, there 

 are numerous fragments of others, most of them apparently of an old animal or animals, 

 and including portions of the cranium, pelvis, and of some of the larger long bones. All 

 manifestly indicate a species of comparatively large size ; but as they afford no special 

 characters, I have not thought it necessary to enter into further details respecting them. 



§ III. Elepiias melitensis. 



Bones or fragments of bones belonging to the larger of the two dwarf species of 

 Elephant to which I have assigned the name of E. melitensis constitute a very consi- 

 derable part of the collection. They are exceedingly numerous; but amongst them 

 are very many much broken and scarcely recognizable portions of the cranium, with 

 respect to some of which it is impossible to determine whether they belong to this or to 

 the next species. But, as in their present condition these broken fragments offer no 

 distinctive characters, their determination is not a matter of any great importance. 

 The remaining fragments amply suffice at any rate to indicate the comparative bulk 

 and many of the distinctive characters of E. melitensis. 



Sepaiuting the mature from the immature bones, and excluding the teeth, there are 

 about 18 fragments which it will be necessary to describe: — 



These are: — (1 Sc 2) portions of the right ascending ramus of the mandible; (3) the 

 right half of the atlas ; (4, 5, & 6) the 7th cervical, 7th dorsal, and 3rd lumbar ver- 

 tebrae ; (7) the neural spine of one of the anterior doi'sal vertebrae ; (8, 8") the proximal 

 end, including the head of the second rib on the right side, and a portion of the body 

 of one of the larger ribs; (9) a portion of the left scapula; (10) the nearly entire head 

 and part of the shaft of the right humerus; (11) a small fragment of the articular 



VOL. VI. PART V. 2 L 



