THEEB EXTINCT SPECIES OF ELEPHANT. 

 Table II. — Dimensions of 7th Cemcal Vertebra. 



239 



The body, which is about 1""3 in its greatest thickness, is almost circular, slightly 

 convex in front, and well hollowed behind, especially towards the lower part. The 

 neural canal is triangular and, viewed anteriorly, very nearly equilateral ; the laminae 

 or neurapophyses flat and very thin, about 0"-8 wide, and not more than about 0"-15 

 thick. The neural spine is also thin and slender, of the same width at the base as the 

 laminae, and it is curved vei7 slightly forwards. The transverse processes are broad 

 and strong, and the outer surface of the process of bone connecting them with the 

 articular processes is flat, or very slightly concave. The posterior sulcus for the exit of 

 the spinal nerves is 0"'4 across, at the base of the posterior articular process. The 

 costal articular facets are subtriangular, the sides of the triangle being about 1 inch in 

 length. The entire bone presents all the appearance of mature, if not of advanced age. 



Compared with the corresponding vertebra of the young African Elephant, many 

 points of great dissimilarity, besides those shown in the Table, at once present themselves. 



In tlie African species the neural spine is flattened and sulcate behind, whilst in E. 

 melitensis it is acute and without any sulcus. In both, the neural spine inclines a little 

 forwards. Inspection of the measurements will show another remarkable distinction, in 

 the comparatively much greater lowness of the neural arch in the African as com- 

 pared with the Maltese species. Had the respective diameters of this arch borne the 

 same proportions to each other in F. melitensis that they do in H. africanus, the height, 

 instead of l-"7, would have been only l"-09. There is reason, however, to believe that 

 the lowness of the arch in the specimen of African Elephant employed for the purpose 

 of comparison is in part owing to its younger age. 



When we compare the 7th cervical vertebra of E. melitensis with that of the Sumatran 

 Elephant (younger than the African example), the diff'erences are still more striking, 

 especially in the form and proportional dimensions of the neural arch, neurapophyses, 

 and spine. The arch, instead of being triangular, is more of an oval form ; and the 

 vertical diameter is little more than half its transverse width. The neurapophyses or 

 laminee, instead of being thin and flat, or riband-shaped, are very thick and square, and 

 the neural spine in proportion very .slender, its base not being nearly equal in ap. d. 

 to the width of the neurapophyses; and it is curved slightly backwards instead of 



