242 IVm. BUSK ON THE REMAINS OF 



in length. The epiphyses are perfectly united, and no trace whatever of the junction 

 remains, so that the hone must be regarded as mature. The head measures 1" in its 

 longest, and 0""85 in its shortest diameter. The distance between the inner border of 

 the head and the outer surface of the tubercle is 2". 



The corresponding rib in the young Asiatic Elephant in the B. M., denominated 

 E. sumatrensis, has the greatest diameter of the head 1"'5, and least l"'l. And in 

 that species the tuberosity is differently formed, having a considerable elongation at 

 the bottom, whilst in E. melitensis (a much older animal), the neck is fully as thick 

 as in the so-termed E. sumatrensis. It is also to be remarked that in E. melitensis the 

 notch or depression between the head and tuberosity is deeper than in the Asiatic form, 

 in which also there is no depression below the tuberosity, such as is seen in E. melitensis. 

 The comparison between the second rib of E. melitensis and that which I refer to 

 E. fcdconeri will be drawn when I come to the description of the latter. 



7. Another, and in some respects a most important and interesting, fragment belong- 

 ing to the bones of the trunk is a small and much mutilated portion of the pelvis 

 (PI. XLVIII. fig. 26). It consists of part of the right ischium, including a small 

 segment of the acetabulum, and a length of about three inches of the body of the bone. 

 The surface on the outer, anterior, and inner aspects is almost entire or uninjured ; but 

 posteriorly there is merely an apparently fresh fractui'e. Tlie fragment, however, broken 

 as it is, is amply sufficient to afford some very important characters. 



From the small remaining segment of the acetabulum it is evident that the curve of 

 the articular surface must have had a radius of about 1"'6. The cup was consequently 

 fitted to receive a femoral head of about a\ inches in diameter. The anterior surface 

 of the bone is slightly hollowed, excepting quite at the upper edge, where the border 

 of the acetabulum projects considerably and forms one margin of a wide and shallow 

 sulcus or excavation, which was continued upwards into the cotyloid notch. The outer 

 surface exhibits part of a large rough tubercular elevation. The inner is smooth and 

 nearly even, marked only by a slight eminence. The outer angle is round and smooth ; 

 and the inner, or that which forms the ischial border of the obturator foramen, though 

 not so obtuse, is also rounded and quite even. 



It is to the latter character more especially that I should wish to direct attention, in 

 drawing a comparison between this part in E. melitensis and the corresponding part, 

 fortunately also preserved, in E. falconeri, as it shows, perhaps as strikingly as any other 

 single part, a considerable distinction between the two forms. 



I am not aware that the circumstance has been pre^^ously noticed ; but it is neverthe- 

 less the case that a considerable difference in the form of the obturator foramen exists 

 between the African and Indian species. 



In both the foramen has somewhat of an oval shape ; but in E. africanus the wider 

 part of the oval is towards the upper or inner end, whilst it is towards the lower end in 

 E. indicus. In E. africanus, again, the margin is tolerably even all round, whilst in 



