252 MH. BUSK ON THE EEMAINS OF 



about 40 inches. This would be a height rather greater than that which I have assigned 

 to E. falconeri, computed from the dimensions of the femur and humerus ; but as in the 

 hitter, at any rate, the upper epiphysis was not united, the height deduced from those 

 bones whose growtli was not completed may be regarded as somewhat below the mature 

 stature. And it will afterwards be seen, when I come to speak of the pelvis of E. 

 falconeri, or what I deem to be such, that that bone also indicates larger proportions 

 than those which may be deduced from the humerus and femur, and agreeing very 

 closely with those derived from tlie atlas. I consider therefore that the discrepancy, 

 which after all is by no means more than might be looked for in any species of Elephant, 

 may be explained upon the supposition that the Zebbug collection contains remains of 

 a fully mature E.falconeri, and of one of younger age and somewhat lower stature, oi', 

 it may be, of individuals of different sexes, — a supposition for which some support may 

 be found in the cuxumstance that we have in the collection a tusk which from its 

 size may be deemed that of a male, whilst at the same time it contains numerous 

 bones of extremely young or, pei-haps, in some cases, of fetal animals, which must have 

 been in immediate dependence upon the mother. 



The present fi-agment, as I have said, is remarkably perfect, and from it all the infor- 

 mation that can be wished for with respect to the atlas is readily obtainable. And it 

 is a fortunate circumstance that we are also in possession of a considerable portion of 

 the opposite half of the atlas of the larger form, to which I have restricted the name of 

 E. melitensis, and which has been already described, although the contrast between the 

 two has been reserved to the present place. 



The fragment, from the middle of the inferior tubercle of the ring (which fortunately 

 exists) to the point of the transverse process, measures about 2"-5, so that the entire 

 breadth of the vertebra was 5"0. The distance between the outer inargins of the two 

 anterior articular facets, or what may be termed the transverse diameter of the con- 

 dyloid cup, may be estimated at about 3"-3, which of course will be about the transverse 

 width at the base of the occipital condyles oi E. falconeri, should they ever be met 

 with. 



The anterior articular facet presents a very shallow and very small sinus on its inner 

 border, whilst the outer margin is quite entire and with very little sinuosity. The 

 radius of its longest curve is 0"-85, and that of the surface for articulation with the 

 odontoid process 0"-6, whence it may be concluded that that process was rather more 

 than an inch in width at the base. It may be observed that the relative proportions of 

 the long and short diameters of the anterior facet are exactly the same as in a young 

 Indian atlas (Xo. 2678, R. C. S.), the latter being to the former as 75 to 100; whilst 

 in the atlas of E. melitensis the proportion is as 67 to 100, which, curiously enough, is 

 precisely the proportion the facet presents in the African Elephant in the British 

 Museum, — and that a similar difference in the same direction, though apparently to a 

 considerably greater amount, is seen in the measurements taken from M. de Blainville's 



