268 MR. BUSK ON THE REMAINS OF 



of tlie femur of E. melitensis, the section in that case is taken at a rather lower level, for 

 which some allowance must be made. 



In tliese figures will again be seen the very different form of the femur in the two 

 dwarf Elephants, and at the same time the great peculiarity of the anterior surface in 

 K falconeri, especially in the presence of the pretrochanteric fossa (indicated by the 

 letters a tf), and of the posterior, in the great elevation of the postero-external 

 angle e a. 



The accompanying cut represents the outline of the lower epiphysial surface. 



The various dimensions of the bone are given in Table V. ; and, taking these data in 

 comparison with the coi-responding measurements of the femur of a young Indian 

 Elephant of probably about the same age, in the British Museum, it would seem that 

 the proportions are pretty nearly the same in both cases. The actual length of the 

 shaft, without the epiphysis, in the specimen is 9"-5 ; and by computation from tlie di- 

 mensions of the shaft of the femur of the young Elephant above referred to, which 

 measures 21" in length, it would be 9'''6, the utmost deviation in any direction not 

 being more than 0"'4. This coincidence perliaps affords some ground for believing that 

 the general proportions of the length of the limbs of E. falconeri to its height, at any 

 rate when young, were not widely different from those of the Indian Elephant. 



13, 14. Bones of the Hind Foot. 



(1) Astragalus. 



The only specimen of the Astragalus, contained in the Zebbug collection, is that 

 whose upper surface is shown in PI. XLVII. fig. 1 4. 



The bone is that of an immature animal ; and a portion is broken off on the outer 

 side, so that the greater part of the peroneal facet is removed. The true characters, there- 

 fore, of the mature bone are not fully displayed in the specimen. 



The immature condition of the astragalus is shown by its generally light and porous 

 condition, the thinness of the cortical layer, and by the remains of an epiphysial surface, 

 marking the site of the unossified internal tuberosity, which, in the Elephant's astragalus. 



