THKEE EXTINCT SPECIES OF ELEPHANT. 271 



africanus the breadth of the astragalus is 5"-2, and the length of the humerus and femur 

 respectively 36" and 42", according to which, in E. falconeri these bones should measure 

 14"-5 and 16"-9, or nearly the same as above. But if we take the proportions presented 

 in the skeleton of Chuny, the result is different. In that instance the astragalus 

 measures about 6" across, the humerus has a length of 35", and the femur one of 42", 

 proportions which would make the lengths of those bones in E. falconeri respectively 

 12"-2, and 14"-7; and these dimensions do not differ very widely from those already 

 derived from other data. And even this difference, such as it is, may perhaps be in some 

 measure explained, as regards the Sumatran Elephant, and still more as regards the 

 African, by the circumstance that the Maltese astragalus is comparatively wider in pro- 

 portion to its size than it is in either of those forms, and very nearly corresponds with 

 that of Chuny. 



(2) Fourth Metatarsal. 

 A second bone which I refer to the hind foot of E. falconeri is the fourth left metatarsal 

 (PI. LI. figs. 40, 40 a, 40 b). The bone is quite entire, and only slightly chipped 

 on some of the prominent edges. It is of a dark-brown colour and obviously that of a 

 fully mature and, as I should judge from its proportionate size as compared, for instance, 

 with the proximal phalanx (fig. 41) which has been already described (page 263), rather 

 large animal. As it entirely corresponds in its somewhat peculiar colour, compara- 

 tive size, and other characters of age &c. with the condyloid end of the humerus 

 represented in fig. 27 (which, as has been already stated, is of robuster pj-oportions than 

 most of the other bones referred to E. falconeri), and also with the portion of the 

 pelvis, fig. 31 (likewise distinguished by its comparatively large dimensions), we might 

 perhaps venture to surmise that the metatarsal may have belonged either to the same 

 individual or to one of similar size. The corresponding metatarsal in E. indicus (Chuny) 

 is 4"-8 long, corresponding with a length of 42" for the femur, and of 35" for the 

 humerus. From these numbers we obtain, for the humerus of E. falconeri to which the 

 metatarsal belonged, a length of about 13", and for the femur one of 15"- 7 — figures 

 probably not far from representing the extreme size of those bones in that species. 

 But any computation of the lengths of the long bones from those of the metatarsals may 

 be regarded as liable to error, when we consider the remarkable difference in the pro- 

 portionate size of the scaphoid facet of the astragalus in E. falconeri and E. indicus, 

 which can hardly be unaccompanied by corresponding differences in the other bones of 

 the tarsus and metatarsus. It is possible therefore that the metatarsal bones in E. 

 falconeri may have been proportionally longer than in E. indicus, and consequently 

 from their sizes those of the humerus and femur computed somewhat above the reality. 



§ V. Very young or Immature Bones. 

 Having adduced the evidence afforded by the mature or nearly mature bones in 



