274 ME. BUSK ON THE EEMAINS OF 



perfectly even. In No. 42' the exo-basioccipital synchondrosis projects more in front 

 than in No. 44, as it does in the Afi-ican as compared with the Indian. 



On the whole it would seem that the distinction between the two dwarf Maltese 

 forms is pretty nearly, though certainly not quite, as well marked as is that between the 

 two existing species, and that in some respects the form represented in fig. 44 exhibits 

 rather a tendency towards the African type. 



As it may perhaps occur to some that the two small exoccipitals represented in PI. LII. 

 might possibly have belonged to extremely young foetuses of a larger Elephant, the 

 characters which go to disprove such a supposition may be briefly pointed out. The 

 subjoined woodcut represents the outlines of the inner and outer aspects of the exocci- 



pital of a very young uterine foetus of E. africanus in the British Museum. The bone 

 itself, as will be observed, is on the whole of pretty nearly the same dimensions as those 

 of the Maltese pigmy Elephants, whilst the condyloid facet {cf) and the exo-basiocci- 

 pital synchondrosis [b o s) are both considerably smaller. It will also be seen that, 

 although the expanded portion of the bone is at least as wide as in the Pigmy exocci- 

 pitals, it exhibits scarcely a trace, or merely a rudimentary commencement, of the para- 

 mastoid cells (p ni c) which are so largely developed in the others. The outlines 

 also of the symphysis and adjoining part of the mandible belonging to the same foetus 

 will suffice to show that, even at a very much earlier stage of development, those bones 

 are very much larger than the corresponding part in either of the pigmy Elephants, 

 in which there is reason to believe the second milk-molar had been well used. Besides 

 this difference in the degree of development of the peripheral part of the African foetal 

 exoccipital, the condition of the bone itself is very different. When received at the 

 Museum the bones were preserved in spirit ; and when in the moist state they were quite 

 soft and almost cartilaginous, and now when dry are exceedingly light and fragile ; 

 whilst in the Maltese specimen the bone is firm and solid, and e^-idently much further 

 advanced in ossification. 



For the purpose of comparison, as to size, with other bones of the pigmy Elephants, 

 I have thought it might also be useful to give the subjoined outlines of various other 

 bones of the same African uterine foetus. 



