298 MR. BUSK ON THE EEMAINS OF 



depression arising fi-om the pressure of a tooth advancing behind it. As the same result 

 is yielded in a still more decided fashion by inferior molars noticed above*, I see no 

 alternative to the inference that it was an adult tooth of a dwarf species of Elephant. 

 The following are the dimensions : — 



Extreme length of crowTi, measured from back talon to anterior edge, exactly 4'0 



Width of ditto at second ridge 1-4 



AVidth of ditto at third ridge 1-5 



Width of ditto at sixth ridge 1-4 



Greatest M'idth of crown 1'55 



Width at 9th ridge 1-2 



Width at last ridge 1-0 



Greatest height of crown, taken at reflection of 10th ridge 2*95 



Length occupied by five disks, from second to sixth inclusive 1-8 



Width at middle of third disk, taken between the enamel-edges . . . . 0'23 



" With reference to the alimentaiy characters, the disks of ivory, and the cement-hollows 

 between the enamel ridges are but slightly excavated ; in fact the most anterior portion 

 of the crown exhibits the flat and nearly uniformly smooth surface which is commonly, 

 presented by Elephants reared in the domestic state and fed upon potatoes and other 

 soft food. The inference to be drawn from this is, that the food of the Maltese species 

 was more herbaceous than woody. 



6. " Ridge-formula. — It now remains to consider how the data furnished above by 

 the molars bear upon the determination of the ridge-formula, which of all the characters 

 is the most significant in pointing out the affinities of the species. 



" (1) Milk-molars. — The antepenultimate milk-molar m.-m. 2 (fig. 2) is seen to 

 have been composed of three coUines, like the corresponding tooth of the xlfrican 

 Elephant f , while in E. primigenius, E. indicus, and other species of the subgenus. 

 Euelephas, it presents four collines. 



" The penultimate milk-molar m.-m. 3 is clearly proved by the upper germ-specimen, 

 fig. 6, and by the lower, fig. 4, to have had five collines besides front and back talons. 

 In the African Elephant it is composed commonly of five ridges in the upper jaw and of 

 six in the lower ; whilst in the species of Euelephas the number ranges from seven to 

 eight, seven being the complement in E. antiquus, and eight that in the Indian 

 Elephant and Mammoth. 



" Of the last milk-molar, m.-m. 4, the specimen shown in fig. 5 fortunately presents the 

 crown of an inferior tooth in perfect integrity, composed of eight ridges in addition to 

 a front and hind talon ; the African Elephant commonly yields the same number, while 



* Those shown in figs. 11, 12, 13. 



t In the only specimen to which I have had access of a foetal African Elephant, in the British Museum, and 

 which is the one referred to by Dr. Falconer (page 28-1) as having been brought by Dr. Livingstone, the m.-m. 2 

 in both npper and lower jaws have distinctly fonr coUines and two talons (six elements). 



