48 ME. A. L. ADAMS ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF 



2. The largest vertebrae in my collection represent the cervical (PL XI. fig-. 7) and 

 the first dorsal, shown in PI. X. fig. 1. The upper cervical of fig. 7 is possibly the 

 third, and has the body more or less perfect throughout, with the loss of every thing 

 else save a portion of the transverse process. It is convex anteriorly and concave 

 posteriorly, and gives the following measurements : — 



inches. 



Height of body .4-5 



Breadth of body 4-0 



Thickness of body 1'6 



Breadth across at the transverse processes .... 9'0 



The other is somewhat larger, and may be the fourth or one of the succeeding 

 vertebr<E of the neck ; its body only is preserved, and affords about the same admea- 

 surements as the last. 



The first dorsal (PI. X. fig. 1) has only its body and the costal facets preserved. 

 It shows the same characters as the above ; only the posterior aspect is less concave : 

 indeed, as proportions go, the three may have belonged to the same individual ; more- 

 over they were found close together. 



The dimensions of the first dorsal vertebra are as follows — height 4-2 inches, breadth 

 4"5 inches, thickness 1'8 inch. 



Three middle dorsal vertebrae of an elephant of about the same size are sho\vn in 

 PI. XI. fig. 8. Here the transverse processes and intervertebral substances are completely 

 ossified, and show the owners to have been aged elephants. As compared with recent 

 species, these cervical and dorsal vertebrae equal specimens of the Asiatic Elephant in the 

 Eoyal College of Surgeons, the Guy's Hospital Museum, and the Army Hospital Museum 

 at Netley, the heights of which skeletons vaiy from 6 '5 to 7 feet at the withers. 



My collection displays other detached vertebrae of adult elephants somewhat smaller 

 than the above, with an average height of 3 inches, breadth of 3'5 inches, and thickness 

 of about I'S inch. 



PI. X. fig. 4 represents, possibly, a middle dorsal vertebra, showing a rather pecu- 

 liar triangular-shaped body, with its rib-facets and transverse processes entire. The 

 anterior costal facet is 1-7 by 1 inch, the posterior 1-7 by 1-5 inch, and thickness 1-6 

 inch ; the spine is 5 '5 inches. Supposing this to be the ninth dorsal, as it appears to be, 

 it would represent an Asiatic Elephant of the height of the skeleton 2677 a, Royal 

 College of Surgeons, which is comjjuted to have been about 6 feet in height. Several 

 caudal bones in the collection agree with the relative dimensions of the vertebrae. 



Eihs. — The two heads of ribs (PI. X. figs. 2 & -3) well represent aged individuals. 

 The former is most probably a fifth,, and displays the two facets a and b, which, as far 

 as dimensions are concerned, might have articulated with the vertebrae PL XI. fig. 8. 

 The other (fig. 3), with its single circular facet, evidently belonged to a posterior 



