THE MALTESE FOSSIL ELEPHANTS. 63 



as to length, has much smaller articular surfaces ; and therefore the former, belonging to 

 an adult, would represent a somewhat small elephant, which the largest Maltese form 

 was unquestionably ; indeed I doubt much if it exceeded 7 feet in height, at least as 

 far as the data I have collected indicate. 



Young and Immature Tibice. 



Of these my collection presents four specimens, besides a very perfect left tibia 

 from Zebbug, presented to me by the owner of the property in which the cave was 

 discovered. The specimens vary considerably in dimensions, and evidently not only 

 represent diiferent stages of growth, but also distinct forms. 



A Series. — The two shown in PI. XXI. figs. 13 & 14, as before noted, were found 

 close together in Benghisa Gap, under a large fiat block of sandstone, and impacted 

 among red soil with the associated remains shown in PI. XXL from fig. 1 to fig. 15 in- 

 clusive, all of which clearly evince that the exuvise of no less than three distinct indi- 

 viduals were huddled together in a small space not over 2 feet square. 



The Zebbug and larger Benghisa specimens (PI. XXI. fig. 14), the smaller (fig. 13) 

 being much eroded externally, agree in every respect, excepting that the former is 

 much larger ; both evidently belong to young individuals. 



1. They agree with old bones just described in having a deep concavity posteriorly 

 below the upper epiphyses (PI. XXI. fig. 14) with the outer and inner ridges well shown ; 

 but whilst the internal is traceable to the inner malleolus, the outer is lost near the 

 middle of the shaft, making the lower and external portion of the latter rounded. 



2. There is a distinct flattening on the inner side of the head in all the specimens ; 

 but the outer side in these two is also much flatter than in the old bones and in the two 

 next to be considered. As to the outlines of the epiphysial aspects (fig. 14 a), I refi-ain 

 from expressing any thing like a decided opinion, further than that the upper seem to 

 me to have somewhat broader surfaces for the external condyles than obtains in the two 

 other young bones ; at the same time it would seem that the outer is relatively broad 

 also in the adult, as seen in PI. XV. fig. 3. Should this be the case, the above would be 

 like the African, and the following like the Asiatic. 



B Series. — The two next young bones are unfortunately imperfect, there being only 

 the head and a portion of the shaft. But although the one is nearly twice as large 

 as the other, they agree in characters which are distinctly diflerent from the two just 

 described. 



1. The pronounced point in their diagnosis is the broad shallow hollow posteriorly 

 below the head. 



2. The ridges, although distinct, are not prominent as in the above and the (jld 

 bones. 



3. The external ridge terminates just below the concavity, whilst the internal would 

 appear to be continued further down, probably to the ankle. 



