THE MALTESE FOSSIL ELEPHANTS. . 17 



enough to enable me to decide as to its position in the series, further than by com- 

 parison with tooth and jaw No. 91 (PI. II. fig. 2). It is clear that the former belonged 

 to a larger animal ; nor, as will appear in the sequel, is the broad crown in keeping 

 with the last milk-teeth attributed to the smallest form ; but I find that the largest 

 penultimate milk-molar (PL I. fig. 14) gives the same number of ridges in a like space, 

 more especially when taken close to its enamel reflections posteriorly, which is the 

 horizon displayed in fig. 12. It might therefore have represented the penultimate 

 tooth of the largest form, nearly worn out, and the last of the milk-series coming into 

 wear. Reference will be made to the jaw itself when I come to consider the cranium. 



5. The Fourth or Last Milk-molar — First True Molar. 



I shall now refer to several large and interesting series of molars, all of which are 

 in the British Museum. They comprehend teeth differing widely in size and characters ; 

 but in consequence of possessing the same ridge-formula, and having been more or less 

 intimately associated in the same deposits, it appears necessary that they should be 

 brought together, so that their distinctions may be more easily compared. The ridge- 

 formulas in the following vai7 between ten and eleven ridges, or eight or nine plates 

 and two talons ; in one instance there are twelve ridges in a lower molar, where, how- 

 ever, an extra ridge (or even two) is not uncommon in all known species of the genus. 



A Series. — The small upper molar. No. 45, here shown, and its upper aspect in 



Fis. 1. 



Last Upper Milk-molar. Nat. size. 



PI. I. fig. 11, is unfortunately not quite entire, having lost in all probability two, if not 

 three, of its posterior ridges, leaving eight ridges in a space of 1'8 inch. The pressure- 

 scar is roughly shown on the enamel of the anterior talon, but not distmctly. It is, 

 however, clearly defined on the front of the fragment No. 16, which, in all points, is of 

 the same type. Here the scar is 0-4 by 0-5 inch. Now it is important, with reference 

 to the position of these teeth in the dental series, to consider how far there is evidence 

 to give them a claim to the position of a last milk-tooth. This is probably proved, 

 not only by dimensions, as compared with the preceding, but from the circumstance of 

 VOL. IX. — PART I. November, 1874. "^ 



