76 ME. A. L. ADAMS ON THE OSTEOLOGY OP 



end and the ginglymoid distal facet, together with the oval and concave trapezial 

 sui-face, are all pronounced as in any old bone. The dimensions of this very pygmy 

 first metacarpal are sufficiently shown in figs. 3 & 3a, to which may be added the 

 anterior facet somewhat eroded; it is 0'6 inch in height by 0'5 inch in breadth. The 

 stumpy little bone, PI. XIX. fig. 9, has much the same characters as the above, and 

 might represent the first metacarpal; its facets, however, are imperfect. It may be 

 stated that in the Oxford University specimen, and also the very young individual in 

 King's College Museum, this bone is 1'2 inch in length, with its extremities carti- 

 laginous and shrunken. 



Its comparative characters, as far as discernable, are : — 



1. Like the African, it is short and stout. 



2. Like both recent, its trapezial facet is oblong and concave. 



3. Like the African, it has a hollow distal articulation. 



4. The lower surface of the bone is rather sharp, like the Asiatic ; but in none of 

 the Maltese first metacarpals are the lower surfaces exactly like either of the recent 

 species, being blunt, but not fiat or tectiform. Take it all in all, this bone, like PI. V. 

 fig. 4, has greatly the African character. 



Second Metacarpal. — PI. XXI. figs. 4 & 4 a represent an entire specimen. Here the 

 epiphyses are clearly consolidated, even to the formation of the usual rugous ridges of 

 an old bone. It is rather flat on the dorsum of the shaft, which, as before observed, 

 characterizes the old from the young bone in recent species ; it is, moreover, slender, 

 and has perhaps more of an Asiatic character. Besides the dimensions in the figure, 

 the breadth of the mid-shaft is 0-7 inch, the distal articulation is I'O by 0-8. 



This metacarpal shows the usual obliquity of the distal extremity seen in the second 

 bone of the fore foot, with the internal surface of the shaft sharp and little rounded, 

 and external flat and deep, the lower surface being rather rounded, narrow, and 

 sloping inwards to form the sharp inner border of the carpal facet. 



The length of the second metacarpal in the above-mentioned recent young Asiatic 

 Elephants is 2*3 inches respectively, whereas the length of fig. 4 is r9 inch. 



Fourth Metacarpal. — A careful comparison between figs. 5 & 5a and the other 

 diminutive specimens referred to this toe in the hind foot (to wit, PL XIX. fig. 6) 

 and the perfect fourth metatarsal figured and described by Busk' gives the follow- 

 ing : — The above is relatively much broader than fig. G, the shaft of which is rounded 

 and has little of the internal flattening which distinguishes this bone and that of 

 Elephants in general; moreover the sharp external border of fig. 5 is rounder in 

 fig. 6, the articular surfaces are much broader ; they agree in length however. In all 

 respects fig. 5 and the Zebbug bone agree ; only the latter is smaller, which is quite in 

 keeping with its being a bone of the hind foot. The following are the dimensions of 

 fig. 5 not shown in the Plate ; — height of mid shaft internally is 0'6 inch ; the distal 

 ' Trans. Zool. Soo. yi. p. 271, pi. 51. figs. 40 a & 6. 



