Discovery of a Cranium of Elephas primigenius. 241 
are, however, some meteorites, of which the ‘Pallas Iron’ may be 
taken as the type, consisting of a mixture of iron and olivine; and, 
if these were melted artificially, there can be no doubt, that, the iron 
being so much more dense would almost immediately sink to the bot- 
tom, and the olivine would rise to the top, like the slag in an iron- 
furnace. This at first sight appears to be strongly opposed to the 
supposition of igneous fusion; but the author contended that, since the 
force which would tend to separate the iron and olivine would vary 
with the force of gravitation, whilst the resistance to separation would 
be chiefly cohesion almost independent of it, if the fusion had taken 
place where the force of gravitation was very small, the iron and 
olivine might have remained fused and mixed together long enough 
to allow of slow crystallization. Hence he argued that such meteo- 
rites furnish us with physical evidence of having been formed where 
the force of gravitation was much smaller than on our globe, either 
near the surface of a very small planetary body, or towards the centre 
of a larger, which has since been broken into fragments. 
NOTICES OF RECENT DISCOVERIES. 
——_+—— 
Discovery oF A Cranium or HLEPHAS PrimicEeNivs AT I~FoRD In Esspx. 
F all fossils that are found, few at the present time excite more 
interest than the remains of the great extinct Pachyderms, such 
as the ‘Mammoth’ (Elephas primigenius), the Tichorhine Rhinoceros, 
and others. Not only have these animals been met with in a frozen 
state in Siberia, and have there been disinterred with all their soft 
parts preserved, but their remains are distributed in the superficial 
gravels, sands, and peat-deposits throughout Europe, Asia,and North 
America. They are still more important as ‘time-marks,’ from the 
fact that they occur both in this country and in France associated 
with flint implements,—the earliest indications of pre-historic man. 
Sinee British Geologists have more carefully examined the latest al- 
luvial deposits of our lakes, rivers, and estuaries, numerous new or 
long-neglected localities where remains of the Mammoth occur, 
usually with many other Mammals, have of late been indicated. 
Among these we may mention Fisherton, near Salisbury, where flint 
implements also have been found with them by Dr. H. P. Blackmore, 
in high-level gravel; and these implements were described by Mr. 
John Evans, F.S.A., F.G.S.,:in the Quart. Journ. Geol. Soe. vol. xx. 
p. 188;—the Valley of the Ouse, near Bedford, where also they are 
associated with flint implements (see a paper by Mr. James Wyatt, 
Op. cit. p. 183),—Lexden, near Colchester, in peat beneath brick- 
earth (the Rev. O. Fisher, F.G.S., Op. cié. vol. xix. p. 393). They 
have been found also in the Hyzna-den near Wells, Somersetshire, 
by Mr. W. B. Dawkins, F.G.S. (Op. cié. vol. xix. p. 260); in a 
brick-pit at Churchbridge, Oldbury, near Birmingham ( GEOLOGICAL 
MaaGazine, No. 1, p. 46); in one of the sand-banks of the Bridgewater 
Level, and along the coast, in a submerged forest, at St. Audries, 
Somersetshire (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xx. p. 120); in gravel 
VOL. I. — NO. VY. R 
