1907,] ELEPHANT REMAINS FROM CRETE. 243 



ramus (M. 44294), already described and figured by Dr. Leith 

 Adams*. It is evident that in antero - posterior length it 

 slightly exceeds the Cretan example and consists of several more 

 plates, these being in much closer proximity owing to the narrow- 

 ness of the cement-areas and the less massive enamel bands. 

 Considering the size of the ramus this tooth must be much the 

 higher of the two, while in breadth of crown the molar from Crete 

 is superior. 



The one other dental specimen obtained (M. 9379, PI. XII. 

 fig. 2) consists of only three unworn plates ; the anterior surface 

 of the foremost of these is strongly but simply grooved, its greatest 

 width is 35 mm. and its height 50 mm. 



The only bone procured fi'om the deposit near Cape Maleka is 

 the dorsal half of a vertebra embedded in the matrix attached to 

 the mandibular ramus containing a last true molar (M. 9383). 



From this brief account of the remains procured of E. creticus, 

 it will be seen that this pigmy Elephant must have been of slightly 

 larger proportions than E. Cypriotes and appi-oached in size more 

 closely to E. melitensis ; that is to say, it would have attained as 

 a maximum a height of five feet f. All the molai's obtained difler 

 from those of the two last-named dwarf species in being much 

 lower in the crown ; this is perhaps the most noticeable feature of 

 the series. At the same time the teeth are wide, the cement-areas 

 broad, and the enamel simple, though at times broken up into a 

 number of rings. So far as can be ascertained from the scanty 

 amount of material the ridge-formula must have been low. 



Except with regard to the immense difterence in size the 

 characteristics of the molars described above, more especially m 

 the lowness of the crowns +, appear to resemble more closely those 

 of E. meridionalis than of any other of the larger Elephants of 

 the Mediterranean Region. 



II. Elephas antiquus Falconer. 



As previously mentioned, remains of this Elephant § had already 

 been obtained from caves close to Retymno. The teeth and bones 

 noted below, and believed to belong to this species, were all pro- 

 cured from a much damaged and fragmentary cave-deposit, one 

 of several found close together in the cliffs bordering the south 

 of Kharoumes Bay in the Eparkhia of Sitaealj. Although evi- 

 dently but a remnant of a formerly larger deposit, it was possible 



* Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. ix. p. 30, pi. 6. figs. 1, 1 a. 



f Leith Adams, Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. ix. pp. 108, 116. 



j This characteristic of the molars of E. meridionalis was constantly noted by 

 Falconer, see Pal. Mem. (London, 1868), vol. ii. pp. 128, 134, 138, &c. 



§ Signor Simonelli does not give the author of his E. priscus, but it maj"^ be sup- 

 posed that this name is employed for the thick-ridged variety of E. antiquus 

 (Falconer's E. priscus, Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit. Mus. part iv. p. 122), since the name 

 E. prisms of Goldfuss appears to have been applied to molars almost indistinguish- 

 able from those of E. africanus (see Pomel, Bull. Soc. Geol. France, tome vii. 

 1878, p. 51). 



II Geol. Mag. n. s. dec. v. vol. ii. (19C5), footnote 3, p. 199. 



