278 PALEONTOLOGY. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



In the fourth edition of the Ossemens Fossiles, Cuvier, in describing the Mastodontes h dents 

 etroifes, speaks of the similarity between the teeth brought from Peru by Dombey and Hum- 

 boldt, also between those brought by the latter from the Camp des Geans, near Santa Fe de 

 Bogota, and the Mastodon angustidens of Europe. He even goes further, and asserts the spe- 

 cific identity between one of the teeth brought from Peru, and another brought from Simmore, 

 in Europe ;* and consequently regards M. angustidens as a South American as well as a Euro- 

 pean species. He also established, or rather suggested, two additional species peculiar to 

 South America, which he denominated M. Andium and M. Humholdtii, which are more espe- 

 cially distinguished by their difference in size.f 



De Blainville, always an antagonist to the opinions of Cuvier, after reviewing the whole 

 subject in all its details, expresses the conviction that but one species exists in South America — 

 viz : M. Humholdtii — in which are included the M, Andium and M. Ifmnholdtii, as well as the 

 remains described by Cuvier as identical with 31. angustidens of Europe; J and Dr. Falconer§ 

 appears to adojst the views of De Blainville, but they have been strenuously opposed by Lau- 

 rillard, the friend and coadjutor of Cuvier. 



De Blainville was undoiibtedly correct in diifering with Cuvier as to the identity of M. angus- 

 tidens with any South American species. Cuvier's opinion is not only opposed by anatomical 

 facts, but by what appears to be the rule with regard to the geographical distribution of ani- 

 mals, and which in his time was but imperfectly understood. From what is now known in 

 relation to the geographical range of species, we should not expect any Mammal, and the least 

 of all a gigantic Pachyderm, to be an inhabitant of two continents so widely separated as 

 Europe, or even Asia and South America, at the same time no members of the same species 

 being found in North America, which intervenes. 



As regards the existence of the two species — M. Andium and M. Humholdtii — while De Blain- 

 ville has taken a position so decidedly in opposition to that of Cuvier, and has been followed, 

 as it appears, by Dr. Falconer, they both seem to have overlooked some of the facts in the case 

 which tend to show the existence of two species at least. Among the different figures of 

 molars illustrating the dental series of South American Mastodons, Cuvier|| gives one of a sixth 

 or ultimate molar, De BlainvilleT[ four, and Falconer** four; making in all nine different speci- 

 mens of ultimate or sixth molars. The size of each of these is readily determined, as they are 

 all drawn to a scale indicated on the plates. The following table will give the full dimensions 

 of the different ultimate molars figured by the authors mentioned above, and will show their 

 relative proportions : 



Liches. 

 I — 1. Cuvier, PL xxviii. Fig. 4, (Dombey's specimen) - - - 6 



2. De Blainville, PI. xii, (from Peru, much worn) - - - 6| 



3. De Blainville, PI. xii - - - - - - - - 6 



4. Falconer, PL xl, Figs. 12 and 12'^ ----- - 6/g 



5. Falconer, PL xl, Fig. 10 ------- 6 



• " Malgre TeloignenieDt des lieux, il m'est done impossible de ne pas reconuoitre ces deux dents comme de la mcrae espece." 

 — Cuvier, Oss. Foss., 4me edit., T. II, p. 338. 



t Op. Cit., p. 3G8. 



X De B., in the same chapter iu which he discusses the identity of species, refers the celebrated remains once described as 

 those of Teutobocchus to M. Humboldtii. — Osteographie, G. Elephas, p. 286. 



^"The South American teeth which he (Cuvier) distributed among three nominal species — viz: M. Andium, M. angustidens, 

 and M. Humboldtii — appear to be all referable to a single form, the M. Andium (Humboldtii ?) of De Blainville." — Fauna 

 Antitjua Sivahnsis, by Hugh Falconer, F. E. S., &c., and Proby Cauiley, F. G. S., &c. : London, 1846 ; Part I, p. 19. ^ 



II Oss. Foss., Tome II, p. 339, and figured in PI. xxviii, Fig. 4. 



1[ Osteographie, Genus Elephus, PI. xii. 



*" Fauna Antiipia, Plates xxxv, xl, and xliv. 



