COLOSSOCHELYS ATLAS, 3()9 



the Colossochelys would supply a consistent representative of 

 the tortoise that sustained the elephant and the world 

 together. But if we are to suppose that the mythological 

 notion of the tortoise was derived, as a symbol of strength, 

 from some one of those small species which are now known 

 to exist in India, this congruity of ideas, this harmony of 

 representation would be at once violated ; it would be as 

 legitimate to talk of a rat or a mouse contending with an 

 elephant, as of any known Indian tortoise to do the same in 

 the case of the fable of Graruda. The fancy would scout the 

 image as incongTuous, and the weight even of mythology 

 would not be strong enough to enforce it on the faith of the 

 most superstitious epoch of the human race. 



But the indications of mythological tradition are in every 

 case vague and uncertain, and in the present instance we 

 would not lay undue weight on the tendencies of such as 

 concern the tortoise. We have entered so much at length on 

 them on this occasion, from the important bearing which the 

 point has on a very remarkable matter of early belief enter- 

 tained by a largg portion of the human race. The result at 

 which we have arrived is, that there are fair grounds for 

 entertaining the belief as probable that the Colossochelys 

 Atlas may have lived down to an early period of the human 

 epoch and become extinct since : — 1st. From the fact that 

 other Chelonian species and crocodiles, contemporaries of the 

 Colossochelys in the Sewalik fauna, have survived. 2nd. From 

 the indications of mythology in regard to a gigantic species 

 of tortoise in India. 



Some of the bones were analyzed with great care by Mr. 

 Middleton, and yielded a large proportion of fluorine, the 

 constituents being : — 



Phosphate of lime ......... 64'95 



Carbonate of lime ......... 22'36 



Fluoride of calcium ......... 11'68 



Oxide of iron .......... I'OO 



A trace of chloride of sodium. 



99-99 



Other Sewalik fossil bones were at the same time sub- 

 jected to analysis, such as the Mastodon Elephanto'ides, Camelus 

 Sivalensis, Horse, Ruminants, &c., and the whole of them 

 yielded similar results, with a proportion of fluoride of 

 calcium varying from 9 to 11 per cent. This is much above 

 the usual quantity found in fossil bones ; the utmost that has 

 been met with having been in bones of Anoplotherium from 

 the Paris basin, viz, 14 per cent. 



Manuscript Note hy Dr. Falconer.^ — rLUOiMNE. — There is 



' Found among Dr. Falconer's papers. — [Ec] 

 VOL. I. B B 



