COLOSSOCHELYS ATLAS. 



377 



from some one of those small species which are now known 

 to exist in India, 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 tortoise 

 to do the like in the case of the fable of Garuda. Imagina- 

 tion would scout the image as incongruous, and the weight 

 even of mythology would not be strong enough to enforce it 

 on the belief of the most superstitious period of the human 

 race. Dr. Falconer stated that he would not lay undue stress 

 on the tendencies of mythological tradition, which are gene- 

 rally so vague and uncertain ; but that he had entered so fully 

 on the point from the important connection which it had with 

 a very remarkable matter of belief entertained by a large 

 portion of mankind. 



Dr. Falconer then described the animals associated with 

 the Golossochelys in the Sewalik fauna, including no less 

 than five extinct species of Mastodon and Elephant peculiar 

 to India, viz., the Mastodon latidens (Clift), M. Eleplianto'ides^ 

 (Clift), M. Sivalensis (Falc. & Caut.), Elephas planifrons 

 (F. & C), E. Hysudricus (F. & C). 



' Subsequently subdivided by Dr. Falconer into Elcphas Cliftii, and Elcphas 

 insignis. — [Ed.] 



Fig. 13. 



THE ELEPHANT VICTORIOTJS OVEE THE TORTOISE, SUPPORTING THE WORLD, AND 

 UNFOLDING THE MYSTERIES OF THE FAUNA SIVALENSIS. FROM A SKETCH IN PENCIL 

 IN ONE OF DR. FALCONER's NOTE-BOOKS BY THE LATE PROF. EDWARD FORBES. 



