81 BRITISH AND EUROPEAN FOSSIL ELEPHANTS, 



forms commonly partake more or less of the character of 

 both. But the sum of the characters, and more especially 

 the identical form of the divisions of the crowns and the 

 ridge-formula, connect this species more with the other Ste- 

 godons than with any group of Mastodon. The next two 

 species, namely, E. (Steg.) bombifrons and E. (Steg.) insignis, 

 have from seven to eight, and occasionally even nine ridges 

 in their different intermediate molars ; and their teeth are 

 exceedingly alike in character, although the species are dis- 

 tinguished by an excessive amount of difference in the form 

 of the cranium, greater even than that between the African 

 Elephant and the Mastodon of North America. Eegarding 

 the specific distinctness of E. (Steg.) Ganesa I am by no means 

 so well assured ; this species is chiefly founded on a huge 

 cranium in the British Museum with long tusks, presented 

 by Colonel Baker. I have not been able to reconcile the form 

 of this cranium with either that of E. [Steg.) insignis or E. 

 (Steg.) bombifrons ; but at the same time I must confess that 

 I have failed in tracing its dentition satisfactorily as a distinct 

 form through different ages. Three species of this group 

 appear to be distinct beyond question ; and I cite them chiefly, 

 on the present occasion, in reference to determinations in the 

 sequel, to show that Elephantine forms may approach very 

 closely in their dental characters, as occurs in other Mam- 

 malia, and still be distinct species. 



The Stegodons, so far as is at present known, are exclu- 

 sively confined to Tropical Asia. It is therefore unnecessary, 

 on the present occasion, to describe in detail the peculiarities 

 of their dental characters ; and I shall confine myself to the 

 leading points in their ' ridge-formula,' that place them in 

 connexion with the Mastodons on the one hand, and with the 

 Loxodons on the other. 



2. Elephas (Stegodon) Cliftii. — Of this species the youngest 

 milk teeth are as yet unknown. The third upper milk molar, 

 or first of the intermediate molars, is seen in situ in the 

 specimen represented in the ' Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis,' PI. 

 XXX. fig. 1 S, entire on one side, but worn down to the common 

 base of ivory, so that the divisions of the crown have entirely 

 disappeared, leaving no certain data for determining the 

 ridge-formula of this tooth. Behind it, in the same palate 

 specimen from Ava (presented by Colonel Burney to the 

 British Museum), the three anterior ridges of the antepenul- 

 timate true molar are seen in situ, the posterior half being 

 broken off. But the detached tooth on the upper jaw is seen 

 entire, and beautifully preserved, in the specimen fig. 2 of 

 the same plate, presenting six ridges and a small hind talon. 

 The same tooth is represented by fig. 6 of PL XXXIX. of Mr. 



