100 



BRITISH AND EUROPEAN FOSSIL ELEPHANTS. 



margin of the molar in situ. The length, measured from' 

 the anterior angle of the fang-scar to the back of the tooth, 

 is 8*1 inches. A question arises, whether this alveolar scar 

 belongs to a distinct younger tooth that had been shed ; or 

 does it represent the remains of an anterior portion of the 

 tooth now seen in situ, which was supported by a fang 

 anterior to that described above as being the large front fang ? 

 In the latter case, at least three other ridges would have to 

 be added to the crown, making eleven in all, and the tooth 

 would then present the character of the last lower of the 

 African Elephant instead of the penultimate. There is no 

 positive character to decide the question either way ; but I 

 am led to consider that the tooth has its full proportions hi 

 what now remains, from the circumstance that the crown 

 narrows so much at the first ridge, i.e. to less than two 

 inches, while it is three inches wide behind. The fang-scar 

 in this view is regarded as indicating the position of a shed 

 antepenultimate. 



The jaw is so rolled and mutilated, that it affords but few 

 distinctive characters for description. The most striking 

 point is the very great proportional height of the ramus, 

 which in a line with the anterior termination of the molar 

 is upwards of 9 inches. This proves that the jaw is that of 

 an adult animal, and that the molar is certainly not of a 

 younger age than a penultimate. The inner side of the 

 ramus is flat, and the jaw appears to have been very high 

 and compressed in front. What remains of the symphysis 

 indicates that the gutter was broad, and that the rami 

 diverged considerably. Two mentary foramina are present 

 on the left side, with an interval of about 3 inches between 

 them, and close to the edge of the diasteme. 1 



This valuable specimen was found on the Palling beach, 

 near Happisburgh, where fossil molars of elephants are so 

 abundant. There is no certain information from what bed 

 it was derived, whether from the ' Elephant bed ' of Mr. 

 Gunn, below the ' submerged forest-bed,' or from the ' lami- 

 nated blue clay ' above it. But he is satisfied that it was 

 derived from a deposit below the ' dark-mud Boulder-clay.' 

 The same uncertainty applies to the greater part of the 

 Mammalian remains found along the beach from Happis- 

 burgh to Mundesley. They have rarely or ever been observed 

 in the cliffs in situ ; and in the present instance there is no 

 matrix upon the specimen to aid in arriving at an opinion 



1 In this respect the jaw in question 

 would seem to differ from E. Africanus, 

 in which species the mentary foramina 



are always placed a considerable distance 

 from the edge.— Note by G. Busk, F.R.S. 

 in Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 



