J 32 BRITISH AND EUROPEAN FOSSIL ELEPHANTS. 



sawn up vertically, the section presents an appearance closely 

 resembling the teeth of a comb. (See PI. Y. fig. 3 of vol. i.) 



The Crag molar from the Thorpe road is so conclusive, 

 that, had no other specimen been met with, it would of itself 

 have sufficed to establish the existence of E. meridionalis in 

 the fossil state in England. 



A superb right ramus of the lower jaw, in the Gunn col- 

 lection, dug out of the Elephant-bed between Mundesley and 

 Bacton, presents the penultimate and last true molars in 

 situ, the former half worn out and exhibiting four partly 

 confluent discs of wear ; the latter having the first five ridges 

 and talon worn, the rest covered with cement, and partly 

 embedded in the angle of the jaw. It comprises about 

 thirteen ridges, exclusive of talons. The posterior ridges 

 are not distinctly shown, in consecmence of the coat of 

 cement. In the penultimate, the discs of the last two ridges 

 are confluent by a narrow isthmus of ivory, and they exhibit 

 a mesial angular expansion, resembling very much that of 

 E. (Loxod.) priscus. But this is simply an accident of age, 

 from the very low stage to which the wear of the crown has 

 been carried, close to the common base of ivory. 



Of the last molar, the anterior talon is very broad at the 

 outer side, and contracts inwards. The first four ridges 

 exhibit wide discs, bounded by an irregularly flexuous plate 

 of very thick enamel. The fifth ridge shows the apices of 

 about six very thick and distinct digitations. Between the 

 fourth and fifth ridges, but appended to the posterior margin 

 of the former, there is a single outlying mesial digitation. 

 The crown of this tooth is distinguished by its massive 

 character and width. 



The dimensions are : — 



Length of remains of penultimate, 3'6 in. Width of crown of penultimate, 

 approximatirely, 3 - 2 in. Length of the crown of last molar, 10"0 in. Greatest 

 width of the crown at the fifth ridge, 3'9 in. 



The last tooth is markedly curved in its antero-posterior 

 direction, the inner side being convex, the outer concave. 



Another important specimen in the Gunn collection is a 

 detached fragment comprising the posterior half of the last 

 lower molar, left side, showing seven ridges and the posterior 

 talon. It is inferred that from four to six anterior ridges 

 with the front talon are wantmg. The first three ridges are 

 slightly worn, presenting distinct annular discs, surrounded 

 by a margin of thick enamel. Each of these ridges presents 

 about five digitations converging upwards. The specimen, 

 through its deficiency in front, is well adapted for showing 

 one of the most distinctive characters of the species, namely, 

 the low height of the ridges relatively to the breadth of the 



