ASSERTED OCCURRENCE IN AUSTRALIA. 



275 



of it, as presented by the adult animal. The specimen was 

 brought by M. H. de Saussure from Mexico (antea, p. 226), 

 and the beak in this case bore the base of a very large 

 incisor on one side. 1 Mastodon Humboldtii is found in Co- 

 lombia, Buenos Ayres, and Brazil : M. Andium, chiefly in 

 Chili, Bolivia, and Peru ; the valley of Tarija, in particular, 

 abounds in remains of this species. The reputed Australian 

 molar agrees so closely with specimens of M. Andium, 

 brought by Weddell from Tarija, which I have studied in 

 the Palseontological Gallery of the Jardin des Plantes at 

 Paris, that I have failed to detect any sufficient character by 

 which to distinguish them. 2 They agree also in mineral 

 condition, and in the dark brown glossy colour of the enamel, 

 where denuded of matrix. 



As regards the history of the reputed Australian specimen, 

 unfortunately it was not seen in situ by Count Strzlecki. 

 That enterprising traveller, whose explorations embraced 

 North and South America, Australia, the Javanese Islands, 

 &c, states that he ' bought it from a native at Boree, the 

 sheep-station of Captain Ryan, through the agency of the 

 overseer of that station. The native, in giving the bone, 

 stated that similar ones, and larger still, might be got 

 further in the interior ; but that, owing to the hostility of a 

 tribe upon whose grounds the bones are found, it was im- 

 possible for him to venture in that time in search for more,' 

 &c. 3 The account given in Professor Owen's paper differs 

 in some respects : being to the effect, that the specimen was 

 brought by a native to Count Strzlecki when exploring the 

 ossiferous caves of Wellington Valley ; 4 and that the native 



1 Laiirillard inferred from d'Orbigny's 

 figure, that, although the beak was elon- 

 gated, from its tenuity there were no 

 incisors to the lower jaw in this instance ; 

 or that, if ever present, they were rudi- 

 mentary, and had been shed early in life. 

 In the specimen figured by Dr. Wyman, 

 showing the lower jaw of an adolescent 

 animal, the symphysis is somewhat 

 elongated, but blunt, and there is no ap- 

 pearance of its having held incisors. The 

 possession of mandibular incisors may 

 havo been a sexual distinction. (United 

 States' Australian Expedition, PL xii. 

 figs. 1 and 2.) 



2 On the occasion where I first ques- 

 tioned the authenticity of the reputed 

 Australian Mastodon, I was led to 

 identify it with M. Humboldtii, instead 

 of M. Andium (vide Quart. Journ. Geol. 

 Soc. 1857, vol. xiii. Synoptical table, 



p. 319*). On the same occasion (op. cit. 

 p. 313f) I called attention to the ex- 

 ceptional character of certain specimens 

 of M. Andium, as if hesitating between 

 Tctralophodon and Trilophodon. I be- 

 lieve the species will prove to belong to 

 the latter group. [As early as 1846, 

 Dr. E. pointed out that the tooth of the 

 so-called Mastodon Australis did ' not 

 furnish characters sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish it from M. Andium' See vol. i. 

 p. 106.— Ed.] 



3 St^glecki, 'Plrysical Description of 

 New South Wales,' &c, 1845, p. 312. 



4 Boree Creek, an affluent of the 

 Lachlan River, is in the Ashburnham 

 District, north of Canobalas Mountain ; 

 while Wellington Valley is on the 

 Macquarie River, an affluent of the 

 Darling. A considerable tract intervenes. 



* Antca, p. 14. — [Ed.] 



f Antea, p. 8, note 2. — [Ed.] 



t 2 



