294 OSSIFEROUS CAVES OP MALTA. 



in front and are in close contact, the enamel-plates nearly 

 touching each other, but they are well separated backwards, 

 and the whole of the crown is enveloped by a coat of cement, 

 which at the sides is seen to be of considerable thickness. 



I have reckoned that what remains of the crown is com- 

 posed of ten ridges, and taking into account that the most 

 anterior portion, supported upon the large front fang, had 

 disappeared by age, and that it probably was composed of at 

 least two ridges, this would yield for the ridge-formula of 

 the molar a total of twelve collines, exclusive of talons. 



What was the age of this molar in the dental series of the 

 animal ? At the first glance it might be supposed from its 

 size to be a third or last milk molar, but this inference is at 

 once negatived by the fact already remarked on, that the 

 posterior talon bears nowhere upon it, or upon the end of the 

 tooth, the slightest indication of a depression arising from 

 the pressure of a tooth advancing behind it. As the same 

 result is yielded in a still more decided fashion by the inferior 

 molars, to be noticed in the sequel, I see no alternative to 

 the inference that it was an adult tooth of a dwarf species of 

 Elephant. The following are the dimensions : — 



Extreme length of crown measured from back talon to anterior edge, exactly 

 4- in. Width of ditto at 2nd ridge, 1-4 in. Ditto at 3rd ridge, 1-5 in. Ditto at 

 6th ridge, 1*4 in. Greatest width of crown, 1-55 in. Width at 10th ridge (greatest), 

 1-2 in. Ditto at last ridge, 1* in. Greatest height of crown taken at reflection of 

 l'Oth ridge, 2-95 in. Length occupied by the five discs from 2nd to 6th inclusive, 

 1*8 in. Width at middle of 3rd disc taken between the enamel-edges, 0-23 in. 



With reference to the alimentary characters, the discs of 

 ivory and the cement hollows between the enamel-ridges 

 are but slightly excavated ; in fact, the most anterior portion 

 of the crown exhibits the flat and nearly uniformly smooth 

 surface which is commonly presented by Elephants reared 

 in the domestic state and fed upon potatoes or other soft 

 food. The inference drawn from this is, that the food of the 

 Malta species was more herbaceous than woody. Mr. Din- 

 kel's figure of the crown-surface of this tooth is not quite 

 satisfactory in the details of the enamel-edges, but on the 

 whole is a good representation of the tooth. 



Upper True Molars. — The specimen next to be noticed 

 (Plate XL figs. 2 and 2 a) is a very beautiful and finely-pre- 

 served molar of the upper jaw, right side, complete in every 

 respect, with the exception of the ends of the fangs, which 

 are more or less broken off. The crown is composed of nine 

 principal ridges, together with a front and a back talon. 

 The front fang is distinctly present, and is seen to support 

 the two front ridges and talon. Of these, the eight anterior 

 ridges are more or less affected by wear, the rest being intact. 



