393 RHINOCEROS. 



vation, considering the numerous removals which it has undergone. It 

 was first deposited at Piacenza in Cortesi's time, then removed to the 

 Museum of Mines in the Stradone di Santa Teresa. After remaining 

 there many years, it was removed with the other Natural History collec- 

 tions in 1848 to the Palazzo Dugnani, and finally (1849) transferred to 

 its present locale in the Museo Civico, Contrada della Maddalena al Cer- 

 chio, near the Piazza Santa Marta, along with the rest of Cortesi's fossil 

 collections, Avhich include the Whale skeletons and the palate (and 

 other bones) of the Elephas meridionalis figured in the ' Saggi Geo- 

 logici.' The skull, when De Christol's figure of it was made by Gene, 

 appears to have been nearly in the same state as it is now. 



Cortesi mentions, that along with the skull he found 10 verte- 

 bras, 14 ribs, 2 scapulas, and the 2 fore legs. On looking over the 

 fragments in the case, parts of most of these remains are to be seen. 

 Of the vertebras there is an axis, which is entire, with the exception of 

 the spinal portion of the neural arch. There are also 8 other vertebras ; 

 the bones of the fore-legs and the scapulas are unfortunately very much 

 broken. There are 2 humeri, one of which is in three pieces, that do 

 not admit of being joined. The head of another humerus of very large 

 size is in the same mineral condition as the other. It belongs to the 

 opposite side from that in Cuvier's fig. 9 of PL XLI. (Rhin. PI. III., 

 ed. 3me) ; but as compared with that it yields the following measure- 

 ments: — From b to d as in fig. 9, 7" inches ; from a to b 6 - l inches; from 

 d to a 6 - inches; greatest expansion under the neck, 7"2 inches; trans- 

 verse diameter of head, 4" inches. 



The hooked process below the expansion is present in this specimen, 

 but all the rest of the shaft is broken off. There are some metatarsal 

 and metacarpal bones, but of the radius and ulna and scapulas there 

 are only fragments, not sufficiently perfect for description. Cortesi 

 mentions having discovered in another place the humerus of a Rhino- 

 ceros, covered with oyster-shells growing ujjon it. One of these humeri, 

 nearly entire (the lower articular head being wanting), is still in the 

 collection, and the transverse expansion, where greatest below the arti- 

 cular head, measures only 56 inches. It is evidently of an adult 

 animal, as the epiphyses are united; the bone is impregnated with iron, 

 and in a very different mineral state from the other decomposed 

 humerus above measured, and it yields dimensions which are so much 

 less than that of the other above given, that it probably belonged to a 

 distinct species, and that species Rhinoceros Etruscus. But I have no 

 time at present to determine that point accurately. This completes all 

 that I can do about the Cortesi Rhinoceros. 



In the same case are seen the remains of the palate of the Elephas 

 meridionalis, figured ty Cortesi. The teeth are the last true molar of 

 either side ; that of the right side is entirely exjsosed, showing twelve 

 ridges with a talon plate behind, and also a front talon. Of these, the 

 front five ridges are more or less worn ; the enamel-plate is thick ; the 

 discs wide apart and little undulated, with thick ringed digitations. 

 The tooth measures in extreme length 11 inches, and the greatest width 

 of the crown is 4^ inches. Alongside of it is the fragment of an enormous 

 ivory tusk, somewhat oval in section, the greatest diameter of which 

 yields 9^ inches. In the same case there is a portion of a most enormous 

 sacrum, attached to the last lumbar vertebra. Among the Elephants' 

 teeth, upper and lower, in this case, I could detect no indications of Ele- 



