ELEPHAS PRIMIGENIUS.— SPINAL AXIS. 149 



Dorso-lumbar Vertebrae. 



The first dorsal vertebra (PI. XVII, fig. 7) was dredged off Lowestoft, Suffolk, and 

 is in the possession of J. J. Colraan, Esq., M.P., of Corton, who has kindly furnished me 

 with an excellent photograph of this entire specimen. It would be difficult to say with 

 accuracy to which of the three species it belonged ; the probability is, however, in favour 

 of its being a first dorsal of the Mammoth, seing that in characters and size it agrees 

 with similar authenticated specimens from British and Arctic deposits. The total 

 height is 20 inches. Height of spine and neural canal 14 inches ; spine, from neural 

 canal to apex, 11*5 inches; total breadth 13*5 inches. Height of centrum 6 inches; 

 breadth of centrum 6*5 inches; thickness 3 inches. Neural canal 3 X 4 - 8 inches in 

 width. 



A first dorsal vertebra, presumably belonging to the same individual as the axis just 

 described from Shandon Cave, is 13 inches in height by 11*5 in its greatest breadth. 

 The vertebral canal is 2'4 inches in height by 3" 5 inches in width. These two speci- 

 mens pretty well indicate the dimensions of the bone in the Mammoth. As regards the 

 Asiatic and African Elephants, the contour of the neural canal approaches closer to the 

 former. I have no data wherewith to compare the above with the same part in the other 

 two extinct Elephants, seeing that in them the arches are rarely sufficiently preserved to 

 admit of comparison. 



A third dorsal vertebra of the Mammoth, in the British Museum, from Admiral 

 Kellet's Collection, made in Eschscholtz Bay, Arctic America, is nearly entire, excepting 

 the loss of the neural apophysis, which had not been anchylosed to the spine, and there- 

 fore belonged to an adolescent individual. 



The height is 20 inches ; maximum breadth 10 inches. Centrum, 4 - 5 X 4*4 inches 

 in the transverse diameter. 



The neural canal is similar to that of fig. 7. 



A posterior dorsal in the same Museum, from Kotzebue Sound, Arctic America, 

 had belonged to a youthful . individual, as the anterior and posterior surfaces of the 

 centrum are without the epiphyses, and the neural spine is wanting. 



The entire length is 18 inches; maximum breadth 10 inches. Centrum 4 X 4*4 

 inches. The canal is 1*9 X 2'4 inches; thickness 2 - l inches. 



There are centra and portions of other dorso-lumbar vertebras in the British Museum 

 and elsewhere, but none seem worthy of particular notice, as they present no diagnostic 

 characters of importance, only that they are small as compared with Eorest-Bed speci- 

 mens referable to E. meridionalis and E. antiquum, as will appear in the sequel. 



The ribs and sternum are represented by fragments in the British Museum, none of 

 which, however, are sufficiently entire to be useful for diagnostic purposes. 



