204 BRITISH FOSSIL ELEPHANTS. 



broad-crowned variety of E. antiquus. In fact, either the mandible is subject to great 

 variability in the E. meridionalis, or else fig. 1 represents another species. 



The following characters distinguish it from the preceding jaws, and are for the most 

 part brought out in the figures in Plate XXV. 



1. The diasteme is erect or nearly so, as in the Mammoth and E. antiquus. 



2. The rostrum, instead of being part of the diasteme, projects from the symphysis 

 like a nipple from a breast (Plate XXV, figs. 1 a and 1 b). These two characters are 

 opposed to the diagnosis of Falconer, who states that the beak in E. meridionalis is 

 a prolongation of the inferior margin, into which the diastemal ridges descend with 

 great obliquity ; but, considering the variability in this respect as regards the Mammoth 

 shown in Woodcuts, figs. 19 — 21, page 13S, it may be fairly doubted if any reliance 

 should be placed on the projection in question, to which may be added the numbers or 

 positions of the mental foramina. 



3. The chin (Plate XXV, fig. 1 b) has the round character of that of the Mammoth, 

 as shown in Woodcuts at page 135, figs. 4 — 12. 



4. The length of the horizontal as compared with the width of the ascending ramus 

 (Plate XXV) is also striking with reference to the other mandibles of E. meridionalis 

 just described, and is in keeping with the jaw of E. antiquus and E. primigenius. How 

 far, indeed, there are any characters of a constant and very reliable nature in connection 

 with the lower jaws of these three species may be questionable from this instance of what 

 is seemingly the mandible of E. meridionalis. 



5. The great thickness of the ramus just behind the molar (Plate XXV, fig. 1) is 

 assuredly greater in proportion in the jaw in question than I have seen in that of either 

 of the other two species. 



The measurements have been already recorded in the table, page 144 ; there are, 

 however, a few additional measurements to be added as follow : 



1. Height ofcoronoid and jaw, 13 inches. 



2. Height of jaw in front of coronoid, 9 inches. 



3. Thickness at the middle of the molar, 5*5 inches. 



4. Thickness at the heel of the molar, 9 inches. 



5. Antero-posterior length of symphysial gutter from the tip of the rostrum is 5' 5 

 inches by callipers, and 8 inches by tape line. 



6. Breadth of gutter in front below 25 inches, and 3"5 inches at its middle. 



7. There are four mental foramina on the right, and only two on the left. 



The British Museum contains an interesting cast (No. 3733) of a mandible from the 

 Val d'Arno. 1 It is entire excepting the coronoids, and holds a fragment of the second, 

 in front of an entire ultimate true molar, of which six discs only are invaded, whilst the 



1 Woodcuts of which are shown at p. 136, fig. 14, p. 139, fig. 28, and p. 142, fig. 40 ; its 

 dimensions in the table at p. 144. 



