ELEPHAS MHRIDIONALIS.— METACARPUS. 221 



E. meridionalis. E. antiquus. 



Third metacarpal facet 5 X 2*1 inches. 3x1 inches. 



Fourth „ „ 4-4X4 „ j ?><4 



Fifth „ „ 4 X3 „ ) 



Magnal facet 5 X35 „ 



Maximum height 5 - 6 ,, 6 „ 



'n' 



The above contrasts with the same parts of E. antiquus, recorded at p. 60. The 

 discrepancies, however, may be the result of specific or individual character, but certainly 

 the relative sizes of the surfaces for the third metacarpal are remarkable. 



9. METACARPUS. 



The characters of the metacarpals met with on the East Coast, when compared with 

 equivalent bones of the recent species and those of E. primigenius and E. antiquus, show 

 little that is noteworthy, excepting, perhaps, in the proximal extremities of the third digit, 

 as shown in PI. XVIII, fig. 5. They, moreover, seem to differ considerably individually 

 in their contours, especially of the two outer toes. 



The following are a few of the characters and dimensions of the more characteristic 

 specimens : 



A first digit from Overstrand, Cromer, in Mr. Savin's possession, is 5 inches in 

 length. The proximal facet is 3x2, and distal 5 inches (by tape) X2'5 inches; the 

 girth, midshaft, is 8'4 inches. This specimen does not appear to differ from the equiva- 

 lent bone in the African Elephant, as has been indicated. 1 



Third digit. — The specimen (PL XVIII, fig. 5) has been referred to ; 2 it is from 

 Happisborough. In this metacarpal (No. 33,428, B. M.) the magnal facet for the 

 fourth metacarpal is not nearly so broad as in E. antiquus. 



This very large bone is 10'8 inches in length, the height of the proximal extremity 

 being 6 inches, and smallest girth of shaft 11 - 8 inches. The upper portion of the 

 magnal facet is more cancave than in the bone attributed to E. antiquus — a character I 

 have observed in all the large third metacarpals from the East Coast. 



Another specimen in the Gunn Collection is 8*5 inches in length ; the breadth of the 

 outer proximal facet for the fourth metacarpal and unciform is 4x3 5 inches; the antero- 

 posterior length of the distal articular surface (by tape) is 5'5x38 inches. It displays 

 the same characters of the proximal articular surface as in the former. 



Fourth digit. — A metacarpal in the Norwich Museum is 7*5 in length, with an 

 unciform facet of 4x 35 inches. The surface for the third metacarpal is 3'5 X 1*4 inches, 

 whilst that for the fifth metacarpal is 45 X 1'8 inches. The distal (a. p. d. by tape) is 55 

 inches, and transverse 2 - 8 inches. The girth, midshaft, is 10 inches. 

 1 Pnge 162. 2 Page 1G3. 



31 



