FALCONER ON THE PERIM ISLAND FOSSILS. 369 



its thick bluff termination, and in the inferior tusks. I shall soon 

 have occasion in another place to follow up this subject at greater 

 length, and in the meantime must content myself with the simple 

 statement, that the North American Mastodon and the Indian 

 Dinotherium are the nearest connecting forms of the two genera 

 yet known, and that their relationship is far from being remote, 

 perhaps even nearer than that of the American Mastodon to the 

 Indian Elephant or the Mammoth. 



The deflexion of the symphisis commences immediately behind 

 the second molar, as in the Din. giga?iteum, and it is evidently 

 produced into a great bluff mass, bent downwards as in that 

 species. The section at this point does not include any part of an 

 inferior tusk, or of an alveolus for it ; but Dr. Kaup * tells me 

 that the large tusks of the Eppelsheim species, with their alveoli, 

 always terminate considerably in front of the anterior premolar. 

 There is no reason, therefore, to conclude that the Indian had not 

 tusks resembling those of the European species : and although there 

 is no direct evidence to the point, everything in the construction of 

 the symphisis goes to support the presumption that there were 

 tusks. The posterior mentary foramen is of large size, and situ- 

 ated at the outside under the anterior premolar, exactly as in the 

 Eppelsheim fossil, but at a greater distance from the alveolar 

 border of the jaw. It is much larger than the foramen seen in 

 the cast of the Eppelsheim lower jaw ; but no faith can be put in 

 the dimensions of a foramen measured on a cast. 



In regard to the teeth, nothing is seen of their crowns, which 

 have been broken off close to the alveolar margin : but the bony 

 partitions between five teeth are distinctly visible, showing the 

 usual complement in Dinotherium, and proving that the fossil was 

 derived from an adult animal. These five teeth consist of two 

 premolars, and three true molars. They diminish in width from 

 the backmost forwards, as in the European species. The anterior 

 premolar has two lobes, the front one being compressed and 

 sharpened off forwards into a cuneiform edge ; the rear lobe 

 being shorter and broader. This tooth is upwards of half an inch 

 longer than that belonging to the jaw of the great specimen 

 figured by Kaup. The second premolar is nearly square in out- 

 line, but wider behind. It appears to have had two ridges, and 

 four fangs. The third tooth or first true molar, presents a length 

 of 4 inches by 2*8 of extreme breadth ; while that of the Eppel- 

 sheim cast measures 3 '6 by 2*6. We have in this excess of length 

 conclusive proof that the Indian, like the European species, pos- 

 sessed the remarkable character of having the first true molar 

 three-ridged, and more complex in its form than the two backmost 



* I have had the advantage, while engaged on the examination of this fossil, 

 to benefit, during his present residence in London, by the intimate knowledge 

 of the structure of the Dinotherium, possessed by this distinguished palaeontolo- 

 gist, the founder of the genus. Dr. Kaup was at once convinced of the generic 

 relations of both the fossils, but he is in nowise responsible for any of the 

 opinions here advanced regarding the distinctness of the species, or its affinities. 



VOL I. B B 



