ON THE FOSSIL BONES OF THE ELEPHANT. 315 



or not this species presents us with some remarkable varieties. It is 

 this species which yields the largest tusks. 



They are of the same length in both sexes, at least in Senegal. 



The usual number of nails is four before and three behind. 



The ear is immense, and covers the shoulder. 



The colour of the skin is a deep brown, and this colour is uniform. 



This species has not been tamed in modern times : however, it 

 appears to have been tamed by the ancients, who attributed to it less 

 strength and courage in this state, than to the species we are about to 

 mention ; but their observations seem to want confirmation, at least 

 in the particulars relating to the size of this animal. 



We are not thoroughly acquainted with its habits ; but as far as we 

 are able to judge of them from the accounts of travellers, they are in 

 all essential particulars similar to those of the following species . — 



The elephant ivith an elongated skull, concave forehead, small ears, 

 jaw-teeth marked with undulating ribands, which we call the Indian 

 elephant (elephas Indicus) is a quadruped which has not been 

 observed with certainty, except beyond the Indus. 



It inhabits the country stretching from either bank of the Ganges 

 to the eastern ocean and the south of China ; it is also found in the 

 islands of the Indian' ocean, at Ceylon, Java, Borneo, and Sumatra, &c. 



There is as yet no proof extant of its being found in any part of 

 Africa, neither is the contrary proved to a demonstration. 



As the Indians have been from time immemorial in the habit of 

 taking and taming this species of elephant, it has been much better 

 obsei-ved than any other. 



Varieties have been noticed in the size and symmetry of its form, in 

 the length and direction of its tusks, and in the colours of the skin. 



The females, and many of the males, have short straight tusks. 



The tusks of the males in general do not reach the great length of 

 those of the African species. 



The usual number of nails is five before and four behind. 



The ear is small, and frequently angular. 



The colour of the skin is most commonly grey spotted with brown. 

 Some are found quite white. 



Their height varies from eight to fifteen and sixteen feet. 



Its habits, and the manner of taking and training it, have been 

 carefully described by a multitude of travellers and naturalists, from 

 Aristotle down to M. Corse. 



The elephant with an elongated skull, concave forehead, very long 

 articulating surfaces to its tusks, obtuse loiver jaw, jaw-teeth large, 

 parallel, and marked with ribands more close, which we call the fossil 

 elephant (elephas primiyenius, Blumenbach) is the mammoth of the 

 Russians. 



Its bones are only to be found in the fossil state. None have as 

 yet been seen in a fresh state, corresponding in characters with those 

 by which this species is particularly distinguished, nor have the bones 

 of the two preceding species been discovered in the fossil state. 



Its bones are found in great quantities in many countries, but in a 

 higher state of preservation in the north than elsewhere. 



It bears a stronger resemblance to the Indian than to the African 



