188 ox THE FOSSIL BOXES OF PACHYDERMATOVS QfAnRUPEDS. 



possible to confound the femur of the elephant with that of the rhino- 

 ceros, by reason of the enormous third trochanter of this latter. 



The tibia (pi. 13, fig. 10, 11 and 12,) is triangular only towards its 

 middle. Its superior articular surface presents two transverse ovals 

 separated by a conical transverse ridge on the fore part. Its anterior 

 surface has towards its upper part a considerable rough, concave im- 

 pression. The anterior ridge is rounded, and becomes entirely flat- 

 tened towards the lower third. The posterior surface is ver\' concave 

 towards the upper part, and looks obliquely outwards. The external 

 tubercles of the lower head are tolerably prominent. The inferior 

 articular surface represents a semicircle convex behind, the exterior 

 point of which is raised to give support to the fibula. The fibula is 

 slender and compressed; its lower head, very much enlarged, presents 

 two surfaces, one to the astragalus and tibia, the other to the os calcis; 

 the upper head is less so, and has but one small rouud surface for a 

 lateral projection of the head of the tibia. 



The patella is oval, broader above, very convex and rough anteriorly; 

 its posterior surface is slightly convex in the longitudinal direction, and 

 concave transversely. It is impossible to confound any of these parts 

 with those corresponding to them in the rhinoceros and hippopotamus, 

 which have forms and proportions totally different ; but it is certain 

 that they present in general a form which is not destitute of resem- 

 blance to that of man. 



6. — Bofies of the Carpus. 

 The bones of the carpus in the elephant are remarkable in this, th-at 

 they are nearly cut square, and that the second row does not enter by 

 its prominences into the inten'als of the first, or reciprocally, as in other 

 animals. 



Each row has four bones as in man. 



The scaphoid is more high than broad, narrower above than below, 

 compressed on the sides ; its external surface is rough and lateral ; its 

 upper surface is small and semicircular, and descends obliquely in- 

 wards ; the lower surface, which corresponds to the trapezium, and tra- 

 pezoid, is elongated, elliptical, and a little convex longitudinally ; on 

 its internal edge in front there is a small semicircular surface corre- 

 sponding to a similar one of the os semilunare. 



The OS semilunare has its anterior surface rectangular, more broad 

 than high ; the superior or radial surface triangular, with the angles 

 blunted (mousses) ; under the anterior external angle there is a small 

 descending surface ; the inferior differs little from the superior, and cor- 

 responds almost entirely with the os magnum ; on the two edges ante- 

 riorly there are some small semicircular surfaces which con'espond with 

 that of the scaphoid and cuneiform bone. 



The cuneiform bone has also its anterior surface almost rectangular, 

 but still much broader in proportion to its height than that on the se- 

 milunar bone : its upper line is undulating and a little concave on its 

 external third ; its inferior external angle is prolonged into a blunt 

 point : the upper and lower surfaces are triangular, but longer on the 

 anterior side, and the posterior angle is truncated ; under half the ex- 

 ternal edge of the upper surface there is a triangular surface for the 

 pisiform bone. 



