42 DESCRIPTION OF THE SKELETON. 



two inches and a half in length, and its anterior termination measures an 

 inch and a half across. 



The first phalanges of the second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers are 

 much alike. They are quadrangular on their upper surfaces, and measure 

 from three to four inches in length, and about the same in width. The 

 second phalanges of these fingers are also very much alike. They are of 

 a truncated, pyramidal form, about three inches across, and two from above 

 downwards. 



The sesamoid bones have sometimes been mistaken, when discovered, 

 for the terminal phalanges. 

 ungueai The third or v/ngueal phalanx appears to be wanting : we say appears, 



Phalanx. 



because the corresponding representative terminal bones do not seem to be 

 the originals. They are not of a very oblong form, like the ungueai bones 

 of the elephant, but would be represented by one-half the length of this 

 bone in the latter animal. We have, besides these, a portion of one of 

 the toes, presenting a terminal bone, exactly like the factitious ones in the 

 large skeleton : this is a real bone ; but whether it be a real terminal is 

 a question we are unable to answer, for its history is unknown. In order 

 to settle this point, we have examined the terminal or ungueai phalanx 

 of the elephant, and also the description of these bones by Cuvier and 

 De Blainville.* From these descriptions, it appears that the bones of 



* " Les premieres phalanges de tous les pieds sont un peu plus longues que larges, un peu aplaties 

 d'avant en arriere. Leur face superieure est legerement concave ; l'inferieure en poulie peu prononcee. 

 Les suivantes sont beaucoup plus larges que longues. Les dernieres sont petites et en demi-cercles ou en 

 ovales." — Ossemcns Fossiles, Cuvier, tome i. p. 29. 



" II en est de mcme des phalanges ongueales, je n'en connais que deux, probablement des doigts 

 interniediaires, ce sont veritablement de tres-petites phalanges a sabots, deux fois plus larges que longues, 

 par le developpement plus ou moins styloi'de des angles de jonction du bord articulaire un peu avance au 

 milieu, avec le bord terminal plus ou moins arrondi et rugueux." — Osteographie, Ducrotay de Blaix- 



VILLE, p. 30. 



