ANTERIOR EXTREMITY. 43 



the ungueaJ phalanx, described by these celebrated authorities, were im- 

 perfect. 



In our elephant skeleton, two of these bones have been preserved in the 

 hand, and two in the foot, with great difficulty ; for the three others (if we 

 admit any for the thumb and great toe) could not be discovered and 

 extricated from the firm elastic substance, which connected them with the 

 skin and nails. The ungueal bones, then, in our skeleton of the elephant, are 

 the following : one belonging to the middle and one to the fourth finger of 

 the hands, and one to the third toe and fourth toe of each of the feet ; so 

 that exactly, the same bones are preserved in each of the four extremities. 

 This fact shows that those belonging to the other fingers and toes were not 

 lost by accident, but by the inherent difficulty of disengaging them from 

 their natural connections. Mr. Ogden, the practical anatomist whom I 

 employed to dig out these bones from the skin, was fully impressed by me 

 with the great importance of preserving them, especially that of the thumb ; 

 1 >ut. witli all his assiduity and skill, he was unable to preserve others than 

 those mentioned. These bones we now proceed to describe. 



The ungueal phalanx of the third or middle finger is three inches and 

 a half long, and is divided into a body and two processes. The body, 

 situated in the middle, is an inch and a half long, one inch and three- 

 quarters wide ; its anterior face is rough and prominent ; its posterior face 

 is excavated to receive the smooth rounded articular surface of the second 

 phalanx. The processes, or ala?, are an inch long, flattened in form, rough 

 anteriorly and smooth posteriorly to conform to the condyles of the second 

 phalanx : these processes, or wings, are connected by movable articulations 

 with the body. The whole bone presents the form of the button used for 

 fastening doors. 



