MASTODON AND ELEPHAS PRIMIGENIUS. 143 



The teeth of Elephas Primigenius of this country and of Europe are 

 similar the one to the other, so far as I have had an opportunity of observ- 

 ing ; and I have quite a large collection of these teeth, obtained principally 

 from Alabama. "We have, indeed, ^nothing like a complete skeleton in 

 this country : but many separate bones have been discovered. The resem- 

 blance in the . structure of the teeth appears to be uniform, exact, and 

 important, so that we have no hesitation in considering it as characterizing 

 a uniform species. 



The Mastodon Angustidens of Europe occupies a geological position 

 anterior to that of the Mastodon Giganteus of this country. The Mastodon 

 period of Europe differs, therefore, from the Elephas period, and also from 

 the. Mastodon period of America. But the Elephas period is the same in 

 both continents ; so that, while the Mastodon of Europe was separated by 

 a long interval from the Elephant, the Mastodon of America might have 

 been coeval. 



