1903.] Pigmy Elephant in the Pleistocene of Cyprus. 



499 



dwarf species from the Pleistocene deposits of the caves and fissures of 

 Malta and Sicily. It was thought probable that they would differ 

 from these ; the fact of the pigmy hippopotamus of Cyprus being 

 distinct from those found in the other large Mediterranean islands, 

 lending colour to the supposition ; this expectation was fulfilled, for 

 the Cyprus fossils do not appear to be identical with any of the 

 Maltese species, though they seem to come nearest to Elephas melitensis 

 both in size and in the number of plates in the molars. The number 

 of these plates in any particular tooth is liable to vary to a certain 

 extent, but on taking the average, as far as this can be judged from the 

 amount of material available, the resulting ridge formula, exclusive 

 5 7-8 8 9 12 



of talons, is g y-g g 9 which practically agrees with that of E. 



melitensis given by Dr. Falconer.* 



The teeth of the Cypriote elephant are considerably smaller than 

 those of E. mnaidriensis, from both Sicily and Malta, this being the 

 largest species from the last-named island. They also differ some- 

 what in their ridge formula, which is that mentioned above, while 



t\ j . . -i 1 . . , e r • 7 • ■ 3 6 8-9 8-9 10 



Dr. Leitn Adams t gives that 01 h. mnaidriensis as ^ ^ g— ^ g-^ 



12-13 

 12-13* 



The Cyprus form seems to have been also slightly inferior in size 

 to E. melitensis, for its largest upper and lower molars do not equal, 

 either in length or breadth, some of the specimens of the correspond- 

 ing teeth of this Maltese species which are in the collection of the 

 British Museum. Its tusks differ from all those from Malta in being- 

 compressed laterally, which character is especially noticeable in those 

 of the female and young • further, they appear to be more strongly 

 curved than those of E. melitensis. 



As a general feature it may be said that the molars from Cyprus 

 are, on the whole, more simply constructed than those of E. melitensis. 

 They show a still slighter tendency to " crimping " in the bands of 

 enamel, and are less inclined to develop the mesial expansion of the 

 plates of dentine which is not uncommonly found in the teeth of 

 E. melitensis, and is so conspicuous in those of E. Africanus. 



It is well known that when the plates of an elephant's tooth first 

 come into use, the edging of enamel is in the form of a series of rings 

 owing to the digitation of the plates. These are later worn into a 

 single band surrounding the enclosed area of dentine. 



In the Maltese specimens it is not uncommon to find the encircling 

 enamel persisting thus divided for a considerable time. Even four 

 or five ridges may remain in this condition at one time in a single 



* 'Pal. Mem.,' vol. 2, p. 298. London, 1868. 

 f « Zool. Soe. Trans.,' vol. 9, 1874, p. 112. 



