CORRESPONDENCE. 



57 



tion in the United States of America to the Northern and Central States. 

 " In the Southern States and Mexico, a distinct fossil species, E. (Euele- 

 phas) Columbi, hitherto undescribed, occurs along with remains of Mas- 

 todon, Mi/lodon, Megatherium, horse, etc." 



Dr. Falconer tells us,* that by the above description " the leading points 

 of the dental characters and the precise place in the natural series occu- 

 pied by the species were distinctly indicated, together with its range of 

 habitat, along a stretch of nearly 20° of longitude in the regions bordering 

 the Gulf of Mexico." 



Apart from the incongruity of the assertion that Georgia is included in 

 the "regions bordering the Gulf of Mexico," I cannot perceive in Dr. 

 Falconer's group-characters, " Collictdi approximati, macliaridibus valde 

 undulatis," such a definition of the specific signification of E. Columbi as 

 is imperatively demanded at the hands of the founder of a new species. 

 The mere insertion of the above notice in a catalogue, I have already ven- 

 tured to suggest, was not a valid definition. Still less was it so, when in 

 the column of remarks the following bewildering announcement was in- 

 serted, " An Syn. E. Jacksoni? Silliman's Journal, 1838, vol. xxxiv. p. 363." 

 The worthlessness of the representations here contained has been already 

 commented on by me, and Dr. Falconer admits that the only published 

 drawing possibly attributable to E. Columbi, to which he was able to refer 

 at the time of his memoir in 1857, was " too imperfect to be reliable for 

 more than a conjecture. "f 



Dr. Falconer, criticizing my specific definition of E. Texianus (dentium 

 rnolarium (m. 6), colliculi undulati, magis remoti quam in E. Indico), says 

 that he fails " to detect a single term or character which is not either ex- 

 pressed, embodied, or implied, in his Synoptical Table above referred to." 

 1, however, have searched this table most carefully for any hint that the 

 " colliculi, or constituent ridges of the unworn teeth," in E. Columbi are 

 farther apart {magis remoti) than in the Indian elephant, and do n )t dis- 

 cover any such implication. Dr. Falconer, in his later memoir, subsequently 

 to the publication of my paper.;]; speaking of the Mexican molar in the Col- 

 lege of Surgeons, says : " The disks of wear are wide and open, wider than 

 in the ordinary varieties of the existing Indian elephant, and approaching 

 the m idth commonly presented by E. aniiquus. But they differ 'from those 

 of the latter species in showing no angular expansion in the middle of the 

 disks, and no outlying loop at the angles. In this respect they correspond 

 more with the disks of the existing Indian elephant." 



In the quotation from my published paper to which Dr. Falconer refers 

 on page 48 of his memoir, a grave orthographical blunder has been in- 

 serted, which is not found in the original, as may be seen by those who 

 compare Dr. Falconer's version with page 58 of the ' Geologist ' for 1802. 

 I have there said that " as it is not clear whether E. Columbi is named 

 in honour of Columbus, or because it is found in Colombia (Venezuela y 

 Nueva Granada), I trust that this name will not be accepted." In the 

 passage, which purports to be a faithful and literal quotation of my words, 

 the word Colombia has been altered to Columbia, and my meaning has 

 been rendered open to misconstruction on the part of those who might 

 consider me guilty of the orthographical solecism which Dr. Falconer has 

 all ributed to me. 



Jhit Dr. Falconer goes on to say, that Columbia (meaning Colombia) 

 Mas "nowhere in question as a habitat of the species." 1 confess 1 am a 

 little surprised at this statement, seeing that the frequent presence of 

 JUastodon remains in the plateaux of xSew Granada has been discussed; 



* Nat. Hist. Review, vol. iii. p. 45. t HL P 57« t 50. 



VOL. VI. I 



