COBKESPONDENCE. 
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 "vvith remains of Mas- 
todon, Mylodon, Mecjatherium, 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° ot 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, " ColUcuU approximati, machcpridibus 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. Jacksonii 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 [>ublished 
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 (deniium 
molarium (m. 6), colliculi undulati, mac/is remoti quam in E. Indico), says 
that he fails " to detect a single term or character which is not either ex- 
?ressed, embodied, or implied, in his Synoptical Table above referred to." 
, however, have searched this table most carefully for any hint that the 
" colliculi, or constituent ridges of the unworn teeth," in E. Columbi are 
further apart {macjis 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,;J; 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 width commonly presented by E. antiquus. But they difi'er 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 1862. 
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 Cohmibia, 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 
attributed to me. 
But Dr. Falconer goes on to say, that Columbia (meaning Colombia) 
was " nowhere in question as a habitat of the species." I confess I am a 
little surprised at this statement, seeing that the frequent presence of 
Mastodon remains in the plateaux of New Granada has been discussed ; 
* Nat. Hist. Review, vol. iii. p. 45. t Id. p. 57. % Page 50. 
VOL. YI. I 
