FALCONER ON THE AMERICAN FOSSIL ELEPHANT. 91 
other from Congo, in which the Elephant of that continent, shows 
only twenty dorsal vertebrae. Cnvier is thus relieved from reproach, 
in so far as this species is concerned. 
The skeleton belonging to the mnsenm at Saffron Walden, is 
that of a young but nearly adult male, which was imported from 
Algoa Bay.* * * § It was carefully examined, with reference to the question 
now under discussion, jointly by Mr. W. IT. Elower and myself, and 
yielded the following numerical results: cervical vert. 7, dorsal vert. 
21, lumbar vert. 3, sacral vert. 3, caudal vert. 30, pairs of ribs 21. 
The dentition was, at the same time, minutely examined, and I can 
affirm that the characters agreed exactly with those of the skeleton 
belonging to the British Museum. The skull, and other details of 
the bony frame, were also alike. The evidence is of the more weight, 
as both skeletons were derived from Southern Africa; excluding the 
plea which might have been urged, that they were possibly of dis¬ 
tinct species, if they had been procured from different parts of the 
Continent.! 
The cases above adduced, appear to establish the fact beyond 
question, that the African Elephant varies in the number of dorsal 
vertebrae from 20 to 21. 
Next, as regards E. primigenius, what reliable authority has Prof. 
Schlegel for the conjectural assertion, that the Mammoth had but 
eighteen dorsal vertebrae and ribs ? The solitary skeleton,! reputed 
to be nearly perfect, of that species known up to the present time, 
is the famous Adams-skeleton, preserved at St. Petersburg, and of 
it there is but one original description extant, namely that of Ti- 
lesius, who distinctly states, that it possessed nineteen dorsal vertebrae 
and as many ribs: “ Yertebrarum thoracis 19 tantum numeravi, 
“ totidemque costas utriusque lateris, at plurimas e ligno fabre- 
“ factas.” § If the statement could be trusted, it would be conclusive 
against Prof. Schlegel’s argument. But there are errors of obser- 
* The Museum at Saffron Walden, affords an excellent illustration of what 
may be done, by a small provincial town to promote the cultivation of science. It 
possesses two mounted skeletons of large Pachyderms, which cannot be matched 
by any of the Metropolitan Collections. The museum reflects great credit on the 
locality. 
f Prof. Schlegel throws out a conjecture, that there may be more than one 
kind of African Elephant; and in support of it, he refers to two figures of skulls in 
the ‘Ossemens fossiles,’ Plate iv. figs. 2 and 10 of Vol. 1, as indicating differences 
of length and width : but I believe that they are both of the same cranium ; fig. 
10 representing the front aspect, drawn to a scale of one-twelfth, and fig. 2, the 
basal aspect on a scale of one-fifteenth. In the latter, the intermaxillary bones are 
necessarily fore-shortened, from the position in which the skull has been placed, 
causing a deceptive appearance of short tusk-sheaths. 
X Of the Mammoth carcasses which, according to the statement of Middendorf, 
have subsequently been discovered in Siberia, no osteological account, so far as I 
am aware, has been published. (Bullet. Acad. Petersburg. Class. Phvs. iii. p. 
150.) The observations of Gleboff refer to the structure of the preserved soft parts. 
(Bullet. Soc. Imp. Mosc. 1846, xix. pp. 108-134). 
§ Mem. Acad. Imper. des Scienc. de St. Petersburg, 1815, tom. v. p. 503. 
