. Edinburgh journal of natural history and of the physical sciences. THE EDINBURGH JOIIENAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, AND OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. FEBRUARY, 1837. ZOOLOGY. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. THE ELEPHANTS. The Elephants constitute a genus belonging to the order Pachijdermata, and are characterised by their vast size, in which they excel all the terrestrial Mammalia, their lonT flexible proboscis, forming an instrument of prehension as well as an organ of smell, and their large recurved tusks. Their most distinctive character, however, as Cuvier remarks, is to be found in their grinding teeth
. Edinburgh journal of natural history and of the physical sciences. THE EDINBURGH JOIIENAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, AND OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. FEBRUARY, 1837. ZOOLOGY. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. THE ELEPHANTS. The Elephants constitute a genus belonging to the order Pachijdermata, and are characterised by their vast size, in which they excel all the terrestrial Mammalia, their lonT flexible proboscis, forming an instrument of prehension as well as an organ of smell, and their large recurved tusks. Their most distinctive character, however, as Cuvier remarks, is to be found in their grinding teeth, of which the body is composed of a certain number of vertical plates, each formed of bony substance, enveloped with enamel, and connected by a third substance, named cortical. These grinders succeed each other, not vertically, as our second or permanent teeih succeed the first or milk teeth, but from behind forwards, so that in proportion as a tooth is worn down, it is pushed forwards by its successor. An Elephant may thus have one or two teeth o:i each side of each jaw, according to the period of growth. The first teeth have comparatively few plates. Some individuals are said to change or renew their grinders as many as eight times; but ihc tusks are not renewed more than once. Two species only exist at the present day, one belonging to India, the other to Africa; but the bones of another occur, buried in diluvium in many parts of America, as well as the old Tooth of the .! ,, ; , nhani. ^'3- ^—The Indian Elephant, Elephas Indian; is distinguished from the African species, by the following external characters:—The head is oblong, the fore- head concave, the crown or face of the grinding teeth marked with transverse, jiarallel, undulating bands, the cars, although very large and pendulous, proportion- ally smaller than in the next. It has four naUs or hooflets on the bind feet. The colour is generally dark brownish-grey, but var-ies considerably, and sometimes
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