. The cyclopædia of anatomy and physiology. Anatomy; Physiology; Zoology. 864 PACHYDERMATA. toes are moreover moulded to the shape of the horny roof which covers them, a circumstance in which they differ remarkably from the larger genera. Pelvis.—The pelves of the larger genera are of enormous size, accommodating themselves in this respect partly to the prodigious masses of muscle to which they give origin, and partly to the monstrous capacity of the abdominal cavity. In the Elephant and Rhinoceros the ossa ilii are very broad, rounded anteriorly and concave towards the abdomen. In the Tapir,
. The cyclopædia of anatomy and physiology. Anatomy; Physiology; Zoology. 864 PACHYDERMATA. toes are moreover moulded to the shape of the horny roof which covers them, a circumstance in which they differ remarkably from the larger genera. Pelvis.—The pelves of the larger genera are of enormous size, accommodating themselves in this respect partly to the prodigious masses of muscle to which they give origin, and partly to the monstrous capacity of the abdominal cavity. In the Elephant and Rhinoceros the ossa ilii are very broad, rounded anteriorly and concave towards the abdomen. In the Tapir, the ilium has somewhat the form of the letter T, one branch being articulated with the ster- num, while the neck of the bone forms the handle. The pelvis of the Hog very nearly approximates in shape that of carnivorous quadrupeds. Femur.—The femur ofl\\eElephant (Jig. 464) is remarkable for the simplicity of its shape, which has some resemblance to that of the human skeleton, owing to its general smoothness and the absence of those strong crests and ridges which characterise it in most other gigantic quadrupeds. In all other tribes of the Pachy- derms these bones are short, straight, and flat- tened in the middle, presenting upon the outer border a wide and prominent ridge terminating inferiorly in a hook-like process, which, as well as the trochanier major, is in the case of the Rhinoceros excessively prolonged. Tarsus.—The bones of the tarsus are simi- lar both in number and arrangement to those of the human skeleton. The astragalus is of great size, and all its articulating surfaces very extensive so as to afford a wide basis of sup- port. The calcaneum is likewise remarkably prominent and massive. Metatarsus.—The metatarsus is in the Ele- phant made up of five distinct bones, of which, however, the external one is but imperfectly developed. In all the other Pachydermatous genera there are only four metatarsal bones corresponding with the number of the toes. Of thes
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