This article was downloaded by: [New York University] On: 31 May 2013, At: 10:13 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Philosophical Magazine Series 3 Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tphm14 XLI. On the Sivatherium giganteum, a new fossil Ruminant Genus, from the Valley of the Markanda, in the Siválik branch of the Sub-Himálayan Mountains Hugh Falconer M.D. & Captain P. T. Cautley Published online: 01 Jun 2009. To cite this article: Hugh Falconer M.D. & Captain P. T. Cautley (1836): XLI. On the Sivatherium giganteum, a new fossil Ruminant Genus, from the Valley of the Markanda, in the Siválik branch of the Sub-Himálayan Mountains , Philosophical Magazine Series 3, 9:53, 193-201 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786443608636476 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/ terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Downloaded by [New York University] at 10:13 31 May 2013 On the Sivatherium giganteum. 193 The conclusion, however, as stated by me was that they have all the same specific heats under equal weights ; and this error I fell into from omitting, in my hurry, (most of my calculations were made on the day preceding the meeiing of the Asso- ciation,) to divide by the specific gravities, or, in other words, applying to all the formula for atmospheric air, in which the specific gravity being unity does not appear. Dr. Hudson, however, who Would seem to have a passion for repeating my cal- culations, and a good deal of leisure, it is to be presumed, when he devotes himself to so uninteresting an occupation, observed this omission (a venial one I trust, and one which I hope I am not vain in thinking I should, on returning to the subject, have been able to remedy without Dr. Hudson's assistance,) and informed me of it. For this communication I felt thank- ful, and on a subsequent occasion, I believe, so expressed my- self; but I was not I confess aware at the time that Dr. Hud- son, at~er supplying the omission in question, had forwarded a paper to the Philosophical Magazine, entitled, "On an error in Dr. Apjohn's formula for inferring the specific heats of dry gases ~." This course it was undoubtedly perfectly competent to Dr. Hudson to take, and I would not wish to be understood as complaining of it: however anxious to protect myself against misrepresentation, I feel no disposition to contest with him the credit which he may be conceived to have acquired from the proceeding under consideration. 28, Lower Baggott-Street, Dublin, JAMES APJOHN. July 5, 1836. XLI. On the Sivatherium giganteum, a new Fossil Ruminant Genus,from the Valley of the Markanda, in the Sivdlik branch of the Sub-Himfdayan Mountains. By HU~H FALCOtqER, M.D., Superintendent Botanical Garden, Sehdranpur, and Captain P. T. CAUTLEY, Superintendent Doftb Canal.t [With an Engraving: Plate II.] Downloaded by [New York University] at 10:13 31 May 2013 HE fossil which we are about to describe forms a new accession to T extinct Zoology. This circumstance alone would give much interest to it. But in addition, the large size, surpassing the rhinoceros, the family of Mammalia to which it belongs, and the forms of structure which ]t ex. merits of Dulong, Haycraft, Marcet and De la Rive, Dr. Hudson seems to speak of as originating with himself. " Accordingly the experiments, ex- cept with hydrogen, rather favour my view that the capacities of gases are equal in equal volumes." (See Phil. Mug. for January 1836, p. 2~.) [If we remember right, Dr. Hudson's paper as we received it had no title, that which it now bears, as above, having been prefixed to it by us.--Evi~.] ~" From the AsiaticResearches : Transactions of the Physical Class of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Part iii. Third Series. Vol. 9. No. 58. Se]~t. 18.q6. Y 196 Dr. Falconer and Capt. Cautley hibits, render the Sivatherlum one of the most remarkable of the past tenants of the globe that have hitherto been detected in the more recent strata. Of the numerdus fossil mammiferous genera discovered and established by Cuvier, all were confined to the Pachydermata. The species belonging to other families have all their living representatives on the earth. Among the Ruminantia, no remarkable deviation from existing types has hitherto been discovered, the fossil being closely allied to living species. The isolated position, however, of the Giraffe and the Cametldve, made it pro- bable, that certain genera had become extinct, which formed the connect- ing links between those and the other genera of the family, and further between the Rumlnantla and the Pachydermata. In the 5~vatherium* we have a ruminant of this description connecting the family with the Pach yder- mata, and at the same time so marked by individual peculiarities as to be without an analogue in its order. The fossil remain of the Sivatherium, from which our description is taken, is a remarkably perfect head. When discovered, it was fortunately so completely enveloped by a mass of stone, that although it had long been exposed to be acted upon as a boulder in a water-course, all the more important parts of structure had been preserved. The block might have been passed over, but for an edging of the teeth in relief fi'om it, which gave promise of something additional concealed. After much labour, the hard crystalline covering of stone was so successfully removed, that the huge head now stands out with a couple of horns between the orbits, broken only near their tips, and the nasal bones projected in a free arch, high above the ehaffron. All the molars on both sides of the jaw are pre- sent and singularly perfect. The only mutilation is at the vertex of the cranium, where the plane of the occipital meets that of the brow ; and at the muzzle, which is truncated a little way in front of the first molar. The only parts which are still concealed, are a portion of the occipital, the zygomatic fossee on both sides, and the base of the cranium over the sphe- noid bone. The form of the head is so singular and grotesque, that the first "glance at it strikes one with surprise. The prominent features are--lst, the great size, approaching that. of the. elephant-: 2ad, the immense: development and width of the cranmm behind the orbits : 3rd, the tyo &vergent osseous cores for horns starting out from the brow, between the orbits : 4th, the form and direction of the nasal bones, rising with great prominence out of the chaffron, and overhanging the external nostrils in a pointed arch : 5th, the great massiveness, width and shortness of the face forward from the orbits : 6th, the great angle at which the grinding plane of the molars deviates up- wards fi'om that of tile base of the skull, We have named the fossil, Sivatherlum, from ~va, the Hindfi God, and Downloaded by [New York University] at 10:13 31 May 2013 ~9~¢~a, be//ua. "[~e ~v~l/k or Sub-HimAlayan range of hills, is considered in the Hindu mythology, as the L~tiah or edge of the roof of StvA's dwelling in the 3=Iimdla~a, and hence they are called the Siva-ala or Sib-ala, which by an easy I ransltion of sound became the 8ew(dik of the English. The fossil has been dis- covered in a tract which may be included in the Sew~lik range, and we have given the name of Sivatheviu~ to it, to commemorate this remarkable formation, so rich ~n new animals. Another derivation of the name of the hills, as explained by the Mahant or High Priest at Dehra, is as follows : 8ew~lik, a corruption of Siva-wdla, a name given to the tract of mountains be- tween the Jumna and Ganges, from having been the residence of Iswara Siva and his son GAsz~s, who under the form of an elephant had charge of the Wes- terly portion from the village of Dfidldi to the Jumna, which portion is also called Gangaja, gaja being in Hindi an elephant. That portion eastward from aO(~dhli, or between that village and ttaridw(~r, is called aOeodhar, from its being the especial residence of Deota or Iswara SIvA : the whole tract however between the Jumna and Ganges is called ~iva-ala, or the habitation of Szw ; unde def. Sewdlik. on the Sivatherium giganteum. 195 Viewed in lateral profile, the form and direction of the horns, and the rise and sweep in the bones of the nose, give a character to the bead widely differing from that of any other animal.