THE MAMMOTH. 293 



but not east of the Eocky Mountains nor south of Columbia 

 Eiver; in the old continent, from the farthest extremity of Siberia 

 to the extreme west of Europe, occurring, though rarely, even in 

 Ireland ; it crossed the Alps, and established itself in Italy as 

 far southward as Eome, but it has not yet been discovered in 

 Naples, in any of the Mediterranean islands, or in Scandinavia. 

 In Spain and Denmark it occurs, though so very rarely that 

 it may be doubted whether the finds really imply residence. 



In the extreme north, on the contrary, remains of this 

 species are remarkably abundant. Kotzebue was struck by 

 this in Escholtz Bay (N.W. America), and his remarks have 

 been fully confirmed by Beechey.* The islands of Lachowski 

 and New Siberia are said to contain innumerable bones of 

 extinct animals, and particularly of the mammoth ; from them 

 and from other parts of Siberia so much fossil ivory is obtained 

 that it forms a regular article of commerce. Nor have skeletons 

 alone been discovered. In 1799 a Tungusian hunter discovered 

 the body of a mammoth embedded in a cliff of frozen soil, 

 where it remained for several years. In 1806 it was visited 

 by Mr. Adams, who found it partly devoured by wolves and 

 other wild animals, and partly removed by the Yakuts, who 

 used it as food for their dogs. Fortunately, however, a con- 

 siderable portion of the animal still remained. The skin was 

 dark grey, covered with reddish wool, mixed witli long black 

 bristles, somewhat thicker than horsehair. Another frozen 

 mammoth was discovered in 1846, besides several other well- 

 preserved portions, and it was probably from earlier finds of 

 a similar nature that the Siberian tribes came to resjard the 



o 



mammoth as a gigantic burrowing animal. It is hardly neces- 

 sary to observe that the state of preservation in which mam- 

 moths have been found is no evidence of recent existence, for 

 when once enveloped in frozen soil they might remain un- 

 changed for an indefinite period. 



* Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific, vol. i. p. 257. 



