G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 333 



The effect is to cause the stream to push beyond its bounds, 

 and flow far and wide over the adjacent country. 



In this fact we have an explanation of the numerous Indian 

 mounds along the St. John's, erected evidently not for burial 

 purposes, but simply consisting of scrapings from the adja- 

 cent rivdV, including shells, etc., heaped up to serve as an isl- 

 and in the event of the floods in question. The lower layers 

 of shells in the mounds, according to Professor Wyman, being 

 situated directly on the river-bank, are filled with river-mud, 

 the whole thrown loosely together. 



FOSSIL ELEPHANT IN ALASKA. 



Among other collections brought back from Alaska by M. 

 Pinart was a tooth of a fossil elephant, which has been report- 

 ed upon by Mr. A. Gaudry. This specimen is considered to 

 be the sixth upper right molar of JElephas primigenius, in a 

 state of preservation which will scarcely permit it to be called 

 a fossil. There are certain peculiarities of the teeth, as with 

 the Old World primigenhis, which seem to indicate the fact 

 of a well-marked race, although scarcely worthy of a specific 

 distinction. The most important difference is the greater 

 number of transverse plates namely, one plate for each cen- 

 timeter, instead of a decidedly smaller proportion. The en- 

 amel is said to be peculiarly thin. The analogy between the 

 European and American mammoth, in Mr. Gaudry's opinion, 

 indicates the probable existence of a communication between 

 the Old and the New World during the first portion of the 

 miocene period, especially as the miocene fossils of France 

 have striking analogies to those of Nebraska, and there are 

 equally well-marked relationships between the plants of Eu- 

 rope and North America in that same locality. 6 _Z?, Novem- 

 ber 18, 1872, 1281. 



YOUNG HIPPOPOTAMUS AT THE LONDON ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



The female hippopotamus of the Zoological Gardens of Lon- 

 don has recently given birth, for the third time, to a young 

 one. The first was born February 2, 1871, but lived only three 

 days. In less than a year, namely, January 7, 1872, a second 

 was born, which, like its predecessor, lived only three days, 

 and during the whole of its life did not attempt to suck. A 

 third made its appearance on the 5th of November, 1872, and 



