32 proceedings of the academy of [1879. 



February 4. 

 The President, Dr. Ruschenberger, in tlie cln.ir. 

 One hundred and nine persons present. 



Fossil Remains of a Caribou. Prof. Leidy directed attention 

 to several fossil specimens which he had received for determina- 

 tion from Prof. F. M. Witter, of Muscatine, Iowa. They were 

 found together, with others apparently of the same animal, ill the 

 Loess on which the city of Muscatine is built. 



Two of the fossils consist of fragments of the left side of the 

 upper and lower jaws, retaining most of the molar teeth in good 

 condition. Another specimen is an uncharacteristic bone frag- 

 ment. Other bones were too much decomposed for preservation. 



The specimens with teeth indicate a species of deer, of an indi- 

 vidual past maturity, as the crowns of the teeth are half worn 

 away, exhibiting broad, comparatively flat surfaces. The charac- 

 ter of the fossils appeared unfamiliar, and at first were suspected 

 to have pertained to an extinct and undescribed species. The 

 proportionately large size of the premolars, in comparison with 

 those of ordinary forms of deer, appeared as a distinctive feature. 



Observing that the fossils were larger than the corresponding 

 parts of the barren ground caribou, Bangifer groenlandicus, it 

 was suspected that they may have pertained to the woodland 

 caribou, Bangifer caribou. In this view, not having the latter 

 for comparison, the specimen of the upper jaw with the teeth was 

 sent to Dr. Elliott Cones, of Washington, with the request that 

 he should compare it with specimens of the woodland caribou in 

 the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Dr. Cones reports that the fossil was carefully compared with 

 numerous specimens of caribou, and he adds : "I think you may 

 safely announce Bangifer caribou from the Loess of Iowa." He 

 further remarks, that "the specimen is more worn as to the teeth 

 than any I find to compare with it, being ground away so that 

 almost the broadest looking set of surfaces presents. Making 

 due allowance for this, I find nothing incompatible with the spe- 

 cific characters of the living woodland caribou. The lengths of 

 the whole molar series, as well as of the premolars and molars, 

 are substantially identical ; bend of the series and set of the teeth 

 also the same." 



Comparative measurements of the upper molar series of the 

 fossil caribou, with the corresponding series of a woodland cari- 

 bou from Fort Anderson, given by Dr. Coues, are as follows: 



Rangifer caribou. Fossil. Recent. 



Length of space occupied by the upper six molars, 98.5 mm. 98.5 mm. 



" " " " " three true molars, 53 " 53 " 



" " " " " three premolars, 50 " 46.5 " 



