192 Outlines of Geology* 



this anti-diluvian delicacy. The skeleton is about 9| feet high* 

 and 16 1 long, and is now in the Museum of Petersburg. It was 

 covered with hair in such abundance, that Mr. Adams, who res- 

 cued the remains from destruction, found no less than 36 pounds 

 weight of it left by the beasts of prey that had devoured the flesh. 



While upon this subject, it may not be irrelevant to observe, 

 that almost all the ivory turner's work made in Russia, is from 

 the Siberian fossil ivory tusks, many thousands of which are 

 annually obtained on the banks of the larger rivers of that mighty 

 empire. 



I have adverted to the existence of fossil bones in various parts 

 of America ; those from the Ohio are particularly worthy 

 notice, and were a long time confounded with the mammoth or 

 fossil elephant of Siberia. But as Dr. Hunter long ago observed, 

 and as M. Cuvier has more lately remarked, though there are 

 strong resemblances, there are also marked differences in the 

 skeleton, and the teeth especially are more those of a carnivorous 

 than graminivorous animal ; the enamel is external, and the shape 

 and structure of the teeth such as to have fitted the animal for 

 tearing up flesh, rather than masticating vegetables ; they are also 

 peculiarly tuberculated : hence Cuvier, referring this animal to a 

 distinct genus, has called it, Mastodonton ; he has, I believe, ascer- 

 tained the existence of five or six species, some of which are found 

 in the Old World. I have adverted to the arguments in favour of 

 the existence of these animals upon the spots in which they are 

 now found, and have shewn reasons for supposing them there do- 

 miciliated ; but to render such an opinion plausible, it must be 

 proved that the climate of the northern parts of the world wad 

 once much warmer than at present, or that the animals them- 

 selves were endowed with very different temperaments, and we 

 are far from being able to substantiate either of these requisites. 



Against such an opinion it has also been argued, that very 

 abundant remains of the same description have been discovered 

 in islands, and even in some of the smaller isles of the Mediterra- 

 nean, which would scarcely afford an elephant food for a week, and 

 thus it has been supposed that the idea of these animals having 



