REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 447 



The discovery of a Mammoth, under similar circumstances, is still more interesting. Towards the 

 close of last century, a Tungusian fisherman ohserved, in a cliff of ice and gravel, on the banks of 

 the Lena, a shapeless mass, the nature of which he was unable to determine. In the course of 

 nextyearit was more visible, and on the third, a large tusk was seen projecting from the ice-cliff, 

 and at length became detached. On the fifth year an early thaw set in, and the entire carcase of 

 a Mammoth was exposed, and at length fell upon the ground. It was nine feet high, and about 

 sixteen feet in length ; the tusks were nine feet long. The flesh was in such a state of preserva- 

 tion, that it was devoured, as it lay, by Wolves and Bears, and the hunters fed their Dogs with 

 the remains. The skin was covered with hair, consisting of black bristles, thicker than horse 

 hair, and fifteen inches in length ; wool of a reddish brown, and hair of a fawn-color, and with a 

 mane on the neck. Upwards of 301bs. of hair were collected, and specimens of it are preserved 

 in the Hunterian Museum. The ear remained dry and shrivelled ; the brain, and even the cap- 

 sule of the eye were preserved ! the bones and part of the integuments, and a considerable quantity 

 of the hair, are in the Museum of Natural History at St. Petersburg." — p. 126. 



All cold-water springs proceed from subterraneous rivers which have forced 

 their way to the surface; but thermal springs and geysers are supposed 

 to originate in the manner already explained. It is in general only a branch of 

 the river that ascends from its gloomy repositories, where it has continued to 

 flow, calmly or rapidly, from day to day, from year to year, and from 

 age to age, and where it may yet pursue its darkling course for cycles in- 

 numerable. 



The curious tribe of Foraminiforous animals is briefly alluded to at a subsequent 

 page, and the internal, coin-like, shell of these animals explained. The use of 

 this internal shell was doubtless to form a support for the soft part of the animal, 

 and was used a.s a buoy, by which means the proprietor could sink or swim at 

 pleasure. 



From the immense numbers of fossil fish, of different species, found in Monte 

 Bolca, on the Venetian frontier, and from the volcanic nature of the district, it 

 is supposed that the Limestone in which they were imbedded was erupted into the 

 sea by volcanic agency ; and that the calcareous matter which suffocated the 

 fishes, afterwards surrounded them with a solid crust. Hundreds of species and 

 thousands of specimens have already been discovered. They all belong to extinct 

 kinds. The above hypothesis is by no means unsupported by modern observa- 

 tions ; for, only a few years ago, the appearance of a volcanic island in the Medi- 

 terranean quickly caused the death of multitudes of the finny tribes in that sea ; 

 hundreds were seen dead and putrid, floating on the surface of the water (p. 235). 



In another part allusion is made to the gigantic Moscesaurus of Maestricht, in 

 Limburg, originally secured by M. Hoffman, on the grounds belonging to the 

 Canon of the Cathedral. M. H. had actually borne the precious relic home, when 

 the Canon, by a tedious and expensive law-suit, succeeded in regaining the fossil. 

 Some years afterwards, in the French Revolution, the armies of the Republic ad- 

 vanced to the gates of Maestricht ; the town was besieged; but, by desire of the 

 savans who accompanied the troops, the artillery was ordered to refrain from 



3n 2 



