J. M. SAFFORD — THE PELVIS OF MEGALONYX. 123 



gone, with the exception of some fragments left in the sockets. The cheek hones 

 are mostly gnawed away. In other respects the skull is in a satisfactory condition 

 for study. 



Bonks of Megalonyx previously obtained from Big Bone Cave. 



Mr. Denton, in the letter from which I have taken extracts, refers to the finding 

 of large hones 50 or 60 years ago in Big Bone cave, and further says that they are 

 now in Philadelphia. These doubtless are the hones which form one of the col- 

 lections used first by Harlan and then by Leidy in their descriptions. 



I give below a paragraph from Dr. Leidy's memoir, and for two reasons: First, 

 because his description of the state of preservation and condition of the bones of 

 the collection he had would answer as well for those of the lot discovered recently, 

 and now presented to a scientific body for the first time; secondly, because the 

 hones he enumerates so nearly supplement the list I have given. With these facts 

 before me, and both lots coming from the same cave, I thought at one time that 

 the bones of both must belong to the same animal, and 1 am not certain yet but 

 that it will so prove upon bringing both collections together. Dr. Leidy, in enum- 

 erating the specimens of Megalonyx available for study, says: 



"A collection oi bones of a young animal, nearly all of them having the epiphyses detached: 

 They are the left scapula, imperfect; the left os humeri without epiphyses, the right radius without 

 its distal epiphysis, tin- proximal two-thirds of the right ulna, the right os raids, the distal 

 epiphysis of tie' right os femoris, the left tibia without its distal epiphysis, the distal epiphysis of 



the right tibia, lumbar vertebra, four dorsal vertebras with one exception without epiphyses, 



fragments of three right ribs, fragment of a loft rib, and two ungual phalanges of the right hind 

 foot. These were found in Big Bone cave, Tennessee. Thoy are of a yellow color, comparatively 

 light, unchanged in texture, and quite recent in appearance. Several of them are remarkable for 

 retaining portions of the articular cartilage, periosteum, and tendinous attachment; and one ungual 

 phalanx has the nail preserved upon it almost entire. They also present the marks of having been 

 gnawed by some rodent." 



Location' and History of 1*>h . Bone Cave. 



Big Bone cave is in the base of a westward-jutting spur of the Cumberland moun- 

 tains, in the northwestern corner of Van Buren county. It is a little east of a 

 straight line joining McMinnville and Sparta, and not far from midway between 

 the two places. The spur above divides the valley of Cany Fork river from that of 

 Rocky river. The cave, like many others in Tennessee and Kentucky, is in the 

 lower Carboniferous limestone. It has long chambers in which there was once 

 much saltpeter earth. In L811-12 the most accessible part of this earth, running 

 in half a mile or more from the month, was dug and leached in the process of 

 making nitre. This was at the lime a great industry, and quite a village was tem- 

 porarily built up around the mouth of the cave. It was during the period of this 

 work that the huge bones were found and suggested the name by which the cave 

 litis ever since been known. 



Remarks were made by Professor E. D. Cope. 



