1897 



THE FOSSIL SLOTH AT BIG EOXE CAVE, TEXN 



51 



deposit had hardened considerably (Layer 3) and was mixed with 

 fine pieces of saltpetre earth, another acorn was found, and still 

 another under the astragalus. 



On that day, 

 May 6, 1S96, 

 at 3.15 in the 

 a fternoon, 

 with the wind 

 blowing from 

 t h e north, a 

 slight draught 

 of air wafted 

 the currents of 

 dust inward as 

 we worked, 

 while, to testify 

 to the open 

 c o m m u n i - 

 cation of that 

 part of the gal- 

 lery and the 

 outer world by 

 means of the 

 roof holes, a 

 small cricket 

 appeared, 

 crawling upon 

 the disturbed 

 earth as we 

 worked at the 

 third bone. 



A consider- 

 a b 1 y gnawed 

 rib fragment, 

 (see Fig. 17), 



was followed by a loose epiphysis (see Figs. 12 and 13) and a final 

 vertebra, the tenth bone found (see Fig. 14), lay against the rock 

 wall on the right, not much more tlian eight inches below the 

 surface, where, close to the top of the deposit and still against 

 the wall, the wads of hair were best preserved. Here also 



Fig. 8 (x ^-2 ). — Tlie fourth bone found (in Laver 2, depth 20 

 inches). Dorsal vertebra and its loose epiphysis (unknitted 

 plate), illustrating, because not yet ossified together, the unde- 

 veloped backbone of a young animal. The photograph fails 

 show the signs of rodent gnawing and the bits of cartilage 

 attached to the bone below the orifice. 



