10 Transactions of the Kansas 



pillared forms of everlasting rock— what a place it was for the inculcations of 

 loyalty to God and native land — what a place it was m which to read the story of 

 the creation. 



ON MASTODON REMAINS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY. 



By J. Savage. 



Upon the third Friday in June, 1877, two of my neighbors, W. W. Tweed and 

 N. P. Demiiig, accompanied by Prof. D. H. Robinson of the State University, spent 

 the day upon the Wakarusa, fishing. This stream is ahout forty miles in length, 

 and for the last ten or twelve miles of its course runs nearly parallel to the Kansas 

 river, only about six miles south of it. 



These three fishermen spent most the day southwest of Lawrence, upon the 

 tract of land now owned by Judge S. O. Thacher. The day being rather warm and 

 sultry, they sat down upon the shady banks of the stream to rest themselves. 

 While reclining somewhat leisurely here, Mr. W. W. Tweed said to the other two 

 that he had noticed a large bone projecting from the bank down near the water, 

 just below where they were sitting. Whereupon, Mr. Deming arose, and going 

 to the bone, hit it a kick and broke off a small fragment — enough to convince them 

 that it was a real bone. This aroused their curiosity so much that they procured a 

 spade and soon unearthed the entire bone, which proved to be the lower jaw of 

 some very large animal. The jaw lay bottom up with the teeth downwards, 

 and with the front end pointing into the bank, almost entirely embedded in blue 

 clay. Prof. Robinson and others soon after wrote up the account of finding the 

 jaw for the papers, describing it as a mastodon jaw. Its identity, however, was in 

 dispute until the following winter, when Prof. B. F. Mudge went East and identi- 

 fied It as the Mastodon Ohioticus. Tins jaw has four large teeth in it, well pre- 

 served and in place, and altogether looks as though the animal to which it belonged 

 had been dead but a few years. We are glad to state that it is now safe in the 

 cabinet of our State University, but too frail to be transported for exhibition at our 

 pre.sent meeting. During the fall of 1877, Prof. F O. Marvin and the writer spent 

 two days in exploring the banks of the Wakarusa, in order, if possible, to obtain 

 some other portions of mastodon remains. 



lu this search we were unsuccessful as to finding more of the mastodon, but 

 learned something concerning the formation of the bottom adjoining the creek, 

 which may be interesting to relate in this connection. 



The jaw was found in what was once the bottom of a fresh water lake or estu- 

 ary, which extended tor several miles both up and down the creek , its boundaries 

 have not yet heen determined, nor perhaps ever can be with exactness. That it 

 extends out beneath the bottom lands adjoming, is proven by the many springs 

 which issue from it in different localities up and down the stream, and it can be 

 traced each way from where the jaw was found, some ten or twelve miles in extent. 

 Beside the thick layer of mviscie shells which line this ancient lake-bed, we find 

 the trunks of old trees protruding, as well as small sandy concretions containing 

 net-veined leaves within them. In addition to these layers of muscle shells, old trees 

 and concretions, we also find bones of what appear to be the remains of the buffalo, 

 antelope, elk, and some other animals as yet undetermined ; but all in an unfossU- 



