Peterson: A Fossil-Bearing Alluvial Deposit. 



471 



pebbles, and cobble-stones, some of considerable size, indicating the 

 conditions usually found in the beds of streams. The writer is of the 

 opinion that during the close of the Pleistocene, or later, there flowed 

 through this valley a water-course of considerable size, which exca- 

 vated Pleistocene remains from places where they had been originally 

 imbedded, probably not far distant, and redeposited them in the spot 

 where they are now found. 



Fragments of large shells were found immediately overlying the 

 stratum containing the bones of vertebrates. Dr. A. E. Ortmann 

 after examination decides them to be fragments of fluviatile moUusks. 

 The finding of the tooth of a large crocodilian, described in this paper, 

 furnishes further confirmation of the view that a stream of considerable 

 size, perhaps of greater volume than the Holston River at present, 

 once flowed here. 



The remains found in the opening at the edge of the sink-hole at 

 "Well No. 69" are herewith listed, so far as it has been possible to 

 determine, at least approximately, what they are. 



Class REPTILIA 



Order CROCODILIA. 



Genus Crocodilus Laurill. (?) sp. ind. 



A tooth (No. 3953, C. M. Cat. Vert. Foss.), which is shown in half 

 the natural size in Fig. 3, was discovered among the 

 scattered remains recovered at "Well No. 69." It 

 is 100 mm. in length, 30 mnx. in antero-posterior 

 diameter at crown, and 24 mm. in transverse diam- 

 eter at same point. The enamel has been more or 

 less abraded, but nevertheless the tooth does not 

 appear to have been transported very far, or much 

 subjected to the action of running water. The 

 apex of the crown, which is somewhat broken, ter- 

 minates in a blunt rounded point; the shaft is a 

 little curved. (Note. The tooth undoubtedly rep- 

 resents a very large Crocodilian, but to which of 

 the various extinct genera it is to be referred can- 

 not now be definitely decided. Recently one of 

 his correspondents has informed the writer of this 

 parenthetic note that discovery has been made by him of Crocodilian 



Fig. 3. Croco- 

 dilian tooth. H 

 nat. size. 



