
© Gro. 5 PROVINCIAL Museum REporv’. N 21 




PALEONTOLOGY. 
Accessions to the paleontological collection have been of late years few and far between. 
Early in 1915, however, the finding of a tooth of a fossil elephant in the Mount Tolmie gravel 
aroused fresh interest in our small collection of mammalian remains. On comparing this 
specimen with fossil elephant-teeth from the Yukon country, it presented several marks of 
distinction. Photographs of two teeth from the Yukon and three from Vancouver Island and 
the neighbouring regions were sent to Dr. O. P. Hay, of Washington, who has written largely 
on the subject of Pleistocene fossils. He reported that, in his opinion, the northern specimens 
were true molars belonging to the hairy mammoth Llephas primigenius, while those from the 
south, which had fewer and wider plates, belonged to the Columbian elephant 2. colwmbi. 
Another specimen which has been in the Museum for many years was identified by Dr. 
O. P. Hay as the worn vertebra of some species of whale. This was found in Pleistocene 
gravels between Parson’s Bridge and Langford Lake, Vancouver Island, when collecting ballast 
for the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway. 
In the year 1915 remains of bison were recorded from two parts of the Province. In the 
Atlin country Mr. E. M. Anderson found a fine skull with horns. In the low-lying ground 
between George Jay Public School and the Protestant Orphanage, east of Cook Street, Victoria, 
Dr. C. F. Newcombe found a fragment of horn which the Director identified as belonging to a 
species of bison. Both of these specimens were forwarded for examination to Mr. Lawrence 
M. Lambe, Vertebrate Paleontologist of the Geological Survey, Ottawa. The Victoria frag- 
ment, in his opinion, belongs to Bison bison. His report on the Atlin specimen is given here- 
with in his own words :— 
“The occiput with horn cores from the Atlin District is of Bison bison (L.), (B. 
americanus); that is, I regard it as such. It gives measurements which place it in this species. 
The range of the American bison extended up into the Mackenzie River District, and these 
animals are known to have passed well into the Rocky Mountains. It is probable that your 
Specimen was a straggler toward the Coast in the Far North, or possibly the range of the 
buffalo extended well westward from the Mackenzie District, the animals taking advantage of 
the broad and comparatively low passes through the northern mountains. The specimen is 
light and not at all fossilized. Whether it belonged to a wood buffalo, which appears to be 
not more than a subspecies of the plains buffalo, it is difficult to say.” 
Mr. Lambe was also good enough to make a careful examination of a tooth of a mastodon 
which has been for many years in the Museum. His report upon it follows :— 
“The tooth from Yukon is of Mastodon americanus (Cuvier), and is a lower third true 
molar of the left side. The front transverse ridge is broken off and with it the front root, 
which was slender and, in comparison with the hinder one, of small size. The specimen has 
been considerably shaken in transit and some fragments have become detached. These I have 
cemented back in place. Your tooth is an excellent one, although not complete. As you 
know, remains of mastodon are, in comparison with those of mammoth, rather rare in the 
extreme North-west.” 
Four casts of a scallop were presented by Mr. A. J. Dempster, found in a road-cut at 
Clo-oose, Vancouver Island. They seem to belong to Pecten branneri, Arnold, and to have 
come from the Monterey formation. 
GENERAL ACCESSIONS. 
Jan, 25. White-tail Ptarmigan. Presented by W. B. Conroy, Atlin. 
Feb. 15. Indian stone sharpener (?), found on Dallas Road foreshore, Victoria, and 
presented by Arthur Warren. 
" 24. Indian basket. Purchased. 
March 12. Western Evening Grosbeak (3), Parksville, V.I. Presented by H. Rawlins. 
" 17. Marine specimens (16), Prince Rupert. Presented by M. L. Bird. 
" 20. Fossil pectens, Clo-oose. Presented by A. J. Dempster. 
April 6. Indian stone anchor, found while excavating for breakwater, Dallas Road, 
Victoria. Presented by A. J. Elgee, C. E. 
" 18. Sparrows (2). Presented by Dr. E. Hasell, Victoria. 
" 26. Crayfish, Victoria Harbour. Presented by A. Halkett through the Natural 
Hlistory Society of British Columbia. 
May 24. Slate totem-poles, Queen Charlotte Islands. Purchased. 

