On certain BONES, S:c. '247 



befpoke an animal unknown to them. The nitrous im- 

 pregnation of the earth together with a fmall degree of 

 petnficaticn had probably been the means of their pre- 

 iervation. The importance of the difcovery was not 

 known to thofe who made it, yet it excited converiation 

 in the neighbourhood, and led perfons of vague curiofity 

 to feek and take away the bones. It was fortunate for 

 fcience that one of its zealous and well informed friends. 

 Colonel John Stewart of that neighbourhood, heard of 

 the difcovery, and, fenfible from their defcription, that 

 tliey were (§f an animal not known, took meafures with- 

 out delay for faring thofe which ftiil remained. He was 

 kind enough to inform me of the incident, and to for- 

 ward me the bones from time to time as they were re- 

 covered. To tiiefe I was enabled accidentally to add fome 

 others by the kindnefs of a Mr. Hopkins of New-York, 

 wlio had vifited the cave. Thefe bones are, 



\Jl. A fmall fragment of the femur or thigh bone ; 

 being in fadl only its lower extremity, feparated from the 

 main bone at its epiphyfis, fo as to give us only the two 

 condyles, but thc(e are nearly entire. 

 id. A radius, perfect. 



3(/. An ulna, or fore-arm, perfect, except that it is 

 broken in two. 



4/>6, Three claws, and half a dozen other bones of the 

 foot ; but whether of a fore or hinder foot, is not evident. 

 About a foot in length of the refidue of the femur was 

 found, it was fplit through the middle, and in that ftate 

 was ufed as a fupport for one of the fait petre vats, this 

 piece was afterwards loft, but its meafures had been firft 

 taken as will be ftated hereafter. 



Thefe bones only enable us to clafs the animal with 



the unquiculated quadrupeds ; and of thefe the lion being 



neareft to him in fize, we will compare him with that 



animal, of whofe anatomy Monfieur Daubenton has fur- 



I i 2 nifhed 



