SOME CUBAN FOSSILS 



225 



degrees is known as the " Chapapote " and in this one the jawbone of Mega- 

 locnus was said to have been discovered. This pool was surrounded by rushes 

 and tall grass with an old dilapidated bathhouse on one side, as we found 

 it, and from it 

 flowed a rivulet in 

 which there were 

 many small fish. 

 In subsequent work 

 I collected here six 

 species of fish that 

 had become accli- 

 mated to the hot 

 water, one individ- 

 ual having a length 

 of six inches. 



As the center of 

 this pool was seven 

 feet deep, we en- 

 gaged a field hand 

 to dive to the bot- 

 tom. Tense and 

 expectant were we 

 three as Avalino 

 dived time and 

 again bringing up 

 handfuls of black 

 mud, finally a croc- 

 odile vertebra and 

 after a few more 

 efforts a mammal 

 rib and some turtle 

 fragments. These 

 pieces showed that 

 bones were numer- 

 ous, so a large hand 

 pump was secured 

 from a nearby plan- 

 tation. By pump- 

 ing in relays we 

 could in four hours 

 exhaust the pool 



I , , Royal palms near Aguacate. These are symbolic of Cuba; 



ana Keep tne Water j ike re giments of grenadiers they outline the plantations in long 

 down. Bones Stuck lines that fade away in perspective 



