VIII. 



On Platygonus Compressus : a new Fossil Pachyderm. 

 By JOHN L. LE CONTE, M. D. 



{Communicated to the Academy, May 29th, 1848.) 



In the short notice of new fossil Mammalia, published in Silli- 

 man^s Journal for January, 1848, I have given an account of the 

 circumstances under which these bones were found, which are 

 briefly these. 



At a few miles distance from Galena, in Illinois, while sinking a 

 shaft for the purpose of obtaining lead ore, a fissure was discovered 

 fifty feet below the surface ; this fissure was filled with an earthy 

 deposit, containing much iron and lime, and imbedded in it were 

 found many fragments of bone. A portion of these were preserved 

 by the miners, and by good fortune found their way to the collec- 

 tion of Mr. Snyder, a merchant residing in Galena, and well known 

 for his appreciation of natural science. By him some teeth were 

 presented to me a few years ago, in order to determine the species 

 of animals to which the bones belonged. On examination, these 

 teeth were found very different from any heretofore observed, and 

 it was at once evident that they appertained to one or more new 

 genera. Notice of this fact was sent to Mr. Snyder, and permis- 

 sion was asked to examine the other mammalian fossils of his cab- 



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