Conjeclural Ohservatlons on the Mammoth. l&§ 



the sel-pcnt tribe, it may be asked, why is he not in exist- 

 ence at this time for the same purpose ? why is he pecahar 

 to the new worlds while serpents have ahvays ahke abounded 

 tliroughout the elobe? and whence comes it tliat the re- 

 mains of the mammoth ha\"e been usually found iu higher 

 Jatitudes than are congenial to the constitution of the ma- 

 jority of the serpent tribe ? In reply to these queries I ob- 

 serve, that we have no proof that the maaiimoth is not at 

 this present time in existence, although in situations remote 

 from the view of man, as the classes of serpents are also ob- 

 served to retreat in proportion as the population of the cli- 

 mates thev inhabit increases. But admitting that the mam- 

 moth has become extinct for some centuries, it argues not 

 against the present conjectures ; for like instances have oc- 

 curred in other classes*, and this cspeela'iy, as, however 

 important the restraining of the propagation of the serpent 

 kinil? might have been m the earlier ages, it has been much 

 less so in subsequent periods, when mankind have little to 

 fear from the ravages of the brute cieation. 



Yet I confess 1 suppose the mammoth to be now in ex- 

 istence in the north-west parts of America, and perhaps 

 equally savage and unpeopled regions of the old \\orld ; but 

 till forced by famine to quit the accustomed haunts of hi* 

 prey we must not expect to be visited by him : nor need 

 we wonder that no accounts of stich a formidable being 

 have been handed down to us, as it is probable that few, 

 and those perjiaps the most ignorant and superstitious of 

 savages of foviner times, ever witnessed the sight of this 

 stupendous animal. 



'i'hat the manmiolh is peculiar to America is solely a con- 

 jecture. Till minute investigation warranted a contrary in- 

 formation, the various huge bones which have been at tnnes 

 discovered in different parts of the world have been uni- 

 formly referred to the elephant f ; tlic which, if more care- 

 ful!}' examined, would doubtless many of them be found to 

 belong to the mammoth class. The bones of elephants, 

 bears, whales, &c. itcc. have been found in territories foreign 

 to their temperament X 5 so also those of the mammoth may 

 doubtless be expected to be found in most climates of the 

 world. 



That the remains of the mammoth shoidd be met with 

 in latitudes higher than tlie usual haujits of his prey, as sup- 

 posed 1)1 the case of serpents, is not to be wondered at ; for 

 an animal, unless worn out with age, or premalurely de- 



• Plin. Hist. Nnt. lib. 8. 



+ Phil. Mag. vol, XV. p. 317. 



4 K.ixvvau'» EssjiyS; p. 7S. 



Strove J, 



