33^ On the Mammoth. 



There are alfo found, in different regions in the earth, thff 

 exuviae and remains of animals of a fcale in maenitudi 

 nnich beyond thofe it affords in its prefent ftate, about which 

 it feems ahnoft impoffible to fix any hne of conjefture. They 

 are found in all llrata, the marine ones chiefly in calcareous 

 llrata : this Ikelcton lay in a calcareous ftratuni. 



The fuppofition that this animal was a marine one, and 

 dwelt in the ocean, relieves the account of it from all diffi- 

 culties as to its habitation and food. What tfie woods of the 

 prefent earth deny, the ocean gives full and free courCe to — 

 all its enormous animal capacities of motion. The a undant 

 fupply of the ocean could give food for this carnivorous ani- 

 mal, and food which came within its power to attain, on the 

 banks of flat fifli, and in the bedsof (liell fifli. This removes 

 all difficulty as to its fuftenance. That the ocean did bring 

 forth fuch food in fuch abundance, the phsenomena of the 

 marine animal compofition of the ftrata of the prefent ftate 

 of the earth evinces. 



That this animal w^as carnivorous appears to be a decided 

 faft ; it might therefore live in an element where was no 

 grazing food : from its enormous bulk it would require a fup- 

 ply of animal food which the earth could not give, and which 

 could only be found in the abundance which the waters bring 

 fqrth. 



There are parts in the dehrh of the fkuU which have fome 

 comparative refemblance to tlie whale, as to the purpofe of 

 breathing under water; and from the width of the jaws, 

 fomewhat fimilar to that of fifli, one may imagine, when 

 jma^ination is fet to work, that this animal might have had 

 in thofe parts fome glands calculated to carry on the fame 

 operation as the gills of fifli perform. The ribs, as obferved 

 above, more iimilar to thofe of fifh than to thofe of terref- 

 trial animals, are by their conllruftion and pofition ordained 

 to refifl: a much heavier and more forcible external compref- 

 fure than the atmofphere creates. 



I fliall make no apology for any part of this theory, be- 

 caufe, being declared to be theory, every one is at liberty td 

 approve or difapprove the whole or any part thereof; yet I 

 cannot but think that fome very fober analytic philofophers 

 may rcpofe the-r imaginations if not their conviftion upon 

 it, until the prefent or fome future fyfiem of philofophy fup- 

 plies them with a better. I will therefore venture to fay to 

 any philofophical fociety, royal or liberal, 



Si quilt iiovil\i rcftius iftis, 



CanJidus impcrti : fi nnn, his utere mccuni. 



ditl'crent I'pccics from the mammoth. We Ihall hero mention only one 

 foccifie difference — its ribs are nearly cylindrical. — Edit. 



I will 



