610 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



fenestrje (except in size, as explained above) are quite symmetrically 

 placed, the distance from the lateral border being practically the same 

 on either side. Although these openings occur on the unprotected 

 border of the frill, it would be a remarkable coincidence for the animal 

 to haye been wounded in such an identical manner on both sides and in 

 the places where the bone is heaviest. 



The skull, as exhibited, was prepared 1)}' the writer: 

 Principal measurements. — Greatest length, 6 feet 1 inch; greatest 

 breadth, 4 feet 2 inches. 



A MOUNTED SKELETON OF MASTODON. 



Of all the extinct animals none is found more wideh' distributed 

 geographically, and probably few are better known to the layman, than 

 the mastodon. It appears to be the popular belief that the mastodon 

 Avas a very much larger animal than the elephant of to-day, but in 

 reality it did not exceed the Indian elephant in size, though propor- 

 tionately lower and more heayih' built. The largest males rarely 

 reached a height of 10 feet and the females were much smaller. 



The mastodon skeleton (No. 2106)" recently' placed on exhibition 

 (Plate XXXV) in the U. S. National Museum is a well-preserved 

 specimen of an adult female, which has been identified by Mr. F. A. 

 Lucas as pertaining to the species Miunmut ameriean nm . 



The specimen was found in ll*Ol by Mr. Levi Wood in a peat swamp 

 on his farm near Church, Michigan. 



After exhuming a few of the best preserved bones, the right to dis- 

 inter the remainder of the skeleton was purchased b}' the Museum 

 authorities, and Mr. Alban Stewart was detailed to complete the exca- 

 vating as well as to prepare the specimen for shipment to "Washington. 



It was found that, although the skeleton lay on its left side and 

 apparently in good position for the preservation of all its parts, all 

 of the leg bones were missing, except those of the right fore limb. 

 The specimen is one of the many curious examples of the lack cf impor- 

 tant bones that one would naturall}' expect to ))e present, while other 

 bones that might have been lost were preserved. 



The skeleton was embedded in peat a few feet below the surface and 

 immediately above an 18-inch stratum of blue day. 



The bones recovered consist of a skull and lower jaws. 1 tusk 

 partially complete and the basal portion of the other, 7 cervicals, 

 17 dorsals, 3 lumbars, sacrum, 11 caudals, 30 ri))s, a portion of the 

 sternum, pelvis very complete, the I'ight fore limb, and numerous foot 

 })()ncs. . 



The skeleton was first mounted ))y Mr. All)an Stewart, under the 

 direction of Mr. Lucas, and was included as a portion of the National 



"Catalogue nuiulxT of U. S. National .Museum. 



