CONTINUING THF. ELEPHANT HUNT 

 By J. W. GIDLEY, 



Assistant Curator, Division of J'crtcliralc Palcontoloc/y. V. S. National Mitsciini 



Extinct ele]:)hants, the mammoths (represented by at least three 

 species) and their near relatives, the mastodons, were native in North 

 America throughout the entire Pleistocene Age, that geologic period 

 which just preceded the present time, and which was marked by sev- 

 eral epochs of wides]M-ea(l glaciation. During the interglacial periods 

 and continuing even after the last great ice sheet had disappeared or 

 at least retreated far to the north, these great beasts roamed widely 

 over most of the I'nited States, traveled far southward into Mexico 

 and Central America, and extended their range northwestward into 

 Alaska. Their fossil remains are numerous and have been found in 

 hundreds of localities over the regions just mentioned, yet complete 

 skeletons and even skulls are seldom found and recovered. One factor 

 seems largely responsible for this, namely the great size of these ani- 

 mals. It must have been only under the most favorable conditions 

 of accumulating deposits that entire carcasses of such very large crea- 

 tures would be covered and preserved. In consequence most of the 

 finds reported represent only a few scattered bones and more often 

 a jaw or tooth, for teeth are less easily destroyed by the elements 

 than other parts of the skeleton. Another contributing cause for 

 scarcity of good material of these animals is due to the fact that many 

 of the best preserved skeletons have been discovered in swami)-dredg- 

 ing, or other excavation work by men who have not had the technical 

 training and special knowledge required to collect such material and 

 in consequence most of these have been greatly damaged or entirely 

 destroyed for scientific purposes. From this it may be rightly inferred 

 that to obtain good mountable material of these ancient elephants, it 

 is necessary to send into the collecting fields especially trained men, 

 experienced in collecting fossil bones and properly equipped for sys- 

 tematic search and recovery of material discovered. 



The National Museum has never been able to do this in any ade- 

 quate way owing to lack of funds, but has been obliged to depend 

 upon following up and investigating such occasional promising reports 

 of finds as come to the Museum from time to time, and as small allot- 

 ments are found availal)le. 



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