372 Collection of Fossil Bones. 
. belong to. the same species, weighed six hundred pounds when taken 
from the ground ; and these are nearly perfect, and when we regard 
“them as being merely appendages, and sustained by the animal at 
or great mechanical disadvantage, since they do. not, like horns, rest 
upon the head, but project from it laterally forward, we can easily 
imagine that it would require the most powerful muscles to sustain 
and wield the entire cranium tusks, muscles and integuments. 
We shall be happy to see additional illustrations from the able com- 
mittee to whom we are indebted for the previous statement of facts. 
_ We will however venture to mention the extraordinary curvature 
of the tusks: those of the elephant, we believe, are always in the 
form of a bent bow, but these have almost the shape of a sickle, 
with the blade. curved to one side; they are sharp and pointed. — 
Many of the molar teeth of the mastodon in this collection, as we have 
often observed elsewhere, are much worn by grinding, and possess 
a high lustre from the polish produced by friction ; they appear to 
have belonged to animals of very various ages, and the smaller teeth 
are generally little or not at all worn; in some of the teeth, the pro- 
cesses or ridges which are so remarkably prominent in the mastodon 
and so remarkably cotrasted ‘also in this respect with those of the 
elephant, are entirely worn away, and are replaced by a deep, egg 
shaped cavity, of extreme polish, as if it were varnished. 
It is stated that this collection of bones contains upwards of three 
hundred in number, besides twenty two tusks, and that it weighs in 
all 5,300 pounds. The bones were obtained by Capt. Finnel, at 
the Big Bone Lick, twenty miles south of Cincinnati, in Kentucky. 
_ The deposit was twenty two feet below the surface, but bones ap- 
ae pear to have been found at various depths, as may be observed ” 
the notice of the Rey. Sayres Gazley,* Vol. XVII, p. 187, of this 
Journal.+ % : 
_ The discovery. of bones of the horse is very extraordinary, as this 
animal had been supposed not to be a native of America, and the 
Committee believe that they are of equal antiquity with the net 
bones ; the great size of the teeth implies very large individuals, if 
nota large species, in analogy with similar facts on the eastern CoP 
tinent. 
. 
» * Then anonymous, but since acknowl 
the spot. PE ' 
1 This collection is at present shewn at the corner of Broadway and Pearl ~. 
rs York, but it is understood that it will ere long, be transferred to ” 
aris. © 
ener a 
ged by the Rey. gentleman, who visited 
. 
