On Elephantine Bones. 25 



or 230, miles from the nearest part of the Atlantic- 

 Ocean. This county borders on that of Greenbryar, in 

 which the bones of the Megalonyx, as Mr. Jefferson has 

 denominated it, were discovered. I will only further 

 add, that, in the view of the naturalist, this is one of the 

 most interesting portions of Virginia, and, perhaps, of 

 North- America. The floor of the country is limestone 

 (different varieties of psadurium), rich in the impressions 

 of numerous species of sea testacea, and other marine 

 animals : the caverns abound in nitre, and in sulphates 

 of soda and magnesia ; while springs of various gaseous 

 and mineral impregnations, and of different tempera- 

 tures, present themselves almost every where. I say 

 nothing of the manganese, and various others-metallic 

 bodies, which have lately been detected*. 



I shall not take up any of your time in endeavouring 

 to prove, that the soft parts of animal bodies, such as 

 the skin, the muscles, the stomach, &c, may be preserv- 

 ed, in a state of considerable perfection, for a great length 

 of time. You, Sir, are well acquainted with the various 

 facts, relative to this subject, that have been published 

 by Dr. Pallas, and some other eminent naturalists. I 

 will, however, take the liberty of referring you to the 

 first part of my Medical and Physical Journal, pages 

 154 — 159, for a very interesting notice concerning the 

 discovery of five skeletons of Mammoths, near the river 

 Ohio. From this account, it would seem pretty cer- 



* In the same tract of country, large quantities of sulphate of 

 barytes have been found. 



SUPPL. D 



