of American Elephant. 171 



wild and extravagant are the traditional stories, or so im- 

 perfect the knowledge, of these poor people. 



If it be allowable to judge from the progress which we 

 have already made in the discovery of elephantine teeth, 

 &c, in North- America, I should say, that the Elephas 

 Americanus has been a much more common animal in 

 this continent, than the species to which belonged the 

 teeth, like those of Elephas primigenius. Certain it 

 is, that of the former animal we have found more than 

 thirty times the quantity of exuviae that we have of the 

 latter. It has been remarked, however, that the teeth, de- 

 fenses, &c, of the supposed Elephas primigenius are, in 

 general, much more decayed than those of the Elephas 

 Americanus. This, I believe, is strictly true. Perhaps, 

 therefore, it is not safe to assert, that the latter was really 

 more common than the former of these animals. Per- 

 haps, the one species was a more ancient inhabitant of the 

 continent than the other. Perhaps, the texture of the 

 teeth and bones of the Elephas primigenius is more fee- 

 ble than that of the teeth, and bones, of the Elephas 

 Americanus. Indeed, I think it evident, from an in- 

 spection of the grinders of the two animals, that it would 

 require a greater length of time to decompose those of 

 the Elephas Americanus, than those of the Elephas pri- 

 migenius. 



But the teeth, the defenses, and other bones of the for- 

 mer of the animals just mentioned, are sometimes found 

 in a very mouldering and imperfect state. An intelligent 

 traveller, who has recently returned from an extensive tour 

 ' ifvond the Missisippi, informs me, that in the country of 



