﻿284 
  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  extinct 
  mammalia, 
  is 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  loess, 
  the 
  

   limits 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  already 
  been 
  defined. 
  Throughout 
  

   its 
  extent 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  mastodon 
  have 
  been 
  dis- 
  

   covered. 
  

  

  Fossil 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  elephant, 
  although 
  occurring 
  in 
  

   Kentucky 
  and 
  Texas, 
  are 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  

   in 
  this 
  State. 
  

  

  The 
  mastodon 
  difiers 
  from 
  the 
  mammoth, 
  or 
  fossil 
  

   elephant, 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  confounded, 
  chiefly 
  in 
  the 
  

   structure 
  of 
  the 
  molars, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  mastodon 
  being 
  

   invested 
  with 
  an 
  exterior 
  coating 
  of 
  enamel, 
  the 
  grind- 
  

   ing 
  surfaces 
  presenting 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  mammillary 
  protuber- 
  

   ances; 
  whereas, 
  in 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  mammoth 
  the 
  enamel 
  is 
  

   disposed 
  in 
  vertical 
  transverse 
  plates. 
  The 
  former 
  also 
  

   surpasses 
  the 
  latter 
  in 
  dimensions. 
  

  

  Mastodon 
  bones 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  in 
  Bayou 
  Sara, 
  

   near 
  Pinckneyville, 
  in 
  Wilkinson 
  County, 
  in 
  various 
  

   localities 
  in 
  Adams 
  County, 
  in 
  Jefferson 
  County, 
  near 
  

   the 
  former 
  town 
  of 
  Greenville, 
  and 
  in 
  Warren 
  County; 
  

   in 
  the 
  deep 
  cut 
  of 
  the 
  railroad 
  at 
  Vicksburg 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  Big 
  Black 
  River, 
  near 
  the 
  eastern 
  line 
  of 
  

   the 
  county. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  few 
  localities, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  accompanying 
  testacea 
  

   would 
  indicate 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  fresh-water 
  

   ponds 
  or 
  marshes, 
  considerable 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton 
  

   have 
  been 
  found 
  together, 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  animal 
  may 
  have 
  

   perished 
  there, 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  cases 
  the 
  bones 
  are 
  frequently 
  

   in 
  contact 
  with 
  considerable 
  masses 
  of 
  a 
  black, 
  fatty 
  

   earth 
  entirely 
  dissimilar 
  from 
  the 
  surrounding 
  marl, 
  and 
  

   which 
  may 
  reasonably 
  be 
  supposed 
  to 
  have 
  resulted 
  from 
  

   the 
  decomposition 
  of 
  the 
  viscera, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  perish- 
  

   able 
  animal 
  matter; 
  but 
  most 
  usuall}' 
  the 
  bones 
  appear 
  

   detached, 
  as 
  if 
  drifted 
  into 
  their 
  present 
  position 
  ; 
  and 
  

   consequently, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  unusual 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  tusk, 
  or 
  a 
  molar, 
  

  

  