HRBLlCKA] 



SKELETAL KEMATNS 



53 



Near the Lansing skeleton was found a portion of the upper jaw 

 of a child six or seven years of age. The bone shows nothing ex 

 traordinary. Three of the teeth (first dentition premolars and a per 

 manent first molar) are still preserved; their size is moderate; the 



FIG. 7. Comparison of the nasion-opisthion arcs, geometrically constructed, of the Lan 

 sing skull and three modern Indian crania. Lansing skull ; Kaw skull 



(152, N. M.) ; Pawnee skull (550, N. M.) ; .. .. .. Ponca skull (79G, N.M.). 



enamel is white, quite bright, and without any cracks. The first per 

 manent molar shows three roots and four cusps. 



XV. THE FOSSIL MAN OF WESTERN FLORIDA 



Several lots of human bones, more or less thoroughly fossilized in 

 various ways, were discovered on different occasions during the latter 

 part of the last century along the western coast of Florida, south of 

 Sarasota. 



THE OSPREY SKULL 



This find dates from 1871. On June 4 of that year Mr. J. G. Webb, 

 of Osprey, Manatee county (see figure 8), wrote to Prof. Joseph 

 Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, as follows : 



I discovered in ditching in my hammock a perfect skull. It was unfortunately 

 broken in digging it out, but I shall send all the pieces and you will find no 

 difficulty in gluing it into perfect shape. It was intentionally buried (without 

 doubt) face up, lying on its back, about 3 to 4 feet below the surface, but had 

 become surrounded by a soft, ferruginous rock, which is constantly forming 

 wherever a spring comes to the surface. I live on a shell mound adjoining the 

 hammock. 



