64 BUKEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 33 



light any human bones, but there were found in different places, em 

 bedded in the grayish rock of varying degrees of hardness, many 

 recent shells, including, especially, numerous oyster - shells, a few 

 pieces of partially mineralized animal bones (deer astralagus and cal- 

 caneum) that showed no attrition, as do the old fossils, a conch shell 

 of a living species with ferruginous concretionary matter adhering to 

 it much like that in the case of the Osprey skull, and, finally, roots of 

 a burnt pine, still lying on the beach, about which the concretion was 

 in process of formation. (Plate ix.) Everything seen strengthened 

 the impression that tlie solid deposits visible are largely if not 

 w r holly of recent formation. While these rocks where exposed are 

 being slowly disintegrated by the action of the waves, in all proba 

 bility they are actually forming in other localities, as about the 

 above-mentioned pine roots. All the waters in the district, even 

 those of artesian origin, are more or less mineralized; they sink 

 readily through the surface soil into the underlying sand, but can not 

 penetrate so easily into the clayey layer beneath. The result, pos 

 sibly furthered by some chemical affinity of the sand, is a gradual 

 deposition of mineral, principally ferruginous, matter, which in the 

 course of time becomes sufficient in some places to cement into hard 

 rock the sand and whatever the latter contains. The mineralogical 

 conditions seem to favor also in an extraordinary way the infiltra 

 tion of the bones and even replacement of their normal constituents, 

 the latter process constituting fossilization. This is, at least, the sum 

 of the unbiased impressions carried away by the writer as a result 

 of the examination of the Osprey and South Osprey formations from 

 which fossil human bones have been obtained. These impressions, 

 the result of independent personal observations, are fortunately sup 

 plemented by the more expert observations embodied in the report of 

 Doctor Vaughan, transmitted to the Chief of the Bureau of American 

 Ethnology by the Director of the United States Geological Survey. 

 The essential portion of Doctor Vaughan s report follows : 



REPORT OF DR. T. WAYLAND VAUGHAN 



Osprey is situated on a narrow tongue of land rising some 15 to 20 feet above 

 sea level, about one-third of a mile long and from 100 to 150 feet wide. The 

 ridge of the tongue is formed by an Indian shell mound. There is an Indian 

 burial mound at its base, on its northeast side, and about one-fourth of a mile 

 east of Osprey. Portions of a skeleton enveloped and partly replaced by limon- 

 ite were found at this locality. Doctor Hrdlicka had a pit about 3i feet deep 

 dug at this place, and exposed the following section : 



4. Black soil, about _ 1 foot. 



3. Grayish or white sand, about 2 feet. 



2. Irregular bed of yellowish sand, continuous with the 



above . A few inches. 



1. Greenish, argillaceous, and sandy layer Thickness unknown. 



The yellowish sand is the layer in which the skeleton was found. 



