214 ANIMALS OF THE PAST 



many arrowheads associated with mastodon 

 bones in a spring at Afton, Indian Territory. 

 This spring was investigated, and a few masto- 

 don bones and flint arrowheads were found, 

 but the latter were in a stratum just above the 

 bones, although this was overlooked by the first 

 diggers.* Koch reported finding charcoal and 

 arrowheads so associated with mastodon bones 

 that he inferred the animal to have been de- 

 stroyed by fire and arrows after it became 

 mired. It has been said that Koch could have 

 had no object in disseminating this report, and 

 hence that it may be credited, but he had just 

 as much interest in doing this as he did in fab- 

 ricating the Hydrarchus and the Missourium, 

 and his testimony is not to be considered se- 

 riously. It seems to be with the mastodon 

 much as it is with the sea-serpent ; the latter 

 never appears to a naturalist, remains of the 

 former are never found by a trained observer 



* This locality has just been carefully investigated by Mr. 

 W. H. Holmes of the United States National Museum who 

 found bones of the mastodon and Southern Mammoth associated 

 with arrowheads. But he also found fresh bones of bison, 

 horse, and wolf, showing that these and the arrowheads had 

 simply sunk to the level of the older deposit. 



