OR, A TREATISE ON PILE. 50 



Of Contractibility. We must be careful not to confound the property of elasticity with 

 contractibility, which belongs exclusively to vitality; elasticity, as we have said, is the 

 spontaneous returning to its original dimensions and juxtaposition of its particles, and 

 never exceeds the action of stretching ; but contractibility is not subject to any such law. 



neighborhood had proceeded to cut off the flesh to feed their dogs, and sundry wild beasts, such as white bears, wolves, 

 wolverines and foxes, must have partaken of it, as their footsteps were found abundantly in the surrounding sand. By this 

 means the skeleton had been almost entirely cleared of its flesh, but the bones were all there except one fore-leg, which was 

 nowhere to be found. The head was covered with a dry skin, and one of the ears was well preserved, and was furnished 

 with a tuft of hair. But it is to be regretted that these parts have been injured by transporting them to St. Petersburg, a 

 distance of 7,330 miles. The eyes were preserved, and the pupil of one can yet be distinguished. 



This mammoth was a male, and had a long mane on his neck. The tail and proboscis are unfortunately wanting. The 

 skin, of which (says Mr. Adams) I possess three fourths, is of a dark grey color, and is covered with reddish wool and Uwk 

 hair; but the dampness of the spot where it had so long lain had, in some degree, destroyed (injured) the hair. Tho 

 entire carcass, of which I collected the bones, was 10 feet 4 inches long, and 9 feet 4 inches high. The tusks (not included 

 in the above length) measured feet 6 inches along the curve. The distance from the base or root of the tusk to the point, 

 was 3 feet 7 inches. The two tusks weighed 300 Ibs., and the head 414 Ibs. The skin was of such a weight that it required 

 ten persons to transport it to the shore. Upwards of 30 Ibs. of hair and wool were collected, and much more had been 

 trodden into the sand by wild beasts. 



The integuments onsisted of common hair, bristles and wool. The first was of different varieties, in regard to length and 

 thickness. That remaining on the skin was thick-set and crisply curled, interspersed with a few bristles about 3 inches long, 

 and of a dark reddish color. Some of the hair was about 4 inches long, and was more red than the short ones. Some of the 

 bristles were nearly black, and much thicker than horse hair, and from 12 to 18 inches in length. 



From the above narrative, it is not easy to determine from what part of the body of the animal the four hairs were taken, 

 which arc the subject of the following description. No. 1, is in length 6 inches and a half. It is cylindrical, and at the 

 inferior extremity has a diameter of -jrV tn f an inch, but gradually diminishes towards the superior extremity, where it has 

 a diameter of T ^<j- of an inch- 

 It has no button, sheath, nor follicle. Tho shaft is black, passing into a blackish brown, opnque, and devoid of lustre. 

 The inferior extremity is broken and uneven, exhibiting the intermediate fibrous substance. It is stiff and wiry, somewhat 

 flexible, but brittle. March 21, 1849, one inch of it was submitted to the trichometer, (the Bar. being 29, Ther. 69, F. and 

 Dew-point 60,) when the following were the results: 



It showed no ductility with a weight less than 3,300 grains, when it stretched in^h of an inch, and upon removing the 

 weight, the elasticity was entire. 



The weight was gradually increased to 4,300 grains, with which it extended -^ths O f an inch, and the elasticity was entire ; 

 with 4,500 grains it broke. The fracture was ragged, and exhibited three distinct substances, which appeared to have parted 

 in succession. 



No. 2, is 4 inches and -p^ths in length; cylindrical, and -j'jthof an inch in diameter; color, black, opaque, and devoid of 

 lustre. Both terminations are abrupt ; the anterior one furcated ; has no button, sheath, nor follicle. It is much curled and 

 bent, and the cortex has been fractured in two places. Upon this filament is the ovum of a parasitic insect. 



No. 3. This hair is in length 6J inches, and has a diameter of -ritf tn f an inch. Has no button, sheath, nor follicle. 

 Shaft, cylindrical, at the inferior extremity, but gradually passing into an oval at the superior extremity. Color, blackish 

 brown, stiff, and slightly undulated. 



No. 4. This hair is in length 8 inches and i\ihs ; diameter, ,-g-Q-th of an inch. No button, sheath, nor follicle. Shaft 

 cortex, color, brown ; intermediate substance,' fibrous ; coloring matter in the centre, dark brown. It is stiff and brittle ; 

 inferior termination, abrupt; superior one, bifurcated. 



Trial of this hair with the trichometer, same day as No. 1, with a weight of 1,070 grains it stretched -joth of an inch, and 

 upon removing the weight, the elasticity was entire. 



With 2,270 grains, its ductility was -/jths of an inch, and elasticity entire ; with 3,820 grains its ductility was -/(yths of an 

 inch, and elasticity entire; with 4,029 grains its elasticity was -jjths of an inch, and elasticity entire; with 4,669 it broke. 



The most remarkable circumstance in regard to these hairs is that, having lain in the ice for the immense period that the 

 mammoth must have been there, has not impaired their ductility, elasticity and tenacity more than it appears to have done. 

 We cannot well account for the want of the buttons, sheaths and follicles upon these hairs ; probably they were cut from 

 the hide. We have no bristles or wool to examine. 



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