MASTODON REMAINS IN NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 105 



Femur. 



Description. The first specimen in the museum is a right 

 femur (thigh-bone) of an adult animal, agreeing generally in 

 form with that of M. americanus. It is in a very good state 

 of preservation, the bone tissues being firm and practically 

 unaltered, but longitudinally cracked in a few places. Remains 

 of the cartilege may still be seen on a few places on the 

 articular surface of the head of the bone. In parts, particularly 

 about the region of the extremities (trochanter major and the 

 condyles) the outer surface is somewhat worn off, exposing 

 the cellular under partsv In the vacinity of the internal 

 trochanter a portion of the bone has been broken off. 



Measurements. Greatest length from head to inferior 

 extremity near condyles, 3 ft. 10.50 in. Diameter of body of 

 femur in middle, 7.35 in. ; anterior-posterior diameter at same 

 place, 4.60 in. Greatest width from head to region of 

 trochanter major, 1 ft. 5.50 in. Diameter of head, 8 in. ; 

 diameter of neck, 6.40 in. ; anterior-posterior diameter at last- 

 mentioned place, 5.60 in. Diameter at condyles, 10 in. ; 

 anterior-posterior diameter at condyles, 7.75 in. These 

 measurements would indicate an animal that would have 

 measured about 10 J feet to the shoulders, \vhich very nearly 

 equals the height (11 feet) of Dr. J. C. Warren's immense 

 Mastodon skeleton from Xewburg, X. Y., now in Boston. 



Locality irJiere found, and collector's name. Found 

 by the late Alexander McRae, at a depth of about five 

 inches from the surface, in meadow soil containing some sand, 

 on "intervale land," on farm of said McRae (now owned by 

 his nephews, Duncan and Daniel McRae), one-half a mile 

 westward of the road at the schoolhouse, Lower (Settlement) 

 Middle River, Victoria county, Cape Breton island, Nova 

 Scotia.* The precise spot where the bone was found i close 



* Hon. W. F. McCurdy of Baddeck. writes me that he thinks some of the farmers 

 at Middle River thought it might benefit them if thev were to cut a canal through a 

 gravel bank and so change the course of the river. They accordingly made the canal 

 with the result that the river cut away a large quantity of gravel, etc., and so revealed 

 the Mastodon remains. Honeyrnan states the femur was ploughed up. 



