132 



Argyll Campbell 



Zalesky's Analyses of Dried Macerated Bone. 



NoRMAi, Undried Bone (Hoppe Skyler). 



Commentary. 



Besides the tables which give ray own results I have appended Zalesky's 

 analyses of normal dried macerated bone and Hoppe Sevier s analyses of 

 normal nndried bone.^ 



Comparing the results of my analyses of the fossil seal bones with the 

 normal figures, it will be seen that these fossil bones do not differ greatly 

 from normal bone as regards the relative amounts of organic and inorganic 

 substances. For the scapula the figures are 21-34 per cent, and 78-66 per 

 cent. : for the astragalus 29*26 per cent, and 70-74 per cent. : for normal un- 

 dried bone 27-15 per cent, and 71-85 per cent.: for normal dried macerated 

 bone about 34 per cent, and 66 per cent, respectively. I have no analyses 

 of normal seal bones with which I could compare my results, but it is not 

 unlikely that thev would resemble fairlv closelv the normal bones of other 

 vertebrate animals. The seal bones resemble normal dried bone more 

 closely than they do the normal undried bone, the seal bones containing 

 only about !) per cent, w^ater, whilst normal undried bone contains 50 per 

 cent. Their organic matter is well preserved. This was perhaps to be 

 expected from the characteristics of the clay in which these bones were 

 embedded. 



The humerus of a prehistoric man. which was found in sandy loam 

 near North Berwick and therefore not very far from the spot where the 

 aeal bones were dug up, is not as well preserved as these; it contains 

 an appreciable amount of organic matter, but much less than the seal 

 bones. 



The proteids of bone resist disintegration more vigorously than the 



1 Halliburton in Scliafer's Text-book of Physiology, vol. i. p. HI. 



