226 Bones of the Zevglodon. [April, 



which we have taken some pains and incurred some expense to 

 illustrate. We have already alluded to the extinction of animals, 

 and though numerous remains of them are found in the sedi- 

 mentary rocks of this country, yet but few specimens of the 

 larger kind have been found which were so perfect that the pre- 

 served parts could be p' t together so as to form complete skele- 

 tons, except in a few instances of the great American mastodon. 

 Great quantities of fossil bones, however, have been discovered 

 in Alabama, belonging to the Zeuglodon, which is a most re- 

 markable animal, and which has been pronounced by Prof. Owen 

 " as one of the most extraordinary of mammalia, which the revo- 

 lutions of the globe have blotted out of the number of existing 

 beings." Undoubtedly, if sufficient care had been taken to pre- 

 serve and collect these bones together, several complete skeletons 

 might have been constructed, and its true position in the scale of 

 being: have been determined, toQ-ether with the relations which it 

 held to the general species composing the present fauna. As one 

 of the most perfect of these skeletons has fallen into our posses- 

 sion, we propose on this occasion to describe some of the most 

 important individual parts, of which we have prepared accurate 

 drawings. It will be remembered, however, that this subject was 

 taken up in the third number of this Journal, for 1845. In this 

 paper our design contemplated only a description of the teeth, as 

 we found by investigation that Mr. Owen, who had been supplied 

 with a few specimens of the bones of this animal, and among 

 them a few teeth, had fallen inadvertently into an error in regard to 

 their structure, or rather form, not however from want of skill or 

 knowledge, but in consequence of the imperfection of the speci- 

 mens themselves. No man living knows more of the relations 

 of the parts belonging to organized beings than the gentleman we 

 have named. 



The parts of the skeleton described and-figured are the anterior 

 and posterior extremities of the lower jaw, two caudal and one 

 cervical vertebrae, humems, tibia, rib, and a tooth. 



interior portion of the Lower Jaw. — PI. IL, fig. 2. The portion 

 contains three teeth, the terminal teeth are both broken close to 



