SKI I.I I \l. l:i M UN'S 



61 



place- are irregularly scattered throughout the mass of shell- at dif 

 nt level-. Shell implement^ and -ome fragment- of culinary pot - 

 .'iv encountered. lut no burial-. 



Situated near the base of the promontory and not covered l>y the 

 .-hell mound i- the so-called hummock land, a layer of hhiek soil com- 

 po-ed largely of decayed organic matter mixed with -and. Then' are 

 ral depressions in thi- |>iece of land, \\hich to-day is covered ly 

 ::n orange orchard. One such depression is situated l>et ween the 

 shell mound, near it- southeastern end, and a low burial mound over 

 which passes a wagon road leading to Mr. Webb's residence. It was 

 in this hollow, le than 30 feet from the base of the burial mound, 

 that Mr. Webb discovered in 1871 his first human fossil, the specimen 

 now known as the Osprey skull. Mr. Webb, who is still alive and 

 in gooil health, conducted the writer to the locality, and there, with 

 the assistance of a laborer, a trench was dug 15 feet long, (5 feet wide, 

 ami a little, more than 3 feet deep. No bones were found, but the 

 character and condition of 

 the deposits was seen to ad- 

 vantage (figure {)). Imme- 

 diately talow the surface were 

 from 15 to 20 cm. (6 to 8 

 inches) of black soil, somewhat 

 mixed with white sand, under 

 which was a layer of white 

 -and. Two feet below the sur- 

 face this layer showed patches 

 of yellowish to rusty discolora- 

 tion, due without doubt to dep- 

 osition of iron. Some shells 

 were found in this sand, but no concretions. Seventy-four cm. (20 

 inches) In-low the surface was encountered a more compact, greenish 

 layer, consisting of sand, clay, and fine gravel; this extended to the 

 full depths of the excavation. The limonite skull was recovered from 

 the middle of the sandy layer, and presumably, from the description, 

 near its base. 



The exact location of the North Osprey find was not rememtared 

 by Mr. Webb (the information given was obtained subsequently 

 from his son) and in consequence the spot could not be located, but it 

 a l-o was in the dry bed of a small pond. 



It remained to explore the locality where the South Osprey skeleton 

 was found. Mr. Webb led the party to the spot. Since the date of 

 the find the shore has suffered some.ln liy ero-ion, but the general 

 conditions remain unchanged (figure 10). The pliore is low, the 

 elevation averaging perhaps _' feet al>ove high tide. Beginning at the 

 surface the soil con-i-t- (figure 11) of a layer of A Drying depth much 



Fin. 9. Section of deposits showing poxltion of the 

 Osprey skull. ". Black soil mixed with mnd. 15 to 

 20cm. (6 to 8 in.); 6, White (tand, showing in lower 

 parts yellow patches due to ferruginous deposits, SO 

 to GO cm. (20 to 24 in.); <-, About where Osprey skull 

 lay: '', Greenish clayvy, xandy, and gravelly layer, 

 74 cm. (29 in.) below aurface. Extent unknown. 



