KOUtKA] -KM MM. III. MAINS ':, 



A study i'f the lo\\er end of (In* shell mound on Its side next to tin- hay gave 

 tin- follow in:: 



4. Klack -"il ______ . ___________ Several inches. 



3. Shells, IllinieroUS S|N-cleS. III! f \vllil-l. .lit. 



almiit ....... ______________________ . ______ _ 4 feet 



- riii- base of tlu> nniiiiiil contains shells, ninny of 



wlili-h are cemented together :unl tilled with ferru- 



ginous -..Miil-ii'iie ; others are tilled with LM.-.-MI-II 



sand. All stages from thi green Band to tin- fer- 



ruginous sandstone are represented. Tin* lay'r Is 



not uniformly de\el<i|N-d. < ccnrrlng only In pl.-n-e* tl inches. 

 1. (Jreen sand to the water level In the bay ---------- Thickness iinleternilnel. 



A collection of sliells WHS made from nuinliers II and .". of the -< tii.n and were 

 determined l>y Dr. Win. II. I tall. 



All the s|NM-ii-s i .un.i in no. 2 were also found In no. ::. and all r them nre 

 'lit 



The ReoloRlr :iu- of '2 and 3 if poKt-I'loi8t(Mvne. Itoth from the <-ontaine<l 

 fossils and nt rat (graph le relations they nre younger than the I'lelsto<iMie of 

 North creek. The material in whi-h the fossil human remains were found 

 In the old burial mound seem* to corres|N>nd to the ferruginous layer at the 

 buse of the shell mound, and ran scanvly be older that Is. the human remains 

 are iMmt-I'leistorene in age. 



The ftmsllized condition of the hunmn skeleton was considered < f particular 

 ini|M>rtance. A study of the prix-esses at present going on at the base of the 

 shell mound clearly shows that no im|tortancc can IN* attached to the ferruginous 

 replacement of the I>one8. All stages in the transformation of the uiiconsoll- 

 dated greenish sand filling the shells to a tilling with sand cemented by limonite 

 and the cementation of the whole by limonitlc material can IH> SH'II. Numerous 

 seepages or springs <ccur along the up|>er surface of the green sand IMS!. It 

 is evident that this water contains considerable <|iiantities of oxygen, and that it 

 is transforming the gnt'ii colored ferrous silicate into red or brown ferric oxide 

 and silica. Idtal conditions are here realized for this transformation of one 

 form of Iron Into another. 



The conclusions regarding the skeleton found at Osprey are: First, no 

 importance can l>e attached to ItH state of fossilization; second, the strati- 

 graphic relations of the skeleton are such as to indicate a |>ost-I'leistocene. or. 

 expressed In other words, a geologically mvnt age. 



The human bones found along the shore between 1 and II miles south of 

 Osprey were calcareous hut impregnated with minerals. The ferruginous 

 material which has ln>en described as from the lower end of the shell mound 

 at Osprey is found southward, otvurring disouitinuously for several miles. 

 The upiM>r part of the bank along the beach is a sandy, often hummocky. soil. 

 The iron near the water's edge <vmeuts together jM-bbles. shells, or whatever 

 hapiM-ns to be there. The material whence the human bones were obtained Is a 

 lighter colored, more sandy Incrustation over the ferruginous layer. There I.- 

 nothing in the geological conditions under which they were found to indicate 

 other than a geologically mvnt age. 



\\ccn twenty-four and twenty-five years ago a skull was found in ferru- 

 ginous material a short distance nlnive the pier, at Hanson's landing. The 

 >kull was", at least partially, rephuvd by ferruginous matter. The locality 

 was studied geolo^ieally. The ferruginous material there is similar to that 

 at osprey. It im<leili.> -urface soil and sand, consists of sand bound together 



3463 No. 33 O7 - 5 



