122 



The Missourium. 



Vol. VI. 



Description of the Missouri Leviathan, 



TogeLlier with its supposed habits, and In- 

 dian Traditions concerning; the location 

 Jrani whence it was exhumed. 



BY ALBB7RT KOCH. 



This gigantic skeletnn mpasiires 32 feet in length 

 and 15 in height; the head measures, from the tip of 

 the nose to tiie spine of the neck, tj feet ; from one 

 zygomatic arch to the other, 4 feet ; from the lower edge 

 of the npper lip to the first edge of the front tooth, 20 

 inches; from the front point of the lower jaw to the 

 first edge of the front tooth, 8 inches ; from the edge of 

 the upper lip, measuring along the roof of the mouth 

 to the socket of the eye, 3 feet ; from thence to where 

 the Atlas joins the head, 10^ inches. The whole num- 

 ber of teeth is eight — that is, four upper and four lower, 

 not including the two tusks. The two upper fore teeth 

 are 4 inches broad and 4i inches in length, and are situ- 

 ated in the head in such a manner that they slant to- 

 wardsthe roof of the mouth, insomuch that their outer 

 edge is 1^ inch higher than their inside edge. The back 

 teeth in the upper jaw are 7 inches in length, and 

 where they unite with the front teeth, they are, like 

 those, 4 inches broad, and from thence run narrower 

 back until they end almost in a point. The formation 

 of the nose is very peculiar : it consists of a bony sub- 

 stance interwoven with cells, and presents a broad, fiat 

 appearance; it projects 13 inches over the lower jaw, 

 and ends in two nostrils, which are somewhat raised 

 on the face. This nose rests partly on the roof of the 

 mouth and partly on the upper lip, which latter is 

 Bomewhat arched on both sides, and forms a ridge in 

 the centre. 



As I was successful in finding the right tusk solid in 

 the head when I first discovered it, and as it remained 

 fi.xed in its socket during its excavation and transport- 

 ation over a very rough and wilderness country, I am 

 enabled to give a correct and indisputable description 

 of the position and situation which the tusks occupied 

 in the skull of the animal during its life. They were 

 carried by him almost horizontally, bending somewhat 

 down, and coming with their points up again ; their 

 length is 10 feet, exclusive of 1 foot 3 inches, which 

 forms the root, and is hidden from the eye of the ob- 

 server, as it is concealed in and under the skull. It is 

 necessary here to remark, that the tusks are remarka- 

 bly large in proportion to the size of the head, and, 

 also, that their roots are perfectly firm and solid, so as 

 to leave only space for the nerve. The body of those 

 tusks has been a formation of coarse ivory, partaking 

 somewhat of the nature of bone — so much so, that it 

 will again unite and become whole after an injury; 

 which is proved by the fact of the right tusk having a 

 large scar, where it had been severely injured. As 

 soon as the tusks leave the interior of the head, which 

 takes place opposite the chin, they run parallel on each 

 side of the nose, sinking down to the edge of the upper 

 lip, until they reach the outer edge of it; from thence 

 they make a sudden bond and run from both sides in a 

 horizontal position, each forming somewhat of a semi- 

 circle. Measuring those tusks from the point of the 

 one to the point of the other, following the curvature, 

 is 21 feet; the distance across the head in a straight 

 line, from point to point of the tusks, is 15 feet. 



Especially remarkable on the lower jaw i.^ a protu- 

 berance; which is immediately situated over Iha poste- 

 rior mental foramen, from whence it proceeds out of the 

 ramus in a horizontal position ; its point is somewhat 

 bent down, inclining back; its length is 2? inches; its 

 diameter at the root is 1^ inches. I consider this pro- 

 tuberance peculiar to the Missourium, as I have never 

 seen a similar one on any of the great number and va- 

 riety of fossils I have disinterred or examined, or of 

 animals of the present race, and as yet I have never 

 heard it mentioned by other naturalists. Another pe- 

 culiarity of this protuberance is, that it possesses points 

 resembling thorns. I am of opinion that the above- 

 described protuberance w.as the location of sorn>° re- 

 markably strong muscles attached to the lower lip, that 

 gave it in a great measure the strength and faculty of 

 a proboscis. This wise provision of nature has been 

 necessary to the animal, as the upper part of the head 

 is destitute of this appemlage, or, at most, has had a 

 snout not larger than that of the South American tapir. 

 The whole length of tliis, the lower jaw, is 3 feet 1 



inch; the greatest height to the condyle, 1 foot 7 inches; 

 the extreme height to the coroiioidal process, 1 foot 5f 

 inches; the height of the rannis, 7^ inches ; the length 

 of the posterior molar, 7 inches ; its breadth, 4^ inches; 

 the length of the second molar, 5;^ inches; its breadth, 

 4 inches. 



Measurement of the different Bones contained in the 

 Skeleton. — Each clavicle, 2 feet i inch; and 7^ inches in 

 its extreme breadth. The first rib, 2 feet 3 inches in 

 length; G inches in its widest part; the longest rib 

 measures 5 feet lij inches in length ; the shortest rib, 2 

 feet 4 inches in length ; the largest of the dorsal verte- 

 bra, 2^ feet ; the scapula, or shoulder blade, 3 feet 1 inch 

 in length, and 2 feitt 7 inches in breadth; the humerus 

 or fore arm, length 3 feet 5J inches; its greatest cir- 

 cumference 3 feet 3 inches, and its smallest part mea- 

 sures 2 feet 7 inches in circumferences ; the ulna is 2 

 feet 7^ inches long; the radius is 2 feet 3J inches long; 

 the carpal articulating surface is 5J inches broad ; other 

 articulating surface, G^ inches. The pelvis measures 

 from the anterior superior spine to the edge of the pu- 

 bis, at the symphysis, 3 feet 7 inches, which gives a 

 total breadth of the pelvis of 7 feet 2 inches ; the cir- 

 cumference of each bone of the pelvis is 13 feet 4 inches. 



The femur, or thigh bone, is 4 feet i inch long, 8} 

 inches in diameter; in the middle of its shaft the neck 

 of the thigh bone is 7~ inches in diameter; the head of 

 this is 8i inches in diameter. The transverse diameter 

 of the articulating surfaces or condyles of the femur, is 

 10 inches ; that is, each condyle measures 5 inches. 



The tibia and fibula, or Leg Bones. — The tibia is2 feet 

 4J inches long ; 11 inches broad at its superior portion, 

 and 8 inches at the inferior part; its diameter in the 

 middle of the shaft is 5]- inches. The fibula— X\vi whole 

 length of this bone is 2 feet Gl inches. 



There is a process connecting the tail with the os 

 sacrum, which is 1 foot 8 inches in length; the said 

 process is composed of six joints, which are inseparably 

 joined together. Each of these joints is 3j inches in 

 length ; the one adjoining the os sacrum is 7y inches in 

 breadth, but the remaining five joints of the process 

 are rather narrower. The tail is composed of thirteen 

 vertebrE, and is very short in proportion to the body 

 of the animal, its whole length measuring only 2 feet 

 71 inches, but has been very broad and flat, and pos- 

 sessed of great strength. 



The fore-foot lias four toes and a thumb ; the longest 

 toe measures 1 foot 8 inches; the shortest, 1 foot; the 

 thumb, 7 inches. Each toe is possessed of four joints, 

 and the thumb of two. The smallest and last of the 

 joints of each toe, shows plainly that it was armed 

 with a nail ; the nails of the right foot turned out to- 

 wards the right, while those of the left were reversed, 

 and turned towards the left. The hind-foot is much 

 smaller than the fore-foot ; it has also four toes, but is 

 destitute of the thumb. It longest toe measures ] foot 

 2 inches; its shortest, 9i inches. Both the fore and 

 hind-feet have been webbed. 



Peculiarities of the Bones. — All the bones, without ex- 

 ception, ar(! firm, and contain no marrow ; I believe 

 the marrow was superseded by an oily fluid, which cir- 

 culated through the bones. 



All the vertebra; are remarkably narrow, and must 

 have given the animal a superior degree of action in 

 the back ; this is more particularly observable in the 

 vertebriB of the neck, which gives it the appearance of 

 being very short. The two posterior vertebrae adjoin- 

 ing the OS sacrum are united in one, which appears to 

 have given the back more elasticity. 



The ribs arc remarkably slender and short, in propor- 

 tion to the size of the animal, and have had a great 

 deal of cartilage attached to them : the six first are the 

 strongest, and all have the singular peculiarity of stand- 

 ing half reversed in the body ; that is, the edge of the 

 rib bends in towards the intestines, and the opposite 

 edge outwards, showing great lateral action. 



Comparison of the Leviathan rrith the Mastodon. — The 

 most striking ditpTence between the Leviathan and the 

 Mastodon, an^ 1st, the Leviathan had no trunk, there- 

 fore could not be classed under the Probossa genus; 

 2d. its toes were armed with claws or nails, and this 

 circumstance prevents its being classed with the hoofed 

 animals, to which class the Mastodon belongs ; 3d. the 

 Leviathan has 24 dorsal vertebra; and 48 ribs, together 

 with two collar bones or clavicles; v hereas the Mas- 

 todon has 1!) dorsal vertebrie and 38 ribs, and no clavi- 

 cles ; 4lh. the scapula or shoulder-blade is materially 

 shorter in the Leviathan than in the Mastodon, also 



