VOL. LVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS.. 477 



longing to some of the largest sized animals ; by the quantity, he computes there 

 could not be less than 30 of their skeletons. By their great teeth, or tusks, of 

 fine ivory, some near 7 feet long, every one that views them will not hesitate to 

 conclude they belong to elephants. It is very remarkable, and worthy of obser- 

 vation, that none of the molares, or grinding teeth of elephants, are discovered 

 with these tusks ; but great numbers of very large pronged teeth of some vast 

 animals are only found with them, which have no resemblance to the molares, or 

 grinding-teeth, of any great animal yet known. As no living elephants have 

 ever been seen or heard of in all America, since the Europeans have known that 

 country, nor any creature like them ; and there being no probability of their hav- 

 ing been brought from Africa or Asia ; and as it is impossible that elephants 

 could inhabit the country where these bones and teeth are now found, by reason 

 of the severity of the winters, it seems incomprehensible how they came there. 



Probably many of this learned Society are not unacquainted with the fossil ele- 

 phants' teeth annually found in Siberia, lodged in the banks of the great river 

 Oby, and other rivers of that country. On the system of the deluge, it has 

 been conjectured, that as the extensive kingdom of Siberia lies behind the native 

 country of the elephants in Asia, from west to east, and to the north, by the 

 violent action of the winds and waves, at the time of the deluge, these great 

 floating bodies, the carcases of drowned elephants, were driven to the north- 

 ward, and at the subsiding of the waters, deposited where they are now found. 

 But what system or hypothesis can, with any degree of probability, account for 

 these remains of elephants being found in America, where those creatures are 

 not known ever to have existed, is submitted to this learned Society. 



P. S. The bishop of Carlisle presented to the Royal Society, on the 27th of 

 February, 17 66, some fossil teeth and bones from Peru, which have some ana- 

 logy to the before-mentioned, not so recent, but much more petrified ; the 

 pronged teeth are like agate. 



A List of the Teeth and Bones sent over by George Croghan, Esq., Feb. 7, 1767> 



Jrom Philadelphia. 



To Lord Shelburne.— Two of the largest tusks, or teeth, one whole and en- 

 tire, about 6 feet long, the thickness of common elephants' teeth of that length. 

 Several very large forked or pronged teeth; a jaw-bone, with 2 of them in it. 



To Dr. Franklin. — Four great tusks, of different sizes. One broken in halves, 

 near 6 feet long. One much decayed, the centre looks like chalk or lime. A 

 part was cut off from one of these teeth, that has all the appearance of fine white 

 ivor)'. A joint of the vertebrae. Three of the large pronged teeth ; one has 4 

 rows of fangs. 



Besides the above, Capt. Owry, an officer who served in the country during 

 the last war, now living at Hammersmith, has a small tusk, as if of a calf ele- 



