170 On the Gnathodon beds around the head of Mobile Bay. 
There is a strange disposition manifested by many of our anti- 
quarians to seek for the marvelous in whatever relates to the 
throwing up an almost uninterrupted succession of ridges and 
mounds, as to leave scarcely the possibility for the employment 
of Indian enterprise in such operations, without encroaching upon 
her own domain. But through the entire length and breadth 
of the flat and level plain bordering the Gulf of Mexico, there 
happens to be no other means at hand for discovering the celebrity 
of its equally nnmerous and powerful aboriginal inhabitants, ex- 
cept the masses of shetls, which unfortunately in this case can 
serve only as a proof of gastronomic ability. 
A few facts in relation to the structure of these beds may now 
be noticed. Only the thicker masses, however, possess much 
importance in this respect; these contain intermixtures of vari- 
ous kinds of earths and other ingredients, indicating more or less 
clearly the circumstances under which they originated. Ref- 
ase, which is ten feet deeper, extending out at a distance 
beneath the soil, is one hundred and forty yards. ‘T’he most ele- 
vated part of the mass, consisting of a ridge forming a chord line 
near its western limits, is from fifteen to twenty feet above the 
apparent base. From this ridge the surface gradually declines 
towards the eastern border where it thins out. The superficial 
part of the mass consists of shells and a mixture of dark colored 
earth or vegetable mould; then succeeds a series of strata com- 
posed of various ingredients besides the shells, such as sand, calea- 
reous mixtures, several kinds of organic remains, principally those 
of fish, all of which are so arranged as to exhibit distinct signs 
of stratification. The following is a perpendicular section 12 
the most elevated, part of the deposit. 1. The superficial mass 
of vegetable mould already noticed. 2. A layer of shells almost 
ree from mixture. 3. Another intermixture of dark earthy mat- 
ter with shells. 4. Shells mixed with yellowish earthy matter. 
