FROZEN MAMMOTH IN SIBERIA. 619 



my surprise, Mr. Sevastianoff was not with him, as he returned from 

 Mysova to Sredne-Kolymsk, together with Mr. Horn. 



September ^21. — To-day, in the wnnter house, we. began to thaw out 

 the tail end, which we found on the 14th instant, but soon stopped the 

 work as all the hair threatened to fall off. This tail end is 22 centi- 

 meters long and the hairs at the extremity, penetrating an icy-earth 

 mass, are 10 centimeters long. The hairs stand in bunches around 

 the end of the tail. When warmed, however, these separate from the 

 skin, together with the epidermis, only at the very end. Part of the 

 hair is still fast in the skin. The hairs on the basal end of the tail and 

 a little farther down are dirt}^ yellow ocher in color, while those at the 

 distal end are black. The thin ends of the hair are partly broken off. 

 The hairs at the middle of the tail end are a very few centimeters 

 longer than the others, and their color is ocher at the base, then black, 

 and at the very end passes into whitish. 



Se])temher 25.- — The building over the mammoth is fast advancing 

 toward completion. As we proposed to build this structure below 

 the upper wall of the skull, we removed the latter, after which we 

 could take out the remnants of food from between the molars on the 

 left side. These remnants appear masticated and apparently do not 

 contain parts of pine needles or larch, but only fragments of various 

 grasses. The imprint of the tooth crenations is well preserved upon 

 the food bits. There is also a small quantit}" of food upon the Avell- 

 preserved tongue, but I can secure this only when the lower jaw is 

 removed. 



The most devoted mother could not carry her child more carefully 

 than I carried these fragments of antediluvial fauna to our winter hut. 



When the Lamuts discovered the mammoth they could not see the 

 fragments of food, for the lower jaw was then still in the ground. 

 This was confirmed by Tarabykin's companions, whom I questioned 

 closely on this point. 



Septeviher 26. — To-day 1 took the principal measurements of the 

 mammoth as they are given in the accompanying drawings. I also 

 collected the plants that are partly under the snow. 



Septemher 28. — To-da}^ we finished the roof of the house over the 

 mammoth. 



Septemher 30. — To-day we made the first experiments in heating 

 the house, and the arrangement appears to be excellent. However, 

 we have 3^et to Ijuild a wooden partition, so that the animal may not 

 be exposed directly to the fire, however low it may be. But in order 

 that the mammoth should not freeze it is necessary to keep a steady 

 fire day and night. 



October 1. — As it was found too dark in the house, a second open- 

 ing was made near the door. To serve as window panes we placed 

 pieces of ice in both openings and hung an elk's skin over the door. 



