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244 



THE AURIFEROUS GRAVELS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA, 



animal containing molar teeth. These are the last pair of temporary molars, 

 and the succeeding pair of permanent true molars in functional position, and 

 the crown of the last true molar visible through a fracture within the jaw. 

 The teeth are tolerably well preserved, though generally much fissured, and 

 appear completely fossilized. The specimen is partially imbedded in a mass 

 of coherent auriferous gravel. All distinct appearance of ossific texture in 

 the jaw fragment is obliterated, and it looks as if it had been a layer of plastic 

 clay rudely and very roughly modelled into the form of the portion of the 

 jaw containing the teeth, and mingled with some of the gravel in which it 

 is imbedded. The size and form of the corresponding parts agree with the 

 upper jaw first described [that from Chili Gulch], so as to render it probable 

 that the specimen belongs to the same species." 



A portion of the Chili Gulch jawbone, from one of the condyles, w r as 

 analyzed at the request of the writer by Mr. Sharpies, with the following 

 results : 



j 



Phosphate of lime 

 Carbonate of lime . 

 Fluoride of calcium 



Silica 



Oxide of iron 

 Magnesia 



49.40 

 18.33 



4.77 

 22.70 



4.58 

 Trace 



99.78 



The Douglass Flat locality also furnished a unique specimen, a single 

 tooth, which is thus described in Leidy's notes : " Not less remarkable than 

 the discovery of the former remains [the rhinoceros jaws] is the finding of 

 an incisor tooth, apparently indicating a species of the extraordinary pachy- 

 derm Elolheriam. The incisor appears to be the right lateral one of the 

 upper jaw, and may perhaps belong to one of the species detected in the 

 Mauvaises Terres of White River, Dakota, though from its size I suspect it 

 belongs to a larger species than either of them. The crown of the tooth 

 is conical, compressed from within outwardly, and subacute laterally. The 

 apex is rounded ; the base somewhat expanded, and at its fore part pro- 

 duced in a short embracing ridge. The fang is conical and curved. The 

 tooth is twenty-nine and a half lines long ; the crown thirteen lines ; its 

 breadth nine lines, and its thickness six and a half lines." 



This was considered by Leidy as probably indicating a new species, and 

 named by him Elotheriiim superhim* and of it he says, " Perhaps the same as 



* Extinct Mammalia, &c., p. 388. Also Proc. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, 1868, p. 177. 



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