6 THE AMERICAN BISONS. 



Ursus, Cervus, Megafongz, and Mylodon"; and also a humerus, tibia, atlas, and 

 metatarsus, found in excavating the Brunswick Canal, in Georgia. A frag- 

 ment of a jaw, with the teeth very much worn, belonging to the same col- 

 lection, was subsequently identified as belonging to an extinct bison, though 

 in the mean time wrongly referred by Harlan and Owen to other genera. 

 In 1852 Dr. Leidy* also described the greater part of a right horn-core, hav- 

 ing a small fragment of the frontal bone attached, found at Big-bone Lick, 

 Kentucky, which he "with some hesitation" described as belonging to a new 

 Bpecies (Bison antiquvs Leidy), but which he later regarded as the female of 

 the larger form {Bison latifrons). 



In 18-34 the fossil bison remains from the ice-cliffs of Esehscholtz Bay col- 

 lected by Captain Beechey, together with others collected later by Captain 

 Kellet, w r ere described by Sir John Richardson,* who believed them to repre- 

 sent two species. One of these he regarded as new (Bison erassicortas Rich- 

 ardson), while he regarded the other as doubtfully identical with the fossil 

 bison of Europe (Bison priscus auct.). Altogether the fossil bison remains 

 from this locality included portions of several skulls, several additional horn- 

 cores, mosf of the bones of the limbs, and the greater part of the vertebra'. 

 None of the skulls, however, embraced the facial portions of the cranium. 



In 1SG0 Dr. Leidy t described and figured a second premolar tooth from 

 the post-pliocene formation of the Ashley River. South Carolina, which he 

 believed to be referable to /,'. latifrons. In 18li~ the same writer $ described 

 a skull from Pilarcitos Valley, California, and also several teeth from the 

 same State, which he redescribed and figured in 18T3.|| He also described 

 and figured at the same time a molar tooth found at Pittston, on the Sus- 

 quehanna River, in Luzerne County. Pennsylvania, and another molar from 

 a crevice in the lead-bearing rocks of Jo Daviess County. Illinois, both of 

 which he also referred, though somewhat doubtfully, to the same species. 



It thus appears that the hitherto described remain- of extinct bisons 

 known from the United States consist of three or four very imperfect 

 skulls, (none of them embracing the very characteristic facial portions,) an 

 atlas, a tibia ami humerus and a lew detached molar teeth. The remains 



• IV- A id. Nat 8cL I'liila., 1882, 1 17 

 t Z'hi|u L '\ of the Voyage oi the Herald. 



: II -in. . Pwt-PI me Fowili of Sooth Carolina, y. 100, pi. \\ii- ii_- 16, 18, I 



§ Pi a i. I'liila.. 1887, ] 



lb. to Extinct Vert. Paqn. Western Territories, pp SOS, 818, pi ixvill Bgi ' 8 



