ITS Miscellanies. 



region) uniformly found. In many places the marl is 30 feet deep, 

 and over it grass and plants, and even trees, grew in abundance. In 

 these places are uniformly found living springs, and abundance of 

 snails and muscles, which, with vegetable substances, constitute the 

 marl of different colors and qualities. Within the sweep of a radius 

 of six miles, there are several hundred acres of marl, at the bottom 

 of which the bones have been uniformly found. Within this area nine 

 skeletons of the mastodon have been found, and yet not one hun- 

 dredth part of the area has been explored to the bottom : it is prob- 

 able therefore that vast numbers remain undiscovered, and that at 

 some period this district was fully inhabited by these stupendous an- 

 imals. 



The discovery of the bones in a particular kind of earth, affords 

 reasonable inferences as to the nature of the animal ; while the 

 quantities of marl and other productions, furnish also interesting cal- 

 culations in chronology. Covered originally by sheets of water, and 

 abounding in aquatic plants, and shell and other fishes, as well as 

 amphibious animals, it is probable they afforded a rich repast for the 

 mastodon, thus tempting him into treacherous quagmires, where he 

 found his death, probably by miring, as happens with cattle at the 

 present day.* With these relics of the mastodon were found locks 

 and tufts of hair, in tolerable preservation : its color was of a dun 

 brown; length from IJ to 2^ inches, and in one instance it was 

 from 4 to 7 inches long, of the same color as the shorter, and was 

 supposed to be the mane of the animal. 



9. Analysis of North American Minerals, by Dr. Thomson. 



1. HoLMEsiTE. — This is the mineral found, with Hornblende, 

 Pyroxene and Spinel, in white limestone, at Amity, N.Y., and gen- 

 erally recognized as Bronzite, but which Mr. Clemson has analyzed 

 and described as Seybertite.f Its sp. gr. is 3.098. 



* We have been informed by Mr. Miller in conversation, that most of the skel- 

 etons were found with the head and neck bent backward, doubling upon the body, 

 as happens to modern animals when, in like circumstances, they give over to die. 



t See this Journal, vol. xxiv. p. 171. Mr. Clemson obtained the following result. 



Water, - - - - - 0.036 



Silica, - - - - - 0.170 



Alumina, - - - - - 0.376 



Magnesia, - - - - - 0.243 



Lime, - - - - - 0.107 



Protox. iron, - - - - 0.050 



