168 Miscellanies. 



the crown of the teeth perpendicularly downwards through their cen- 

 tral parts, while those of the mastodon have only the exterior covering. 

 " Either of these reasons would probably be thought sufficient ; 

 together they are conclusive. I am not certain to what animal they 

 belonged ; but from some resemblance to the teeth of the bullock, it 

 is probable they were of the same genus, perhaps the Buffalo." 



JVote. — It is obvious, as our correspondent observes, that " from 

 the position in which these teeth were found, they must be of high 

 antiquity ; and it is possible they may supply a link in the chain of 

 facts respecting the animal remains of this continent." There can 

 be no reasonable doubt that these fossil teeth are of the age of the 

 mastodon, and other animals, whose remains are found at the Big- 

 bone-Lick in Kentucky. 



5. Some account of the Organic Remains found in the Marl Pits 

 of Lucas Benners, Esq. in Craven County, JY. C. ; &y li. B. Croom, 

 Esq. — It has long been known to the public, that large deposits of 

 sea shells exist in different parts of the alluvial country of the South- 

 ern States. They have been observed on or near the Tar River, a 

 few miles above Tarborough ; on Neuse River in the Counties of 

 Wayne, Lenoir, and Craven ; on Cape Fear River in the County of 

 Bladen ; on the Savannah River a {evj miles below Augusta on the 

 Oakmulgee River, at Hartford ; and finally, I have observed them 

 on the Appalachicola River, in Florida, on the summit of a ridge 

 not less than one hundred and fifty feet above the bed of the river. 

 Of these deposits I have seen, and superficially examined two on the 

 Neuse River, the one at Hartford, and that on the Appalachicola. 

 They appear to be coeval. Oysters, pectens, and areas, of the same 

 species, predominating in each, mingled with the teeth of sharks, and 

 a variety of other univalve and bivalve shells. The catastrophe by 

 which these remains were buried, appears to have been sudden. 

 This is evidenced by the fact that many, both of the largest, and of 

 the smallest and most dehcate bivalve shells are found with their two • 

 valves closed and arranged as in a living state, as although they had 

 been suddenly covered up while hving. 



Of all these deposits however, not one has been extensively ex- 

 plored except that on the estate of Mr. Benners, occupying the 

 north bank of Neuse River, sixteen miles below Newbern. Several 

 years ago Mr. B. commenced digging the marl which accompanies 

 these deposits, (and which has resulted from ihem by the mingling 



