294 Remains of Megatherium, Mastodon, Sfc. 



the summit. The clouds began very soon to rise from different 

 points, and often obstructed view after view, so that to continue 

 the ascent to the very summit, we deemed would be useless, as 

 far as the prospect was concerned. This was now nearly or com- 

 pletely limited by the moving masses of cloud and vapor, as 

 they rose from the valleys or hung pendulous on the mountain 

 side ; for a moment they were stationary, and then rising in un- 

 dulating broken lines, they assumed a deeper and denser form, as 

 expanding and spreading themselves through and beyond the va- 

 rious mountain passes, they extended as far as the eye could 

 discern. They formed one great tumultuous ocean of clouds, 

 whose ever restless waves were driven impetuously along, lashing 

 the mountain tops that still peered above their ragged surfaces, 

 and which soon sank in the bosom of the rising vapor, till this 

 vast, restless, rolling cloud, seemed to fill immensity. 



We now hastened our descent, which was quickly and easily 

 achieved in comparison with the toil of the ascent; as, in a few 

 minutes, we slid down the snowy plains, which had taken hours 

 of indefatigable effort to surmount. This was done by sitting on 

 the summit of the plane to be descended, with the legs extended 

 in front ; then thrusting the Alpenstock in the snow a couple of 

 feet, we depended upon a firm pressure on it to govern the velo- 

 city of the descent. Thus, continually repeating this novel kind 

 of locomotion among the inclined snow plains, walking and leap- 

 ing among the glaciers, jumping and scrambling among the rocks 

 and pines, we arrived again safely at the hotel in Chamonix at 

 about 8 o'clock in the evening, having been absent about forty 

 hours. 



Art. IX. — Notice of Remains of Megatherium, Mastodon and 

 Silurian Fossils ; in a letter to the Senior Editor, from Rdfus 

 Haymond, M. D., dated Brookville, Indiana, Sept. 16, 1843. 



Dear Sir — Facts, which in themselves seem trifling, and but 

 little likely to benefit science, separately considered, often become 

 of much importance when viewed collectively and in reference to 

 each other. This consideration has induced me to give you some 

 account of a single molar tooth, probably of the Megatherium, 

 now in my possession, and which was found in this (Franklin) 



