440 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



able that this pond was cut off entirely from the lowland ia 

 the immediate vicinity, though the highway was tangent to its- 

 southern border, and below the highway the land spread off 

 into a broad, gentle depression. The pond had no visible outlet,, 

 though it was pretty clear that the water found its way by 

 seepage across the highway into the lowland beyond, and, as. 

 there was no visible surface inlet into the pond, it was a natural 

 inference that the water was supplied to it mainly from the 

 springs in the bottom. 



Among the bones which were in the possession of Mr Kon- 

 night were the tusks of the upper jaw, which had become badly 

 broken from long exposure but were still in condition to be 

 mounted and which must have been from 8 to 9 feet in original 

 length, the short tusks of the lower jaw, the occurrence of 

 which is of/ very great rarity among these fossils, several ribs,, 

 a scapula, a tibia and other leg bones, some of the bones of the 

 feet, etc. all of which except the upper tusks were in a condition, 

 of superior preservation. On comparison of their dimensions 

 with those of some of the more complete mastodon skeletons, 

 they indicated a skeleton of very great size, almost if not quite 

 reaching the size of the Warren mastodon, the largest yet 

 obtained from the surficial deposits of New York. The legis- 

 lature was asked for an appropriation of |600 to effect the 

 emptying of the pond and the excavation for the remaining 

 bones, the fact being recognized that the accumulation of bones 

 from so many parts of the body as were represented by those 

 in Mr Konnight's possession, indicated a favorable opportunity 

 for the acquisition of the remainder. This appropriation having 

 been granted, the work of emptying the pond was begun in 

 June and when all these preliminary operations were concluded 

 the excavation of the muck in the bottom w\as begun. The labor 

 of removing the water and keeping it out of the pond proved 

 extremely arduous, as the water was found to enter the pond 

 by several very large springs, and it was necessary, in order 

 to keep the pond basin free of water, to work the gangs at the- 

 pump both night and day. This undertaking occupied a montb 



