E. ORTON MEGALONYX JEFFERSON I IN OHIO. 035 



The next paper is represented in the following abstract : 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OF MEGALONYX JEFFERSONI IN CENTRAL OHIO. 



BY EDWARD ORTON. 



[Abstract.) 



In digging a county ditch in Berlin townsiiip, Holmes county, Ohio, six miles east 

 and a little north of Millersburg, a number of bones of Megalonyx jeffersoni, Harlan, 

 were found during the month of December, 1890. Among the bones found up to the 

 present date, there may be named the two femurs, one tibia, two libulas (the first rep- 

 resentatives of this bone yet reported, so far as my knowledge goes), two calcaneums ; 

 almost complete series of the tarsal, metatarsal and phalangeal bones, and many of 

 the carpal and metacarpal series as well ; eleven claws, including several larger than 

 any figured before; one radius, one clavicle, five perfect vertebrae from the dorsal or 

 lumbar region, three teeth, and the hyoid bone. Exploration will be resumed as soon 

 as the weather will permit, and the prospect is excellent for recovering at least the 

 pelvic bones; probably numerous others will be exhumed. The state of preservation 

 of the bones is in the main excellent, and the series thus far found is undoubtedly by 

 far the finest yet obtained from any one station. 



The bones were found at a depth of about six feet below the surface. They were 

 mostly imbedded in about a foot of shell marl, which is overlain by five or more feet of 

 black muck. Such as projected into the muck were in an inferior state of preservation. 



The area of the swamp which the ditch is designed to drain is about 300 acres. 

 The altitude is about 1,050 feet above tide. The latitude is approximately 40° 35^ 

 north. The swamp lies within and ovves its origin to the terminal moraine of the 

 Glacial period. Crescentic piles of sand, gravel and clay have in many places ob- 

 structed the natural drainage of the district, leaving behind them shallow lakes, now 

 converted into swamps. 



This discovery is the first, so far as known, of this remarkable fossil north of the 

 Ohio river and west of the mountains. The most northerly station, up to the present 

 find, in the Ohio valley is Big Bone lick, Kentucky. East of the mountains, along the 

 seaboard, Megalonyx has been reported as far north as the Holmes county specimen. 



In the recovery and subsequent preservation of the bones much is due to W. S. 

 Hanna, Esq., lately county surveyor. It was chiefly to his sagacity, also, that the 

 first identification of the remains as belonging to Alegalonyx jeffersoni is due. 



Remarks upon Professor Orton's communication were made by H. C. 

 Hovey and Josua Lindahl ; and, upon motion, the Society tendered a vote 

 of thanks to Mr. W. S. Hanna, of Millersburg, Holmes county, Ohio, for his 

 efforts to preserve the remains of this animal. 



The following paper was read by title : 



STRATIGRAPHY OF THE CARBONIFEROUS IN CENTRAL IOWA. 

 BY CHARLES R. KEYES. 



The paper forms, with plates 9 and 10, pages 277-292 of this volume. 



