﻿COHOES 
  MASTODON. 
  101 
  

  

  and 
  covered 
  with 
  river 
  ooze 
  and 
  vegetable 
  soil, 
  lay 
  the 
  principal 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  Mastodon 
  skeleton. 
  The 
  first 
  parts 
  uncovered 
  were 
  the 
  

   bones 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  legs 
  with 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  pelvis. 
  The 
  head 
  with 
  

   tusks 
  unbroken 
  and 
  undisturbed 
  was 
  directed 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  and 
  

   was 
  partially 
  inclined 
  against 
  the 
  sloping 
  wall 
  ; 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  with 
  

   exceptions, 
  the 
  ribs 
  in 
  part, 
  one 
  fore 
  limb 
  and 
  scapula 
  followed, 
  the 
  

   posterior 
  parts 
  lying 
  more 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  or 
  south 
  westward, 
  but 
  

   all 
  in 
  juxtaposition. 
  The 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  jaw 
  and 
  some 
  

   of 
  the 
  larger 
  limb 
  bones 
  was 
  obvious, 
  and 
  but 
  for 
  these 
  we 
  might 
  

   have 
  supposed 
  that 
  the 
  entire 
  skeleton 
  had 
  been 
  drifted 
  into 
  this 
  

   pot-hole, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  river 
  ooze 
  and 
  peaty 
  soil. 
  The 
  point 
  

   at 
  which 
  the 
  principal 
  bones 
  were 
  found, 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  letter 
  

   b, 
  and 
  horizontal 
  lines 
  on 
  the 
  diagram. 
  On 
  further 
  examina- 
  

   tion, 
  other 
  bones 
  were 
  discovered 
  at 
  the 
  points 
  marked 
  c, 
  d, 
  e, 
  thirty 
  

   or 
  forty 
  feet 
  distant 
  from 
  6, 
  and 
  at 
  a 
  somewhat 
  lower 
  level 
  than 
  

   the 
  main 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton, 
  but 
  still 
  above 
  the 
  gravel. 
  Expect- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  find 
  some 
  at 
  least, 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  bones, 
  efforts 
  were 
  

   made 
  to 
  remove 
  all 
  the 
  peaty 
  earth 
  and 
  loose 
  materials, 
  but 
  this 
  

   was 
  never 
  fully 
  accomplished. 
  Later 
  discoveries, 
  however, 
  induced 
  

   a 
  doubt 
  whether 
  the 
  remaining 
  bones 
  might 
  not 
  have 
  been 
  scat- 
  

   tered 
  in 
  other 
  directions. 
  After 
  clearing 
  a 
  considerable 
  space 
  in 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  pot-hole, 
  the 
  gravel 
  was 
  penetrated 
  by 
  a 
  sharp 
  

   steel 
  rod 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  ten 
  feet 
  without 
  striking 
  the 
  rock. 
  We 
  

   have, 
  therefore, 
  no 
  means 
  of 
  knowing 
  the 
  entire 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  pot- 
  

   hole, 
  though 
  explored 
  at 
  least 
  sixty 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  original 
  surface 
  

   without 
  reaching 
  rock. 
  

  

  At 
  a 
  later 
  date, 
  sometime 
  in 
  February, 
  1867, 
  during 
  excavations 
  

   upon 
  another 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  mill, 
  a 
  small 
  

   pot-hole 
  was 
  opened 
  in 
  which 
  were 
  found 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  

   fore 
  leg 
  and 
  foot. 
  This 
  point, 
  marked 
  f 
  in 
  pot-hole 
  No. 
  3, 
  is 
  

   more 
  than 
  sixty 
  feet 
  to 
  the 
  southwest 
  of 
  the 
  place 
  where 
  the 
  prin- 
  

   cipal 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton 
  were 
  found, 
  and 
  at 
  least 
  twenty 
  feet 
  

   higher. 
  

  

  That 
  these 
  were 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  skeleton, 
  we 
  have 
  every 
  

   evidence 
  which 
  the 
  circumstance 
  of 
  dismemberment 
  would 
  allow. 
  

   The 
  jaw 
  evidently 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  skeleton, 
  both 
  from 
  the 
  articu- 
  

   lating 
  surfaces, 
  and 
  from 
  some 
  peculiar 
  features 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  

   noticed 
  elsewhere. 
  The 
  bones 
  of 
  the 
  fore 
  lc£ 
  and 
  foot 
  were 
  of 
  

   corresponding 
  size, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  condition 
  as 
  regarded 
  the 
  

  

  [Senate 
  No. 
  92.J 
  9 
  

  

  