j6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The origin of the deposits of Salina, which are on the east side 

 of Onondaga lake, has been given by Fairchild 39 as follows : " The 

 delta sand plain on which stands the city of Syracuse and the plains 

 east and west of Onondaga lake were probably mostly laid in the 

 early Iroquois waters, and at about no feet above the sea." 



10 1883. Minoa. (E. primigenius). About 1883, dur- 

 ing the construction of the West Shore Railroad, some remains of 

 a mammoth were unearthed at Manlius Station (now Minoa). 

 According to a statement of the late Prof. John D. Wilson of Syra- 

 cuse, some bones, broken pieces of tusks and a molar were found. 

 The bones were so fragile that none was collected, but the molar 

 and portions of a tusk or tusks were obtained. The parts collected 

 were obtained by Mr John Cunningham and are now in the geologi- 

 cal department of Syracuse University and have been described by 

 Dr Burnett Smith, 40 who writes: 



The molar is of interest on account of its approach to that of the 

 southern mammoth (Elephas columbi Falconer). In the number 

 and character of its enamel ridges it undoubtedly presents some resem- 

 blance to the teeth of E. columbi but it is nevertheless probably 

 deferable to the northern form.' 41 The tusk possesses a diameter of about 

 180 mm near the base, while the molar, which is from the left side of the 

 lower jaw, measures 250 mm on a grinding surface which is incomplete 

 through breakage. 



The specimens indicate a large individual and it is indeed unfortunate 

 that we have only meager records of its horizon and of the material in 

 which it was found. Air. Cunningham has assured the writer that the 

 position of these remains was quite superficial. An inspection of the 

 locality leads to the belief that the specimens could not have been 

 unearthed much, if at all, above the 400 foot contour. A few fragments 

 of vegetable matter are still adherent on the tusk but the unstained con- 

 dition of all the specimens makes it unlikely that true peat was the 

 inclosing deposit. 



Both tusk and molar are now in a very friable condition butthis, by 

 itself, can hardly be advanced as a certain sign of great antiquity. We 

 are dealing with an extinct animal, it is true, yet no evidence has so far 

 appeared to prove indubitably its reference to any system of deposits 

 differing materially in age from those which included the other mammalian 

 remains considered in this paper. 



From the above account it is evident that the remains did not 

 come from a peat bog and so it is very probable that they were 

 obtained from sand or gravel. The locality is just within the 

 province of glacial Lake Iroquois and nearby are several earlier 

 glacial channels, 42 indicating that the remains may have been found 

 in deposits laid down by glacial waters. 



39 Rochester Acad. Sci. Proc, 1919, 6:40. 



40 N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 171, 1914, P- 68. 



41 Dr O. P. Hay and Dr W. K. Gregory have both examined photo- 

 graphs of this specimen and have very generously given the author the 

 benefit of their opinions on its specific position. 



43 N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 127, 1909, pi. 4 (pocket) and N. Y. State Geol. 

 21st Annual Rep't, 1903, pis. 8, 9. 



