FOSSIL MAMMALIA. 



51 



Lena, the Kolima, the Indigirska, and the Anadir, which 

 descend from the icy mountains of Chinese Tartary. We may 

 add that the Irtish is the only river which approaches near 

 enough to the mountains of Thibet to allow the application of 

 M. Patrin's hypothesis, and that elephantine remains are found 

 in the peninsula of Kamschatka, whither they could by no 

 possibility have arrived from India. 



We are assured by M. Pallas, that in all Asiatic Russia, 

 from the Tanais to the promontory of Tchutchis, there is not 

 a single river or stream on whose banks, or within whose bed, 

 the bones of elephants are not found, with those of other ani- 

 mals foreign to the climate. This observation applies to the 

 lower declivities, and to the immense slimy and sandy plains ; 

 for the more elevated regions, the primitive and schistous 

 chains, are equally destitute of those remains and of marine 

 petrifactions. Their prodigious abundance would be sufficient 

 to exclude all explication from expeditions conducted by men. 

 But what sets this hypothesis totally aside is, that here, as well 

 as in Germany, Italy, and France, they are found intermingled 

 with the bones of other wild animals : nay, that they are 

 constantly found in strata filled with marine productions. 



The most remarkable fact of all is, that in some places the 

 bones of elephants have been discovered with pieces of the flesh 

 still remaining, and other soft parts. The opinion of the Sibe- 

 rians is, that these animals have been actually disinterred with 

 their flesh remaining entire, fresh, and bloody ; but this is 

 mere exaggeration, founded, however, on the fact of the flesh 

 having been occasionally discovered in a state of preservation, 

 from the agency of frost. 



Isbrand-Ides speaks of a head, the flesh of which was found 

 in a state of putrefaction, and Miiller of a tusk, the cavity of 

 which was filled with matter resembling clotted blood. Such 

 facts might be doubted, were they not confirmed by subsequent 

 relations of the most undoubted authenticity. In 1771, near 

 Vilhoui, a rhinoceros was disinterred entire, with the flesh, 



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