380 B. Silliman on the Mastodon in California. 
Letter from D. T. Hughes to B. rr a dated Jeffersonville, 
February 2 68. 
“In compliance with your takes ae I should write to you 
whenever I should reach the bones, I have now to state that I 
large animal were found 1,650 feet in under the Table Mountain, 
and four and a half feet above the ledge or bottom slate, imbedded 
in a stratum of sand overlaying a deposit of gold-bearing gravel, 
and scattered over a space twenty feet long by ten or twelve feet 
wide. A large portion of these bones were so soft that I could 
penetrate right into them with my fingers, while other pieces were 
wishwursl ten feet. They were not exactly round, measuring 
feet from the end that enters the socket six inches in one diameter 
and five and a quarter inches in the other. 
Th grinders, as before mentioned, are in a very good state 0 
ta”) 
fourths inches wide. The enamel on the posterior ones is Mee per- 
fect, but the exterior grinders are very much worn, apparently. 
found it > ecto] because of their softnieaa: to get the dimensions 
of any of t r bones, which I regrett ted very much. 
losed you will find a Prete sketch of three of the teeth bel 
portions of the jaw attached.) The two grinders you see togther 
are in the same position as when I dug them out. The sketches 
are not drawn to an exact scale, but will convey an idea of the 
p mae as nay are, une other drawing is the ‘side view of the 
. 
€ mastodon, and it appears probable that overed the 
| of a full sized animal was entombed in the sands 
y upon the ancient auriferous gravel beneath 
