APPENDIX. 173 



" During the exhumation of the successive bones of the back, the heads of the ribs were 

 developed opposite their proper points of articulation with the vertebrae. The shafts of the 

 ribs, following their proper and natural curvature, extended horizontally and downwards. The 

 scapula? were also discovered and exhumed at an early point of these labors, and left exposed 

 the heads of the humeri. By this lead were reached the two long bones of the fore-arms, those 

 of the wrists, the feet, and the toes. The general direction of these limbs was outward and 

 forward. 



" At the close of the exhumation of the backbones, Mr. Weeks reached the sacral portions, 

 but, finding them fast, prosecuted his careful labor easterly and westerly, uncovering the posterior 

 surface of a broad and massive bone. The direction of the sacral vertebrae was a continuation 

 of that of the dorsal and lumbar. These, being ossified with the iliac portions of the ossa 

 innominata, controlled their direction and position. This bone was raised with much difficulty, 

 owing to the suction of the concave lower surface lying in close contact with a mass of broken 

 twigs, grass, and leaves. After several efforts, success rewarded their care and anxiety. Joyful 

 was the sight of both iliacs, pubes, ischia, and sacral vertebrae, lying upon the banks of the pit 

 one entire unbroken bone. Now was seen the head of the remaining femur. 



" The evening of the second day closed upon these interesting labors. 



" The scene lay but a few rods north and in full view of the Newburgh and Cochecton 

 turnpike road. No one of hundreds who passed and repassed thought his business too urgent 

 to forbid his becoming one of the animated, wondering, and delighted throng which crowded 

 around the bank of that marl-pit. 



" The mass of broken twigs, &c, above alluded to as lying beneath the pelvic bones, was 

 in quantity about five or six bushels ; differed from the surrounding mass ; towards the posterior 

 portion presented traces of convolutions, passed in a straight column of four inches diameter 

 through the pelvic orifice, and behind the ischium terminated in a homogeneous mass, evidently 

 of fffical character. Three or four similar masses were found in different parts of the pit. The 

 constituents of this mass, significantly called by President Hitchcock " his last supper," were 

 twigs, grass, and earthy matter. The largest twigs, in their wet and swollen state, were from 

 one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and from an inch to an inch and a half in 

 length. They presented no appearance of being ground during mastication, but rather as 

 though crushed in a vice. Some pieces of twigs were entire ; those which separated, parted 

 in the direction of their longitudinal fibres. Their botanical characters have not been accurately 

 ascertained, but are supposed to belong to the willow, linden, and maple trees. 



" During the night of the 14th, the banks of the pit caved in ; this mass, with the unexhumed 

 bones, was again buried. The track, so easily and accurately followed in previous labors, was 

 now lost. The interesting contents of the stomach and intestines were mixed up with mud 



