720 The American Naturadist. [August, 
not’s methods of analysis by having read and studied them, 
and he was heartily enlisted in the investigation, therefore 
was chosen to make the analyses. His reportfis herewith pre- 
sented :— 
Wasuineton, D. C., March 20, 1895. 
Dr. Thomas Wilson, Curator, Department of Prehistoric Anthro- 
pology, Smithsonian Institution. : 
DEAR Str: I send you herewith the results of the chemical 
analyses of the fragments of bones you gave me for examina- 
tion. 
One of the specimens, said to be a portion of the mylodon 
gave on complete analysis the following composition : 
Moisture, ; ‘ j : : ; ‘ ; 3.94 
Organic matter, i : : his <a 25.55 
Cae eta OL 3.76 
Lime (CaO), . ‘ 4 : ; ; ; 4 28.25 
Magnesia (MgO), . : i j ; : .06 
Manganese (MnO), . : i ; i n K F 
Oxide of Iron and Alumina (Fe,0, & ALO), « ; 7.75 
Phosphoric acid (POJ) . =- : ; : 26.59 
Fluorine (Fl), . å ; i i : ‘ .28 
Insoluble matter, i i : ; ‘ : 1.55 
98.51 
From the nature of the case the determinations were made 
on different pieces of bone, and its composition seems to be 
tolerably uniform, because duplicate determinations of moist- 
ure, carbonic acid and organic matter varied very little. 
Arranged to show the combination of the above bases and 
acids, for which a separate determination of the iron (and 
alumina) phosphate were made, the result is :— 
Moisture, . ; s F i ‘ ; è F 3.94 
Organic matter, $ $ 5 è j 25.55 
Calcium carbonate, . : : ; 4 ` ; 8.54 
Calcium phosphate, . i 3 ; i i 42.83 
Iron (and alumina) phosphate, j ; ‘ : 12.07 
