56 



of species of Pythonomorpha, amuiig which are a Liodon, with a 

 conic muzzle, and a new genus allied to Clidastes. Other species 

 are referred to the true Plesiosaurus. — E. D. C. 



A New Mastodon.— The Mastodon of the Santa F6 marls turns 

 out to be distinct from the M. Chapmanii of the East, and the M. 

 Shepardii of California, and is allied to the M. longirostris of Eu- 

 rope. It has been named N. productus Cope. The presence of 

 the genera of Mammalia characteristic of the Pliocene formations 



A report on the paleontology of the formation is just issued by the 

 Chief of Engineers, Washington.— E. D. C. 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 



Cremation among North American Indians. 1 — The object of 

 the present note is merely to record the fact, that among the many 

 different methods of paying the last tribute of respect to deceased 

 members of the tribe, which are now practised by the native races 

 of North America, cremation is not entirely omitted. 



In December, 1850, while enjoying the hospitality of the detach- 

 ment of the 2nd U. 8. Infantry, which at that time established 

 Fort Yuma, the military post at the junction of the Colorado and 

 Gila Rivers in California, I availed myself of the kind offer of 

 Mr. Jordan, one of the owners of the ferry near the post, to make 



Starting in a small flat boat, which he generously sacrificed for 

 the purpose, with a Yuma Indian, who had a feeble knowledge of 

 Spanish, as guide and interpreter, we floated down with the cur- 

 rent of the river, making, by the aid of a solar compass, a rough 

 survey. On the afternoon of the third day we arrived at the 

 lowest village of the Cocopa Indians, who are the next tribe south 

 of the Yumas. Below that village we were told that the spring 



went farther, the softness of the mud might seriously hinder our 



The next day I learned from the guide that an old man had 



