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162 JVotices of Big-bone Lick. 



or ten in dilferent jaws, and about ten tusks, among which were 

 those of three different animals. The greatest part of these 

 hones is now in the museum of the college of surgeons in London. 

 A beautiful specimen of the fore part of the head, with all the 

 delicate nasal bones entire, is in the possession of professor Mon- 

 roe, of Edinburgh ; and the late Dr. Blake, an eminent dentist of 

 Dublin, had from me a very interesting collection of teeth in 

 various stages of growth and decomposition." 



It will be perceived that the quantity here mentioned by Mr. 

 Bullock is small, in comparison with that which Goforth,— of whose 

 correctness there is no reason to doubt,-~states to have been ob- 

 tained by him. A great part of his collection, therefore, still re- 

 mains to be accounted for. 



The next considerable collection known to have been made 

 here, was by General Clarke, at the instance of Mr. Jefferson. 

 The bones were brought to Washington in 1807, where they were 

 seen by Dr. S. L. Mitchill,* who published a brief notice of them 

 in the eleventh volume of the Medical Repository. They were 

 divided by Mr. Jefferson, according to Dr. Wistar, who selected 

 them, between the American Philosophical Society, and the 

 French Institute. Dr. Mitchill says, there were three parcels 

 made, of which Mr. Jefferson reserved one for himself However 

 this may be, there are now very few f(^sil bones preserved at 

 Charlottesville, and it is doubtful whether these are from Big- 

 bone Lick. 



Those sent to France are described by Cuvier. They consist 

 of an upper and two under jaws with teeth, five detached teeth, 

 a radius, tibia, and several bones of the feet. 



The cabhiet of the American Philosophical Society, contains 

 of the mastodon, two or three portions of the cranium, one of 

 them comprising a large part of the alveolar process of a tusk, 

 fourteen or fifteen mutilated jaw bones, upper and under, con- 

 taining teeth, and from animals of various ages, besides large 

 tusks, and pieces of fossil ivory, in considerable quantity, several 

 "vertebrae, and a few bones of the feet. The origin of all these 

 is not certainly known at present ; but, though some may have 

 been derived from other localities, it is most probable that the 



* Whilst sending this sheet to the press, the Editor has received information of ihs 

 death of this amiable and most eccentric individual. For forty years he has been a 

 conspicuous friend to natural science, and for a great portion of that time he kept the 

 flijj? of scieace waving in this counlrvj whon, he ftlmost stood alone. 



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