MASTODON AND WOOLLY RHINOCEROS. 221 
consequence of the saltness of its waters, herds of wild animals 
collect together, attracted by the salt, for which they have a great 
liking. This is probably the reason why so many bones have 
accumulated here. M. de Longueil carried away some bones 
and teeth, and, on his return to France, presented them to Dau- 
benton and Buffon. The former declared the teeth to be those 
of a hippopotamus, and the tusk and gigantic thigh-bone he 
reported to belong to an elephant. Buffon, however, did not 
share this opinion, and succeeded in converting Daubenton, as 
well as other French naturalists, to his views. He gave to this 
fossil animal the name of “ the Elephant of Ohio,” but formed an 
exaggerated idea of its size. 
This discovery produced a great impression in Europe. The 
English, becoming masters of Canada by the peace of 1763, 
sought eagerly for more remains. Croghan, the geographer, 
visited the Big Bone Lick, and found there some more bones of 
the same kind. He forwarded many cases to different naturalists 
in London. 
Sir Henry 3 oworth, in his recent work. The Mai 7 imoth and 
the Flood (in which are brought forwardi certain views not 
shared by most geologists), mentions that in 1762 the Shawnee 
Indians found, some three miles from the river Ohio, the 
skeletons of five Mastodons, and reported that one of the heads 
had a long nose attached to it, below which was the mouth. 
Several explorers report discoveries of a like nature, which, if they 
may be trusted, and if they really refer to the Mastodon, and not 
the Mammoth, seem to show that portions of the skin and hairy 
covering have been seen. If so, their preservation is probably 
due to the saltness of the waters of this marsh, for salt is a good 
preservative. In The American Journal of Science^^ Dr. Koch 
reports the discovery of a Mastodon’s skeleton, of which the 
head and fore foot were well preserved, also large pieces of the 
skin, which looked like freshly tanned leather. But some of 
^ Vol. xxxvi. p. 199, 
