ON THE 
MAMMOTH OR FOSSIL ELEPHANT, &c.' 
ACCORDING to several writers, the term Mammoth is of 
Tatar origin, and is derived from mama, which signifies the earth,* and the 
natives of Siberia give the name of f bones of the Mammoth’ to the remains of 
Elephants which are found in great abundance in that country, believing that 
the Mammoth is an animal which lives underground at the present time. 
The Mammoth or Elephant’s bones and tusks, are found throughout 
Russia, and more particularly in Eastern Siberia and the Arctic marshes. The 
tusks are found in great quantities and are collected for the sake of profit, being- 
sold to the turners in the place of the living ivory of Africa and the warmer 
parts of Asia, to w hich it is not at all inferior. 
Almost the whole of the ivory-turner’s work made in Russia is from the 
Siberian fossil ivory, and sometimes the tusks, having hitherto always been 
found in abundance, are exported from thence, being less in price than the 
recent. Although for a long series of years, very many thousands have 
been annually obtained, yet they arc still collected every year in great numbers 
on the banks of the larger rivers of the Russian empire, and more particularly 
• According to others it is derived from behemoth mentioned in the book of Job, or mehemoth an 
epithet which the Arabs commonly add to the word Elephant to designate one which is very large, 
isec Cuvier Ann, du Mus. vol. 8, p. 45. 
