206 
eontraction; his ribs closing together 
Hike the sticks of a fan, he could spring 
forward, or make a mighty leap. ‘This 
box contains other fragments, whose of- 
fice in the frame is not sufficiently denoted 
for description. 
Box, No. 6, Encloses four extraordi- 
nery bones. They defy the intelligence 
of the writer. He cannot discover what 
part they performed in the animal ma- 
ehme. He supposes them femora of some 
axcognitum of great force, as 1s wonder- 
fully expressed by the deep insinuosities 
gn the bones, in which the tendon of the 
triceps and other large muscles, three 
inches in diameter, could lie eoncealed, 
Box, No. 7, Contains the teeth of va- 
rious animals, weighing from one ounce 
to ten pounds. The “erinding surfaces 
denote the pursuits and passions of each 
animal. The large grinder, with parallel 
lines of enamel “slightly indented, be- 
speaks the peaceable herbivorous animal, 
of the elephantine species. The pon- 
derous grinder, with high double-coned 
processes,and interlocking fangs, denotes 
the cruel carnivorous monster, lurking in 
the woods. The teeth with less inden- 
tation than this, betray a mixed animal; 
and those which have still less indention, 
and which express a rotatory motion, 
show the animal to be graminivorous, 
and sometimes also mixed. This box 
contains twenty specimens of the above 
characters. Some of the teeth are ele- 
gantly stained, by the long and unre- 
mitting industry of nature; and some, 
from lying in contact with mineral sub- 
stances, have obtained radiant and pris- 
matic colours. 
Box, No. 8, Contains about twenty- 
four specimens of carnivorous grinders, 
of such variety of size that the animal’s 
age can be followed from one to innume- 
rable years. A process, which sunk into 
the marilla, is five inches wide, and the 
cones on the surface two inches deep. 
Some teeth exhibit nothing but the cortex, 
from which fire can be struck, and yet 
many are wasted by manducation. The 
eanals, in which nerves and blood-vessels 
were lodged, are perfect, and discover 
the great supply which prevented the 
waste of attrition, and made the teeth en- 
dure the compression of any hard body 
between the jaws. This box afiords a 
tich saaerglenian: 
Box, No. 9, Contains the remains of 
an ceded of the anterior world. Com- 
jng to a rock which the writer had to 
spring in following a vein of mmera!, this 
giand object appeared under the ‘deep 
4 
Fossile Bones of large unknown Animals. 
[April t, 
explosion. It is the defense of an herba- 
.crous incognitum, of ponderous volume, 
and amazing height. The defense ina 
state of perfection must have been five 
hundred weight, implying a head of 
twelve hundred w eight. The present fine 
subject, in_a state of decomposition, 
weighs one hundred and fifty pounds, is 
tw venty- -five inches in circumference, and 
when (being in three parts) put together, 
is sixteen feet long. Itis by no means- 
in the form of that of the elephant: it 
makes a complete revolve, and appears as 
if the animal could have moved it at 
pleasure. The grain traverses in dia- 
monds, in the manner of the finest ivory, 
and the internal substance is as white as 
snow. Several thousand ages have only 
led this to a gradual decomposition. It 
may yet last many years; but must be 
touched with a trembling and a pious. 
band, by him who can admire the won- 
derful g greatness and wisdom displayed in 
the operations of nature, and who can 
contemplate with rapture an object 
which, it is hoped, the vulgar will neglect 
‘as adreary void.” 
Box, No. 10, Contains the tusks, de- 
Jenses, or horns, ’ of various animals. One 
may be attributed to the rhinoceros, ano- 
ther to theelephant, but none to the hip- 
popotamus, or river-horse. One apper- 
tained to a huge animal of the ox kind, 
and another to some mixed incognitum, 
of great stature. The defense is longer 
than six feet; not running in a spiral vo- 
lute, but rising nearly perpendicular, and 
turning off at the point. Such was never 
before found. The animal and his at- 
tributes are unknown. 
From the above review, we may draw 
this conclusion, that the numerous bones, 
called “ mammoth bones,” are the re- 
mains of various stupendous incognita. 
Perhaps the great clawed animal is the 
megalonyx of the Greeks; it certainly is 
not the Arabian mehemet, though it is al- 
lowed that the Arabians applied tiiat 
word to any creature of extraordinary 
bigness: for fyhl being theirlappellation 
for an elephant of - ordinary size, they 
add the adjective mehemodi to one of 
uncommon magnitude. 
CG: Be 
Your’s, &c. 
P.S. An Indian tradition describes one of 
them in the following terms :—*¢ Ten thou- 
sand moons ago, when nought but gloomy 
forests covered this Jand of the sleeping sun, 
a race of animals were in being, huge as the 
frowning precipice, cruel as the bleody pan- 
ther, swift as the descending eagle, and ter= 
rible as the angel of night.” 
To 
