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Title: The Pleistocene of North America - and its vertebrated animals from the states east of the - Mississippi River and from the Canadian provinces east of - longitude 95°
Author: Hay, Oliver P.
Language: English
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THE PLEISTOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA AND ITS VERTEBRATED ANIMALS FROM THE
STATES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND FROM THE CANADIAN PROVINCES
EAST OF LONGITUDE 95°.
BY
OLIVER P. HAY
_Associate of the Carnegie Institution of Washington_
[Illustration]
PUBLISHED BY THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY, 1923
CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON
PUBLICATION NO. 322
TECHNICAL PRESS
WASHINGTON, D. C.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface VII–VIII
Conclusions regarding the divisions of the Pleistocene 1–15
Limits of the Pleistocene 1
The Blanco Pliocene 1
Divisions of the Pleistocene 2
Elevation of Continent 3
Connections of North America with South America and Asia 3
Sources of vertebrates 4
Richness of Pleistocene life 4
Evolution during the Pleistocene 5
Extinction of species 6
The earliest Pleistocene, the Nebraskan 7
The Aftonian interglacial 10
The Yarmouth interglacial 12
The Illinois glacial 12
The Sangamon interglacial 12
The Peorian interglacial 13
The Wisconsin and the Wabash beds 13
Coastal Plain terraces 13
Conspectus of Geology and Vertebrate Palæontology of the
Pleistocene 14–15
Finds of Pleistocene cetaceans in eastern North America 17–20
Ontario 17
Quebec 18
Vermont 19
New Brunswick 19
North Carolina 20
South Carolina 20
Florida 20
Finds of Pleistocene _Pinnipedia_ in eastern North America 21–30
Grinnell Land 21
Nova Scotia 21
New Brunswick 21
Quebec 21
Ontario 23
Maine 23
New Hampshire 25
Massachusetts 25
New Jersey 26
Virginia 28
North Carolina 29
South Carolina 29
Finds of Pleistocene _Xenarthra_ in eastern North America 31–44
New Jersey 31
Pennsylvania 31
Ohio 31
Indiana 32
Illinois 33
Virginia 34
West Virginia 34
South Carolina 35
Georgia 36
Florida 37
Alabama 40
Mississippi 40
Tennessee 41
Kentucky 43
Finds of mastodons in eastern North America 45–128
Ontario 45
Cape Breton Island 46
Massachusetts 47
Connecticut 47
New York 48
New Jersey 63
Pennsylvania 68
Ohio 70
Michigan 80
Indiana 88
Illinois 100
Wisconsin 110
Maryland 112
Virginia 113
West Virginia 115
North Carolina 115
South Carolina 118
Georgia 120
Florida 121
Alabama 124
Mississippi 124
Tennessee 127
Kentucky 128
Finds of _Elephas primigenius_ in eastern North America 130–146
Ontario 130
New York 131
New Jersey 132
Pennsylvania 133
Ohio 134
Michigan 137
Indiana 138
Illinois 140
Wisconsin 143
Maryland 144
Virginia 145
North Carolina 145
Florida 145
Tennessee 146
Kentucky 146
Finds of _Elephas columbi_ in eastern North America 147–161
Ontario 147
Vermont 148
New York 149
New Jersey 149
Pennsylvania 150
Ohio 150
Michigan 151
Indiana 151
Illinois 152
Maryland 154
North Carolina 155
South Carolina 155
Georgia 157
Florida 157
Kentucky 160
Finds of _Elephas imperator_ in eastern North America 162–164
South Carolina 162
Florida 162
Alabama 164
Finds of _Elephas_ sp. indet. in eastern North America 166–182
Ungava 166
Ontario 166
Vermont 167
New York 167
Pennsylvania 168
Ohio 168
Michigan 171
Indiana 171
Illinois 175
Wisconsin 178
Maryland and District of Columbia 178
Virginia 178
West Virginia 179
North Carolina 179
Florida 179
Mississippi 180
Tennessee 181
Kentucky 181
Finds of _Equidæ_ in eastern North America 183–202
Massachusetts 183
New York 183
New Jersey 184
Pennsylvania 184
Ohio 185
Indiana 186
Illinois 187
Maryland and District of Columbia 188
Virginia 189
West Virginia 190
North Carolina 190
South Carolina 191
Georgia 193
Florida 194
Alabama 200
Mississippi 200
Tennessee 201
Kentucky 202
Finds of tapirs in eastern North America 203–210
Pennsylvania 203
Ohio 203
Indiana 203
Maryland 204
Virginia 204
South Carolina 204
Georgia 206
Florida 206
Mississippi 208
Tennessee 209
Kentucky 209
Rhinoceroses in Florida 211
Finds of peccaries in eastern North America 212–223
New York 212
New Jersey 213
Pennsylvania 213
Ohio 214
Michigan 215
Indiana 216
Illinois 218
Wisconsin 219
Maryland 220
Virginia 221
West Virginia 221
South Carolina 221
Florida 222
Tennessee 222
Kentucky 223
Finds of camels in eastern North America 224–225
Pennsylvania 224
Florida 224
Tennessee 225
Finds of _Odocoileus_ in eastern North America 226–234
Ontario 226
New York 226
New Jersey 226
Pennsylvania 227
Ohio 227
Michigan 227
Indiana 228
Illinois 229
Wisconsin 230
Maryland 230
Virginia 231
West Virginia 231
North Carolina 231
South Carolina 231
Florida 232
Mississippi 233
Tennessee 234
Kentucky 234
Finds of _Cervus canadensis_ in eastern North America 235–243
Ontario 235
Vermont 235
New York 235
New Jersey 237
Pennsylvania 237
Michigan 237
Indiana 238
Illinois 239
Wisconsin 240
Maryland 242
North Carolina 242
South Carolina 242
Georgia 243
Florida 243
Tennessee 243
Kentucky 243
Finds of _Rangifer_ in the Pleistocene of eastern North
America 244–247
Grinnell Land 244
Ontario 244
Vermont 244
Connecticut 244
New York 245
New Jersey 245
Pennsylvania 246
Illinois 246
Wisconsin 247
Kentucky 247
Finds of musk-oxen in eastern North America 248–255
Grinnell Land 248
New Jersey 248
Pennsylvania 248
Ohio 249
Michigan 250
Indiana 251
Illinois 253
West Virginia 254
Mississippi 254
Kentucky 255
Finds of extinct bisons in eastern North America 256–265
Ontario 256
Pennsylvania 256
Ohio 257
Indiana 257
Illinois 259
Wisconsin 259
Maryland 259
Virginia 259
South Carolina 260
Georgia 261
Florida 262
Alabama 264
Mississippi 264
Kentucky 265
Finds of _Bison bison_ in eastern North America 266–271
Ontario 266
Massachusetts 266
New York 266
New Jersey 267
Pennsylvania 267
Indiana 268
Illinois 268
Wisconsin 270
Kentucky 270
Finds of _Castoroides_ in eastern United States 272–280
New York 272
Pennsylvania 272
Ohio 273
Michigan 275
Indiana 276
Illinois 278
South Carolina 279
Georgia 280
Mississippi 280
Tennessee 280
Pleistocene Geology of eastern North America and its fossil
vertebrates 281–406
Ontario 281
Quebec 288
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island 289
New England 290
New York 294
New Jersey 299
Pennsylvania 306
Ohio 324
Michigan 330
Indiana 331
Illinois 334
Wisconsin 340
Maryland and District of Columbia 344
Virginia 351
West Virginia 354
North Carolina 355
South Carolina 361
Georgia 368
Florida 372
Alabama 384
Mississippi 385
Tennessee 393
Kentucky 400
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES.
MAP 1. Pleistocene cetaceans in eastern North America.
2. Pleistocene _Pinnipedia_ in eastern North America.
3. Pleistocene _Xenarthra_ in eastern North America.
4. Pleistocene _Xenarthra_ in Florida.
5. Pleistocene mastodons in eastern North America.
6. Eastern New York, western Massachusetts, and Connecticut,
showing relation of mastodon localities to areas of
sea-level in Late Wisconsin.
6A. Pleistocene mastodons in New Jersey.
7. Pleistocene mastodons in Ohio.
8. Pleistocene mastodons in Michigan.
9. Pleistocene mastodons in Indiana.
10. Pleistocene mastodons in Florida.
11. _Elephas primigenius_ in eastern North America.
12. _Elephas columbi_ in eastern North America.
13. _Elephas columbi_ in Florida.
14. _Elephas imperator_ in southeastern United States.
15. _Elephas imperator_ in Florida.
16. _Elephas_ sp. indet. in eastern North America.
17. Pleistocene horses in eastern North America.
18. Pleistocene horses in Florida.
19. Pleistocene tapirs in eastern North America.
20. Pleistocene peccaries in eastern North America.
21. Pleistocene camels in eastern North America.
22. Pleistocene species of _Odocoileus_ in eastern North
America.
23. _Cervus canadensis_ in Pleistocene of eastern North
America.
24. _Rangifer_ in Pleistocene of eastern North America.
25. Pleistocene musk-oxen in eastern North America.
26. Extinct bisons in Pleistocene of eastern North America.
27. _Bison bison_ in Pleistocene of eastern North America.
28. _Castoroides_ in eastern North America.
29. _Castoroides_ in Ohio.
30. _Castoroides_ in Indiana.
31. Areas in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont
occupied by water at sea-level in Late Wisconsin stage.
32. Isobases of Late Glacial uplift.
33. J. W. Spencer’s view of preglacial drainage of the region
of the Great Lakes.
34. Wisconsin glacier in New York, lakes Newberry and Maumee,
and localities of mastodons.
35. Glacial map of Ohio.
36. Distribution of Pleistocene mammals in Ohio.
37. Glacial map of Indiana.
38. Glacial map of Illinois. Shows also localities of
Pleistocene vertebrates.
39. Coastal plain of North Carolina, with localities of
Pleistocene animals and plants.
40. Sketch map of Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Georgia.
41. Bigbone Lick and vicinity.
TEXT-FIGURES.
FIG. 1. Geological section of Twin Creek, near Beecher, Will Co.,
Illinois 108
2. Section across gully at Whitehall, Wisconsin 242
3. Region about Toronto, Ontario 282
4. Eastern Ontario, showing limit of marine and fresh-water
beaches 286
5. South shore-line of the Champlain sea 287
6. Preglacial drainage of the Upper Ohio 293
7. Geologic section of Fish House beds at Camden, New Jersey 302
8. Vicinity of Trenton, New Jersey, showing distribution of
the Trenton gravels 305
9. Geologic sections at Trenton, New Jersey 305
10. Northern Pennsylvania, showing glaciated areas 309
11. Section of Port Kennedy bone cave at time of first
exploration, 1871 318
12. Section of Port Kennedy bone cave at time of last
exploration, 1896 318
13. Metatarsal of _Ovis_ sp. indet., from Kendall Co., Illinois 338
14. Relation of the driftless area to the surrounding glaciated
areas 342
15. Diagram showing the supposed terraces of the Maryland
coastal plain 345
16. Section across Potomac River near Big Pool, Maryland,
showing gravel-covered terraces 347
17. Generalized section across Allegheny Valley at Parkers
Landing, W. Va. 349
18. Tooth of _Hydrochoerus pinckneyi_ 365
19. Jaw and tooth of a wolf from Charleston, South Carolina 366
20. Coastal plain of Georgia 369
21. Geologic section from north to south through the phosphate
deposits of Florida 377
22. Geological map of Mississippi embayment 388
23. County map of Tennessee, to show where Pleistocene fossils
have been found 395
24. Vertical section of Bigbone Cave, Elroy, Van Buren Co.,
Tennessee 398
25. Section on bank of Tennessee River at Nashville 400
PREFACE.
The writer has been engaged for several years on an investigation of the
Pleistocene geology of North America and of the Vertebrata which have
been discovered in the deposits of this epoch. It had been his
expectation to publish the results of all his studies at the same date.
However, on consultation with Dr. John C. Merriam, it was agreed that it
would be better to publish immediately that part which pertains to the
region lying east of the Mississippi River and, as to the country
further north, that east of longitude 95°.
At the outset the writer was convinced that, before just conclusions
could be reached, it was necessary to know what fossil materials had
been collected and under what geological and geographical conditions. He
therefore made as thorough a search as possible of the literature for
reports of discoveries of fossil vertebrates. Also, when in scientific
journals or in newspapers the finding of fossils was recorded, recourse
was had to correspondence, thus securing much exact information as to
locality, kind of matrix, depth, and other important data. Often
photographs have been obtained and even the materials themselves. The
writer has also visited many museums and colleges throughout the country
and examined their collections. Even in the smaller institutions, where
perhaps only a few objects have been secured and preserved, some of
these have furnished important information. Regret may be expressed that
in the larger museums and colleges, as well as the smaller ones, too
often there have been preserved only meager or no records regarding the
history of what would otherwise be valuable specimens.
In order to show the geographical distribution of the most important
species that occur in considerable numbers, a series of maps has been
prepared, pertaining to the following:
Whales and porpoises.
Seals and walruses.
The edentates.
Elephas primigenius.
E. columbi.
E. imperator.
E. species undetermined.
Mastodons, mostly Mammut.
Horses, mostly Equus.
Tapirs.
Peccaries.
Camels.
Odocoileus.
Cervus.
Rangifer.
Musk-oxen.
Bisons, extinct.
Bison bison.
Giant beavers.
Where the map of a State has become too crowded with numerals, a special
map of that State for that species or genus has been prepared. There are
maps of the edentates in Florida; mastodons of Indiana, of New York, of
Ohio, of Michigan, of Florida; _Elephas columbi_ in Florida; _Elephas
imperator_ in Florida; horses in Florida.
Other maps and figures for illustration of the Pleistocene geology will
be found in their proper places.
The first part of the present volume is occupied by a consideration of
the specimens recorded on the maps. Such information is noted as could
be secured, often satisfactory, little enough sometimes; but it has been
found that one can not foresee what important information a given fossil
may furnish. At least, the presence of the fossil at a locality
indicates the existence there of Pleistocene deposits of some kind. In
cases where other species have been associated with the one mapped and
described, these are noted.
When the consideration of these mapped species and genera is completed,
the Pleistocene geology of the various States and provinces is taken up,
so far as it is related to the vertebrate palæontology. This involved an
examination of much of the literature of the Glacial period; and here
one soon finds himself in face of huge tomes and endless articles and
detailed maps. Only somewhat less in amount is the literature of the
States beyond the glaciated area. The opportunity to misunderstand and
to commit errors is unlimited, and the writer can only hope for lenient
criticism.
An attempt has been made in the case of all vertebrate fossils to
determine their geological relations and to derive some general
conclusions regarding the history of our Pleistocene vertebrates and
their relation to the divisions of the Pleistocene epoch. The
conclusions reached are embodied in the immediately succeeding pages.
Not much attention has been given to the fossil invertebrates and
plants. It is evident that neither the mollusks nor the plants have
undergone any considerable change during Pleistocene times and are
therefore not available as indicators of geological stages, though often
useful for determining local climatic conditions. Their value can be
better utilized by the palæomalacologists and palæobotanists.
To the officers of museums and colleges and to the private individuals
who have so freely offered the use of their materials and in other ways
aided the writer, he takes pleasure in expressing his sincere thanks.
Most of all, however, he is indebted to the Carnegie Institution of
Washington for the generous support extended during the years of this
investigation.
JUNE 1, 1922.
OLIVER P. HAY.
THE PLEISTOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA AND ITS VERTEBRATED ANIMALS.
CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE DIVISIONS OF THE PLEISTOCENE.
I. LIMITS OF THE PLEISTOCENE.
The Pleistocene is regarded as being equivalent to what is known as the
Glacial period. It began with the deployment of the ice-sheets which,
proceeding from their centers of accumulation in British America, laid
down in the East the Jerseyan drift and in the West the Nebraskan. The
more the Glacial period is studied the more one becomes impressed with
the significance of its physical effects on the northern hemisphere and
with its influence on the vertebrate life. Doubtless its effects on the
world in general are only beginning to be comprehended. The writer knows
of no other phenomena, geological or biological, which so well
characterize the Pleistocene period as do those comprehended under the
term Glacial. They constitute the key to the determination of the
subdivisions of the epoch and of their succession and to the history of
the vertebrates which during this time occupied the continent.
II. THE BLANCO PLIOCENE.
The Blanco is held to belong to the upper, or to the uppermost,
Pliocene. It is at present assigned to the Middle Pliocene (Osborn,
Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 361, p. 81; Matthew, ibid., p. 120). Until
recently the oldest known Pleistocene vertebrates appeared to be
represented by the collections which long ago were made at Fossil Lake,
Oregon, and at Grayson (Hay Springs), Nebraska. These assemblages had
formerly been referred to the Pliocene, and the belief that they belong
there is not yet wholly without supporters. It seemed, therefore, proper
to retire the Blanco somewhat. The discovery that the Fossil Lake and
Grayson faunas were represented in the Aftonian deposits of Iowa, and
belonged probably to the first interglacial stage, reveals the fact that
the geological interval between the Blanco and the Aftonian is at least
partly filled by the first glacial stage, the Nebraskan. Naturally, it
is to be expected that the breach between the earlier and the later
faunas will be occupied, in part at least, by the vertebrates of the
Nebraskan. What these are is not yet well determined; but the writer
believes that as the Blanco and its equivalent and closely related
formations and faunas become better known, they will be attracted close
to the Pleistocene.
Aside from the facts just mentioned, the Blanco fauna seems to the
writer to be more closely related to the Aftonian than has been
supposed. The genera which occur in the Blanco are the following:
Megalonyx.
Mylodon.
Glyptotherium.
Hipparion.
Pliohippus.
Protohippus.
Platygonus.
Pliauchenia.
Anancus.
Gomphotherium.
Stegomastodon.
Felis.
Amphicyon?
Borophagus.
Canimartes.
Of these, _Megalonyx_, _Mylodon_, _Hipparion_, _Platygonus_, _Anancus_,
_Gomphotherium?_, _Stegomastodon_, and _Felis_ are known from the first
interglacial stage. _Anancus_ includes mastodons with short, tuskless
lower jaws and trefoiled molars. _Gomphotherium_, having long lower jaws
with tusks, upper tusks with enamel band, and with trefoiled molars, may
be represented by some of the early Pleistocene species. The same
species of _Stegomastodon_ appears to be present in the Blanco as in the
Pleistocene, _S. mirificus_. The edentate _Glyptotherium_ is not far
removed from _Glyptodon_ of the early Pleistocene. The Blanco genera of
horses are so close to _Equus_ that Cope regarded them as belonging to
this genus.
The matter may be looked at from another point of view. If _Mylodon_,
_Megalonyx_, and _Glyptotherium_ are referred to the Middle Pliocene, we
shall probably have them recorded as living in Texas before they existed
in South America. It is true that Santiago Roth (Neues Jahrb., Min.
Beil., Bd., vol. XXVI, table opposite p. 144) states that _Glyptodon_
occurs in the Lower Pampas beds, and these he refers to the Upper
Miocene; but the writer believes that Wilckens (Neues Jahrb, Min. Beil.,
Bd., vol. XXI, p. 193) is more nearly correct in placing them in the
Pliocene. While the opinion may be correct that, when no obstacles
intervene, the time required for mammals to spread over even a continent
constitutes but a small part of a geological age, yet in making their
way from South America, especially from Argentina, along the narrow
bridge that appears to have been offered them, probably over mountain
ranges, and across rivers and gorges, and in the face of the competing
fauna advancing from the north, some of which were wolves and
saber-tooth tigers, the slowly plodding and inoffensive edentates would
have encountered too many hindrances to be able to make the journey in a
short time.
The writer, therefore, ventures to range the Blanco immediately below
the Pleistocene. On about the same level may be placed the
Tulare-Etchegoin and the Thousand Creek formations of Merriam (Bull.
Dept. Geol. Univ. Calif., vol. X, pp. 425, 429).
III. THE HISTORICAL DIVISIONS OF THE PLEISTOCENE.
The writer accepts the divisions of the Pleistocene which the geologists
appear to have established. Formerly it was believed that North America
had been subjected to a single glacial epoch; now it seems to be proved
that there have occurred five such glacial epochs, or stages, and that
there have intervened four interglacial stages of mild climate. The
interglacial stages are italicized. The Nebraskan stage is the earliest,
the Wisconsin the latest: Wisconsin, _Peorian_, Iowan, _Sangamon_,
Illinoian, _Yarmouth_, Kansan, _Aftonian_, Nebraskan.
The characteristics of the various stages will be briefly discussed. The
stages are not equally well understood and at present do not seem to be
of equal importance in their relation to vertebrate paleontology.
IV. ELEVATIONS OF THE CONTINENT IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING OR ACCOMPANYING
THE OPENING OF THE PLEISTOCENE.
In pursuing the study of the Pleistocene, one soon realizes that this
period was one of great geological activity. Ranges of mountains, if not
begun anew, were at least raised to greater altitudes. The Cascade Range
appears to have begun to rear its head at the beginning of the epoch, or
even a little later. Here and there the crust of the earth was ruptured
and great sheets of lava were poured out over the land. Ice caps
repeatedly accumulated over large areas in North America and Europe, and
in their movements southward transported vast amounts of earthy débris
and turned the courses of great streams. Apparently at times the
rainfall was greatly increased. The rivers, quickened by greater slope
and the increased volume of water, cut their channels deeper and in the
mountains excavated profound gorges. Through elevation of the land North
America was, late in the Pliocene or early in the Pleistocene, put into
easy communication with Asia and South America, so that vertebrated
animals passed freely to and fro. A part of these activities probably
belonged to the latter part of the Pliocene. In the more elevated
regions of the eastern United States, through the chemical, rupturing,
and transporting properties of water, rocks were dissolved and their
disintegrated materials produced what has been designated the Lafayette
formation; but it is possible that this belongs to the early
Pleistocene.
V. CONNECTIONS WITH ASIA AND SOUTH AMERICA.
Mention has just been made of a land connection with Asia at some time
about the beginning of the Pleistocene. The evidence for this may be
called circumstantial rather than direct. The geological evidence has
not been developed. If any deposits containing marine fossils had been
laid down along the Asiatic and Alaskan coasts during a time of
elevation, they would now be covered by the sea. Our evidence for the
connection is derived from the distribution of the vertebrate animals.
During the early Pleistocene our country was invaded by a host of
mammals whose home was originally in Asia. These included elephants,
bisons, elk, goats, bears, wolves, and foxes, besides many mammals of
smaller size. It is the presence in America of the smaller animals, many
genera of rodents of Asiatic origin, that shows that there must have
been a land connection. These could not have made their passage across
Bering Strait on the ice, as it might be imagined the larger animals
did.
The way between the two continents had more than once before been open,
but it was during the early Pleistocene that modern Asiatic genera
entered North America in great numbers. Exactly where the land bridge
between the two countries was situated is not certain; it may be that a
large part of the area now occupied by Bering Sea was then dry land.
Arldt (Entwicklung der Kontinente, plate 21) represents a connection
extending from the northern border of Alaska southward to include the
Aleutian Islands. Where narrowest, this bridge, as represented by the
author named, extended from latitude 60° to 70°, a distance of about 700
miles. In such case the cold currents from the Arctic Ocean would have
been prevented from entering the Pacific, while the Japan Current would
have warmed up the southern side of the bridge. The route was then open
on the north for the boreal animals of Asia to enter Alaska; while on
the south the genera inhabiting the more temperate part of eastern Asia
would have had free access to the American shore. Once on the continent,
the boreal mammals might have spread along the shores of the Arctic
Ocean and those of the temperate parts of Asia have made their way up
the Yukon Valley, or possibly along the Pacific coast, to the warmer
regions toward the south. We do not need to suppose that even during the
first glacial, or Nebraskan, stage the climate of that part of North
America was as inclement as now.
At the other end of our continent a train of events not wholly
dissimilar was in motion. Even in the latter part of the Pliocene some
South American edentates, such as _Megalonyx_, _Mylodon_, and
_Glyptotherium_, had reached Texas. Probably a little later the bridge
had become widened so that other edentates and a few genera of South
American hystricine rodents swarmed into our southern borders. At the
same time a host of carnivores, tapirs, horses, camels, peccaries, deer,
and cricetine and sciurine rodents made their way into South America. It
is now certain that the land bridge over which the interchange took
place did not include the West Indies. Possibly there yet remained along
the western coast of Central America some of the border, now submerged,
which Schuchert (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XX, plates 96 to 100)
represents as being present during the Tertiary.
VI. THE SOURCES OF THE VERTEBRATES OF THE PLEISTOCENE.
The Pleistocene vertebrate fauna of North America has been derived from
three sources. One component had descended from the animals which
occupied the continent during the late Tertiary, but even these were of
mixed derivation. A few appear to have filtered in from South America
during the Pliocene; others had come from Asia during Tertiary
invasions; but a large element was native to the country. As such may be
taken the camels, the peccaries, the three-toed horses, the prong-horn
antelope, the deer of the genus _Odocoileus_.
Upon a continent of vast extent and great fertility, possessing
unbounded variety of climate and habitat, all these animals were thrown
together to struggle for their existence. We must depend upon the
imagination to picture what the result would have been if nature had
pursued a course which might have been predicted. What the result in
reality was, we shall see.
VII. THE RICHNESS OF THE PLEISTOCENE VERTEBRATE LIFE.
It will be profitable to consider briefly the character of the
Pleistocene vertebrate fauna. The writer has compiled a list of the
species which have, so far as he knows, been collected and described up
to this time. There are in all 637 species; of these, 387 belong to the
mammals, 154 to the birds, 26 only to the reptiles, 7 to the amphibians,
56 to the bony fishes, and 7 to the group of sharks and rays. Certainly
these form only a part of the species which existed. At present there
are known in our existing fauna north of Mexico 693 species of mammals,
excluding the cetaceans—somewhat more than twice the number of known
Pleistocene species. It is, however, rather in the great variety of
forms that the Pleistocene excelled. Following Gerrit S. Miller’s Land
Mammals of North America, 1912, we find in our present fauna north of
Mexico 29 families; in the Pleistocene there are now known 37 families,
not including the cetaceans. In our existing mammalian fauna there are
recognized 111 genera; in the Pleistocene, with hardly half as many
species recorded, 138 genera are counted. In order to realize more
vividly the variety of Pleistocene forms, we have only to recall the
animals then present, now absent, namely, the great ground-sloths, the
glyptodons, the numerous species of horses, tapirs, numerous peccaries,
camels, the extinct relatives of the musk-oxen, extinct bisons,
elephants, mastodons of three or four genera, the giant beaver, and the
saber-tooth tigers. Among the birds, reptiles, batrachians, and fishes,
there were few striking forms, and these were mostly among the birds and
the tortoises.
The above account shows the great richness of the vertebrate life during
the Pleistocene; furthermore, this abundance evidently existed during
the early stages of the epoch. It constituted the materials on which
that combination of conditions which we call environment had to work
during Pleistocene times. The comparison shows that the result was an
impoverishment of the vertebrate fauna. Genera and families, even
orders, were wiped out of existence, and these included some of the
noblest animals that have graced the face of the earth, the elephants,
the mastodons, tapirs, many species of bison, horses, saber-tooth cats,
huge tigers, and gigantic wolves. The following nine or ten families
became either wholly extinct or continued to exist only in other more
hospitable lands: the Megatheriidæ, including several genera of
ground-sloths; the Hoplophoridæ or glyptodons; the Caviidæ, which
embraced one or more species of huge capybaras; the Elephantidæ, under
which are arranged three or four species of elephants and three genera
of mastodons; the Equidæ, represented by a dozen or more species of
horses; the Camelidæ, of which there were several Pleistocene species
and probably three or four genera; the Hyænidæ, of which there appears
to have been at least one genus, with one species; the Tapiridæ,
including three or four species; and probably the Rhinocerotidæ. Besides
these, the subfamily of Felidæ known as Machairodontinæ, embracing those
wonderful carnivores the saber-tooth tigers, was suppressed. The
Dasypodidæ, which included some armadillos 5 or 6 feet long, are now
represented by only one small species in Texas. Of the Tagassuidæ, to
which belonged several genera and stately species of peccaries, there
exists now in North America north of Mexico but one species, an animal
of only moderate size.
VIII. ON EVOLUTION DURING THE PLEISTOCENE.
We have seen that the Pleistocene fauna was very different from that
which existed when white men first entered the country; also that the
difference has in large part been due to the destruction of species,
genera, and families. We may now inquire whether or not the loss has
been to any considerable extent compensated by the development of new
forms. Many of our existing genera and species have been found in the
collections that represent the earliest Pleistocene known to us. The
writer believes it would be unsafe to say that any living species that
one might select may not hereafter be discovered in early Pleistocene
collections. It is probably true, however, that some of those small
changes by which we distinguish one species from another have been
produced. Some small but persistent differences might, for example, have
arisen in the teeth or in the form of the skull of a group of muskrats
which would justify us in regarding it as forming a new species. It is
extremely doubtful that any new genus of vertebrates has been developed
since the first interglacial stage. Matthew has concluded (Science, n.
s., vol. XL, pp. 232–235) that the evolution of the mammals during the
Pleistocene amounts to about one-tenth of that achieved during the
Pliocene. The present writer regards this as a liberal estimate.
This failure to evolve new genera and species is not necessarily to be
attributed to the shortness of the Pleistocene period; it may have been
due rather to the unfavorable conditions. In what direction could an
animal make progress when, after being subjected for some thousands of
years to one set of conditions, it was compelled for some other
thousands to endure just the opposite conditions? If life in front of a
glacier for some centuries led to the development of a coat of hair on
an elephant, that coat would probably disappear during the succeeding
interglacial stage, and in the end, if the elephant had not perished, he
would be where he began.
Too much stress must not, however, be placed on this suggestion. It may
yet be possible to show that nowhere in the world was any considerable
progress made by mammals during the Pleistocene, in the modification of
their forms and structure. On the other hand, it is also possible that
all over the world climatic conditions were at intervals unfavorably
affected by the development of the great glaciers and that all life was
retarded in its evolution. The writer believes, therefore, that it can
not be shown with certainty that new forms of living things, especially
vertebrates, were developed in North America during the Pleistocene. It
may be quite as difficult to prove that any genera or species of
importance entered from other lands after the first invasion. Under
these conditions there appears to be no means for determining successive
faunas other than through recording the time of the disappearance of
genera and species.
IX. DID THE EXTINCTION OF SPECIES TAKE PLACE MOSTLY AT THE END OF THE
PLEISTOCENE?
At the beginning of the Pleistocene there existed, as has been shown, an
abundant and highly varied mammalian fauna; at the close of the epoch
this fauna had become relatively impoverished. Did all those families
and genera and species, that in the end were missing, perish during or
after the last glacial stage, the Wisconsin? This opinion has been
expressed by some. The writer believes that this view is wholly
improbable.
A glacial sheet, stretched across the continent or a large part of it,
was not local in its effects; it was not a cap of ice merely concealing
a part of the land and covered possibly by forests and allowing
occupation by certain hardy animals, while beyond, up to its foot, the
country was pleasantly cool, wooded, and abounding with animated
creatures. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California (Lindgren, Folio
66, U. S. Geol. Surv.) and of Nevada (Knopf, Prof. Pap., U. S. Geol.
Surv., 110, pp. 92–105) and in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado
(Atwood and Mather, Jour. Geol., vol. XX, p. 385), at distances of
approximately 600 or 700 miles from the glacial front, there existed,
during more than one stage, extensive local glaciers. Along the Atlantic
coast during at least one glacial stage the walrus was driven as far
south as Charleston, South Carolina. One can hardly doubt that the whole
continent was chilled during each of the glacial stages.
To mammals, which for perhaps various reasons had been with difficulty
enduring the stress of existence, the glacial climates would give the
final stroke; perhaps to others the interglacial climates would have
been quite as fatal. We can not doubt that each glacial and each
interglacial stage swept away a few of the less hardy genera and
species. Nevertheless, several remarkable animals passed through the
vicissitudes of all the glacial and interglacial times and left their
bones in the deposits overlying the last, or Wisconsin, drift. Such are
two species of elephants, the American mastodon, the giant beaver, and
one or more species of peccaries. Why they succumbed at last is
difficult to say. Possibly the return of a fifth warm era proved too
much for their endurance.
A reason for believing that the genera and species missing from the
fauna found here when white men arrived, called sometimes the Columbian
fauna, were exterminated gradually and not at one epoch is that certain
ones are found in deposits overlying the earlier glacial drift-sheets,
but are not found in deposits on later drifts. Camels occur in Aftonian
beds overlying the Nebraskan drift, but have not been collected in later
interglacial deposits. Horses grow scarcer as the Pleistocene advances.
They are known from deposits overlying the Illinoian drift, but do not
appear after the Wisconsin.
X. THE STRATIGRAPHICAL AND TIME LIMITS OF THE EARLIEST PLEISTOCENE.
It is necessary to determine, if possible, where the boundary line shall
be drawn between the Pliocene and the Pleistocene. Room must be made for
the first interglacial, the Nebraskan, and its fauna. How long this
first glacial stage continued we do not know. Chamberlin and Salisbury
have indicated (Geology, vol. III, p. 420) that in a rough way the dates
from the present of the culmination of the various glacial stages,
except the Nebraskan, taken in order backward, may be represented by the
geometrical series 1, 2, 4, 8, 16. That is, if the Illinoian stage had
its culmination 150,000 years ago, that of the Kansan occurred 300,000
years ago; if the Nebraskan should fall in the same series, it
culminated 600,000 years ago; and it and the succeeding Aftonian
interglacial held sway as long as all the rest of the Pleistocene put
together. It would be rash to assert that this first glacial did last so
long; but we see the possibilities. In a personal communication
Professor Frank Leverett writes that he estimates that the Kansan
culmination took place at not less than 400,000 years ago and the
Nebraskan at 500,000. This, as the present writer estimates, would leave
for the Nebraskan itself somewhere near 40,000 or 50,000 years. Some
changes in the life of the Pleistocene must have been wrought during
those years.
The glacial deposits of the Nebraskan stage are not as well known as one
might wish. They appear to be in general overlain by the later drifts
and are observed mostly where streams have cut through both the
overlying drift and the Nebraskan. The old drift found in New Jersey is
thin and of no great extent. Moreover, we can hardly expect to find
fossil vertebrates in the drift itself. We must therefore depend on
studies of supposed Nebraskan fossils found mostly outside of the
glaciated area and make comparison of them with earlier and later
faunas. If we shall discover collections of Nebraskan vertebrate
animals, we may be sure that they will differ from those of the first
interglacial, the Aftonian. We may be pretty certain that they will
include autochthonous genera of the late Tertiary, which may be missing
from the Aftonian, together with at least a few genera from South
America and others from Asia.
Now, have any formations and included fossil vertebrates been found
which may be fitted into the Nebraskan interval?
In this stage the writer places the beds which Cope designated the Idaho
formation (Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1883, p. 135). Since
Cope’s time several new species have been added to his list from this
formation. In 1917 (Bull. Dept. Geol. Univ. Calif., vol. X, p. 432), Dr.
J. C. Merriam published a list of the fossils, except fishes, which had
been secured up to that time. The list of species referred to the Idaho
formation is as follows:
Equus idahoensis.
E. excelsus?
Protohippus?
Rhinoceros, probably Aphelops (Teleoceras) fossiger.
Mastodon mirificus.
Cervus, possibly new. Smaller and more slender than C. canadensis.
Procamelus, size of P. major.
Tragocerus? horn-core of antelope.
Ischyrosmilus n. sp.
Morotherium leptonyx.
Castor, possibly n. sp.
Olor, size of O. paloregonus.
Graculus idahoensis.
In this collection the presence of horses of the genus _Equus_, of
_Cervus_, _Morotherium_, and _Castor_, is strongly suggestive of the
Pleistocene. The type of _Mastodon mirificus_ was found in Pleistocene
deposits of probably Aftonian age. Although rhinoceroses are supposed to
have become extinct before the end of the Pliocene, this supposition may
be an error. The list of Blanco vertebrates is a short one, and the
absence of a genus from it is not decisive. One drawing of a seine in
the sea-waters of Florida would furnish inadequate materials for
conclusions about the fish fauna of that coast.
The Thousand Creek fauna (Merriam, Bull. Dept. Geol. Univ. Calif., vol.
X, p. 429), which to the present writer appears of about the same age as
the Blanco, contains a species of _Teleoceras_. The genera _Protohippus_
and _Procamelus_ might be supposed to have continued their existence and
evolution until interrupted by an age of ice and by competitors from
Asia.
In 1917 (Bull. cit., vol. X, pp. 255–266) Merriam and Buwalda published
a short list of fossils which they had collected along the Columbia
River in Washington State. A horse was found which was referred to
_Equus_ or _Pliohippus_; also two camelids, one of which was thought to
be near _Pliauchenia_. Merriam concluded that the evidence on the whole
favored the Pleistocene. The list will fit into the Nebraskan without
difficulty.
In 1889 (Amer. Naturalist, vol. XXIII, p. 253), Professor E. D. Cope
published a list of fossil mammals collected in the “Oregon desert,”
apparently somewhere in the region of Silver Lake or Summer Lake. The
list is as follows:
Canis sp. indet.
Elephas or Mastodon.
Holomeniscus or Auchenia.
Aphelops sp. indet.
Hippotherium relictum.
Equus sp. indet.
Cope looked upon this collection as remarkable in that it showed the
presence of true horses and camels associated with a rhinoceros. He
concluded that the fossils belonged to his Idaho formation. Dr. W. D.
Matthew thought that the collection was a mixture of fossils from two
formations (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. XVI, p. 321). It may,
however, have been made in Nebraskan deposits.
In 1921 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LIX, pp. 617–638), the writer
described a collection of vertebrate remains from Anita, Coconino
County, Arizona. These remains were found in a cave in making
explorations for copper ore. The list follows:
Equus occidentalis.
E. giganteus?
Mylohyus? sp. indet.
Procamelus coconinensis.
P. longurio.
Antilocapra americana?
Marmota arizonæ.
Citellus tuitus.
Neotoma cinerea.
Lepus benjamini.
Brachylagus browni.
Taxidea robusta.
Canis nubilus?
C. latrans?
Chasmaporthetes ossifragus.
The writer believes that this assemblage of mammals must be referred to
the Pleistocene. It will be noted, however, that there are two species
of the genus _Procamelus_. These resemble so much two species, _P.
major_ and _P. minimus_, described by Leidy and Lucas (Trans. Wagner
Free Inst., vol. IV, pp. I-XIV, 15–61) from the Alachua clays of
Florida, that it seemed at first necessary to identify them as such. The
genus _Procamelus_ seems, therefore, to be brought definitely into the
early Pleistocene, probably the Nebraskan.
The collections made in the Alachua clays in Florida were obtained in
Alachua and Levy counties. On pages 195 and 375 will be found an account
of the geological conditions under which the fossils were found, and
lists of the species. The essential features are that such supposed
Miocene or Pliocene genera as _Gomphotherium_, _Procamelus_,
_Teleoceras_, and _Aphelops_ were found associated with the Pleistocene
genera _Odocoileus_, _Tapirus_, _Megatherium_, and _Equus_. This has
been explained on the theory that the clays are of Tertiary age and that
the Pleistocene species had become mingled with those of an earlier
time. At a number of places in Florida where phosphate rock has been
mined there have been secured similar associations of early camels,
rhinoceroses, horses (_Hipparion_, _Parahippus_) with genera belonging
undoubtedly to the Pleistocene. This has occurred so often that the
writer doubts the correctness of the explanation given. He ventures,
therefore, to include in the Pleistocene of the Nebraskan stage the
various deposits that have received the names Alachua clays, the
Dunnellon formation, and Bone Valley formation. The latter, called also
the land-pebble phosphates, is believed by Sellards to be
contemporaneous in age with the Dunnellon or hard phosphates, but to
have accumulated under different conditions. Both the Alachuan and the
Bone Valley formations were referred by Sellards to either the late
Miocene or the early Pliocene, with an evident preference for the
latter. It seems to have been the presence of the rhinoceroses that most
influenced him in his assignment of the deposits; but there were
naturally other considerations. He wrote:
The presence of rhinoceroses in the formation is believed to
establish definitely the fact that the beds can not be later than
the early Pliocene, since rhinoceroses in America apparently did not
survive beyond that time (Fla. Geol. Surv., vol. VII, p. 73).
According to Sellards the hard phosphate, belonging to the Alachua
(Dunnellon) formation (Fla. Geol. Surv., vol. V, p. 37) resulted from a
disintegration of underlying Upper Oligocene deposits and probably the
Vicksburg limestone. Through chemical action these rocks were partly
dissolved and the residual materials were mixed by local subsidence and
by action of streams and later modified by chemical changes.
The land-pebble phosphate of the Bone Valley formation had, Sellards
concluded (Fla. Geol. Surv., vol. VII, p. 55), resulted from underlying
phosphate marls of Upper Oligocene age. This occurred during a time of
general subsidence of sufficient extent to permit marine waters to reach
the area covered by the Bone Valley phosphates. The presence of
sea-water is indicated by the occurrence of bones of cetaceans.
With regard to the effects of streams and of the chemical action of the
water on the rocks, which contributed to the formation of the hard rock
phosphate and the production of sinks and caves, it may be remarked that
we know of no time when rocks were dissolved and caves formed to the
extent that they were during the Pleistocene.
As shown on page 15, various deposits of marine marls along the Atlantic
coast are referred by the writer to the Nebraskan. Among these marls are
the coquina rock found at St. Augustine and the marine marl underlying
the bed at Vero, which contained early Pleistocene vertebrate fossils.
These marls are known to extend well inland, being found at Kissimmee,
50 miles from the coast. In some places they are met with at depths of
70 feet (Sellards, Fla. Geol. Surv., vol. VIII, pp. 105–106). Marls of
probably the same age occur on the western coast of Florida (Dall, Bull.
84, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 152). The writer believes that some of these
marls may yet be connected with the phosphate beds of the Bone Valley
formation.
A figure taken from Sellards (Geol. Surv. Fla., vol. VII, opp. p. 53)
may be found on page 377. This illustrates the relation of the Dunnellon
and Bone Valley formations to the underlying deposits.
XI. THE FIRST INTERGLACIAL, OR AFTONIAN, STAGE.
Mention has been made of collections of fossil vertebrates which long
ago were secured at Fossil Lake, Oregon, and of others along Niobrara
River, near Grayson, Nebraska. Lists of the species found at each
locality were given by Dr. W. D. Matthew in 1902 (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat.
Hist., vol. XVI, pp. 317–320). These deposits and animals were regarded
by Cope and Marsh as belonging to the Pliocene, until G. K. Gilbert, in
his work on Lake Bonneville (Monogr. I, U. S. Geol. Surv., pp. 393–402)
showed that the Oregon fossils must belong to the Glacial epoch, but he
referred them to a late time in this epoch, that of the last glaciation.
It thus became quite impossible to determine the age of any collection
of fossil vertebrates.
In 1887 (Univ. Geol. Surv. Kansas vol. II, pp. 299–308), Williston
wrote:
Every fact furnished from Kansas seems to substantiate Cope’s
conclusion that the _Megalonyx_ fauna of the East and the _Equus_
fauna of the West were contemporaneous and that both occurred during
the period of depression; that is, during late Pleistocene time.
This paragraph was quoted by Osborn in 1910 (“Age of Mammals,” p. 453),
who appears to agree in part with Williston, although he expressed the
opinion that some of the deposits were earlier than the others. Osborn
supported the view of the existence of two faunas, that of the “_Equus_
zone” and that of the “_Megalonyx_ zone.” The former fauna was regarded
as the older, but overlapping somewhat during the “mid-Pleistocene” the
_Megalonyx_ fauna. He presented a catalogue of deposits belonging to his
_Equus_ zone (his page 453) and another of those of the _Megalonyx_ zone
(p. 467). In the latter he included deposits that he would now doubtless
refer to the earliest Pleistocene, for example, the Ashley River beds.
It was necessary for the geologists to come again to the rescue of the
palæontologists. They established the fact that there had passed, not a
single glacial stage, but a series, and that these had been separated by
corresponding interglacial stages. They were able to show also that
between the drift-sheets there were to be found remnants of old gravels
and fossil-bearing soils. In Iowa, through the careful researches of
Calvin and Shimek, numerous remains of fossil mammals were discovered in
gravels lying between the earliest drift, the Nebraskan, and the second
drift, the Kansan. Among these mammals were identified horses, camels,
elephants (_E. columbi_, _E. imperator_), _Mylodon_, _Megalonyx_, and a
large ruminant which is certainly a species of bison. This fauna, known
as the Aftonian, was correlated by Calvin with that of the Sheridan beds
of Nebraska (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XX, p. 354). The writer has
had the opportunity to study this Aftonian material (Iowa Geol. Surv.,
vol. XXIII), and, although it is not as abundant as might be desired, he
agrees with Calvin’s correlation.
Making due allowances for environment and the hazards attending
preservation and collection, the Aftonian and Sheridan fauna is
practically the same as that found at Fossil Lake, Oregon. Furthermore,
it may be traced along the plains into Texas and to the shores of the
Gulf. Here, at or near tide-level, or not far away, may be found horses,
camels, elephants (_E. columbi_ and _E. imperator_), _Mammut
americanum_, and mastodons with teeth presenting trefoils. In Texas,
within a mile of the Louisiana line, _Elephas imperator_ has been
collected. The fauna reappears on the west coast of Florida; also on
Peace Creek; on the east coast at Vero; at Brunswick and Savannah,
Georgia; along Ashley River, near Charleston; probably also on the banks
of Neuse River, 16 miles below New Bern, North Carolina; and again
probably at Long Branch, New Jersey, where _Megatherium_ has been found;
and finally at Port Kennedy, on Schuylkill River, about 25 miles above
Philadelphia. All along the coast, apparently from the Rio Grande to
Long Branch, the localities which furnish Aftonian fossils are within a
few feet of sea-level.
XII. THE YARMOUTH INTERGLACIAL STAGE.
Up to the present time the interglacial soils found in a few localities
between the Kansan and the Illinoian drifts have furnished only scanty
remains of vertebrate fossils—a rabbit and a skunk at the type locality
in Iowa. Certainly, however, the same animals were living then that were
found at later stages.
XIII. THE ILLINOIAN GLACIAL STAGE.
To the Illinoian glacial stage the writer refers the collection of
fossil vertebrates which was described in 1908 by Barnum Brown (Mem.
Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. IX, pp. 157–208) and which had been obtained
in the Conard fissure near Willcockson, Newton County, Arkansas. It is
placed here rather than in the Sangamon stage, because of the number of
species present which suggest a rather cold climate. A list of these
species will be found on pages 31–32 of volume XXIII, of the Iowa
Geological Survey.
XIV. THE SANGAMON INTERGLACIAL STAGE.
This was the warm stage which succeeded the glacial Illinoian. Between
the Illinoian and the Wisconsin there passed a long period of time. It
is now believed that it was interrupted by the Iowan ice-sheet, but this
appears not to have lasted long nor to have occupied any considerable
area. Associated with it in some way was the accumulation of much loess.
This was formerly supposed to have been deposited to a large extent at
least during the Sangamon; but, as Leverett informs me, it appears to
have been laid down at a time nearer the Wisconsin than the Illinoian.
This Iowan drift and the loess has been the subject of a special
investigation by Alden and Leighton (Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXVI, pp.
49–212). Few vertebrate fossils have been found in the loess. Their
bones may have been dissolved out by the percolating rain-water, and yet
the delicate shells of land mollusks are abundant. A collection which
the writer regards as belonging rightfully to the Sangamon was made at
Alton, Illinois, many years ago, by William McAdams. A list of the
species and an account of the geological conditions connected with it
are presented on page 339. The remains appear to have accumulated in a
pond on the Illinoian drift and to have been covered by loess. The horse
was yet in existence, as well as the deer _Sangamona_ and the antelope
_Taurotragus americanus_. Two-thirds of the 15 species are extinct. A
smaller number of species have been collected near Kimmswick, just below
St. Louis, Missouri. The remains found in a cave in Bexar County, Texas,
are believed to belong here (Hay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p.
129). It is, however, in the Alleghany Mountains that most of the
vertebrates have been collected which the writer refers to the Sangamon
stage. These have been found in caves and fissures from northern
Pennsylvania to northern Alabama. Unfortunately, although mostly
discovered several years ago, some of these collections have not yet
been well studied and have not been accessible to the writer. They
contain two or three species of horses, two or three genera of
peccaries, tapirs, the deer _Sangamona_, the antelope _Taurotragus_, and
one or more species of saber-tooth tigers. Half or more of the species
are extinct. To the writer these assemblages seem to fit into the
history nowhere so well as into the Sangamon stage.
Another assemblage that probably belongs here is that made at Toronto
(p. 282). This indicates a warm climate, since the pawpaw and the osage
orange grew there.
XV. THE PEORIAN INTERGLACIAL STAGE.
This is the interglacial interval between the Iowan glacial and the
Wisconsin. It was probably not of long continuance and is chiefly
remarkable for the deposition of loess. This has not furnished any
important collections of vertebrate fossils. The type locality for the
Peorian stage is a locality east of Peoria, Illinois. Leverett (Monogr.
XXXVIII, U. S. Geol. Surv.) mentions several cases in which old soils
believed to belong to the Peorian were observed in Illinois. None of
these has furnished vertebrate fossils. It is usually difficult to
distinguish the Sangamon from the Peorian soils.
XVI. THE WISCONSIN GLACIAL STAGE AND THE WABASH BEDS.
The next stage which furnishes abundant vertebrate fossils is the
Wisconsin. These remains are found most abundantly in the old soils and
mucks which accumulated in the swamps, ponds, and lakes left on the
uneven surface of the Wisconsin drift as the ice retired. To such
deposits the writer has given the name Wabash beds. They are often
called post-glacial deposits; but that term ought in strictness to be
applied only to deposits of the present epoch. They may be called Late
Glacial, but that expression has been used for the drift and moraines
produced by the second half of the Wisconsin glaciation. It might be
better to use for the divisions of the Wisconsin the terms Lower and
Upper.
In the late Wisconsin, or the Wabash, deposits there may be found
remains of any of the existing animals of the region; also often the
bones and teeth of mammals now living in more northern regions. Besides
these, there may occur the relics of animals which were able to endure
the rigors, changes, and competitions of the Glacial period, but
succumbed at its end. These are, especially, two species of elephants,
one or two species of mastodons, four or more species of musk-oxen, the
moose _Cervalces_, one or more species of peccary, and the giant beaver.
XVII. ON THE THEORY OF THE PLEISTOCENE TERRACES OF THE COASTAL PLAIN.
The writer will discuss briefly the widely accepted theory that along
the sea-coast from New Jersey to southwestern Texas there occurs a
series of terraces and corresponding escarpments, three or more in
number, representing successive emergences of the borders of the
continent from the sea. The theory was first proposed by Dr. W. J. McGee
(Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. XXV, 1888, p. 367; 12th Ann. Rep. U. S.
Geol. Surv., pt. I, 1891, pp. 353–521). He included in the initial
submergence not only the area occupied by the supposed Pleistocene
terraces, but also the borders of the coasts to an elevation
corresponding to the Lafayette (Appomattox) formation, which he referred
provisionally to the late Pliocene. This submergence required a
depression of the eastern half of the continent amounting to 500 feet or
more. The theory was accepted especially by the geologists of Maryland
in their excellent reports (Shattuck, Maryland Geol. Surv., Pliocene and
Pleistocene volume, pp. 62–137, with maps). It has likewise been applied
to the geology of Virginia (Clark and Miller, Va. Geol. Surv. Bull. No.
IV, pp. 48–56, 179–189), North Carolina (Stephenson, N. C. Geol. Econom.
Surv., vol. III, 1912, pp. 266–290), Georgia (Veatch, Geol. Surv. Ga.,
Bull. No. 26, 1911, pp. 35–50), as Okefenokee and Satilla; (Stephenson,
ibid., pp. 425–445), Florida (Matson and Clapp, Fla. Geol. Surv., vol.
II, 1909), and to Texas (Deussen, Water Supply Pap. U. S. Geol. Surv.
335, pp. 78–83).
_Conspectus of the Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of the Pleistocene._
┌────────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │
│Drift-sheets and│ Representative │Disappearance of │ Characteristic │
│other deposits. │ collections. │ genera and │ genera. │
│ │ │ species. │ │
├────────────────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────┼──────────────────┤
│ _Wisconsin │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Atlantic to │Made in swamps and │Megalonyx, │Existing mammals, │
│ Pacific in │ old lakes on │ Elephas, │ plus those of │
│ Wisconsin, │ Wisconsin drift │ Mammut, │ column 3 │
│ Illinois, │ (Wabash beds) from │ Cervalces, │ │
│ Iowa, Indiana,│ Illinois to │ Symbos, │ │
│ Ohio, New │ Massachusetts and │ Boötherium, │ │
│ York, New │ Cape Breton Island.│ Mylohyus, │ │
│ Jersey (Cape │ Leda clays, Canada.│ Platygonus │ │
│ May, Trenton │ │ Bison │ │
│ gravels), │ │ occidentalis, │ │
│ Ontario, │ │ Castoroides │ │
│ Quebec, etc., │ │ │ │
│ Maine, │ │ │ │
│ Massachusetts.│ │ │ │
│_Peorian Stage._│ │ │ │
│Old soils │Fossil mammals rarely│None certainly │Few recognized. In│
│ between the │ found. │ known. │ general, those │
│ Iowan and the │ │ │ of the │
│ Wisconsin │ │ │ Wisconsin. │
│ drifts where │ │ │ │
│ the former is │ │ │ │
│ present. │ │ │ │
│ Reported by │ │ │ │
│ Leverett (Mon.│ │ │ │
│ U. S. Geol. │ │ │ │
│ Surv., vol. │ │ │ │
│ XXXVIII) from │ │ │ │
│ localities in │ │ │ │
│ Illinois. │ │ │ │
│ Usually hard │ │ │ │
│ to distinguish│ │ │ │
│ from Sangamon.│ │ │ │
│ Abundant loess│ │ │ │
│ in Mississippi│ │ │ │
│ Valley. │ │ │ │
│ _Iowan Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Known certainly │None. │Mylodon, Tapirus,│None known; but in│
│ only from Iowa│ │ Equus, │ general those of│
│ and Wisconsin.│ │ Taurotragus, │ the later │
│ Supposed to be│ │ Sangamona, │ stages. │
│ present along │ │ Bison │ │
│ New England │ │ latifrons, B. │ │
│ coast, Gay │ │ antiquus, │ │
│ Head to Maine.│ │ Ænocyon, │ │
│ │ │ Dinobastis, │ │
│ │ │ Smilodon, │ │
│ │ │ Smilodontopsis.│ │
│ _Sangamon │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Sangamon River, │Alton, Illinois; │None known to │Mylodon, a few │
│ Illinois. Old │ Kimmswick, │ have become │ horses, tapirs, │
│ soils just │ Missouri; cave in │ extinct during │ peccaries, │
│ above the │ Bexar County, │ this stage. │ Sangamona, │
│ Illinoian │ Texas; bluffs at │ │ Taurotragus, │
│ drift. Some │ Natchez, │ │ Symbos, Bison │
│ loess of this │ Mississippi; salt │ │ latifrons, B. │
│ stage. Cave │ mine at Petite │ │ antiquus, │
│ deposits in │ Anse, Louisiana; │ │ Elephas and │
│ Texas and in │ Cavetown and │ │ Mammut. │
│ the Alleghany │ Corriganville, │ │ │
│ Mountains. │ Maryland; Ivanhoe, │ │ │
│ │ Virginia; │ │ │
│ │ Whitesburg │ │ │
│ │ Tennessee; │ │ │
│ │ interglacial beds │ │ │
│ │ at Toronto, │ │ │
│ │ Ontario. │ │ │
│ _Illinoian │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│In Illinois, │Conard fissure, │May include some │Equus, Mylohyus, │
│ Wisconsin, │ Newton County, │ accredited to │ Symbos, Felis, │
│ eastern Iowa, │ Arkansas. Otherwise│ the Kansan. │ Smilodontopsis, │
│ Indiana, Ohio.│ none recognized. │ │ Dinobastis. │
│ Supposed │ │ │ │
│ glacial drift │ │ │ │
│ from Long │ │ │ │
│ Island to │ │ │ │
│ Massachusetts │ │ │ │
│ (Montauk till,│ │ │ │
│ etc.). │ │ │ │
│ _Yarmouth │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Interglacial │Few vertebrates yet │Not known. │Few known. │
│ soils and │ recognized. Skunk │ │ Doubtless those │
│ mucks between │ and rabbit at │ │ which became │
│ the Kansan and│ Yarmouth, Iowa. │ │ extinct during │
│ Illinoian in │ │ │ Illinoian and │
│ Iowa and │ │ │ Iowan and later.│
│ Illinois. │ │ │ │
│ Gardner clay │ │ │ │
│ and Sankaty │ │ │ │
│ from Long │ │ │ │
│ Island to │ │ │ │
│ Boston. │ │ │ │
│_Kansan Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Iowa, Missouri, │Fossil vertebrates │Megatherium, │Doubtless those in│
│ Kansas, and │ rarely found. │ Glyptodon, │ the later stages│
│ northwestward.│ │ Stegomastodon, │ of this column │
│ Loess │ │ Anancus, │ and some of │
│ overlying the │ │ Gomphotherium?,│ those of this │
│ drift; │ │ Elephas │ stage in column │
│ Jerseyan │ │ imperator, │ 3. │
│ drift. New │ │ Eschatius, │ │
│ Jersey (may be│ │ Camelops, │ │
│ Nebraskan); │ │ Camelus, │ │
│ Pensauken. │ │ Hydrochœrus │ │
│ Jameco gravels│ │ Aftonius, │ │
│ on Long │ │ Leptochœrus, │ │
│ Island, New │ │ Trucifelis. │ │
│ York, and Cape│ │ │ │
│ Cod, │ │ │ │
│ Massachusetts.│ │ │ │
│ _Aftonian │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Gravels and │Along Missouri River │None recognized. │Mylodon, │
│ soils between │ in Iowa; Fossil │ Probably some │ Megalonyx, │
│ the Kansan and│ Lake, Oregon; │ of those cited │ Megatherium, │
│ the Nebraskan │ Grayson, Sheridan │ under the │ Glyptodon, │
│ in Iowa, │ County, Nebraska; │ Kansan. │ Chlamytherium, │
│ Missouri, │ La Brea, │ │ Elephas │
│ Nebraska, and │ California; Lake │ │ imperator, │
│ Kansas. Lake │ Lahontan and Walker│ │ Anancus, │
│ and river │ River, Nevada; │ │ Gomphotherium, │
│ deposits in │ Lavaca and │ │ Tapirus, Equus, │
│ Nebraska and │ Galveston Bays, │ │ Hipparion, │
│ Oregon; river │ Texas; Peace Creek,│ │ Camelops, │
│ deposits, │ Caloosahatchee │ │ Camelus, Bison │
│ Pittbridge, │ River, and Vero, │ │ regius, │
│ Texas; asphalt│ Florida; Brunswick │ │ Hydrochœrus. │
│ beds near Los │ and Savannah, │ │ │
│ Angeles, │ Georgia; Beaufort │ │ │
│ California. │ and Ashley River, │ │ │
│ Sands, etc. │ South Carolina; │ │ │
│ bearing │ Neuse River, North │ │ │
│ vertebrate │ Carolina; Fish │ │ │
│ remains at or │ House clay near │ │ │
│ near sea-level│ Camden, New Jersey;│ │ │
│ from mouth of │ Long Branch, New │ │ │
│ the Rio Grande│ Jersey; Port │ │ │
│ to Sandy Hook,│ Kennedy, │ │ │
│ New Jersey. │ Pennsylvania. │ │ │
│ _Nebraskan │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Drift in Iowa │Collections made in │Gomphotherium │Megatherium, │
│ and Nebraska │ southwestern Idaho;│ floridanum, │ Elephas │
│ beneath more │ “Oregon Desert,” │ Protohippus, │ imperator, │
│ recent drifts;│ Oregon; Anita, │ Parahippus, │ Mammut, │
│ Idaho │ Coconino County, │ Procamelus, │ Gomphotherium │
│ formation, │ Arizona; Ringgold, │ Teleoceras, │ floridanum, │
│ Idaho; New │ Yakima County, │ Aphelops. │ Protohippus, │
│ Jerseyan? and │ Washington. In │ │ Parahippus, │
│ Bridgeton, New│ clays in Alachua │ │ Hipparion, │
│ Jersey; │ and Levy counties; │ │ Equus, Tapirus, │
│ Mannetto │ Dunnellon, Ocala, │ │ Teleoceras, │
│ gravels, New │ Brewster, and │ │ Aphelops, │
│ York. Long │ Mulberry, Florida. │ │ Procamelus, │
│ Island, and │ Horse at Martha’s │ │ Agriotherium, │
│ Cape Cod, │ Vineyard?. │ │ Canis, │
│ Massachusetts;│ │ │ Trucifelis │
│ “First │ │ │ floridanus, │
│ Glacial” at │ │ │ Chasmaporthetes.│
│ Martha’s │ │ │ │
│ Vineyard; │ │ │ │
│ Arcadia marls,│ │ │ │
│ on Peace │ │ │ │
│ Creek; │ │ │ │
│ Alachuan clays│ │ │ │
│ and │ │ │ │
│ phosphates, │ │ │ │
│ and Bone │ │ │ │
│ Valley │ │ │ │
│ phosphates; │ │ │ │
│ marine marl │ │ │ │
│ bed at Vero; │ │ │ │
│ Coquina at St.│ │ │ │
│ Augustine, │ │ │ │
│ Florida; │ │ │ │
│ Quarantine │ │ │ │
│ Station, │ │ │ │
│ Southport, New│ │ │ │
│ Hanover │ │ │ │
│ County, North │ │ │ │
│ Carolina; │ │ │ │
│ Dismal Swamp, │ │ │ │
│ North Carolina│ │ │ │
│ and Virginia. │ │ │ │
├────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────┴──────────────────┤
│ UPPER PLIOCENE—BLANCO, TEXAS; THOUSAND CREEK, NEVADA; ETCHEGOIN-TULARE, │
│ CALIF. │
├────────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────────────┬──────────────────┤
│_Upper Pliocene │ │ │ │
│ Stage._ │ │ │ │
│Texas, Nevada, │Lists published by J.│Glyptotherium, │Glyptotherium, │
│ and │ C. Merriam in │ Pliohippus, │ Megalonyx, │
│ California. │ Bulletin of │ Tephrocyon, │ Gomphotherium, │
│ │ Department Geology,│ Hyænognathus, │ Pliohippus, │
│ │ University of │ Ilingoceros. │ Hipparion, │
│ │ California, vol. x,│ │ Teleoceras, │
│ │ p. 425 │ │ Platygonus, │
│ │ (Etchegoin-Tulare);│ │ Pliauchenia, │
│ │ p. 425 (Thousand │ │ Procamelus, │
│ │ Creek); p. 434 │ │ Ilingoceros, │
│ │ (Blanco). │ │ Tephrocyon, │
│ │ │ │ Hyænognathus. │
└────────────────┴─────────────────────┴─────────────────┴──────────────────┘
In Maryland and the District of Columbia there have been recognized
three Pleistocene terraces (Shattuck, as cited above). The uppermost is
the Sunderland, the next the Wicomico, the lowest the Talbot. These are
not correlated by Shattuck definitely with glacial divisions of the
Pleistocene, but the Sunderland is the oldest, while the Talbot is
regarded the most recent, probably about the age of the last glacial
stage, the Wisconsin.
When the writer began his study of the Pleistocene he accepted the
theory proposed by McGee and the Maryland geologists, and traces of this
acceptance may be found in this work; but he is now convinced of its
falsity. It is hardly to be believed that the coastal region could have
been occupied, even at intervals, since the late Pliocene, when the
depression is supposed to have been at least 500 feet, and 200 feet
during the Sunderland, down to the end of the Wicomico and even the
Talbot, without its having left other traces of marine occupation than
the supposed terraces and escarpments. There ought to appear somewhere
in the long border from New Jersey to Mexico abundant and extensive
deposits of stratified materials, clays, sands, and gravels. Such
deposits appear to be relatively rare.
A still more serious objection to the theory of submergence beneath
marine waters is the absence of marine fossils. In the materials forming
these terraces one might with confidence expect to find at least marine
mollusks, mussels, clams, and beds of oysters; probably also remains of
fishes, of porpoises, and of whales. Leaving out of consideration the
Talbot terrace, which is near sea-level (Shattuck, op. cit., p. 10), the
supporters of the theory under consideration admit that not in the
Lafayette, nor the Sunderland, nor the Wicomico, have any traces of such
fossils been met with. On the other hand, all over these terraces are
found remains of land animals and plants. Mastodons, elephants, and
horses are by no means rare. Conditions favorable for the preservation
of teeth of proboscideans must have been quite as well adapted to
preserve shells of oysters. In the Sunderland and Wicomico a few land
plants have been secured, an abundance of them in the Talbot. Map No. 39
shows the distribution of Pleistocene mammals, mollusks, and plants on
the Coastal Plain of North Carolina.
It seems evident, therefore, that the sea has had nothing to do with the
formation of the Lafayette, the Sunderland, and the Wicomico terraces,
and little with that of the Talbot. It was natural that the advocates of
this theory of the formation of these terraces during the Pleistocene
should distribute them somewhat impartially over the time of this epoch,
assigning the Talbot to a late interval. On page 11 the writer has
called attention to the fact that in many places along the coast from
southeastern Texas to New Jersey, at or near sea-level, there are beds
which contain a vertebrate fauna of the Aftonian or first interglacial
stage. Probably nowhere do these beds have any large amount of later
materials overlying them; it is often extremely little. So far as the
writer can judge, this means that all the terraces and escarpments were
produced before the time of the first interglacial; not since that
distant time has there occurred along the Gulf or Atlantic coasts south
of New Jersey any considerable elevation or depression of the Coastal
Plain.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE CETACEANS IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
(Map 1.)
ONTARIO.
1. _Nepean Township, Carleton County._—In 1914, Mr. L. M. Lambe, of the
Canadian Geological Survey, stated (Summ. Rep. for 1913, p. 299) that
Walter Billings, of Ottawa, had presented to the Survey a caudal
vertebra of _Delphinapterus leucas_, found in Pleistocene gravel on lot
15, concession 5, of Nepean township. The locality is near Jock River, a
stream which flows northeasterly and enters Rideau River about 11 miles
south of Ottawa. With it was sent the lower end of a femur, supposed to
belong to the bison.
2. _Ottawa East, Carleton County._—In 1910, Mr. L. M. Lambe reported
(Summ. Rep. Geol. Surv. Can. for 1909, p. 273) that Mr. A. Penfold had
presented to the Survey a caudal vertebra of _Delphinapterus leucas_,
which he had found at Ottawa East, at a depth of 25 feet, while digging
a well.
3. _Smith’s Falls, Lanark County._—In 1883 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3,
vol. XXV, p. 200) Dr. J. W. Dawson announced the finding of two
vertebræ, a part of another, and a fragment of a rib of a large whale,
in a ballast pit at Welshe’s, 3 miles north of Smith’s Falls. This whale
he identified as _Megaptera longimana_ (_M. boöps_). The bones were
found in gravel at a depth of 30 feet and about 50 feet from the
original face of the pit. The elevation of the place is given as about
440 feet above sea-level. Dawson stated that this corresponds exactly
with the height of one of the sea-terraces on Royal Mountain at
Montreal. He added that this animal might have sailed past that
mountain, then only a rocky islet, when a wide sea, 400 feet above the
lower levels of Montreal, covered all the plain of the lower St.
Lawrence. Inasmuch as the highest terrace containing marine fossils at
Montreal stands at a height of about 625 feet (Stansfield, Mem. 73,
Canad. Geol. Surv., 1915) above sea-level, the region had apparently
risen about 160 feet at least above its lowest submergence when the
whale was buried. The discovery of this whale is mentioned by Dawson in
his “Canadian Ice Age,” 1894, page 268; also by Professor G. H. Perkins
in his Report of the State Geologist of Vermont, 1907–8, page 83.
4. _Pakenham, Lanark County._—This locality is about 42 miles
north-northwest from Welshe’s, where the whale remains just discussed
were found. At Pakenham, in 1906, there were discovered bones, including
a nearly perfect skull, of a white whale. The discovery was reported in
1906 and 1907 by Dr. J. F. Whiteaves (Summ. Rep. Geol. Surv. Can. for
1908, p. 171; Ottawa Naturalist, vol. XX, pp. 214–216). The remains were
found by a well-digger on a farm (lot 21, 11th concession), and were
embedded in blue clay at a depth of 14 feet. Immediately about the bones
was a mixture of clay and shells. The animal has been referred to
_Delphinapterus leucas_. As one of the ear-bones was secured, the
determination of the species would appear to be possible. According to
Perkins, the ear-bone in the type of _D. vermontanus_ differs from that
of the existing white whale, _D. leucas_. The writer is unable to say
more than that the whale found at Pakenham belongs to the Late
Wisconsin.
5. _Cornwall, Stormont County._—In 1870 (Canad. Naturalist and Quart.
Jour. Sci., vol. V, pp. 438–439), E. Billings gave an account of the
discovery of remains of a white whale at Cornwall. Considerable parts of
the skull were secured, including the lower jaws. Besides many vertebræ
and some other parts, 8 teeth were saved, but the ear-bones were
missing. The animal had been about 15 feet long. Whether it belonged to
_Delphinapterus leucas_ or _D. vermontanus_ may be regarded as doubtful.
Extracts from Billings’s description are to be found in Professor
Perkins’s paper (Rep. State Geologist Vermont, 1907–8, pp. 81–82).
6. _Williamstown, Glengarry County._—This place is about 10 miles
northeast of Cornwall. In Professor Perkins’s paper just cited it is
stated that Edward Ardley, assistant curator at Redpath Museum, McGill
University, Montreal, had found here a few bones of a white whale, the
hyoid, a few phalanges, and rib fragments. It is impossible from such
limited materials to determine whether the animal was _Delphinapterus
vermontanus_ or _D. leucas_. From Mr. Ardley, through Mr. Arthur Willey,
curator of Redpath Museum, the present writer has learned that these
bones were dug up from a depth of 14 feet, in a well sunken in the Leda
clay. Under the surface soil was a band of sandy clay containing shells
of _Saxicava_ and _Mya_. Beneath this was a stiff blue clay showing
stratification and containing shells of _Leda_.
QUEBEC.
7. _Montreal._—In 1863 (Rep. Geol. Surv. Canada, p. 919), W. E. Logan
announced the finding of some bones of a whale at the Mile-End quarries,
Montreal, on a slight ridge, “where are found stratified sand and gravel
holding boulders and shells in the lower part.” In corresponding clays
in a neighboring brickyard was found a pelvis of a seal, _Phoca
grœndlandica_. In 1895 (Canad. Rec. Sci., vol. VI, p. 351), Dr. J. W.
Dawson reported the discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of another
white whale at Montreal. This was found in brick clay, near Papineau
Road. The locality is said by Dawson to be about 100 feet above the St.
Lawrence; the bones were in the clay at a depth of 22 feet. The clay
itself was probably deposited at a depth of 50 to 80 fathoms. This is
said by Dawson to correspond approximately with a well-marked shore-line
at Montreal, found at a height of about 470 feet above the sea and with
the old sea-beach at Smith’s Falls as related on page 17. In 1916, Mr.
Edward Ardley, assistant curator of Redpath Museum, reported (Canad.
Rec. Sci., vol. IX, pp. 490–493) the discovery of a large part of the
skeleton of a white whale, supposed to belong to _Delphinapterus
leucas_, at Montreal East. The skeleton was buried in Leda clay about 15
feet above St. Lawrence River. It was 10.5 feet long. The cranium and
lower jaw were secured, besides parts of the trunk and limbs.
8. _Rivière du Loup, Temiscouata County._—In his work, “Canadian Ice
Age,” 1894, on page 268, Dr. J. W. Dawson reported that bones of _Beluga
catodon_ (_Delphinapterus leucas_) had been found at the place
mentioned. It is not probable that parts sufficient for making a
definite determination were secured, nor did Dawson give any details
regarding the geological conditions connected with the discovery.
Doubtless the remains were found in marine deposits of one of the
terraces.
9. _Metis, Rimouski County._—In the work just cited (p. 269), Dawson
stated that in the summer of 1891 he secured a large jawbone of a whale
which had been found in digging a cellar in the shelly marl of the lower
terrace at Metis. He did not identify the species, but appears to imply
that it belonged to either the “humpback” (_Megaptera boöps_) or to one
of the finner whales (_Balænoptera_).
NEW BRUNSWICK.
10. _Jaquet River, Restigouche County._—In 1874 (Trans. Nova Scotia
Inst. Sci., vol. III, pp. 400–404), Dr. J. B. Gilpin gave an account of
the discovery of some cetacean bones in a railroad cut at the place
named, but did not identify the bones otherwise than as those of a small
cetacean. In the same year (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. VII, p. 597),
in a short, unsigned communication, this discovery was mentioned and the
whale was identified as _Beluga vermontana_. In volume VIII of the same
journal (1874, p. 219), Dr. D. Honeyman described the deposit and gave a
list of the shells found in it. Dawson (Canad. Ice Age, p. 268) refers
the bones to _Beluga catodon_. The locality is a cut of the
International Railway, on the north side of the Jaquet River, about 0.25
mile from the sea. Gilpin gives the elevation as 40 feet above the sea;
the writer of the unsigned communication just mentioned gives it as 25
feet.
Professor G. H. Perkins (Rep. State Geologist Vermont, 1907–8, pp.
102–112) studied the bones described by Gilpin. They consisted of 18
vertebræ, some fragments of the skull, one of the ear-bones, a part of
the lower jaw, some fragments of ribs, and some arm-bones. He identified
the animal as belonging to the genus _Monodon_ and probably _M.
monoceros_, the existing narwhal.
11. _Mace’s Bay, Charlotte County._—In 1879 (Geol. Survey of Canada,
1877–78, EE, p. 23), Mr. G. F. Matthew reported the discovery of a ramus
of the lower jaw of a whale, possibly a species of _Delphinapterus_, at
the mouth of the Popologan (or Pocologan) River. It is now in the
Mechanics’ Institute at St. John. It had fallen from a bank of Leda
clay. It probably belongs to the late Pleistocene.
VERMONT.
12. _Charlotte, Chittenden County._—At this place were discovered
considerable parts of a whale, described in 1850 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser.
2, vol. IX, pp. 256–263) by Zadock Thompson, under the name _Beluga
vermontana_. The animal has by many been regarded as identical with the
white whale, _Delphinapterus leucas_, now appearing sometimes as far up
as Montreal. A more extended description of it was given in 1853 (Hist.
Vermont, Append., p. 15, figs. 1–13). This was reproduced in Edward
Hitchcock’s Report on the Geology of Vermont, 1861, page 164, and was
followed by remarks on the specimen by Edward Hitchcock jr. In the
second volume of the work just cited (p. 938) Hager furnished a figure
of the skeleton as mounted. In 1908 (Rep. State Geologist Vermont,
1907–8, pp. 76–112, plates X-XIX), Professor G. H. Perkins gave an
extended description of the remains and reached the conclusion that _D.
vermontanus_ is distinct from _D. leucas_. Since Perkins’s article gives
a full history of the discovery and the literature pertaining to the
specimen, this account will be much abridged. The bones were found in
making a cut for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad, at the town of
Charlotte, about a mile east of the shore of Lake Champlain. The bones
were 8 or 9 feet below the surface and “were very completely bedded in
fine adhesive blue clay.” The locality is 60 feet above the mean level
of the lake and 150 feet above the sea. The deposits were laid down in
the marine waters which took possession of Lake Champlain and the St.
Lawrence Valley when the Wisconsin glacial ice had withdrawn north of
St. Lawrence River. The geological age of the animal is therefore late
Pleistocene.
NORTH CAROLINA.
13. _Below New Bern._—In 1842 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLIII, p. 143),
Richard Harlan reported regarding the species of fossil vertebrates
found 16 miles below New Bern. His list, which was long and consisted
mainly of vernacular names, included “cetaceans.”
SOUTH CAROLINA.
14. _Charleston._—In 1860 (Holmes’s Post-Pliocene Foss. South Carolina,
p. 117, plate XXIV, fig. 9), Leidy described a cetacean tooth which he
called _Physeter antiquus_. Later the specific name was changed to
_vetus_. At the same time he figured a tooth (fig. 8) found in the
Ashley River deposits. He further stated that teeth apparently of the
same species had been taken from the Miocene formations of Virginia, but
found no characters by which they could be distinguished from those of
the recent sperm whale.
GEORGIA.
15. _Brunswick._—In 1911 (Bull. No. 26, Geol. Surv. Georgia, p. 436),
Gidley reported from here, among other vertebrates, some teeth which he
regarded as those of _Physeter vetus_; but this may not be correct and
they may not belong to the Pleistocene.
FLORIDA.
16. _Daytona, Volusia County._—In 1916 (Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VIII,
p. 105), Doctor Sellards stated that he had obtained from marl-pits
worked at this place for road materials a proboscidean tusk and a rib of
a whale, probably of the genus _Balænoptera_. At the same place had been
found a tooth of _Elephas columbi_.
17. _De Land, Volusia County._—At this place was obtained the dolphin
skull which Sellards described as _Globicephalus bæreckeii_ (Florida
Geol. Surv., vol. VIII, p. 107, plate XIV). It was found embedded in
sand at a depth of 10 feet. This sand overlies marls which are regarded
as Pliocene or Miocene. Sellards believed that the sands belonged to the
Pleistocene. It is not improbable that the marls pertain to the
Pleistocene of the first glacial time.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE PINNIPEDIA IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
(Map 2.)
GRINNELL LAND.
_Dumbbell Harbor._—In 1877 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. XX, p.
488), Fielden published a paper on the Post-Tertiary beds of Grinnell
Land and north Greenland. Fielden and De Rance reported on the same
subject in 1878 (Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., vol. XXXIV, p. 566). In
beds having an elevation of 400 feet, in latitude 82° 30′, there were
obtained meager remains of _Phoca hispida_ and _Ovibos moschatus_. In
latitude 82° 25′ were secured remains of _Rangifer tarandus_, _Ovibos
moschatus_, and _Phoca barbata_. The invertebrate fauna was found to be
identical with that existing there to-day. If the beds are of
Pleistocene age, as the elevation appears to indicate, they may be
referred to the Late Wisconsin.
NOVA SCOTIA.
1. _Sable Island._—In the collection of the Philadelphia Academy there
is a walrus skull which was sent to the Academy from Sable Island about
1871. According to Rhoads (Proc. Phila. Acad., 1898, p. 197), Leidy
regarded this skull as that of a recent individual; but Rhoads states
that “the specimen is of precisely the same nature in color, texture,
and specific gravity as the larger fossil specimen which Leidy described
and figured in the Philosophical Transactions and which came from the
beach at Long Branch, New Jersey.” He thinks that it had been derived
from an ancient raised sea-beach. This does not appear to be at all
improbable.
NEW BRUNSWICK.
2. _Fairville, Charlotte County._—In 1879 (Geol. Surv. Canada, Rep. for
1877–8, EE, p. 23), Dr. G. F. Matthew reported the discovery of a
skeleton of _Phoca grœnlandica_ near Fairville, at the mouth of St. John
River, New Brunswick. The fore limbs and several vertebræ were missing.
The skeleton was afterwards destroyed in a fire at St. John. The bones
were found at a depth of about 25 feet, in the lower Leda clay.
QUEBEC.
3. _Bic, Rimouski County._—In Le Naturaliste Canadien (vol. XXXVI, 1908,
p. 51), the editor, V. A. Huard, in commenting on a letter written to
him and announcing the capture of a walrus somewhere on the northern
coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, recalled an article contributed in
1869 by the former editor, a priest named Provancher (Le Naturaliste
Canad., vol. II, p. 19). This writer stated that some workmen employed
in the construction of the International Railway had discovered at Bic,
Rimouski County, Quebec, on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence, a
complete skeleton of a walrus. This skeleton had a length of 13 feet. It
was found at a depth of 14 feet, in a compact clay, and at a height of
more than 100 feet above sea-level. The skeleton was deposited in the
museum of the Rimouski Seminary, but was destroyed in a fire in 1881.
It is evident that when that animal died and was buried in the clay the
land in that region stood at a level at least 100 feet lower than at
present.
Through the late Mr. L. M. Lambe, of the Canada Geological Survey, the
writer has received from Mr. W. A. Johnston, who made a special study of
the Pleistocene, information regarding the age of the clays at Bic. He
says that little can be said definitely regarding the age of the clays
in which the walrus skeleton was found. Clays belonging to the Champlain
submergence stand now at an elevation of 311 feet in that vicinity; and
marine shells occur in clays, supposed to belong to the Champlain, at an
altitude of 120 feet. There is a possibility that some of the clays in
that region are earlier than the time of the Wisconsin. Mr. Johnston
cites Guide Book No. 1, part I, pp. 77–78, of the Canada Survey, and
Dawson’s Ice Age, 1893, pp. 186–195. The first article was written by J.
W. Goldthwait. On page 921 of Logan’s Geology of Canada, 1863, it is
stated that bones of whales and of the morse have been found partially
embedded in the Leda clay in several places between Bic and Matanne,
about 60 miles farther down the river.
4. _Montreal, Quebec._—In 1863, Logan (Geol. Surv. Canada, p. 920) told
of the discovery of a skeleton of _Phoca grœndlandica_ near Montreal.
The exact locality appears to be about 0.75 mile east of what was then
known as the Mile-end quarries. These quarries were about 100 feet above
sea-level, and the spot where the skeleton was found was about 40 feet
lower down. At a nearby brickyard some bones of a young seal were
discovered which belonged probably to the same species. One of the
pelvic bones of a seal was found also at the Mile-end quarries. Dr. J.
W. Dawson (“Canadian Ice Age,” 1844, p. 267) stated that the skeleton
was found in the Leda clay; that it is in the collection of the
Geological Survey, at Ottawa; and that detached bones are in the Peter
Redpath Museum of McGill University at Montreal. The Leda clay, at least
that of the upper portion of the St. Lawrence Valley, is now referred to
the Champlain epoch, a time when the sea had invaded this valley and
even Lake Ontario.
5. _Tétreauville, Ottawa County._—In 1897 H. M. Ami (Ottawa Naturalist,
vol. XI, p. 24) announced that he and Ruggles Wright had found some
bones which were probably those of a young harbor seal, _Phoca
vitulina_. They were collected in 1888, in a sandy layer about 30 feet
below the surface, on a hillside, at Wright’s brick clay pits, on Aylmer
Road, Tétreauville, Quebec. This place is about 5 miles west of Hull,
and within 10 miles of Ottawa. These bones are in the Victoria Museum at
Ottawa. Besides the left half of the lower jaw with teeth, there are
both ear-bones, one exoccipital, the greater portion of the backbone,
scapula, part of the pelvis, and some of the larger limb-bones. This
species is abundant in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and also ascends the
larger rivers to a great distance. Doubtless great numbers inhabited the
inland sea which, during Champlain times, is believed to have occupied
the valley of the St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario, and the valley of the
Ottawa River nearly as far up as the city of Ottawa.
ONTARIO.
6. _Ottawa._—Remains believed to belong to _Phoca grœnlandica_ have been
found near Ottawa, Ontario. In 1856 (Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vol.
VIII, p. 90, plate III), Doctor Leidy described and figured the hinder
limbs of a young aquatic animal which he regarded as a seal, but did not
more exactly identify. He expressed the opinion that its descendants
were yet sporting in the sea-borders of Canada. This specimen was found
in Gloucester Township, Carleton County, about 9 miles east of Ottawa.
The locality is on Green’s Creek, a tributary of the Ottawa River, the
bank of the creek being about 30 feet high and composed of clay. This is
regarded as being of Champlain age, the close of the Wisconsin stage.
Out of this clay were washed numerous nodules of hardened clay, many of
which contained organic remains, such as marine shells and fishes. Among
the latter are two species, the capelin (_Mallotus villosus_) and the
lump-sucker (_Cyclopterus lumpus_).
Later, at the same locality, a lower jawbone of a young seal was found,
which was identified as the harp seal; and it was even thought that it
might have belonged with the hinder limbs figured by Leidy. A figure of
this jaw, with some of the teeth, was published by Dawson in his
“Canadian Ice Age.”
MAINE.
7. _Addison Point, Washington County._—From the curator of the Portland
Society of Natural History, Arthur H. Norton, the information is
received that some portions of the skeleton of a walrus, several ribs,
parts of two limbs, and a phalanx of a digit, had been found at Reef
Point, near Addison Point, Maine. These remains are now in the
collection of the society just named. They had been collected in 1881 by
C. H. Boyd, who published an account of them (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,
vol. IV, p. 234). They had washed out of the bank on the eastern side of
Pleasant River, about 3 miles below Addison. They had been buried in a
stiff blue clay, about 2 feet above high-water. Above them there was 6
feet of the clay, and above this gravel and soil. Mr. Boyd stated that
he had seen a tusk, with a part of the socket, which had been washed out
at the same place.
8. _Andrews Island, Knox County._—The American Museum Journal for 1912
(vol. XII, pp. 269–270) contains an article which calls attention to a
walrus skull preserved in the American Museum of Natural History in New
York. It is reported as having been found by Sidney Norton, in December
1912, in 50 fathoms of water, near Andrews Island, off Owl’s Head,
Penobscot Bay. One of the tusks is complete, the other is gone; also the
occiput and zygomatic arches are missing. The bone is said to be quite
well petrified, which shows that the skull is not a recent one.
9. _Gardiner, Kennebec County._—In 1845 Charles Lyell visited (“Second
Visit to the United States,” vol. I, p. 44) Gardiner, Maine, and
examined a collection of fossil shells and crustacea which had been made
by Mrs. Frederic Allen from the glacial deposits of that vicinity. He
recognized the tooth of a walrus, which he stated was similar to the one
procured by him on Martha’s Vineyard. This tooth is said by Packard
(Mem. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. I, 1867, p. 246) to have been a tusk;
and he was informed that it had been taken by Lyell to London and had
been identified by Professor Richard Owen. Inasmuch as Owen regarded the
specimen found on Martha’s Vineyard as a species distinct from the one
now living on the Atlantic coast, it is to be supposed that the Gardiner
specimen also was thought to be different from the latter. Packard, in
another communication (Amer. Naturalist, vol. I, 1868, p. 268), states
that the tooth of the walrus and some teeth of a supposed bison were
discovered in the clay-beds at Gardiner by Lyell, or at least during his
visit, but it is evident that they had been collected before his
arrival.
In his discussion of the supposed bison teeth found in clay at Gardiner,
Dr. J. A. Allen (The American Bisons, 1876, pp. 89, 91) gives us some
information about the fate of Mrs. Frederic Allen’s collection. At her
death it passed into the possession of her daughter, by whom the greater
part of it was presented to Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. Professor
Manton Copeland, of this college, informs the writer that the walrus
tusk is in their collection and bears the number FM20. It is badly
shattered. The length is about 75 mm.
The important matter concerning the remains of the walrus found at
Gardiner is to determine when the animal lived there. It is to be
assumed that the tusk had been buried in the Pleistocene clay at that
locality. This appears to belong to the closing period of the Wisconsin
stage, but there has been some dispute about its age.
Packard (Mem. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. I, pp. 245–246) gives a list
of the species which had been found in the clay at Gardiner. These are
nearly all invertebrates and indicate a climate somewhat colder than
that now existing there. Whether the time when the walrus lived at
Gardiner was before or after the culmination of the Wisconsin ice
period, it was so long ago that those deposits of clay, made in
sea-water of considerable depth, have since been lifted above sea-level
to a height of perhaps 200 feet.
10. _Portland, Cumberland County._—In the American Naturalist, volume
XII, 1878, page 633, it is recorded that the larger part of the skeleton
of a walrus, including the skull, with tusks over 5 inches long, had
lately been found in the Quaternary clays at Portland. It had been
discovered by workmen excavating for the foundation of the transfer
station of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The remains were partially
embedded in a layer of blue clay a foot thick, itself overlain by 2 feet
2 inches of a lighter clay. The latter contained casts and shells of 11
species of mollusks. J. A. Allen, in his work already quoted, states
that the skeleton was found at a depth of 7 feet. It was placed in the
museum of the Portland Society of Natural History, and is still there,
as reported by the curator, Arthur H. Norton.
Mr. Norton has sent the writer an extract from the report of the
committee which investigated this discovery. The bed of blue clay in
which the greater part of the skeleton was buried contained the
following species of mollusks: _Mya arenaria_, _Macoma sabulosa
(calcarea)_, _Mytilus edulis_, _Cardium (Serripes) grœndlandicum_,
_Saxicava distorta_, _Nucula antiqua_, _Leda tenuisulcata_, _L. truncata
(Yoldia glacialis)_, _Natica clausa_, _N. pusilla_, and _Astarte
striata_. The lighter-colored clay above the blue clay was more sandy
and adhered strongly to the bones. This clay contained _Mya arenaria_,
_Mytilus edulis_, _Serripes grœndlandicus_, _Astarte striata_, _Macoma
calcarea_, _Nucula antiqua_, _Natica_, and _Balanus_.
Above the lighter-colored clay just mentioned was a foot of a clay which
contained wood and roots, the unused portion of the brick clay that once
existed there, but which had been removed for the manufacture of bricks.
Inasmuch as the clay overlying the bed in which the remains were found
contains marine shells, it is certain that since their deposition the
land has been considerably elevated.
George N. Stone (Monogr. XXXIV, U. S. Geol. Surv., pp. 286–291) has
discussed the age of the glacial deposits at Portland. Professor M. L.
Fuller has written to the author that on the Maine coast the chief clay
is known as the Leda and is found at Portland and Gardiner, and that it
probably antedates the Wisconsin. This is not to be correlated with the
Leda clay of the St. Lawrence Valley. It corresponds rather to Clapp’s
“high-level clays” (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XVIII, p. 505, seq.).
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
11. _Jeffries Reef, off Portsmouth._—The specimen from this place
consists of the greater part of the left side of the skull of a large
individual. The occipital and the exoccipitals are missing. The bone and
especially the tusk have suffered some decay. The fragment is labeled as
having been dredged from a depth of 50 to 75 fathoms on Eastern Jeffries
Reef. The bottom was hard. Jeffries Reef lies 5 or more miles off the
southernmost part of the Maine coast and extends from the Isle of Shoals
to Boon Island. The skull belonged to an old individual. The length from
the rear of the mastoid process to the front of the premaxilla is 360
mm. The exserted part of the tusk measures 225 mm. in length. At its
base the diameters are 65 mm. and 42 mm. There are 4 large grinding
teeth. There is no reason for supposing that the species represented is
not _O. rosmarus_.
MASSACHUSETTS.
12. _Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard._—In his “Travels in North America,”
volume I, 1845, page 257, plate V, figure 1, Lyell announced the finding
of a part of a skull of a walrus at Gay Head. This he had purchased from
a fisherman who lived there and who said it had fallen out of a
conglomerate found at that place and which contains bones of cetaceans.
The skull retained but a small portion of its animal matter. Richard
Owen, to whom the skull was shown, regarded it as belonging to a species
distinct from _O. rosmarus_. The upper jaw contained the base of one
tusk, the socket for the other, and 3 molar teeth on each side. The
reduced number of molars furnishes no distinctive character, for
existing individuals sometimes present this number. The base of the tusk
has its transverse diameter greater than usual relatively to the
fore-and-aft diameter. According to Lyell’s illustration of the
specimen, the greater diameter was 70 mm., the shorter 53 mm. The writer
has seen no tusk of _O. rosmarus_ as thick as this; but the thickness is
variable and may possibly attain to two-thirds of the greater diameter.
Inasmuch as the Tertiary deposits at Gay Head, rising above the sea to a
height of about 150 feet, are capped by a sheet of glacial drift and
clays, it is probable that the skull in question had fallen from some of
these drift deposits. According to Professor J. B. Woodworth (17th Ann.
Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv., pt. I, p. 982), there are at Gay Head deposits
of drift which represent some of the older glacial stages as well as the
last one, the Wisconsin. It is possible, therefore, that this walrus
lived there as far back as the middle of the glacial epoch or even
earlier. For additional information on the geology of that island
consult Woodworth’s paper, in which the literature is cited; also the
important paper by N. S. Shaler (7th Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv., 1888,
pp. 303–363.)
The hooded seal, _Cystophora cristata_, has probably been found fossil
at Gay Head. The only reason for this supposition is found in a
statement made by Charles Lyell (Proc. Geol. Soc. London, vol. IV, p.
32; Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLVI, 1844, p. 319). He says that with other
remains on Martha’s Vineyard he found a tooth having the crown
fractured. Lyell submitted the tooth to Richard Owen, who pronounced it
to be that of a seal which seemed to be nearly allied to the modern
_Cystophora proboscidea_ (_C. cristata_). It seems quite probable that
this species lived there at the time when the walrus haunted the region.
It is of course possible that the remains reported belonged to an animal
that lived in that region as far back as the Miocene. The tooth was not
described or figured.
NEW JERSEY.
13. _Long Branch._—Portions of several walrus skulls have been found on
the beach at Long Branch. Two of these were described and figured by
Leidy in 1867 (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI, p. 83, plate IV,
figs. 1, 2, plate V, fig. 1). One skull, lacking the lower jaw, some of
the right hinder part of the cranium, and the exserted portion of one
tusk, was discovered in 1853. The other specimen, discovered about 1856,
furnished the front of the skull as far back as the middle of the
palate. Both belonged to old individuals. Leidy concluded that the
animals which had possessed these skulls belonged to the existing
species _Odobenus rosmarus_. He surmised that they had been floated to
the New Jersey coast on fields of ice or perhaps had lived there during
the Glacial period. The skull which was found in 1853 is now in the
collection of the Philadelphia Academy; the other is in the collection
of the New Jersey Geological Survey. Recently, Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads has
studied these skulls. He had also for examination the skull from Sable
Island, which has been mentioned. He concluded that these skulls
belonged to a species distinct from _O. rosmarus_ and which might bear
DeKay’s name, _O. virginianus_.
It does not appear to the present writer that Rhoads has successfully
maintained his proposition. He did not have at hand a sufficient number
of skulls of the existing Atlantic walrus to present all the variations
that occur in that species. Of course, the number of fossil specimens
was very limited. In discussing Rhoads’s conclusion, it will be of
advantage to consider a part of a skull which belongs to the Marsh
collection in Yale University. This specimen consists of the anterior
half of the skull, without the tusks and without the other teeth. It was
found at Kitty Hawk, at the mouth of Albemarle Sound, just north of
latitude 36°. It is thoroughly fossilized; and, having been found so far
south, it may be safely regarded as having belonged to the species which
inhabited the New Jersey coast during the Pleistocene.
For purposes of comparison, such measurements are here given as can be
obtained from the skull; likewise the corresponding measurements of a
specimen from Sable Island, No. 199528 of the U. S. National Museum, and
of another, No. 22014 of the National Museum, brought from Ungava Bay.
Unfortunately, the basilar length of the fossil can not be determined,
nor the width of the mastoids.
_Measurements of skulls of walruses, in millimeters._
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────┬───────┬───────┐
│ │ Kitty │ Sable │Ungava │
│ │ Hawk. │Island.│ Bay. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┤
│From front of premaxillæ to rear of vomer │ 183│ 167│ 205│
│From front of tusk to optic foramen │ 188│ 177│ 195│
│From oral border of premaxilla to upper │ │ │ │
│ border of nasal opening │ 110│ 96│ 100│
│Greatest width across maxillæ │ 160│ 136│ 177│
│Least width at front of orbits │ 105│ 106│ 146│
│Least width at temporal fossæ │ 75│ 62│ 70│
│Width between the sockets for tusks │ 75│ 75│ 85│
│Length of row of teeth │ 82│ 60│ 83│
│Space between incisors │ 40│ 36│ 32│
│Space between last molars │ 62│ 60│ 53│
│Long diameter of tusk at base │ 34│ 26│ 38│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────┴───────┴───────┘
The nasal bones of the fossil are so thoroughly consolidated with each
other and with the adjoining bones that their dimensions can not be
determined. There is no reason, however, for supposing that the length
was greater than 70 mm.
The grinding teeth of the fossil do not show the larger size that we
might expect from Rhoads’s determinations and from comparison with
Leidy’s illustrations. The second socket was almost exactly the diameter
of the same socket in the Sable Island specimen measured. The third
socket is larger than that of the skull from Sable Island. The sockets
for the first molars are very small and shallow; the socket for the left
incisor is still smaller, while that for the right incisor is wholly
effaced. The diameter of the socket for the second molar is much shorter
than that of the corresponding socket in the Ungava Bay specimen. In the
latter, the left incisor is present and large, but the other is missing
and the socket is nearly filled up. It is evident that the teeth are
extremely variable in both size and the number present.
Rhoads has found that the incisive foramina of the fossil skulls in his
hands are placed high above the alveolar borders. In the North Carolina
specimen this height is 32 mm.; in the Sable Island specimen in the U.
S. National Museum, 30 mm.; in the Ungava Bay specimen, about 22 mm. Nor
does the distance between the sockets for the incisors in the fossil
from North Carolina agree with that dimension in the two specimens from
Long Branch.
Despite the differences shown in the measurements in the table given
above, the writer must conclude that there are not as yet sufficient
reasons for regarding the Pleistocene walrus of the Atlantic coast as
specifically different from the existing form.
Dr. Albert Reid Ledoux, mining engineer, of New York City, when a young
man bathing at low tide at Long Branch, found a skull of a walrus. This
was given to Professor John S. Newberry and is now probably at either
Columbia University or the American Museum of Natural History. At the
same time and at the same spot was a heel-bone of _Megatherium_, now in
the American Museum (p. 31). It is very improbable that these two
animals lived there at the same time.
According to recent publications of the Geological Survey of New Jersey
(Salisbury, Report for 1897, p. 19, pl. I; Lewis and Kümmel, Bull. No.
14, p. 120, with Geologic Map of New Jersey, 1910–1912), Long Branch is
situated on the Cape May formation. This is regarded by the geologists
just quoted as corresponding in age, in great part at least, to the
Wisconsin stage. When this deposit was laid down, the New Jersey coast
was depressed from 35 to 50 feet below its present level. It seems very
probable that at that time the walrus was living there and that the
skulls found have been washed out of this deposit by the waves during
storms. Nevertheless, the finding of _Megatherium_ at Long Branch shows
that there are deposits present which belong probably to early
Pleistocene.
Dr. H. B. Kümmel, State Geologist of New Jersey, has informed the writer
that a strip 0.25 to 0.75 mile back from the ocean in the region about
Long Branch probably belongs to the Recent time. He states that one
would be safe in concluding that the skulls of the walrus were found in
deposits not older than the Cape May and that they may have occurred in
more recent beds. Against the view that the walruses found along this
coast lived there during the Recent period is their well-fossilized
condition.
14. _Ocean Grove, Monmouth County._—In 1910, after a storm, a part of a
skull of a walrus was found on the beach at Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
This is still in the possession of the finder, Mr. W. S. Hidden, who
furnished the writer with photographs of the specimen. It consists of
the front of the skull extending back to the bases of the zygomatic
arches, and containing portions of both tusks and most of the teeth.
There is no likelihood that this specimen belonged to any other species
than _Odobenus rosmarus_, and it was probably washed out of the same
deposits as those which furnished the specimen found at Long Branch.
VIRGINIA.
15. _Accomac County._—In the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of
New York, volume II, 1828, page 271, Messrs. Mitchill, Smith, and Cooper
made a report on a fossil walrus skull found along the Virginia coast
somewhere in Accomac County. Only the anterior half of the skull was
secured. According to this report, portions of the tusks were preserved,
but were much mutilated. There were present also 4 of the grinding
teeth. The skull was described as being remarkably hard and heavy and
the tusks were almost agatized. The sutures of the skull had mostly
closed up; hence the animal was evidently an old one. The specimen bore
the marks of having been in salt water, and was said to have been found
on the beach.
This is the specimen which DeKay, in 1842 (Zool. of N. Y., pt. I, p. 56,
plate XIX, fig. 1), made the type of his _Trichechus virginianus_.
Newberry, in 1873 (Proc. Lyc. Nat. Hist. New York, p. 71), identified
the specimen as belonging to the existing Atlantic species. Cope (Proc.
Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XIV, 1874, p. 17) does not mention the presence
of tusks. He supposed that there was, at that part of the coast, glacial
drift, out of which the skull had been washed. There are, however, no
such deposits in that region. This specimen was placed in the collection
of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, but according to Rhoads,
was afterward destroyed in a fire.
On examination of G. B. Shattuck’s work on the Pleistocene of Maryland
(Maryland Geol. Surv., Pliocene and Pleistocene volume, p. 95, plate I),
it seems that the coast of Virginia in Accomac County is occupied by the
Talbot formation. This, according to his theory, corresponds, at least
the part nearest the coast, with the Cape May formation of New Jersey.
Hence we might conclude that the walrus skull in question had become
buried, probably during the Wisconsin glacial stage. The present writer
regards the principal part of the Talbot terrace as being much older.
Messrs. W. B. Clark and B. L. Miller (Virginia Geol. Surv. Bull., No.
IV, p. 187) recognize the presence of the Talbot formation in Accomac
County, where it seems to reach a thickness of 100 feet; but the authors
add that part of this may belong to earlier Pleistocene formations.
NORTH CAROLINA.
16. _Kitty Hawk, Currituck County._—In the Marsh collection of fossils
belonging to Yale University is a part of a skull found somewhere near
Kitty Hawk. No particulars regarding the exact place of discovery
accompany the specimen. It has already been described on page 27; and,
while there are some differences between it and the recent skulls used
for comparison, it is not believed that a distinct species is indicated.
According to L. W. Stephenson’s map of the Coastal Plain of North
Carolina (North Carolina Geol. and Econom. Surv., vol. III, plate XIII),
the coast at Kitty Hawk and for about 50 miles back of this is occupied
by the Pamlico formation. This corresponds to the upper part of the
Talbot of Maryland, and it, or part of it, may have been deposited at
the close of the Pleistocene. So far as the present writer knows, there
is nothing to show the character of the climate then prevailing. As this
Pamlico nowhere rises more than 25 feet above sea-level, and as the
thickness is usually only from 15 to 20 feet, it is possible that the
walrus skull found at Kitty Hawk had been unearthed by the waves from
the Chowan formation or some still earlier deposit.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
17. _Charleston._—In 1876 Leidy announced (Proc. Phila. Acad., 1876, p.
80) that a complete tusk of a walrus had been found in the Ashley River,
near Charleston. This tusk Leidy described and figured in 1877 (Jour.
Phila. Acad., vol. VIII, fig. 6). It had evidently been dredged from the
river in collecting phosphate rock, as have been most of the fossils of
that region. The tusk was 13 inches long. Near the base it measured 3.62
inches and transversely 1.75 inches. Leidy especially noticed the
shortness of the tusk as compared with the diameter, but concluded that
the tusk might, during the life of the individual, have been broken off
and worn obliquely at the end.
In the collection of the Charleston Museum are some fragments of tusks
of a species of walrus, probably _O. rosmarus_. One of these, No. 1028,
furnishes 184 mm. of the distal end. The width at the fracture is 60
mm., the thickness 29 mm. The distal end is worn off somewhat obliquely,
but not so much as in the tusk figured by Leidy; also, the tusk appears
to have been less curved than the one which he described. The original
length can not be determined.
Another fragment, No. 1029, was given to the Charleston Museum by Major
E. Willis and was no doubt found in the region about Charleston. This
gentleman has sent a fossil horse-tooth and a part of a sirenian to the
U. S. National Museum from Wando River. The fragment is short, but
belonged to a large tusk, its long diameter being 81 mm., the shorter
one 51 mm. It was therefore a larger tusk and one whose thickness was
relatively greater than that of the imperfect specimen found at Long
Branch and figured by Leidy.
Mr. Earle Sloan’s collection at the Charleston Museum has two other
fragments of tusks. One, No. 13497, is 113 mm. long, 60 mm. wide, and 25
mm. thick; the other, No. 13296, is 140 mm. long, 60 mm. wide, and 31
mm. thick.
Considering that all of the remains of the walrus found about Charleston
have been picked out of great quantities of phosphate rock collected for
commercial purposes, and that no records of the exact locality where
obtained have been kept, it is impossible to determine their exact
geological age. It is to be supposed that this animal inhabited the
region about Charleston at the time it frequented the coasts of North
Carolina and New Jersey. This appears to have been during the Wisconsin
stage; but it is possible that the walrus extended its range far
southward during more than one of the glacial stages. All of the
specimens appear to be thoroughly fossilized.
FINDS OF XENARTHRA IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 3.)
1. _Long Branch, Monmouth County._—In the American Museum of Natural
History, New York, there is a large heel-bone which was found at the
place named and identified as having belonged to a species of
_Megatherium_, most probably to _M. mirabile_. It was presented by Dr.
A. R. Ledoux, of New York, who wrote that he found it about 40 years ago
while bathing at Long Branch. With this bone were found a skull of a
walrus and a tooth of a mastodon. The heel-bone is somewhat more than 15
inches long. It was incrusted with barnacles and small oyster shells.
While one can not at present be certain that this animal did not live up
to a late stage of the Pleistocene, it is improbable that it did so. It
is also quite improbable that the megatherium and walrus lived at Long
Branch at the same time. It is more likely that the megatherium had its
existence there at the time when horses lived in the same region and
when the Port Kennedy fauna existed; that is, at some time during the
early Pleistocene about the Aftonian stage.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 3.)
1. _Port Kennedy, Montgomery County._—From the noted bone cave at Port
Kennedy a number of species of _Megalonyx_ have been described. The
presence of this genus was first announced by Wheatley (Amer. Jour.
Sci., ser. 3, vol. I, p. 384). Cope, in 1899 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.,
Phila., vol. XI, pp. 211–219), admitted the occurrence of 4 species,
_Megalonyx wheatleyi_, _M. loxodon_, _M. tortulus_, and _M. scalper_. It
must be left to future investigations to determine the status of these
species. _M. jeffersonii_ was not recognized by Cope in the materials
found in the cave. Of _M. loxodon_, only a single upper canine molar was
found. Of _M. wheatleyi_, numerous specimens were secured, including
considerable parts of crushed and decayed skulls. _M. tortulus_ was
represented by a considerable number of teeth; _M. scalper_ by only a
single “canine-molar.” On page 312 will be found a list of the species
of vertebrates associated with these sloths. Of _Mylodon_, Wheatley (op.
cit., p. 384) had a single ungual phalanx which Cope (op. cit., p. 210)
thought belonged probably to _M. harlani_.
2. _Frankstown, Blair County._—Remains of an undetermined species of
_Megalonyx_ have been reported from a bone cave at this place by Dr. W.
J. Holland (Ann. Carnegie Mus., vol. IV, 1908, p. 231). The associated
species are listed on pages 321–322.
OHIO.
(Map 3.)
1. _North Fairfield, Huron County._—In the Norwalk, Huron County, Museum
there are various bones of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ which were obtained
about 7 miles from North Fairfield. The writer learned of the discovery
of this skeleton from Mr. Roe Niver, a student of the University of
Illinois. Unfortunately Mr. Niver died before the writer could obtain
all the desired information. A part of the skeleton was in his
possession and is probably in the possession of his family, but the
writer has been unable to secure any information from them. The bones
were found at a depth of a few feet in a hackberry swamp and were
considerably scattered. In the search for these the bones which form the
type of _Bison sylvestris_ Hay were found. The locality is within the
area of the Wisconsin drift-sheet and evidently the animal lived there
after the ice had retired from the region.
2. _Millersburg, Holmes County._—In the University of Ohio there is a
mounted specimen of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ containing a considerable
part of the skeleton; the missing portions are replaced artificially.
The remains were found in the eastern part of Holmes County just north
of the terminal moraine of the Wisconsin drift-sheet. This moraine had
led to the formation of a marsh, and in this the animal ended his life.
The place was said by Orton to be 6 miles east and a mile north of
Millersburg. The skeleton lay on shell marl beneath 6 feet of peat. The
remains have been described by Claypole (Amer. Geologist, vol. VII,
1891, pp. 122–132, 149–153) and by Hay (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI,
1913, p. 558; Geol. Surv. Iowa, vol. XXIII, 1914, p. 110).
INDIANA.
(Map 3.)
The only member of the order of Xenarthra that has yet been found in
this State is _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, and this in only one place, viz,
Evansville.
1. _Evansville, Vanderburg County._—In 1854 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., vol. VII, pp. 199–200), Leidy described a collection of
vertebrate fossils secured by Mr. Francis A. Lincke from the banks of
the Ohio River, near the mouth of Pigeon Creek, a short distance below
Evansville. At that time and locality bones were usually found sticking
out of the bank when the water in the river was low. The bones sent to
Leidy were thoroughly impregnated with oxide of iron, which served as a
cement to adhering pebbles, sand, and fragments of Unios and shells of
other fresh-water mollusks. The remains of the megalonyx consisted of
parts of two tibiæ of young individuals, an atlas, a fragment of a
heel-bone, a metacarpal and a metatarsal bone, and a claw phalanx. With
these were discovered a fragment of a cervical vertebra of a species of
bison, various bones of the Virginia deer, a vertebra of a horse,
probably _Equus complicatus_, a tooth of the tapir _Tapirus haysii_, and
a part of the upper jaw of the wolf now known as _Ænocyon dirus_, but at
that time called by Leidy _Canis primævus_.
The principal interest in these remains is to determine at what time
during the Pleistocene the megalonyx lived. Some indications may be
obtained from a study of its companions. From a part of a cervical
vertebra Leidy could not name the bison, but it belonged probably to one
of the extinct species. The deer is yet living, but appears to have
existed through most of the Pleistocene. The species of horse
represented is extinct, and there is no evidence that it lived after the
Wisconsin glacial stage. Its latest representatives probably lived
during the Sangamon stage. No tapir is known to have lived after the
Wisconsin stage. The wolf, _Ænocyon dirus_, is believed to be
represented in the numerous individuals found in the asphalt beds of Los
Angeles, California, probably equivalent in age to the Aftonian.
Mr. Arthur C. Veatch (Jour. Geology, vol. VI, pp. 257–272) has given an
account of changes which have occurred along the Ohio River in Spencer
County, Indiana, about 25 miles above Evansville, since late Pliocene
times. According to his investigations, the valley of the river was
deeply excavated into the Carboniferous rocks during the Ozarkian
uplift. Since that time, during the Pleistocene epoch, that great valley
has been, to a large extent, filled up by alluvial deposits. While the
greater part of these deposits were laid down during glacial stages, it
is not improbable that some were made during the Aftonian stage and that
a part of these yet exist along the borders of the river. It is still
more probable that Sangamon beds yet exist there and that the bones
Leidy described were found here.
Many bones of the megalonyx were described by Leidy (Smithson. Contrib.
Knowl., vol. VII, article V) from a locality 5 or 6 miles below
Henderson, Kentucky, not much more than 10 miles in a straight line from
the mouth of Pigeon Creek. The bone-bed was said by Dr. D. D. Owen (op.
cit., p. 7) to be about 5 feet above ordinary low-water. In the same bed
Owen found abundant remains of the deer. He seemed to regard this
bone-bed as a continuation of that existing at Pigeon Creek.
_Megalonyx_ has been found at Bigbone Lick, between Cincinnati and
Louisville, associated with _Equus complicatus_, two species of extinct
bisons, and the Virginia deer, in deposits overlying Illinoian drift and
hence belonging, in part at least, to the Sangamon. These deposits are,
however, at a higher level, being now submerged only at times of very
high-water in the Ohio River. If these and the Pigeon Creek beds are of
the same age, we may suppose that the animals entombed at the latter
place were buried low down in the deep valley along the river banks,
while those at Bigbone became covered up around salt springs at a higher
level.
ILLINOIS.
(Map 3.)
1. _Urbana, Champaign County._—In the fall of 1909 a claw phalange of
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_ was found near Urbana by Mr. Lindley, of Urbana.
An excavation was being made at the eastern end of Crystal Lake, and the
tooth, as reported to the writer by Professor C. C. Adams, was
discovered in a blue clay. The writer has seen the tooth. The extreme
length in a straight line had been close to 145 mm. The greatest
thickness was 42 mm. This has been figured by the writer (Iowa. Geol.
Surv., vol XXIII, plate III, figs. 5, 6, text-figs. 28–29).
Inasmuch as all this region is covered by Wisconsin drift and this tooth
was found in a deposit lying on the top of this drift, there can be no
reason for denying that this species lived after, probably long after,
the withdrawal of the Wisconsin ice. Two occurrences of the same species
in Ohio confirm the conclusion.
2. _Alton, Madison County._—The U. S. National Museum contains a
fragment of a molar of apparently _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, from a
collection made long ago by William McAdams, at Alton, Illinois. It has
on it McAdams’s number 21. This collection, which was long in the hands
of Professor O. C. Marsh, as vertebrate palæontologist of the U. S.
Geological Survey, is said to have been made in the loess at Alton. Most
of the teeth, with occasional bones, are inclosed in nodules of
extremely fine sand and carbonate of calcium so hard that the teeth can
not be removed without injury. They have been, however, partly exposed
by weathering. The nodules which contained the fossils were found
between the loess and the underlying Illinoian drift.
The fragment of a megalonyx tooth has the diameters respectively 16 mm.
and 24 mm. It is thinner fore-and-aft than other specimens, but this may
be an individual variation.
It is believed that this loess belongs to the Sangamon interglacial
stage. The geology of the locality and the species found there are
discussed on page 339. Also, the fossils were described by the writer in
1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, pp. 109–117). The presence of
this sloth-like beast appears to indicate that the climate was at that
time mild.
3. _Galena, Jo Daviess County._—In 1870 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1870, p. 13), Dr. Leidy brought to the notice of the Academy the fossil
remains of two species of much interest. These had been presented to the
Academy by Henry Green, of Elizabeth, Jo Daviess County, and were
reported as having been found in a narrow crevice of the lead-bearing
rocks in the vicinity of Galena, at a depth of 130 feet. One fossil was
a metacarpal bone of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, the other was identified
as a last lower molar of _Bison antiquus_. Leidy mentioned three other
species, _Platygonus compressus_, _Procyon priscus_, and _Anomodon
snyderi_ as having been found about Galena in similar situations. The
geological age of the Vertebrata found in the lead crevices about Galena
has not been well determined, but the present writer has regarded them
as being probably of late Wisconsin time. The _Bison_ tooth may have
been that of the yet existing species. However, the possibility is that
these fossils are pre-Wisconsin.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 3.)
1. _Saltville, Smyth County._—Mr. O. A. Peterson, in 1917 (Ann. Carnegie
Mus., vol. XI, p. 472, figs. 4, 5), reported the discovery of the
symphyseal portion of the lower jaw of _Megalonyx_ at Saltville. It was
referred with some doubt to _M. dissimilis_ Leidy. Further mention of
the specimen will be made on page 352.
2. _Ivanhoe, Wythe County._—On a page devoted to the consideration of a
considerable number of species found by Cope near Ivanhoe, in Wythe
County, mention will be made of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_. Only fragments
of teeth were secured by Cope.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 3.)
1. _Green Brier County._—In a cave situated somewhere in this county
were found the bones described in 1799 by President Thomas Jefferson
(Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. IV, pp. 246–260) under the name
_Megalonyx_. Colonel John Stewart became interested and saved some of
the bones from being carried away by curious inhabitants of the region.
The bones, a distal end of a femur, a complete radius, a complete ulna,
three claws, and some other foot-bones were secured and presented to the
American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, from which they passed
into the possession of the Academy of Natural Sciences, where they are
still preserved. Some of these were described by Dr. Caspar Wistar
(Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. IV, 1899, p. 526, plates I, II).
Inasmuch as this species may have existed during a large part of the
Pleistocene and certainly after the passing of the Wisconsin epoch, and
inasmuch as no other species were found associated with the megalonyx
bones, it is impossible to say to what part of the Pleistocene that
particular animal is to be assigned.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 3.)
1. _Beaufort, Beaufort County._—In the Charleston Museum the writer has
seen a left lower canine tooth of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_. The
fore-and-aft diameter is 34 mm., the transverse 18 mm. It is recorded as
found in dredging in Coosaw River. Tuomey (Rep. Geol. South Carolina,
1848, p. 203) found fragments of bones, probably belonging to
_Megatherium_, on Eddings Island, about 10 miles south of Beaufort.
2. _Charleston, Charleston County._—In 1855, Doctor Leidy (Smithson.
Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, p. 55) stated that Professor F. S. Holmes, of
Charleston, had loaned him fragments of two very small teeth of
_Megatherium_ found on the shores of Ashley River. These were figured by
Leidy in 1860 (Holmes, Post-Pl. Foss. South Carolina, p. 111, plate XX,
figs. 8, 8_a_). In a collection belonging to Rev. Robert Wilson, in
Charleston, the writer has seen a tooth of _Megatherium_ found by the
Charleston Mining Company in Ashley River. G. E. Manigault (Proc.
Elliott Soc. Nat. Hist., 1886, p. 91) reported the finding of a claw
phalanx of _Megalonyx_ at Cainhoy, 12 miles from Charleston, on Wando
River.
In the Charleston Museum is a part of the right side of the upper jaw of
_Megatherium_, with the second and third teeth and parts of the sockets
of the first and fourth. It is recorded as having been found in the
Bolton phosphate mine on or in Stono River. There is in the same museum
a fragment of the left side of the lower jaw of the same animal. This
jaw contains the second and third molars and parts of the socket of the
first and fourth. It is recorded as having been found in the Kiawah
phosphate mine, Cooper River.
The Charleston Museum contains considerable parts of the skeleton of a
megatherium of which no record has been preserved. In Holmes’s
“Post-Pleiocene Fossils of South Carolina,” page 111, plate XX, figures
7 to 7_b_, Leidy mentioned briefly and figured two small fragments of
lower teeth of _Mylodon harlani_, which had been obtained from the
Pleistocene beds of Ashley River. The tooth figured was originally
described as _Eubradys antiquus_. Figures of it are found also in the
seventh volume of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, plate XVI,
figures 21_a_ to 21_c_.
The Pleistocene geology of South Carolina is discussed on pp. 361 to
368.
GEORGIA.
(Map 3.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—In 1842 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
vol. I, p. 189), Richard Harlan gave to the Academy of Natural Sciences
a number of bones which had been collected in the Brunswick Canal by Mr.
J. H. Couper and sent to the Academy. Among these was a number of bones
of _Megatherium_. A part of a lower jaw contained 4 teeth. A list of the
bones is presented by Couper on page 44 of William B. Hodgson’s memoir
on _Megatherium_ published in 1846. There were, besides the part of a
mandible, parts of 2 maxillæ without teeth, parts of 6 or 7 femora, a
part of an ilium, several dorsal vertebræ, and several teeth. Lyell
(Second Visit, ed. 2, 1850, vol. I, p. 347) stated that a part of a
skeleton of a _Megatherium_, dug out in cutting the canal, was so near
the surface that it was penetrated by the roots of a pine tree. Most of
this material was sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences at
Philadelphia (Leidy, Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. 5, p.
54).
The accompanying fossils will be named on page 370.
2. _Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Chatham County._—The earliest
announcement of the discovery of _Megatherium_ in North America was made
by Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill in 1824 (Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. N. Y., vol. I,
pp. 58–61, plate VI). The announcement was based on a number of teeth
which had been sent to him from Skidaway Island. In the same volume, on
pages 114 to 124, plate VIII, William Cooper described teeth and bones
which had been sent to him from the same locality by Joseph E.
Habersham. Cooper had some reason to conclude that all the bones and
teeth found up to that time had come from the same individual. In 1828
(Annals cited, vol. II, pp. 267–270) Cooper described additional
materials which he had received from Skidaway Island.
In 1846 (Hodgson’s Mem. Megath., p. 25), Habersham gave a list of the
fossil bones and teeth found at the island mentioned. Lyell (op. cit.,
p. 313) gave a brief account of a visit to Skidaway Island and stated
that _Megatherium_, _Mylodon_, _Mastodon_, _Elephas primigenius_, and a
species of the ox tribe had been found there. In 1855 (Smithson.
Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. 5, p. 50) Leidy enumerated the specimens
of _Megatherium_ which had been found at Skidaway Island, and he gave an
excellent figure (plate xv) of a ramus of the lower jaw containing all
its teeth, which had been sent to the National Institute at Washington.
These bones ought to be now in the National Museum, but the writer has
not been able to find them. They may never have been transferred and may
be lost. On the other hand, Leidy did not mention other specimens from
Skidaway Island, given by Scriven, and now in the National Museum. One
of these is the hinder part of a skull figured in Hodgson’s memoir.
Also, the same plate contains what is almost certainly the astragalus;
its greatest diameter is 9 inches. Furthermore, there is present the
distal end of a right humerus presented by Doctor Scriven. It is
probably one of the two mentioned on page 27 of Hodgson’s memoir. As in
the one there measured, the distance across the condyles is 14 inches
and that across the articular surfaces is 7.75 inches. The Scriven
collection also contains several teeth and fragments of others. A piece
of the maxilla bears the small hindermost upper molar, no doubt the
fragment mentioned by Habersham in his memorandum, page 26. Many of the
bones sent from the island show by the presence of barnacles and bryozoa
that at one time they lay in salt water; but this was probably not long
before they were discovered.
Lyell stated that among other animals which had been found at Skidaway
Island was _Mylodon_. _Mylodon_ was reported by Lyell (“Travels in North
America,” vol. I, p. 164) as having been found at Heyner’s Bridge. This
is or was situated about 7 miles south of Savannah and about 5 miles
northwest from the locality on Skidaway Island where the _Megatherium_
and _Mylodon_ remains were found. The map accompanying Hodgson’s memoir
is here reproduced as map 40.
FLORIDA.
(Maps 3, 4.)
1. _Archer, Alachua County._—Leidy mentioned (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1886, pp. 11, 12) the fact that an astragalus of _Megatherium_
had been found at Archer. Several other species of vertebrates have been
found there, among them _Teleoceras fossiger_, _Gomphotherium
floridanum_, _Hipparion plicatile_, three species of _Procamelus_, and a
species of _Tapirus_. The deposits are assigned to the Pliocene, but it
is doubtful whether the megatherium and the tapir belonged among the
others. The geology of the locality is discussed on page 375. The
megatherium, as an undetermined species, is included in the list of
fossils which is recorded by Leidy in Bulletin 84 of the United States
Geological Survey, page 129. It may be referred provisionally to Leidy’s
_Megatherium mirabile_.
2. _Almero Farm, St. John County._—In the collection of Mr. Fred Allen,
at St. Augustine, the writer has seen a right tibia of a mylodon found
in the Inland Waterway Canal about 28 miles south of St. Augustine. The
bone is complete, except that a sliver has been split off the upper half
of the outer border. The total length of the bone is 290 mm.; the
greatest width of the upper end 208 mm.; width at middle of length 105
mm.; width of surface for astragalus 130 mm. This appears to be a
relatively stouter bone than the larger one described by Harlan (Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. XLIV, 1842, p. 77). It is also larger and relatively
stouter than a tibia found at Labelle, Lee County, described on page 40.
It is referred to _Mylodon harlani_.
11. _Williston, Levy County._—In the U. S. National Museum there are
some foot-bones of a large ground-sloth, which are labeled as having
been collected in 1887 by the U. S. Geological Survey, in the county
named. The collector was probably J. B. Hatcher. The astragalus had
evidently been studied by Leidy. This bone was described by the writer
in 1919 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVI, p. 104, plate XXVII) as
_Thinobadistes segnis_. Later, other parts of the foot were found in the
museum and described (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LIX, p. 638, plate
CXIX, figs. 6–11).
3. _Ocala, Marion County._—In 1888, in a fissure in a limestone quarry,
probably Phillip’s quarry, near Ocala, Mr. Joseph Willcox discovered
some vertebrate remains which were later described by Leidy (Trans.
Wagner Free Inst., vol. II, pp. 13–17, plate III, figs. 1, 5, 6 to 9).
The species as determined by Leidy were _Elephas columbi_, _Equus
fraternus_, _Auchenia minima_, and _Machairodus floridanus_. They were
regarded as belonging to the Quaternary, but in Dall’s paper of 1892
(Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 129) they are referred to the age of
the Alachua clays; that is, to the Pliocene. Sellards, in 1916 (8th Ann.
Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 103), regards the fossils as belonging to
the Pleistocene, and he adds representatives of 4 genera to the list.
These are undetermined species of _Bison_, _Odocoileus_, _Dasypus_, and
_Sylvilagus_. The genus _Dasypus_ is the one to which attention is
especially called at this time. A list of the vertebrate animals found
at this place is presented on page 378.
4. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—In Sellards’s report just referred to, he
prints a list of the Pleistocene vertebrates found in Withlacoochee
River. Among these is the xenarthrid animal _Chlamytherium
septentrionale_. What parts were secured and exactly at what place the
writer does not know.
In the collection of the Florida Geological Survey is a foot-bone, No.
1307, which appears to be the second right metacarpal of _Megalonyx_. It
is smaller than the one figured by Leidy. The extreme length is 60 mm.,
the greatest diameter of the proximal end 27 mm., that of the distal end
36 mm. It was found in the mine of the Dunnellon Phosphate Company. For
a list of the associated species the reader is referred to page 376.
5. _Hillsboro River, Hillsboro County._—In 1915 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XL, p. 139), Sellards stated that the Jarman collection at Vanderbilt
University, at Nashville, contains several dermal plates of
_Chlamytherium septentrionale_, found in Hillsboro River.
6. _Sarasota Bay, Sarasota County._—In 1915, Sellards (op. cit., p. 143)
reported that the collection of Wagner Free Institute at Philadelphia
contains one dermal plate of _Chlamytherium septentrionale_ found by
Joseph Willcox at White Beach, on Sarasota Bay.
The American Museum of Natural History, New York, possesses a dermal
plate of a xenarthrid, collected by Barnum Brown 8 miles southeast of
Sarasota. This probably belonged to the animal mentioned above.
7. _Zolfo, Hardee County._—Dr. W. D. Matthew has informed the writer
that there are in the American Museum of Natural History some bones of a
very large individual of _Megatherium_, reported as having been found
near Zolfo. An astragalus, the proximal part of a humerus, the distal
part of a radius, and the proximal part of a femur were mentioned. These
bones may be referred provisionally to _Megatherium mirabile_ Leidy.
8. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—At this place there have been found remains
representing 4 genera of xenarthrids, as follows: _Megalonyx_,
_Mylodon_, _Chlamytherium_, and _Dasypus_.
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_ is represented by a part of a lower jaw, a right
upper canine tooth, a molar tooth, a part of a hyoid bone, an axis, an
astragalus, a median phalanx, and a claw (Sellards, 8th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., p. 148, plate XXV, fig. 2; plate XXX, fig. 6).
These were all found in the stratum denominated No. 2 in the report just
cited.
_Mylodon harlani?_ is known from a single claw, but from which stratum
it was derived is not known.
_Chlamytherium_ is represented by a part of the right side of the lower
jaw, a part of the left side, a foot-bone, and numerous dermal plates
(Sellards, op. cit., p. 148, plate XXVIII, figs. 4 to 6; plate XXX, fig.
7). Most of these remains have been taken from stratum No. 2, but some
finely preserved dermal plates have been collected from No. 3.
_Dasypus_ remains, consisting of dermal scutes, have been found in both
No. 2 and No. 3.
In the collection of the Florida Geological Survey (No. 1795) is a bone,
apparently the right parietal of an undetermined xenarthrid. It was
found in the canal of the Indian River Farms Company, east of the
railway and near Indian River. The length of the bone at the midline is
70 mm. and here the thickness is 22 mm. There appears to have been no
median crest and only a feebly indicated occipital crest. There is no
rough surface for the temporal muscles, as in _Nothrotherium_, and the
bone is thicker than in that genus.
For complete lists of the fossil vertebrates found at Vero, see page
382.
9. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—The _Xenarthra_ are represented in the
Pleistocene deposits about Arcadia by the genera _Megalonyx_,
_Glyptodon_, and _Chlamytherium_. If these were not found at Arcadia
they were collected along Peace Creek, not far from the town. A list of
the species found in the vicinity of Arcadia is given on page 380.
Leidy (Trans. Wagner Free Inst., vol. II, p. 27) stated that a first
phalanx of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ was among the fossils collected along
Peace Creek. It was probably found on the sand-bar at Arcadia. Among the
fossil vertebrates described by Leidy, the paper just cited included
some dermal plates which he referred to the genus _Glyptodon_. Two of
these plates were figured (op. cit., plate IV, fig. 9; plate VI, fig. 1)
as those of _G. petaliferus_, a species based on half of a dermal scute
described by Cope from southwestern Texas. The dermal scute shown on
Leidy’s plate IV appears to be indistinguishable from similar plates
which have been referred by the present writer to Cope’s _G.
petaliferus_ (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LI, 1916, p. 107, plates III
to V). The scute represented by Leidy on his plate VI appears to be far
less extensively pitted than any of those of the specimen just referred
to. On Leidy’s plate V are two views of a scute which he thought might
have belonged on the tail of a glyptodon. It will be observed that this
scute has a beak distinctly set off from the body of the scute. Among
the few caudal scutes of the specimen which the writer described none
presents such a beak, but such may have existed. It seems probable,
however, that there was a single species of _Glyptodon_ found on Peace
Creek and that it was different from _G. petaliferus_. Leidy thought
that these caudal scutes resembled those on the tail of the South
American _G. asper_; but Burmeister’s figures do not indicate exactly
such keeled scutes. It is most probable that the Florida species
requires a new name. It is to be called _Glyptodon rivipacis_ Hay.
Leidy referred another dermal scute to some glyptodont animal (op. cit.,
plate VI, figs. 2, 3), but its nature is doubtful; it may even belong to
one of the large species of _Testudo_. A conical bone (plate III, figs.
10, 11) belonged pretty certainly to _Testudo_.
In the paper cited Leidy described and figured (p. 24, plate III, figs.
3 to 6) plates of an armadillo-like animal to which he gave the name
_Glyptodon septentrionalis_. It is now known as _Chlamytherium
septentrionale_. Leidy had over 30 of these dermal scutes which had been
found at Arcadia. They are now in the Wagner Free Institute at
Philadelphia.
Sellards (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XL, 1915, p. 143) states that there are
3 dermal plates of this animal in the U. S. National Museum. In 1915
(Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VII, pp. 77, 78, plate on p. 114) he
described a lower jaw, a tooth, and 2 dermal plates of the same animal.
10. _Labelle, Lee County._—In the Florida Geological Survey is a right
tibia of a mylodon, found on the bank of Caloosahatchee River, near
Labelle, presented by Capt. F. H. Hendry. The total length is 266 mm.;
on the inner border 236 mm. The width across the articulatory surface
for the femur is 164 mm. The width at the middle of the length is 84
mm.; fore-and-aft diameter at the same place 38 mm. The side-to-side
diameter of the surface for the astragalus is 57 mm. The bone is
referred to _Mylodon harlani_.
11. See page 37.
ALABAMA.
(Map 3.)
1. _Tuscumbia, Colbert County._—In his work on the “Extinct Sloth Tribe”
in North America (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. V, p. 6,
plate XVI, fig. 13), Leidy, in recording the materials belonging to
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_ at his disposal, mentioned a supposed third
upper molar, said to have come “from Tuscumbia County, Alabama.” This
was an error, as the name of the town is Tuscumbia. The tooth had been
loaned to him by Dr. Jeffries Wyman. Nothing more is known about its
history. Mercer (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XXXVI, p. 38) stated
that a well-preserved series of bones of _Megalonyx_ had been sent to
the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia by Mr. Tuomey. They had
been obtained in a cave somewhere in northern Alabama. Leidy does not
mention this collection in his work just cited.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 3.)
1. _Natchez, Adams County._—Dr. M. W. Dickeson (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1846, p. 106) exhibited before the Academy a large series of
fossil bones secured by him near Natchez. Among these were noted
especially what was described as an entire head with part of the lower
jaw, and many parts of the skeleton of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_. This
skull is still in the collection of the Academy. The lower jaw is
missing. It appears that several skeletons were represented in
Dickeson’s collection. These, as Dickeson stated, had been found in a
tenacious blue clay which underlies what he called diluvial drift, but
now regarded as being at least principally loess. Associated with this
animal were remains of _Ursus_, _Bos_ (_Bison_), _Cervus_
(_Odocoileus_), _Equus_, and some other but undetermined genera.
In his “Second Visit to the United States of North America,” edition 2,
1850, volume II, p. 196, Lyell mentions the _Megalonyx_ among other
fossils found at Natchez. He states that the fossils found by Doctor
Dickeson were obtained in the “Mammoth Ravine” 6 miles from Natchez.
In Southall’s “Recent Origin of Man,” 1875, page 552, is a statement
made by Professor C. G. Forshey (as quoted from Foster’s “Prehistoric
Races of the United States,” p. 61) in which he says that he visited the
locality where the human pelvis was found and that it was situated in
Bernard’s Bayou, 2.5 miles from Natchez.
In his memoir of 1853 on “Extinct Species of American Ox” (Smithson.
Contrib. Knowl., vol. V, art. III, p. 10), Doctor Leidy included
_Mylodon_ among the genera found at Natchez. In his memoir of 1855 on
the “Extinct Sloth Tribe of North America” (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl.,
vol. VII, art. V, p. 48) he gave a list of the bones and brief
descriptions of them. They all belonged to one individual, which was
about half-grown.
In a list furnished to B. C. L. Wailles by Doctor Leidy (Wailles, Agric.
Geol., Mississippi, 1854, p. 286), 4 species of _Xenarthra_ are included
among the mammals found fossil in the Pleistocene of Mississippi. These
are _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, _M. dissimilis_, _Mylodon harlani_, and
_Ereptodon priscus_. Cope regarded _M. dissimilis_ as the same as _M.
jeffersonii_, and Leidy was disposed to consider his _Ereptodon priscus_
as identical with one of the species of _Megalonyx_.
A list of the fossil vertebrates found in the vicinity of Natchez will
be given on page 392.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 3.)
1. _Elroy, Van Buren County._—In 1831 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila.,
ser. I, vol. VI, pp. 269–286, plates XII to XIV; 1835, Med. Phys. Res.,
pp. 319–331, plates XII to XV), Richard Harlan described a number of
bones of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ which had been purchased for the
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and which he reported had
been found in “White Cave,” Kentucky. This was supposed to be situated
near Mammoth Cave. It was ascertained later that the bones had been
found in Bigbone Cave, Van Buren County, Tennessee.
The bones mentioned by Harlan had belonged to a young animal and
consisted of 5 vertebræ, a few fore-limb bones, a few hinder-limb bones,
a scapula, a rib, and a part of a molar tooth. Some of the articulating
surfaces still retained their cartilage. In the same cave were found
bones of “_Bos_” (_Bison_), “_Cervus_” (_Odocoileus?_), _Ursus_, and a
human metacarpal. These were said to have been found on the surface,
while the megalonyx bones were buried at a depth of 2 or 3 feet. The
mandible of the bear (Harlan, op. cit., p. 283) was described as
displaying appearances of antiquity equal to that of the megalonyx
bones. The sloth bones were made the basis of the name _Megalonyx
laqueatus_. In 1855 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. 5, p. 4),
Leidy determined that these bones belonged to _M. jeffersonii_. He wrote
that the collection consisted of one molar tooth, four dorsal vertebræ,
one lumbar, a left humerus lacking the upper epiphysis, the proximal
two-thirds of the right ulna, the right radius, the left scapula, the
distal epiphysis of the right femur, the left tibia, and the distal
epiphysis of the right tibia, a right calcaneum, two claws of a hinder
foot, and some fragments of ribs. Leidy appears to have concluded that
these bones had been those of a young animal, but that other bones in
the collection had belonged to adult individuals. He stated that they
had come from Bigbone Cave, White County. This adjoins Van Buren on the
north and possibly at that time included the latter; or Leidy may have
been mistaken. Besides the bones above mentioned, Harlan described from
this cave an ilium of _Megalonyx_ (Med. and Phys. Res., p. 334).
In 1892 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. III, pp. 121–123), Professor J. M.
Safford reported the discovery of some bones of a megalonyx in Bigbone
Cave. They had been met with in the bat manure at a depth of about 3
feet. The parts received by Professor Safford, and which are all
probably in Vanderbilt University, were the skull, 17 vertebræ
(including 5 sacrals), a fragment of a rib, a right scapula, a right
humerus, the two ilia, a part of the right pubis, a part of the right
ischium, and a left tibia. Safford concluded that these bones formed a
part of the same young animal that Harlan had described.
In 1897 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XXXVI, pp. 36–70), Dr. H. C.
Mercer gave a detailed account of his explorations in this cave. It is
situated about a mile from the left bank of Caney Fork River, a mile
above the mouth of a confluent called Dry Branch, and at an elevation of
about 1,000 feet above sea-level. It is excavated in Carboniferous
limestone and opens into what is known as “Beech Cove.” Thomas L. Bailey
(“Resources of Tennessee,” vol. VIII, pp. 131–132) described it as being
situated 3.5 miles south of Quebeck, near the head of a hollow or cove
extending south from McElroy’s store. The latter is probably the
locality put down on the topographic sheet of the quadrangle as Elroy.
It is further said to be one branch of an extensive cave whose other
branch is known as Arch Cave. Bigbone Cave is known to extend a distance
of 3 miles. It appears that the cave had been exploited for saltpeter in
the wars of 1776, 1812, and 1863 and immense amounts of the nitrous
earth had been removed. Mercer found no bones until he had reached a
small passage at a distance of 900 feet from the entrance. Here he found
an epiphysis of a left humerus, 6 vertebræ, an astragalus, and a
calcaneum of a sloth, evidently a young animal; and he concluded that
they were probably parts of the same animal that Harlan had described
many years before; also a part of a skeleton that had been found there
in 1884, which is the one described by Safford. A remarkable feature of
the bones of the young animal found in this cave, as noted by Harlan,
Leidy, and Mercer, is the presence of some of the cartilage, some shreds
of ligaments, and a part of the horny sheath of one claw.
2. _Lookout Mountain, Hamilton County._—In 1894 (Amer. Naturalist, vol.
XXVIII, pp. 355–357), Dr. H. C. Mercer reported his work, done in 1893,
in a cave situated on Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. In
a brief report made June 4, 1896 (Dept. Amer. and Prehist. Archæol.
Univ. Penn.), Mercer stated that this cave is on the left bank of
Tennessee River, 0.25 mile below Chattanooga Creek. According to the
report last quoted, the cave earth, “with its culture layer,” was
removed by him to a distance of 58 feet from the entrance. According to
the report of 1894, this was effected by digging 4 trenches, 6 feet 10
inches wide and with a depth of 3 feet, in two cases to rock bottom.
Near the bottom of the deposit were found a jaw of _Tapirus haysii_ with
teeth, and a jaw of a small _Mylodon_, identified as such by Professor
E. D. Cope. A bone of the extinct peccary appears to have been found
higher up in the layer of refuse. In a letter received by the writer in
1919, Doctor Mercer stated that later Cope expressed some doubt
regarding the identity of the bone supposed to belong to _Mylodon_.
A further reference to this cave and its contents will be found on page
396.
3. _Memphis, Shelby County._—In 1850 (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol.
III, p. 280; Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. X, p. 58), Jeffries Wyman
reported that a tooth and a claw of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ had been
found in the “diluvium” of Mississippi River at Memphis. The tooth is a
first upper molar of large size; the claw is that of the median digit.
With these were found remains of mastodon, beaver, and _Castoroides
ohioensis_.
4. _Nashville, Davidson County._—From Mr. William Edward Myer,
Nashville, Tennessee, the writer has received for examination a fragment
of a tooth of a mylodon which was found near Nashville, in sand or
gravel, along Cumberland River, beneath 30 feet of gravel. This tooth
appears to be the left lower penultimate molar of _Mylodon harlani_, but
it is in some ways different. The antero-inner face has a broad, shallow
groove, while the outer face makes a smaller angle with the inner hinder
face than in the tooth figured by Leidy.
The transverse section resembles that of the lower penultimate molar of
_M. sulcidens_ Cope (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XXXIV, plate X, fig.
4_a_), and somewhat the tooth regarded by Cope as the upper fourth molar
of _M. sulcidens_ (op. cit., plate XI, fig. 7). It is probable that _M.
sulcidens_ and _M. renidens_ of Cope are synonyms of _M. harlani_, as
Stock (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. VIII, p. 331) is inclined to
believe.
The greatest length of a cross-section of the tooth found at Nashville
is 27 mm.; the greatest width 14 mm. The tooth is the property of Mr. H.
L. Ridge, of Nashville.
At the same locality have been found remains of _Equus leidyi_, _E.
complicatus_, _Mammut americanum_, a camel (_Camelops?_), a species of
deer, and some turtle bones. The deposit seems to belong to a stage not
far removed from the Aftonian.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 3.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—In 1831, Dr. Richard Harlan (Monthly
Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, p. 77, plate III, figs. 1 to 3) described a
left ramus of the lower jaw of a ground-sloth which had been brought to
New York. This jaw he referred to his _Megalonyx laqueatus_ (_M.
jeffersonii_); but it was later shown by Owen (Zool. Beagle, 1840, p.
68) to belong to _Mylodon_, and he named it _M. harlani_ in honor of Dr.
Harlan. From Cooper (Monthly Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, p. 172) it is
learned that this bone had formed part of the Finnell collection at
Cincinnati. So far as the present writer sees, there was nothing in
Harlan’s article to show where the jaw was discovered. In 1855
(Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, p. 47, plate XIV, figs. 1, 2),
Leidy further described and illustrated the specimen and stated that it
was found at Bigbone Lick. In 1903, Barnum Brown (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat.
Hist., vol. XIX, p. 511) stated that Harlan’s specimen ought to be in
Columbia University, but it could not be found. It is more probable that
it was destroyed in a fire in the old American Museum of Natural
History.
In his report on Bigbone Lick (op. cit., p. 171), Cooper stated that he
had seen in the “Western Museum,” Cincinnati, a large humerus of a
megalonyx. Cooper further wrote that he and a companion had found at the
lick a metacarpal bone which he supposed belonged to the same animal.
The humerus was described and figured by Harlan (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.,
Phila., ser. 1, vol. VI, p. 277, plate XIII, fig. 10). Cooper (op. cit.,
p. 172) mentions other bones of _Megalonyx_ found at Bigbone Lick, but
some may have belonged to _Mylodon_. This is the case with the fragment
of lower jaw with 4 teeth which became the type of _Mylodon harlani_, as
above mentioned. In Princeton University there is an ungual phalanx 167
mm. long, 66 mm. high, and 43 mm. thick at the middle of the height.
This is labeled as having been found at Bigbone Lick. A list of the
species discovered at this place will be found on page 403.
2. _Bluelick Springs, Nicholas County._—In the collection made by Mr.
Thomas W. Hunter, in the sulphur spring at the place mentioned, the
writer has seen two ungual phalanges which were identified as those of
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_.
3. _Henderson, Henderson County._—A considerable part of a skeleton of
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_ was found at different times extending through
some years, about 5 or 6 miles below Henderson, in the bank of Ohio
River. This skeleton is now in the University of Indiana and was
described by Leidy in 1855 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art.
3). This collection furnished a fine skull and lower jaw. In the same
deposits were found many horns and bones of deer. The geology of the
locality and the age of the bones will be discussed on page 405.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE MASTODONS IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 5.)
1. _Essex County._—In 1898 (Science, n. s., vol. VII, p. 80), Dr. H. M.
Ami reported that he had exhumed some mastodon remains in this county.
The exact locality was not given. It was north of the west end of Lake
Erie. The section dug up was from 6 to 8 feet deep. At the bottom were
clay and boulders; above this were found gravel and the bones, and above
these sand, shell marl, peat, and other sands of various colors. The
remains were fragmentary.
2. _Morpeth and Highgate, Elgin County._—In 1858 (Canad. Jour. Indust.
Sci. Art, ser. 2, vol. III, p. 356), E. J. Chapman announced the
discovery of a tooth of mastodon at or near this place. He had seen a
drawing of the tooth. It appears that another man also had sent to the
journal an account of the discovery, accompanied by drawings. These
showed 5 distinct crown-ridges.
In 1891 (Geol. Mag. London, ser. 3, vol. VIII, p. 504; Brit. Assoc. Adv.
Sci., 64th meeting, 1892, p. 654), Professor J. Hoyes Panton gave an
account of the discovery of mammoth and mastodon bones at Highgate, only
a few miles north of Morpeth. These were found in a bed of marl. Some
measurements of the mastodon were given.
3. _St. Thomas, Elgin County._—In a private museum at Niagara Falls,
owned at the time by Davis Brothers, the writer saw a quite complete
lower jaw and a tusk, labeled as having been found at this place in
1856, on the farm of Isaac Barnard. The jaw had the last 3 teeth on the
right side and the last 2 on the left side. In front was a tusk about 6
inches long which appeared to be in the middle of the jaw. The upper
tusk is curved in a semicircle. Dr. J. W. Dawson (Geol. Mag. London,
ser. 1, vol. VI, 1869, p. 39) mentions this find. He stated that there
were 2 lower tusks. If this was the case the species _M. progenium_ is
indicated.
4. _London, Middlesex County._—In the article quoted above from the
Geological Magazine of London, Dr. J. W. Dawson stated that there were
in the Provincial Museum 3 mastodon molars which had been found at
London.
5. _Marburg, Norfolk County._—In 1898 (Science, n. s., vol. VII, p. 80),
Dr. H. M. Ami reported the exhumation of remains of a mastodon at some
place in this county. The skull, 25 ribs, 40 foot-bones, 2 tusks, and
many vertebræ were recovered. The remains were buried at a depth of from
only 3 to 4.5 feet. At the bottom was clay; above this, shell marl, and
sands of different colors; and above all was peat.
The writer has seen this skull in Victoria Museum, Ottawa. It is to a
considerable extent restored. It appears to have been found at or near
Marburg. A small label, somewhat injured, has the record: “West half lot
15, R V, Tp. of [?]dhouse, Norfolk Co., Ont. Ami, 1897.” The penultimate
and ultimate molars are in place. The former is 113 mm. long; the latter
is 174 mm. long, and has 4 crests and a talon. The tusks are present and
the right one is 2,230 mm. long. The skull is a large one. The width
across the rear is 760 mm.
6. _Dunnville, Haldimand County._—In 1869 (Geol. Mag. London, dec. 1,
vol. VI, pp. 38, 39), Dr. J. W. Dawson gave an account of the finding of
a mastodon, in 1868, at the place named, situated at the east end of
Lake Erie. When he reached the place a large part of the animal had
disappeared, especially the tusks. He found 7 teeth, a few vertebræ, a
few fragments of ribs, and part of the right ramus of the lower jaw.
These remains were buried in a swamp, partly embedded in a layer of fine
sand. This contained fresh-water shells of species yet living in that
region. The sand was 2.5 feet thick and rested on boulder clay. Over the
sand was 1.5 feet of black vegetable mold. He regarded it as clear that
the animal lived long after the close of the Glacial period.
7. _St. Catharines and Welland Port, Lincoln County._—At Rochester
University, New York, the writer has seen a cast of a lower jaw, labeled
as having come from the place named above. On the left side the second
and third molars are present, the former slightly worn, the hindermost
not at all. On the right side the hindermost molar is not to be seen.
The second molar is tilted up behind and lowered in front. The little
wear of the tooth is on the hinder end. It is possible that the
hindermost molar was yet in the bone and somewhat under the second one.
The ramus has a length of 400 mm.
8. _Toronto, York County._—It does not appear to be wholly certain that
the mastodon has been found at Toronto; but its occurrence there is
probable. In some of his papers Coleman has reported that its presence
was believed to be determined.
9. _Junction of Missinaibi and Moose Rivers, Algoma County._—In 1898
(Science, n. s., vol. VII, p. 80), Robert Bell reported a mastodon tooth
from the locality mentioned. It had been chopped out of a skull by an
Indian. Later Bell attempted to obtain the skull, but could not, because
of high water. A further account was given of this tooth by Bell in 1898
(Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. IX, p. 383).
CAPE BRETON ISLAND.
1. _Middle River, Victoria County._—In 1912 (Proc. Trans. Nova Scotia
Inst. Sci., vol. XIII, pp. 163–174), Mr. Harry Piers, curator of the
Provincial Museum, Halifax, presented a paper in which he detailed the
history of mastodon remains found on Cape Breton Island. At the place
above named, in a meadow, at a depth of only 5 inches, was found a right
femur. According to Piers’s account, this was discovered about the year
1834, possibly a few years earlier. It came into the possession of the
Mechanics’ Institute, at Halifax, and later of the Provincial Museum of
Halifax, where it is now preserved. It was noticed and figured by J. W.
Dawson in the four editions of his “Acadian Geology.”
2. _Baddeck, Victoria County._—According to Piers’s account, a molar
tooth of a mastodon, now in the Provincial Museum, was found in 1859, at
the place named. This tooth is figured by Dawson, with the femur. Piers
states that Dawson was in error in crediting Honeyman with the
discovery. Details regarding this are wanting. The molar has 3 crests.
In the same museum is a part of a proboscidean tusk, but it is not
certain where it was found. It is quite certain that all of these
remains are of animals which lived there after the Wisconsin ice had
retired.
These localities are not indicated on the map.
MASSACHUSETTS.
(Maps 5, 6.)
1. _Coleraine, Franklin County._—In 1872 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. III, p.
146), Dr. Edward Hitchcock, in a letter to one of the editors, reported
the discovery of a tooth of a mastodon at or near this place. It had
been shoveled out of a muck-bed, on the farm of Elias Bardwell. Nothing
more is known about the matter. This tooth was mentioned by B. K.
Emerson in 1917 (Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. 597, p. 149).
2. _Shrewsbury, Worcester County._—In 1885 (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci.,
vol. V, pp. 14, 15), N. L. Britton read before the Academy an extract
from the New York Times, copied from the Worcester Spy of October 14,
1885, relating to the finding of a human skull near Shrewsbury, close to
the spot where mastodon remains had been found the year before. In
Science (vol. VI, 1885), Professor F. W. Putnam gave an account of the
investigations of the case made by himself and others. The conditions
under which the mastodon was buried were incidentally described. In the
same year Franklin P. Rice, a member of the Worcester Natural History
Society, published a pamphlet of 8 pages, in which the discovery and
exhumation of the remains were set forth; one molar, an upper
penultimate, was well figured. A trench was being made in a meadow of a
farmer, W. U. Maynard, about 2 miles from the center of Shrewsbury, on
the road to Northborough. The teeth and some bones of the mastodon were
met at a depth of 8 feet. Putnam stated that these remains, as well as
the human skull, were resting on blue clay beneath a bed of peat. Rice
reported that the mastodon bones and teeth were resting on bed-rock.
Putnam believed that both skulls had been transported thither by water
before the peat was laid down. From Mrs. Ella Horr, custodian of the
Natural History Museum of Worcester, the writer has learned that the
mastodon remains are preserved there. Mention was made of these remains
by B. K. Emerson in 1917 (Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. 597, p. 149).
There is no reason to suppose that the mastodon in question lived before
the Wisconsin stage, but at its close. The ice must already have retired
beyond the State, and the land, which, according to Dr. Fairchild, was
depressed at the latitude of Shrewsbury about 350 feet, must have been
elevated enough to reduce considerably the area covered by water before
conditions would have favored the presence of mastodon. It is possible,
however, that the depression was not so great.
CONNECTICUT.
(Maps 5, 6.)
1. _Cheshire, New Haven County._—In 1828 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XIV, p.
187), a note appeared which stated that in the summer of the preceding
year 3 or 4 large molar teeth of a “mammoth” had been found near
Cheshire. From the description it is evident that they were teeth of a
mastodon. They were in fine condition but were immediately destroyed in
a frolic of the workmen. The teeth had been found in gravel only a few
feet under ground. Warren (“Monogr. on _Mastodon giganteus_,” p. 3)
stated that the mastodon teeth had been found in making a canal at
Cheshire. He undoubtedly referred to the teeth mentioned above.
Schuchert (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 4, vol. XIV, p. 321) states that one
tooth was preserved and is now in the Yale University collection.
2. _New Britain, Hartford County._—In 1835 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XXVII, p. 165), a report was published about the finding of a vertebra
of a mastodon in digging a canal for a factory in Berlin, not far from
New Britain. It appears to have been met with in a deposit of marl.
Schuchert (op. cit., p. 322) mentions this find and says that the
locality was not in Berlin, but in New Britain. The depth is given as 3
feet and the material as mud or clay.
Schuchert, as cited, gave an account of the discovery, in 1852, of
another mastodon in New Britain. Two or three teeth and some bones were
found in a soft swampy soil.
3. _Farmington, Hartford County._—In 1914 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XXXVII, pp. 321–330), Schuchert and Lull described the exhumation of a
mastodon near the town named. All of the principal bones of the skeleton
were secured. One tusk and most of the foot-bones were missing. The
account ought to be taken by collectors as a model for their reports.
The exact position of the skeleton is given. A topographic map of the
surrounding region is furnished, as well as the details concerning the
materials occurring above and below the bones. These lay on boulder clay
of Wisconsin age and were covered by materials washed in from the
surrounding higher grounds. No mollusks were found in the excavation,
and little vegetation. The bones, as shown by Lull’s map, were
remarkably little disturbed, not more than one might expect from the
activities of wolves. One of the tusks was, however, removed from the
skull a distance of 23 feet and left on ground 2 feet higher. Schuchert
regarded this as being hard to explain. The other tusk was not found at
all.
4. _Bristol, Hartford County._—In 1885 (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol. V,
p. 14), O. P. Hubbard stated that the remains of a mastodon had been
found at Bristol, but no further information was furnished.
5. _Sharon, Litchfield County._—In 1828 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XIV, p.
187), in a footnote, it was reported that, a good many years before that
time, some remains of mastodon had been found near Sharon. In 1835
(ibid., vol. XXVII, p. 166) it was stated that a mastodon bone, found
probably at Sharon, had been presented to the museum of Yale College.
There seems to be no certainty that the bone was correctly identified.
NEW YORK.
(Maps 5, 6, 34.)
1. _New Dorp, Richmond County._—In 1901 (Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol.
XIV, p. 67), Dr. Arthur Hollick reported the discovery of some fragments
of a molar of a mastodon in a swamp deposit in the Moravian cemetery
immediately north of New Dorp, Staten Island. The molar was found at a
depth of 23 feet. The swamp, now drained, was located immediately on the
moraine of the Wisconsin ice-sheet (Folio 157, U. S. Geol. Sur.). It had
evidently at first been a pond about 25 feet deep; later it had become
filled up with sandy silt, muck, and vegetable débris. At a depth of
about 8 feet Hollick found a stratum approximately 2 feet thick, in
which were cones of white spruce (_Picea canadensis_), a tree now found
not farther south than northern New England and the Adirondacks.
Evidently the mastodon had lived there not long after the retirement of
the ice, for the tooth appears to have been only about 2 feet above the
bottom of the old pond. The spot is probably at an altitude above the
submergence described by Fairchild (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XXVIII,
p. 279).
2. _Ridgewood, Kings County._—In 1885 (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol. V,
p. 15), Mr. D. S. Martin stated that some 15 or 20 years before that
time a mastodon skeleton had been exhumed in excavating for the
Ridgewood, Long Island, reservoirs. No details were furnished.
3. _Jamaica, Queens County._—In 1859 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 12th
meeting, 1858, p. 232), J. C. Brevoort reported the finding of 5 molar
teeth and fragments of bones in removing pond-muck in the valley of a
small stream which flowed into Baisley’s pond, near Jamaica. In the pond
itself was a deposit of mud, in some places 6 feet deep, which rested on
gravel. This deposit of mud, mixed with vegetable matter, is continued
up the valley mentioned. The bones and teeth were found about 20 yards
from the channel of the stream, resting on the gravel and covered by
about 4 feet of the muck.
According to Folio 83, of the U. S. Geological Survey, Jamaica and
vicinity is situated on stratified drift which was laid down while the
foot of the glacial ice was immediately north of the town. The mastodon
must have lived there after the retreat of the ice from the island; it
may have been a long time afterward. According to Fairchild, as above
cited, this locality was submerged by the sea while the stratified
materials were being laid down.
4. _Inwood, Nassau County._—In 1891 (Science, vol. XVIII, p. 342),
Professor R. P. Whitfield noted the finding near Inwood of a fragment of
what he regarded as a mastodon tusk. It was met in cutting a ditch in a
peat-swamp. While the probability is that the tusk was that of a
mastodon, it might have been that of one of the elephants.
5. _Riverhead, Suffolk County._—In 1842 (Zool. of New York, Mamm., p.
103), DeKay stated that in the year 1823 more than half of a lower jaw,
with the teeth, of a mastodon had been found on the south beach, about 4
miles east of Riverhead, between high and low water. This fossil was
mentioned by Dr. John M. Clarke in 1904 (N. Y. State Mus., Bull. 69, p.
923); also by J. C. Brevoort in 1859 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol.
XII, p. 233). This vicinity was evidently submerged while the foot of
the glacier was in Long Island. Only after the emergence of the island
did the animal probably have its existence.
6. _Morrisania, New York County._—In 1885, Dr. N. L. Britton (Trans. N.
Y. Acad. Sci., vol. V, p. 15) reported the discovery of a large portion
of a mastodon’s tusk in a cellar excavation in Morrisania 3 years
previously. Here, as in similar cases, one can not be certain that the
tusk was not that of an elephant.
7. _New York City._—In 1891 (Science, vol. XVIII, p. 342), Professor R.
P. Whitfield recorded the finding of a supposed mastodon tusk at the
upper end of New York Island. It was found at a depth of 16 feet below
mean low-water mark, embedded in peat, with the socket end downward. It
was met with in excavating the Harlem ship-canal and at the mouth of
Dyckman’s Creek, an artificial waterway. The location is given as 15
feet from the north side of the canal and 10 feet west of the center of
Broadway. At this particular spot there was found at the surface from 4
to 6 feet of meadow sod, with roots, etc. Below this was 12 feet of
incipient pure peat, lying on 18 to 20 inches of sandy clay, which
itself reposed on limestone. The tusk was in the peat, with its base in
the sand. It appeared to have settled from above through the peat.
8. _Hartsdale, Westchester County._—In 1908, Dr. John M. Clarke (60th
Ann. Rep. New York State Mus., for 1906, p. 60), reported that a tooth
and some small fragments of bone of a mastodon had been found on the
property of W. H. Fish of Hartsdale. No other information was given.
9. _New Antrim, Rockland County._—In 1818 (Cuvier’s Essay Orig. Earth,
p. 390, plate VI, figs. 1 to 4), Samuel L. Mitchill stated that he had
received a set of grinding teeth which had been found at the place
named. It is described as being 11 miles west of the Hudson River and 32
miles from New York. The teeth had been found in mud at a depth of 3
feet. They are mentioned in J. D. Godman’s “American Natural History.”
10. _Arden, Orange County._—In 1903 (New York State Mus. Bull. 69, p.
926), Dr. John M. Clarke stated that a tusk and a few other bones of a
mastodon had been found at this place. In 1908 (66th Ann. Rep. New York
State Mus., vol. I, p. 61), he gives the further information that the
locality was on lands of Mr. E. H. Harriman. Only 2 teeth, some ribs,
and a few fragments were secured. The soil was a peat or vegetable mold.
11. _Monroe, Orange County._—In 1903 (op. cit., p. 926), Clarke reported
that about the year 1888 mastodon bones were found on land of Martin
Konnight. Clarke himself continued excavations in 1901. About half of
the skeleton was secured in all. These bones are now in the New York
State Museum at Albany. They lay beneath 3 feet of clayey muck, at the
bottom of a pond from 3 to 10 feet deep.
12. _Chester, Orange County._—In 1818 (Cuvier’s Essay, etc., p. 376,
plate VII, figs. 1 to 4), Samuel L. Mitchill presented an account of the
exhumation in 1817 of a part of a mastodon skeleton at Chester. This had
been originally discovered in a ditch made through a wet meadow. The
surface soil was underlain by about 6 feet of black peat, and the bones
lay in this at a depth of about 4 feet; beneath was a stratum of coarse
vegetation. No marl underlay this muck. The upper jaw with teeth and
tusks, lower jaw with teeth, shoulder-blade, vertebræ, and parts of the
limbs were secured. An account of this discovery is to be found in
Godman’s “American Natural History.” J. C. Warren, in the second edition
of his monograph on the mastodon, has some remarks on the food of this
mastodon. In 1909 (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol. XVIII, p. 147, plate),
Dr. E. O. Hovey made a contribution to the history of this specimen.
What became of the bones is not known.
13. _Salisbury Mills, Orange County._—In 1903 (op. cit., p. 926), Clarke
gives a brief account of a part of a mastodon skeleton which, in 1879,
was found at this place, 9 miles southwest of Newburgh. It now forms the
larger part of a mount in the American Museum of Natural History, New
York. The present writer has no further information regarding this
specimen.
14. _New Windsor, Orange County._—In the Kansas City Review of Science
and Industry, volume III, 1879, page 241, is an item concerning the
finding of a mastodon at this place. Nearly all the bones were secured.
It was stated that a black vein of muck about 20 feet thick rested on a
bed of blue clay. The bones lay at depths varying from 2 to nearly 5
feet from the surface.
15. _Newburgh, Orange County._—A considerable number of mastodons, some
of them well preserved, have been discovered in the vicinity of
Newburgh. The earliest one found was exhumed by Charles Wilson Peale,
father of the artist Rembrandt Peale, in 1801. An account of the
unearthing of this specimen is given by Rembrandt Peale in his
“Historical Disquisition on the Mastodon,” London, 1803. The locality
was probably south or southwest of Newburgh, for in another paper
(Tilloch’s Philos. Mag., London, vol. XIV, 1802, p. 163) he states that
it was in the neighborhood of New Windsor. Peale wrote that the specimen
was found on the farm of John Masten. Peale’s account is reprinted in
the second volume of Godman’s “American Natural History.” The whole of
that part of the country is spoken of as abounding in morasses, solid
enough for cattle to walk upon, and containing peat underlain by a shell
marl. The mastodon remains had been found in an effort to get at the
marl. It appears that the bones were met with at a depth of 6 or 7 feet,
and were lying on the marl. Although the spring of 1801 was an unusually
dry one, the digging was greatly hindered by the incoming water, and the
work was finally abandoned. A considerable part of the skeleton was
secured and sent to Philadelphia.
What is known as the Warren mastodon was discovered in 1845, on the farm
of N. Brewster, somewhere in the vicinity of Newburgh. It is an
unusually complete and well-preserved skeleton, and gave occasion to the
waiting of Dr. John C. Warren’s monograph entitled “Description of a
skeleton of the Mastodon giganteus.” Of this work there was an edition
printed in 1852, a second in 1855.
The spot where this skeleton was buried is described as being situated
in a small valley 300 or 400 feet in length, in which was a pond of
water 30 or 40 feet in diameter. Around this the ground was wet and
swampy. The summer of 1845 being unusually dry and the pond desiccated,
a search was being made for marl. At a depth of about 4 feet the summit
of the animal’s head was encountered. For many years this skeleton was
in Cambridge, but is now the property of the American Museum of Natural
History in New York.
According to Warren’s description (Monograph, 1st ed., pp. 5, 211,
vignette), there was a deposit of about 2 feet of bog-peat, then about a
foot of peat of a reddish color. This was underlain by a bed of
shell-marl of a thickness not given, but probably about 2 or 3 feet,
while below this was mud changing downward into clay. Some parts of the
skeleton were in this mud; but the head, the right fore-leg, the spinal
column, part of the ribs, the pelvis, and the tail were embedded in the
marl. However, Dr. Charles A. Lee (21st Ann. Rep. State Cabinet, New
York, p. 108) affirmed that these bones were not in the marl, but were
wholly embedded in the muck or peat.
Dr. F. A. Lucas, of the American Museum of Natural History, New York,
stated in 1902 (Science, vol. XVI, p. 169) that there is in Vassar
College a skeleton of a mastodon which is supposed to have been found at
Newburgh.
In the collection of the Brooklyn Institute, New York, is a partial
skeleton which was found in 1899 on the farm of F. W. Schaeffer, 3 miles
west of Newburgh. According to Dr. J. M. Clarke (Bull. 69, N. Y. State
Mus., p. 926), the bones were found lying on a stony pavement under muck
and marl. Osborn (Science, vol. X, 1899, p. 539) stated that the deposit
is mostly dark and contains thoroughly decomposed vegetable matter
mingled with a few stones and numerous remains of trees, some of which
retain marks of beavers’ teeth. The deposit appeared to consist of three
layers, indicating, as supposed, the building of three distinct
beaver-dams.
Dr. John Mickleborough (Brooklyn Eagle, Mar. 9, 1901) stated that he had
collected in this peat-swamp species of mollusks belonging to _Limnæa_,
_Physa_, _Planorbis_, and _Sphærium_. He regarded it as certain that the
swamp had been for a long time a fresh-water lake.
Eager (op. cit., p. 73) wrote that in 1838 a mastodon tooth had been
found near Newburgh, on a farm owned by Samuel Dixon. No details.
Clarke (Bull. 69, N. Y. State Mus., p. 926) stated that in 1902 a
cranium and some other parts of a mastodon had been found at Balmville,
just north of Newburgh. The bones lay at a depth of from 2 to 8 feet,
some in the muck and some in the marl below. Under the marl was found a
boulder pavement.
In 1902 (Science, vol. XVI, pp. 594, 1033), Reginald Gordon gave
accounts of the exhumation of a mastodon skeleton 1 mile north of the
northern limit of Newburgh and 0.75 mile away from the Hudson. This
certainly refers to the same mastodon as that reported by Clarke. The
place is a swamp of about 2 acres and at a height of 180 feet above the
level of the river. The bones were found 2 to 8 feet below the surface,
a few of them inclosed in the muck, most of them in an underlying
shell-marl. The muck averages 2 feet in thickness; the marl varies from
a few inches to 12 feet in thickness. Beneath the marl a solid bottom is
formed of pebbles and boulders.
16. _Northeast of Coldenham, Orange County._—In 1847 (op. cit., p. 73),
Eager wrote that in 1800 remains of a mastodon were found about 7 miles
northeast from Montgomery, on or near a farm owned by Dr. George Graham.
This statement was based on Dr. J. G. Graham’s letter (Med. Repos., vol.
IV, p. 213). This must have been in the vicinity of the town named. Dr.
J. G. Graham stated that a vertebra had been found here. This may have
been in the marshes along Bushfield Creek.
17. _East Coldenham, Orange County._—Dr. James G. Graham (op. cit., p.
213) states that about 7 miles east of Montgomery (apparently about 5
miles west of Newburgh), a grinding-tooth and some hair of a dun color
had been found at a depth of 4 or 5 feet. Possibly the supposed hair was
some sort of vegetable matter. The place may have been on Bushfield
Creek. Gordon (Science, n. s., vol. XVI, p. 1033) reported further the
finding of large numbers of tree-trunks both in the muck and in the
marl. Some mastodon bones were found resting on the trees. Red cedar and
spruce were recognized. Some trees showed marks of the teeth of beavers.
18. _Montgomery, Orange County._—Several more or less well-represented
skeletons of mastodons have been discovered in the vicinity of
Montgomery. So far as the writer knows, the first were met with in 1782.
An account of the discovery was given by Rev. Robert Annan in 1793 (Mem.
Amer. Acad. Arts, Sci., vol. II, pp. 160–164). The town was not named,
but Mather (Geol. N. Y., 1st Dist., pt. 1, 1843, p. 202), on the
authority of Dr. James G. Graham (Med. Repos., vol. IV, p. 213), stated
that the place was 3 miles south of Ward’s Bridge, an old name of
Montgomery. This would be near the village of Neelytown, and probably in
the swamps along Beaver Creek. A ditch was being made in a deep and wet
swamp, and some large teeth were thrown out. The description of these
shows that they belonged to a mastodon. Bones were present, but mostly
so far decayed that few could be saved.
Eager (op. cit., p. 73) stated that in 1803 mastodon remains had been
found on a farm a mile east of Montgomery. These bones were dug out by
Peale in 1805 or 1806, and Eager, then a boy, observed the work from day
to day. Nothing was said about what remains were secured, or about the
geological conditions; but Graham wrote that 3 or 4 ribs were found in a
swamp at a depth of 8 feet.
R. Peale, writing in 1803 (“Disquisition on Mammoth,” pp. 27–29),
reported that his father exhumed mastodon bones on a farm belonging to
T. Barber, where 8 years before 4 ribs had been found in digging a pit.
One may suppose that only one place is in question and that Eager was
wrong in his date. Peale secured almost an entire set of ribs, two
rotten tusks, 3 or 4 small teeth, and some other parts. At the bottom of
the excavation there was a shell marl; above this there was probably
peat or muck.
Dr. Graham further stated that about 3 miles east of Ward’s Bridge (now
Montgomery) some other bones had been discovered. This was quite
certainly near the village of Berea, where swamps are indicated on the
topographical map of that quadrangle.
19. _Hamptonburg, Orange County._—Eager (op. cit., p. 73) states that in
1845 mastodon remains had been found in this town on the farm of Jesse
C. Cleve, but no further information was furnished.
20. _Bullville, Orange County._—Eager (op. cit., p. 73) says that in
1794 remains of a mastodon had been found about 5 miles west of
Montgomery, just east of the residence of Archibald Crawford, and near
the line of the Cochecton turnpike. It appears probable that the place
was east of Bullville on the Dwaar Kill. What was found was not stated.
In 1830 (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. III, p. 478, plate XVII), J. D.
Godman described a skull of a mastodon which, he said, had been
disinterred a short time previously by Archibald Crawford, about 12
miles from Newburgh. Besides the head, some bones from the trunk and
limbs were secured. Whether or not two discoveries had been made, and
whether, if two, the localities were near each other, it is now
impossible to say with confidence.
Somewhere about Bullville, possibly farther north or northeast, the
elder Peale (R. Peale, Hist. Disquis., p. 30) secured some mastodon
bones. In arriving at the place, he crossed Wallkill River at the falls
(Walden) and “ascended into a rudely cultivated country about 20 miles
from the Hudson.” The bones were found in a morass on the farm of Peter
Millspaw. The lower jaw found there was mentioned and figured by Hays
(Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. IV, 1834, p. 321).
21. _Scotchtown, Orange County._—On the page just quoted, Eager reported
that in 1844 some part of a mastodon had been found at the place named.
In his work on _Mastodon giganteus_ (first edition, pages 110–117,
plates XVI, XVIII, XIX), Dr. J. C. Warren described a very complete
skull which had been found at this place. He stated that the magnificent
head is remarkable for its size, whiteness, and the distinctness of its
sutures. It is known as the “Shawangunk head.” Warren wrote that the
strata covering it were: first, gravel; second, marl; third, a layer of
peat hard enough to be turned in a lathe.
Eager, in his “History of Orange County,” on page 348, stated that
remains of _Mastodon maximus_ were, in 1843, dug up from a marl-bed on
the farm of William Connor, about 0.25 mile from Scotchtown, and were
then in the cabinet of Professor Emmons, of Albany. This was quite
certainly the “Shawangunk mastodon.”
22. _Otisville, Orange County._—In Yale University there is a nearly
complete skeleton of a mastodon which was described and figured by
Professor O. C. Marsh in 1892 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLIV, p. 350,
plate VIII), but no statement was made as to its origin. Clarke (Bull.
69, New York State Museum, p. 925) stated that a mastodon found in 1874
was purchased by Professor Marsh. Professor R. S. Lull (Amer. Jour.
Sci., vol. XXV, 1908, p. 193) refers to a mastodon at Yale which came
from Otisville. In 1914 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXVII, p. 330) he
presented some notes on the anatomy.
A newspaper account of the discovery of this skeleton stated that the
region of the stomach contained very fresh-looking, large leaves of odd
form, and blades of strange grass of extreme length, and from 1 to 3
inches in width. It seems probable that a good deal of this was pure
imagination. The vegetation which flourished there at the time the
mastodon was living was certainly not different from that of to-day.
23. _Shawangunk, near Wallkill, Ulster County._—Dr. James G. Graham,
writing in 1801 (Med. Repos. New York, vol. IV, p. 213), reported that
“a skeleton of a mastodon had been discovered about 3 miles east of his
house, in the town of Shawangunk.” The bones lay about 10 feet from the
surface and were in a very sound state. Some parts of the head, much
broken, were among the parts secured.
24. _Ellenville, Ulster County._—In 1861 (14th Ann. Rep. State Cabinet,
pp. 7, 15) the discovery at this place of some mastodon remains was
briefly reported. A large tusk and parts of the skull, with teeth, were
secured. The swamp is composed of about 2 feet of peat and 3 feet of
marl, resting on a base of clay. The bones were lying in the marl. In
1871 (21st Ann. Rep., etc., p. 128) further mention of these bones was
made. Clarke (Bull. 69, State Mus., p. 927) mentions these remains and
adds that there is also a smaller tusk in the museum.
In Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey, the writer has seen a
tusk about 10 feet long, with a considerably spiral form, which is said
to have been found at Ellenville. It may, however, be the tusk of an
elephant.
25. _Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County._—In 1854 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XVIII, p. 447), an editorial paragraph stated that a skeleton of a
mastodon had been found buried in a marsh about 2 miles east of
Poughkeepsie. It had then been only partly exhumed. Clarke (Bull. 69,
State Mus., p. 927) quotes from a letter written by Professor W. B.
Dwight, who stated that about 40, perhaps 45, years previously mastodon
bones had been found in a small pond on the “Creek Road,” from 2 to 3
miles northeast of the city named. Probably the same skeleton was
referred to by both writers. Clarke stated further that there is in the
State Museum a vertebra of a mastodon from Poughkeepsie.
26. _Between Red Bridge and Wurtsboro, Sullivan County._—In 1828 (Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. XIV, p. 31), J. Van Rensselaer reported that remains of
a mastodon had been found by workmen digging the Delaware and Hudson
Canal, near the point named. A considerable part of the skeleton had
been secured. Mather (Geol. 1st Dist., p. 233) adds that this was found
in a peat-bog.
27. _Claverack, Columbia County._—Somewhere near this place, not
improbably on the opposite side of the river, in Greene County, were
found apparently the first mastodon remains discovered in this country.
In his “History of Orange County, New York,” Eager published a letter
addressed in 1706 by Governor Joseph Dudley to Cotton Mather. In this he
told of having secured a tooth which was probably a penultimate molar of
a mastodon. Dudley regarded it as the eye-tooth of a giant who had been
destroyed by the flood. The locality was given as about 30 miles below
Albany and was mentioned as Claverack. It appears that another tooth had
been presented the year before to Lord Cornbury. In the account of this,
found in a letter by Lord Cornbury, the locality is given as 20 miles
below Albany. Clarke (op. cit., p. 928) thinks that this was probably
near the present New Baltimore; but a letter from Abeel, recorder of
Albany County, published by Clarke, shows that a man was sent to
Claverack to make further search. It appears as if 2 teeth had been
discovered at the same place near the town. Abeel stated that the tooth
had been found near the bank of the river, and that other bones were met
with 15 feet below the surface. It appears not improbable that these
bones were buried in clays laid down during the Late Wisconsin
submergence or in deposits overlying these clays.
28. _Freehold, Greene County._—Clarke (op. cit., p. 927) stated that
there is in the American Museum of Natural History, New York, an atlas
of a mastodon which was found at Freehold.
29. _Greeneville, Greene County._—In 1843 (Geol. 4th Dist., p. 367),
James Hall stated that he had visited this locality, where mastodon
bones had been found embedded in a fresh-water marl. Lyell (Ann. Mag.
Nat. Hist., vol. XII, 1843, p. 127) visited the locality with Hall and
stated that the mastodon bones occurred in swamps at a depth of 4 or 5
feet.
In 1843, Mather (Geol. 1st Dist., p. 44) wrote that bones supposed to
belong to an elephant had been found at this place. It is doubtful
whether the remains reported by Mather and Hall are those of an elephant
or of a mastodon.
30. _Coeymans, Albany County._—Mather (Geol. 4th Dist., 1843, p. 44)
recorded the finding of mastodon remains on Helderberg Mountain, on the
farm of a Mr. Shear, 4 or 5 miles west of Hudson River, in the township
of Coeymans. The remains were discovered in a bed of shell-marl, in the
bank of a marsh. A tusk was taken to Albany. It was supposed that most
of the skeleton was left in the ground.
31. _Cohoes, Albany County._—In the collection of the State Museum, at
Albany, there is a mounted skeleton of a mastodon discovered in 1866. It
was first announced by Robert Safely (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLII, 1866,
p. 426) and soon afterward noticed by Marsh (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XLIII, 1866, p. 115). It formed the subject of an essay by James Hall
(21st Ann. Rep. New York State Cabinet, 1871, pp. 98–148, plates
III-VII) and was further mentioned by Clarke in 1903 (op. cit., pp.
929–930). Portions of it were found in two large pot-holes on the shore
of Mohawk River. For the facts, and for Hall’s and Clarke’s conclusions,
the reader must consult the publications cited. G. K. Gilbert (21st Ann.
Rep. State Cabinet, 1871, pp. 129–148) discussed the geological
conditions at Cohoes. He concluded (p. 140) that the pot-holes were not
made during a glacial period, but were of preglacial age. Dr. H. L.
Fairchild, who has studied the history of the Mohawk Valley more
thoroughly than anyone else, has expressed in a letter to the present
writer the opinion that the pot-holes are post-glacial formations. The
matter is further discussed on page 297. Inasmuch as the glacial ice was
not far away, it appears to the present writer that the geological stage
may better be regarded as Late Wisconsin.
Professor Fairchild’s plate 16 of Bulletin No. 160 of the State Museum
of New York gives the position of the Wisconsin ice-sheet in New York at
the time that it had just withdrawn from the region about Cohoes. His
plate 17 presents a later stage, when the upper part of the Hudson
Valley was occupied by Lake Albany.
Unfortunately, no evidences of other animal life, excepting the beaver,
were found with the mastodon at Cohoes. Marsh, in his notice of the
discovery, gave a list of the trees recognized in the pot-holes. There
were white pine, hemlock, black spruce, larch, swamp maple, and white
birch.
In the American Museum of Natural History, New York, there is a lower
jaw of a mastodon with second and third true molars, right and left,
which is said to have come from Cohoes.
32. _Copenhagen, Lewis County._—In 1884 (Trans. Linn. Soc. N. Y., p.
47), Dr. C. Hart Merriam stated that there had been found in 1877, in a
marl bed about a mile west of Copenhagen, a tusk measuring 5 feet 9
inches in length. It was purchased for the State Cabinet. It could not
be determined whether this had belonged to an elephant or a mastodon.
33. _Center Lisle, Broome County._—In the Watkins Glen-Catatonk folio
No. 169 of the U. S. Geological Survey, on page 28, Dr. Ralph S. Tarr
stated that remains of a mastodon had been found a few hundred yards
north of this town, in a boggy place where a spring emerges from the
base of a gravel terrace. He did not tell what parts had been found. He
remarked that one could not be certain whether the bones had been washed
out of the gravel or had come from an animal which had mired there. In
geological age it must be referred to the last half of the Wisconsin
stage.
34. _Brookton, Tompkins County._—In the American Naturalist, volume V,
1871, page 314, C. Fred Hartt gave an account of the discovery of
mastodon bones at Mott’s Corners, on Six-mile Creek. This is the former
name of the present village of Brookton. Only 2 teeth and some fragments
of bones were secured. The locality is situated in a deep valley of the
creek, which had once been filled with drift, and through this the creek
had cut down to solid rock. Where the bones were found was a small
peat-bog consisting of a layer of peat varying from a few inches to 2
feet. This was full of sticks, pine knots, bark, etc., more or less
decayed. Below this peat was a layer, a few inches thick, composed of
clay mixed with pebbles and pieces of shale. In this were the teeth and
decayed bones. The whole was underlain by drift materials. Tarr, as
cited above, stated that mastodon remains had been found in a swamp in
the valley bottom at Brookton. He did not say when the discovery was
made, nor what was found. It is not unlikely that the two cases are the
same.
In 1871 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. II, p. 58), Dr. Burt G. Wilder reported
that 5 teeth and many fragmentary bones had been found near Ithaca, in a
deposit of modified drift. The writer has been informed by Miss Pearl
Sheldon, of Cornell University, that these are the same remains as those
reported by Professor Hartt.
The mastodon found at Brookton could hardly have lived there before the
stage when the waters that gathered at the southern edge of the
retreating ice were reaching the sea by way of Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.
35. _Pony Hollow, Tompkins County._—In 1915 (Science, vol. XLI, pp.
98–99), Pearl Sheldon, of the Department of Geology in Cornell
University, reported that a tusk, probably of a mastodon, had been found
at Pony Hollow, 12 miles southwest of Ithaca, on the farm of Bert Drake.
This place, as shown on the Ithaca Quadrangle topographical sheet, is in
the southwest corner of the county. As the writer is informed by Miss
Sheldon, it is on Cantor Creek, near its junction with West Branch. The
tusk was met with in a gravel-pit at a depth of 24 feet. The radius of
curvature was between 2 and 3 feet, the circumference from 10 to 13
inches. It may have been the tusk of an elephant. The pit was in the
base of an extensive terrace which follows the valley-wall high above
the outwash gravel-plain occupying the floor of the valley. The reporter
thought that the terrace was not later in origin than the end of the ice
occupation of the valley, and might be earlier.
Miss Sheldon informed the writer that the terrace which contained the
mastodon tusk is too high in the valley to have been formed by water
backed up against the retreating ice-front. Furthermore, the locality is
south of the divide. It was suggested that during the retreat of the ice
the southward-flowing water in the Pony Hollow basin was backed up
somewhat by the ice in the Seneca basin. At any rate, the terrace and
the mastodon contained in it belong to the latter part of the Wisconsin
ice stage.
36. _Elmira, Chemung County._—Dr. John M. Clarke (60th Ann. Rep. New
York State Mus., p. 59) referred to reports of the eighteenth century to
the effect that tusks of proboscideans had been found in Chemung River,
one of them just below Elmira. It is very probable that some or all of
these had belonged to the mastodon.
Apparently all that can be said about the geological age of these
proboscideans is that they lived during or after the last half of the
Wisconsin drift stage.
37. _Lodi, Seneca County._—In the American Museum of Natural History,
New York, there are second and third upper mastodon molars, recorded as
having been found at Lodi. The town is on the eastern shore of Seneca
Lake. This animal belonged to the last half of the Wisconsin stage, or
to a later one. Possibly it was living there at the early period when
the impounded waters of the Finger Lake region were discharging through
Susquehanna River.
38. _Macedon, Wayne County._—Dr. J. M. Clarke, in 1903 (Bull. 69, N. Y.
State Mus., p. 930) reported for Professor H. L. Fairchild, that there
are in the University of Rochester a few mastodon teeth from this place.
There is no information on record about the geology of the place where
they were found. The animal belonged to a relatively late stage of the
Pleistocene and may have lived close to the beginning of the Recent. The
glacier had withdrawn near to or within the basin of Lake Ontario.
39. _Seneca Castle, Ontario County._—Professor Edward Hitchcock jr., in
1885 (Science, vol. VI, p. 450), announced the discovery of what was
supposed to be remains of mastodon at the bottom of a peat morass,
lately drained, at the town named. This place is near Flint Creek. No
teeth and no part of the skull were found. The remains were taken to
Amherst College. With these bones was found also an antler of an elk. In
a letter written December 21, 1918, Dr. F. B. Loomis, of Amherst, states
that he regards these bones as those of an elephant.
In Dr. J. M. Clarke’s report of 1903, on page 931, Mr. H. J. Peck gave
an account of this mastodon, together with a plate representing the way
in which the bones were scattered. They were found at a depth of about 3
feet and are shown to have been lying in a deposit of clay and marl,
above which came in succession clay and sand, sand, peat, and muck.
Beneath the bones were, in order, sand, blue clay, sandy clay, and a
thin layer of sand resting on boulder clay.
The stage at or after which this mastodon or elephant lived was probably
that represented by Fairchild’s plate 38.
40. _Perkinsville (Portway), Steuben County._—Dr. John M. Clarke, in
1908 (61st Ann. Rep. New York State Mus., vol. I, p. 44), reported the
discovery of a part of a skeleton of a mastodon in a large swamp 0.75
mile north of Portway railroad station. The swamp occupies a depression
in a mass of morainic drift. At the surface is from 6 to 12 inches of
black muck, beneath which is a bed of nearly white marl from 6 inches to
6 feet in thickness. The bones were lying 4 or 5 rods from the border of
the swamp. Those found were in a fine state of preservation. Among them
was one ramus of the lower jaw with teeth.
This and the following specimen lived after the Wisconsin glacier had
withdrawn about halfway from its terminal moraine to the shore of Lake
Ontario.
41. _Wayland, Steuben County._—In 1874 (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist.,
vol. XVII, p. 91), a report by Dr. J. G. Hunt, of Philadelphia, was
presented, which dealt with the contents of the stomach of a mastodon
said to have been found at Wayland. No statement was made as to the
skeleton of the animal, or the exact place where it had been discovered.
No remains of trees of any kind were detected, but stems and leaves of
mosses, confervoid filaments, a fragment supposed to belong to a rush,
woody tissue, and bark of herbaceous plants.
42. _Pittsford, Monroe County._—In 1831 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XIX, p.
358), Mr. J. A. Guernsey, of Pittsford, wrote that a part of a tusk,
supposed to belong to a mastodon, had been found on the bank of
Irondequoit Creek, 2.5 miles east of the town. The part secured was 7.5
feet long, and the whole tusk was thought to have been about 9 feet
long. The figure accompanying the description seems to indicate a
mastodon tusk rather than that of an elephant, but one can not be
certain about the matter. A much decayed cervical vertebra also was
found.
James Hall, in 1843 (Geol. 4th Dist., p. 364), reported that in the town
of Perinton there had been found in the bank of a small stream, in
gravel and sand, a tusk and several teeth. This place appears to be, or
to have been, very near Pittsford. At Perinton, too, was found a tooth
of the elephant _Elephas primigenius_, as mentioned on another page. It
was near here probably that there were found parts of two skeletons of
the peccary _Platygonus compressus_, as noted in its proper place.
Inasmuch as all these animals, as well as those found nearer Rochester,
were buried in deposits overlying Wisconsin drift, they must have lived
after the withdrawal of the ice beyond Rochester, and at a time when the
region had taken the present aspect or nearly so.
43. _Rochester, Monroe County._—In 1842 (Nat. Hist. N. Y. Mamm., p.
103), J. E. De Kay stated that in 1817 remains of mastodon had been
found in Rochester, 4 feet below the surface, in a hollow or
water-course. He did not give his authority for this statement. James
Hall, in 1843 (Geol. 4th Dist., p. 364), reported that in 1838, during
the excavation of the Genesee Valley Canal, at its junction with Sophia
street, various bones of a mastodon had been discovered. They are said
to have been intermingled with gravel and covered by clay and loam,
above which was a deposit of shell marl. The bones were placed in the
State Museum at Albany. C. D. (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXIII, 1837, p.
201) says that these bones were lying on and in a hard body of blue clay
and about 2 feet above the limestone, which itself was polished. Clarke
(Bull. 69, New York State Mus., p. 931) reported, on the authority of H.
L. Ward, that a few remains of mastodon had been found at Mount Hope
cemetery. In the collection of the University of Rochester is a
proboscidean rib 837 mm. long, which is labeled as having been found
January 27, 1913, at the corner of Charlotte boulevard and Miller
street. It lay in gravel 12 feet below the surface. It seems to the
writer to belong to _Mammut americanum_.
44. _Scottsburg, Livingston County._—Clarke (Bull. 69, etc., p. 932)
reported that 20 bones and various fragments of bones of a mastodon had
been collected here by F. H. Bradley and H. A. Green, and presented to
the Yale collection by R. S. Fellows. No additional information was
furnished. These remains include a hindermost lower molar (Cat. No.
11714) that had not yet come into use. The animal may be supposed to
have lived during or after the last half of the Wisconsin stage.
45. _Fowlerville, Livingston County._—Dr. John M. Clarke (Bull. 69,
etc., p. 932) stated, on the authority of Mr. H. J. Peck, that 3 or 4
teeth, tusks, and other bones, badly broken, had been found, in 1886, in
an excavation on the bank of Genesee River, 80 feet above the water. No
further information has been recorded.
From Dr. I. Edward Line, Rochester, N. Y., the writer has received a
photograph of an upper right penultimate molar, little worn, which he
reports as having been found in 1887, near Genesee River, on the road
from Avon to Fowlerville. It was discovered in a marshy part of the farm
of Robert Boyd and was exhumed by the late Dr. William Nishet, of Avon.
Other teeth, a tusk, and fragments of bone were found, some of which,
Dr. Line states, were taken to Harvard University by Professor F. W.
Putnam. Quite certainly this was the same mastodon as that reported by
Mr. Peck. The animal could not have lived here until after a stage
represented by Fairchild’s plate 37 (Bull. 127, New York State Mus.).
46. _Geneseo, Livingston County._—In 1827 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XII,
p. 380), Jeremiah Van Rensselaer reported that, in 1826, the skull,
tusks, lower jaws with teeth, pelvis, and many other bones had been
found at Geneseo. Later (1841) Lyell and James Hall made excavations at
the same place, but discovered only some fragments of the skull and of
other bones. These were at a depth of about 5 feet and were mixed with
marl and yet existing fresh-water shells. Over all was a layer of muck
(Lyell, “Travels in North America,” vol. I, p. 55). Hall (Geol. 4th
Dist., p. 363, fig. 173) published a figure of one of the teeth, a
hindermost molar. The remark as to the geological age of the Fowlerville
specimen applies to this one.
47. _Nunda, Livingston County._—Clarke (Bull. 69, p. 932) stated, on the
authority of Charles E. Beecher, that 10 bones and fragments of a
mastodon had been secured here, and presented to Yale University
collection. No exact locality and no geological information were
furnished. The geological age is quite certainly late Wisconsin or still
later.
48. _Belvidere, Allegany County._—In the American Geologist, vol.
XXXIII, 1904, page 60, an anonymous note states that some mastodon
remains, 3 ribs and 4 vertebræ, had been unearthed at this place by
James Johnson, of Bradford, and Alban Stewart, of the Smithsonian
Institution. Nothing was said as to the exact locality and geological
conditions. The time of the animal’s life could hardly have been earlier
than the last half of the Wisconsin stage.
49. _Pike, Wyoming County._—In 1876 (Guide to Genesee Valley Mus.,
Letchworth Park, Castile, N. Y., 1907, pp. 5–6), a part of a skull, the
tusks, a few vertebræ, and some foot-bones were found on the farm of
Charles Dennis, on the outskirts of the village of Pike. They were met
with in making a ditch and hence were probably in a marsh. Their
geological age is that of the last half of the Wisconsin stage or later.
50. _Attica, Wyoming County._—In 1887 (6th Ann. Rep. State Geologist,
for 1886, p. 34), J. M. Clarke described briefly the finding of supposed
mastodon bones at this place. A tusk had been encountered while a trench
for a water-main was being dug on Genesee street. In 1888 (41st Ann.
Rep. State Mus., for 1887, pp. 388–390, plate), Clarke reported the
results of further digging. The tusk was exhumed, as well as two ribs
and a fragment of the zygomatic arch. Nothing was found that
distinguished the remains from those of an elephant. The fragments were
in a bog-hole and scattered over a space about 20 by 25 feet. Under the
made ground was first a layer of loam 5 inches thick, then came in
succession 1 foot 2 inches of clayey muck and 1 foot 5 inches of
unlaminated clay and an undetermined thickness of laminated clay. The
bones lay in the unlaminated clay, at a depth of 2 feet 6 inches from
the natural surface. With the bones was what was thought to be an
ankle-bone of an elk. At a distance of 75 feet was another bog-hole, 75
feet in diameter, which was filled with muck lying on compact laminated
clay. The muck had a maximum thickness of 4 feet. At the deepest place
was found a piece of pottery and, beneath and around it, about 30
fragments of thoroughly burned charcoal.
The proboscidean remains here described must have been buried after (how
long after one can not say) the Wisconsin glacier had retired about
two-thirds the way from its southward limit to the shore of Lake
Ontario.
51. _Leroy, Genesee County._—J. E. De Kay, in 1842 (Zool. N. Y., Mamm.,
p. 104), stated that in 1841 a mastodon tooth weighing 2 pounds had been
found in a bed of marl 3 miles south of Leroy. No other information
appears to have been recorded.
The mastodons found here and at Stafford and Batavia could have lived
only after the ice-sheet had retired beyond these places. About this
time the waters of the Finger Lake region found an outlet westward to
the Mississippi by way of lakes Warren and Chicago.
52. _Stafford, Genesee County._—James Hall, in 1843 (Geol. 4th Dist., p.
364), reported that some years previously a small molar tooth had been
found at this place. It was beneath muck and upon a deposit of clay and
sand. There was found also a quantity of hair-like confervæ, of a
dun-brown color, which resembled hair so closely that a close
examination was necessary to determine its real nature.
53. _Batavia, Genesee County._—In 1904 (Bull. 69, New York State Museum,
p. 932), Clarke reported for H. L. Ward, that in 1897 two tusks, a part
of a skull with teeth, several vertebræ, and ribs had been found here.
Nothing more is known about this case.
54. _Holley, Orleans County._—In 1843, James Hall (Geol. 4th Dist., p.
364) reported that during the excavation of the Erie Canal, a large
molar tooth was found in a swamp near Holley. This, according to Clarke,
was about 1820. At the earliest time assignable, this mastodon lived
after the Wisconsin glacier had withdrawn nearly into the basin of Lake
Ontario. It may have had its existence nearly up to the Recent epoch.
55. _Medina, Orleans County._—In the Buffalo Society of Natural History
is a part of the left ramus of the lower jaw of a mastodon, labeled as
having been found in a swamp near Medina. It contains the second and
third true molars. The remark about the geological age of the Holley
mastodon is applicable to this one.
56. _Niagara, Niagara County._—In 1842 (Zool. N. Y., Mamm., p. 104), De
Kay stated that a mastodon tooth had been found in digging a mill-race
on Goat Island, 12 or 13 feet below the surface. Lyell, in 1843 (Ann.
Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. XII, p. 127), alluded to the occurrence of remains
of mastodon in a fresh-water formation on the right bank of the Niagara
River at the Falls. The formation appears to have consisted of gravel.
These are possibly the same remains as those mentioned by De Kay. Hall
(Geol. 4th Dist., p. 364) stated that the deposit was a fine gravel and
loam containing fresh-water shells, and evidently of fluviatile origin.
These deposits were noted by W. E. Logan (Geol. Canada, 1863, pp.
913–914). On the Canadian side of the gorge below the Falls, 16 species
of fresh-water mollusks were found in the sand, evidently where they had
lived.
At the museum of Davis Brothers, at Niagara Falls, Mr. B. U. Davis told
the writer that he owned 2 mastodon teeth which had been found in
digging for the foundations of the Tower Hotel, which faces the Falls
park.
Mastodons could have lived where Niagara Falls is now located only after
the Wisconsin ice-sheet had retired far enough to permit the waters of
Lake Iroquois to fall somewhat below those of Lake Erie, the shrinkage
of the latter to its present basin, and the formation of dry land or
land not too swampy around the present Niagara Falls.
57. _Hinsdale, Cattaraugus County._—Hall (op. cit., p. 364) stated that
at this place a tusk, with some horns of deer, had been found in gravel
and sand, 16 feet below the surface. Clarke (Bull. 69, etc., p. 933)
mentions this case and suggests that the antlers were possibly those of
the elk. The tusk may quite as well have been that of an elephant.
Lyell (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. XII, 1843, p. 127) referred to this
discovery as showing mastodon bones at the highest elevation known at
that time, 1,500 feet above the sea.
58. _Conewango, Cattaraugus County._—In 1908 (60th Ann. Rep. State Mus.,
p. 60), Clarke reported that part of a mastodon skeleton, consisting of
from 40 to 50 bones, mostly vertebræ and foot-bones, had been unearthed
in 1906 from the bank of the State ditch along Conewango Creek, close to
the boundary between Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties. The remains
lay on a shelf of hard clay. They were discovered and reported by C. N.
Hoard and W. H. Hoard. The locality was probably not far from the town
indicated. This animal is to be referred to the last half of the
Wisconsin glacial stage; that is, to the Wabash stage.
59. _Buffalo, Erie County._—In 1809 (Phila. Med. and Phys. Jour., vol.
II, p. 157), Dr. B. S. Barton reported that a tooth of a mastodon had
been found on Buffalo Creek, near its mouth. Of this mastodon one can
only say that it lived late in Wisconsin times, not earlier probably
than when Lake Iroquois became the immediate predecessor of Lake
Ontario.
60. _Jamestown, Chautauqua County._—In 1872 (Amer. Naturalist, vol. VI,
p. 178), Mr. T. A. Cheney announced the finding of parts of 2 skeletons
of the mastodon, in a swamp about a mile north of Jamestown. One was a
small animal, probably a young one, the larger one an adult. Of the
latter, 6 teeth in the lower jaw, the tusks, and various other bones
were secured. The remains were lying in a soil composed of peat and
marl, at a depth of 4 feet. A great mass, 8 or 9 bushels, of broken
twigs was found and taken to be the contents of the animal’s stomach.
This mastodon belonged to the last half of the Wisconsin glacial stage.
61. _Westfield, Chautauqua County._—Dr. J. M. Clarke, in 1903 (Bull. 69,
etc., p. 933), reported the discovery of a part of a skeleton at
Westfield. It was on the property of Mrs. Alice Peacock, alongside the
Nickel Plate Railroad. A tusk, 6 feet 2 inches long and highly curved,
17 ribs, 8 pelvic and lumbar vertebræ, a patella, and parts of the
scapula and pelvis were secured. The bones lay on a pavement of heavy
boulders and under several feet of black clayey muck. This animal could
have lived here only after the Wisconsin ice-sheet had withdrawn within,
or nearly within, the basin of Lake Erie.
NEW JERSEY.
(Maps 5, 6–A.)
1. _Mannington Township, Salem County._—In Rutgers College, New
Brunswick, New Jersey, is a mounted mastodon said to have been found on
the Hackett farm, Chestnut Hill, in Mannington. This township is
northwest of the town of Salem. It is stated that about 75 per cent of
the bones are present in the mounted skeleton; the missing parts are
restored in plaster or some other material. Rhoads (Mamm, Penn. N. J.,
1903, p. 235) was informed by Professor Valiant that this skeleton was
excavated from a bed of gray marl, at a depth of from 6 to 8 feet below
the surface. According to Lewis and Kümmel’s geological map of New
Jersey, 1912, this region appears to be overlain by the Cape May
formation (see also Salisbury and Knapp, vol. VIII, Final Rep. Geol.
Surv. New Jersey, p. 194).
2. _Harrisonville, Gloucester County._—In 1869, Cope (Cook’s Geol. New
Jersey, p. 740) stated that a mastodon had been found at this place, but
no details were furnished. Harrisonville is on Oldman’s Creek, and along
this are distributed, according to the map above cited, materials
belonging to the Pensauken formation. Bridgeton, Pensauken, and Cape May
deposits are, however, not far away (Salisbury and Knapp, op. cit., pp.
31, 96, 97, 194, 198).
3. _Mullica Hill, Gloucester County._—In Cook’s “Geology of New Jersey,”
Cope reported also that mastodon remains had been found at Mullica Hill,
on Raccoon Creek, but here again no details were given. Following the
map cited, and Salisbury and Knapp, page 194, we find Cape May deposits
at the town, but Pensauken is not far away, and it is not known exactly
where the mastodon remains were met with.
4. _Woodbury, Gloucester County._—Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads (Mamm. Penn. N.
J., 1903, p. 235) recorded the discovery of a mastodon near Woodbury. It
was found on Mantua Creek and was in the possession of Dr. J. C. Curry,
of Woodbury. Mantua Creek flows south of Woodbury, about 2.5 miles
distant. On the map cited the region is indicated as being covered
mostly by Pensauken materials, but there is some Cape May (Salisbury and
Knapp, pp. 100, 191). The Cape May is on a lower level along the
streams.
From Dr. Curry the writer learns that the remains of this mastodon
passed into the possession of Mr. Herbert Twells, of Woodbury, New
Jersey. Neither of these gentlemen is able to furnish any further
information.
5. _Pemberton, Burlington County._—Professor E. D. Cope (Cook’s Geol.
New Jersey, 1869, p. 740) stated that mastodon remains had been found at
Pemberton. Previously, Conrad (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. vol. I,
1832, p. 11) had reported that bones and teeth of this species had been
found here. In the collection of the Academy at Philadelphia are a part
of a skull and some bones and teeth which were collected at Pemberton in
1887 by J. C. Saltar and E. McConnell. Rhoads (Mamm. Penn. N. J., p.
234) mentioned this skeleton and said that it was exposed in the bed of
a small stream. Mr. J. Coleman Saltar, now of Milford, Delaware, has
kindly replied to the present writer’s inquiries. He says that the
skeleton was found about 1.5 miles northwest of Pemberton, in the bank
of a small stream lying partly in the water, partly embedded in the
bank. The flood-plain is perhaps about 10 feet below the tilled land
along the stream. On the flood-plain is recent silt. Below this appears
to be a Pleistocene deposit which contains vegetable débris, including
pine cones. The skeleton was in this layer, about 3 feet below the
surface. Professor Valiant informed Mr. Rhoads that another skull was
found, a good many years ago, in a swamp near Pemberton, and for a long
time was used as a door-step before its real nature was discovered. Mr.
Saltar, in the letter referred to above, stated that his understanding
has been that this skull was found along the same stream and was used as
a stepping-stone in crossing, until some progressive person sought to
change its position.
In the collection of the Academy, at Philadelphia, are 2 good teeth and
parts of 2 others which are said to have been found at Pemberton. They
are credited to G. C. Forsyth. At Princeton University is a nearly
complete lower jaw, No. 8173, of a mastodon which was collected at
Pemberton.
Pemberton is on Rancocas River. In Salisbury and Knapp’s work of 1917,
on page 184, it is stated that sands which seem to belong to the Cape
May are found along the North branch of the Rancocas near Pemberton.
6. _Trenton, Mercer County._—Mr. S. N. Rhoads, in 1903 (Mamm. Penn. N.
J., p. 235) stated that there is in Rutgers College Museum a specimen of
tusk of mastodon which was reported to have been found in 1878
associated with stone implements in the Trenton gravels, 12 feet below
the surface. Cook (Rep. Stat. Geol. New Jersey, for 1878, p. 15) stated
that the tusk was found at a depth of 14 feet, with the gravel and
stones partly stratified over it. There may be a question whether the
tusk belonged to a mastodon or to an elephant. Professor S. Lockwood
(Pop. Sci. Monthly, vol. XXLI, p. 344) wrote that he had seen a tusk,
doubtless the one mentioned above, taken from the Trenton gravels.
Whether or not this tusk was found immediately at Trenton was not
stated, but Cook reported that it was found at Trenton.
7. _Freehold, Monmouth County._—Several mastodons have been reported
from this place. Professor Samuel Lockwood, in 1882 (Amer. Jour. Sci.,
vol. XXIV, p. 291; Pop. Sci. Monthly, vol. XXII, p. 341; Proc. Amer.
Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. XXXI, 1883, p. 365) reported that he had exhumed
a skeleton of a mastodon in a peat-swamp 2 miles west of the town. It
rested on hardpan, beneath the peat. Over the neck were sticks which had
been cut by beavers. Lockwood’s complete account was published in the
Popular Science Monthly, as quoted. The skeleton was in very bad
condition. The lower jaw is not mentioned. According to the New Jersey
map cited, the region about Freehold is occupied by the Pensauken
formation; according to Salisbury and Knapp the identity of this is not
wholly certain. It is impossible to say when the skeleton had fallen
there. Some one, probably G. H. Cook (Geol. New Jersey, 1868, p. 741),
stated that bones of mastodon had been found near Freehold by O. R.
Willis. Professor Valiant has told the writer of a milk-tooth of a
mastodon found at “Hartshorne’s mills” (Cook’s Geol. New Jersey, 1868,
p. 781).
8. _Englishtown, Monmouth County._—Mr. S. N. Rhoads (Mamm. Penn., N. J.,
p. 235) stated that Professor Valiant had informed him that remains of
mastodon had been found in marl at Englishtown. The relations of the
remains to the marl one can not now learn. According to the New Jersey
geologists, the region about the place is occupied by Pensauken; but one
can not be certain about the geological age of the mastodon.
9. _Marlboro, Monmouth County._—George H. Cook (Geol. New Jersey, 1868,
p. 741) reported that a portion of a jaw of a mastodon had been found in
a mill-race at Marlboro; but when this happened we are not told. Rhoads,
as cited, probably refers to the same specimen, where he mentions a
ramus of a young mastodon containing the milk dentition. This is in
Rutgers College. The gravels on the hills about Marlboro are referred by
the New Jersey geologists to the Pensauken. It is not unlikely, however,
that Cape May deposits are to be met with at lower levels.
10. _Long Branch, Monmouth County._—A number of mastodons have been
found in the vicinity of Long Branch. In 1824 (Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., N.
Y., vol. I, pp. 143–147), De Kay, Van Rensselaer, and Cooper gave a
detailed account of the exhumation of a mastodon skeleton on a farm
called “Poplar,” 3 miles southwest of Long Branch, and 2 miles from the
sea-beach. The skeleton was found near the border of a marsh and so
close to the surface that it was discovered by a molar sticking out of
the turf. The vertebral column lay only about 8 or 10 inches below the
surface. These bones, including the skull, which lay near the surface,
were more or less decayed. The tusks were not found at all. The bones
were all buried in a stratum of black earth about 8 feet thick. Below
this was a bed of sand, with rolled pebbles, of unequal thickness, but
generally thicker than the bed of muck. Under this again was found a bed
of marl of undetermined age. The impression received by the
investigators was that the animal had sunken into the marsh and died in
a standing position. In such a case, the bog had been formed before the
animal was mired in it. There is an account by Van Rensselaer in the
American Journal of Science, volume XI, 1826, page 246, of the finding
of this skeleton. Godman (Amer. Nat. Hist., vol. II) gave an account of
the same discovery. Cook (Geol. New Jersey, 1868, p. 741) thought that
the bones had become exposed to view through subsidence of the peaty
layer, due to its having been drained.
James Hall (Geol. 4th Dist., N. Y., p. 365) states that he had assisted
in exhuming a mastodon at Long Branch which was in a natural vertical
position, his body supported by the turf soil or black earth and his
feet resting upon a gravelly bottom.
Lockwood (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXIV, 1882, p. 294; Pop. Sci. Monthly,
vol. XXII, p. 344) reported that he had known of 2 teeth of the mastodon
which at distant times had been taken up at sea off Long Branch.
While it is very natural to refer to the latest Pleistocene these
mastodons which lie so near the surface, it must not be concluded with
too much assurance that they do belong to the Late Wisconsin. The
discovery of horse-teeth in the Navesink Hills and of _Megatherium_ at
Long Branch shows that the older Pleistocene deposits are present in
this region.
11. _Navesink Hills, Monmouth County._—In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., vol. VII, p. 261), Leidy reported that remains of the mastodon
had been found in this region, associated with a vertebra and some teeth
of a fossil horse. This was based on Mitchill’s statement (Cat. Organ.
Remains, p. 7) that he had a part of a tibia of a mastodon.
12. _Manasquan Inlet, Monmouth County._—In 1882 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XXIV, p. 294), Lockwood stated that he had known of a tusk and some
other bones of a mastodon which had been uncovered by sea-waves in a
storm about 15 miles south of Long Branch. In another place (Pop. Sci.
Monthly, vol. XXII, p. 344) he spoke of a tusk which had been thus
unearthed in Monmouth County. The place was evidently north of Manasquan
Inlet.
Salisbury and Knapp (Geol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. VIII) describe the
region along the coast from Manasquan River to Long Branch as presenting
Cape May deposits at elevations below 40 or 45 feet, while modern beach
deposits occupy some areas below this level. It seems, however that some
of these supposed Recent materials contain extinct vertebrates and are
older than they appear to be.
13. _Verona, Essex County._—George H. Cook (Geol. New Jersey, 1868, p.
741) stated that a very perfect tooth of a mastodon had been picked up
near Verona. This town is on Peckman Brook, and in the valley of this
stream there is some stratified drift which is referred to the
Wisconsin. Too little is known about the history of the tooth to enable
one to determine with confidence its geological age.
14. _Rockport, Warren County_ (_Schooley’s Mountain_).—In 1828 (Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. XIV, p. 188), Thomas P. Stewart reported the discovery
of what he called a mammoth on Schooley’s Mountain. It was met with in
1827, in excavating the Morris Canal. The locality must therefore be
west of Musconetcong River and probably not far from Rockport. The bones
lay at a depth of about 3 feet. The animal was evidently a mastodon. A
tooth, a lower last molar, measured 3.5 inches in width and 7 inches in
length. The enamel was well preserved. Other bones were found.
15. _Hackettstown, Warren County._—In the fourth volume of the
Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1844, on pages 118 to
121, there is an account, by J. B. Maxwell, of the discovery of the
remains of 5 mastodons near Hackettstown, about halfway on the road to
Vienna. In this vicinity is a ridge of gneiss which runs in a
northeast-and-southwest direction. On this ridge is a pond-like
depression about 40 yards in length by 25 yards in width, which at one
time was a marsh. After it was drained the owner began digging in it and
discovered the mastodon skeletons. They are described as consisting of
one animal pretty large, three of smaller size, and one a calf. From
these were obtained a skeleton which became the property of Harvard
University and has since been known as the Cambridge skeleton. It is
described by Warren in both editions of his “Monograph on the Mastodon.”
Jackson (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. II, p. 60) described these
skeletons. A lower jaw of a young individual had two alveoli for lower
tusks, 0.75 inch in diameter.
Asa Gray (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. II, 1848, p. 92) examined
wood which had been taken in the place occupied by the stomach of the
skeleton referred to. He found no differences between it and that of the
common hemlock spruce. While Gray speaks of this mastodon as being found
on Schooley’s Mountain, he evidently meant the ones found at
Hackettstown.
According to Maxwell’s account there was at the surface 6 inches of
vegetable deposit; below this was found about 6 inches of whitish sand;
while below this came a bed of pure muck from 4 to 6 feet in depth. In
this were buried the mastodon bones.
Lyell (Second Visit to U. S., ed. 3, vol. II, p. 363) mentions the
skeletons found at Hackettstown. Between the ribs had been found about 7
bushels of vegetable matter supposed to have been contained in the
stomach. He took some of it to London and had it examined
microscopically. It appeared to belong to the white cedar, _Thuja
occidentalis_.
By consulting Lewis and Kümmel’s geological map of New Jersey, it will
be seen that the locality where these mastodons were found is on the
Wisconsin moraine. Plates XLV and XLV _a_ of Salisbury’s report (vol. V,
Geol. Surv. New Jersey) present the topographical and geological details
of this region. A “mastodon pond” is there mapped which is doubtless the
one referred to above. We may be quite certain, therefore, that these
mastodons lived after the retirement of the Wisconsin ice-sheet.
A note, apparently by George Cook (Geol. New Jersey, 1868, p. 741),
stated that some years previously a mastodon tooth had been found 0.5
mile east of Vienna, 4 miles west of Hackettstown.
16. _Hope, Warren County._—A note, probably by George H. Cook, in his
“Geology of New Jersey,” 1868, page 741, stated that a part of a
mastodon skeleton had been found about 2 miles from Hope, on the road
leading to Johnsonsburg and on the farm of Charles Howell. This would be
northeast from Hope. On the New Jersey map referred to there is some
Wisconsin drift indicated near this place. The remains are probably of
late Wisconsin age.
17. _Greendell, Sussex County._—In Warren’s “Monograph on the Mastodon”
(first edition, page 174; second edition, page 200) is an extract taken
from the Sussex Register, of September 27, 1851, giving an account of
the finding of bones, jaws, and teeth of a mastodon on the farm of
Timothy H. Cook, near Greenville. This town was later called Cuttoff and
this name has recently been changed to Greendell. In Cook’s “Geology of
New Jersey,” 1868, page 741, the farm was said to belong to Jacob Voss.
In a bog which had been drained a fire was made on a stump of a tree.
The fire burned the roots, and the bones of the animal became exposed.
The bones of the head especially were apparently very near the surface.
The town is on the Lackawanna Railroad, about 3 miles northeast of
Johnsonsburg, Warren County.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 5.)
1. _Tunkhannock, Wyoming County._—In 1883 (2d Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania,
G^7, p. 20), Dr. I. C. White reported that the tusks and the teeth of a
mastodon had been found at Tunkhannock. At the mouth of Tunkhannock
Creek a large gravel deposit rises to a height of 125 feet above
Susquehanna River and then spreads out into a wide plain. In the valley
of the creek mentioned it takes the form of a sharp, low kame-like ridge
of gravel and boulders. In such deposits the mastodon remains were
found. According to White, these gravels and boulders were laid down in
the waters which came from the retreating glacier and which deeply
flooded all the streams. In case this explanation is the correct one,
this mastodon lived there after the beginning of the retreat of the
Wisconsin ice-sheet. Possibly, however, those gravels, at a height of
125 feet, belong to an older glacial stage.
White, on page 123 of his report quoted above, referred to a tusk which
had been dug up in one of the streets of Tunkhannock. This was probably
the one mentioned in connection with the teeth.
2. _Pittston, Luzerne County._—Dr. Joseph Leidy, in 1873 (Ext. Vert.
Fauna West. Terrs., p. 238, plate XXVIII, fig. 9), reported that there
was in the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia 3 first premolars
of apparently as many individuals of _Mammut americanum_, which had been
found at Pittston, associated with _Equus major_ (_E. complicatus_) and
_Symbos_ sp. indet. (“_Bison latifrons_” of Leidy). One of these he
figured. The present writer has examined these teeth. Two are upper
antepenultimate milk molars (pm^2), right and left; another is an upper
penultimate milk molar, whose length is 45 mm. and whose width is nearly
as much. They probably did not all belong to one individual. The
geological age of these mastodons will be discussed on page 308.
3. _Berwick, Columbia County._—The U. S. National Museum has a cast of a
mastodon tooth sent there in 1904 by Professor A. U. Lesher. The tooth
was an upper right last molar and only slightly worn. There were 4
crests and a very strongly developed talon. No details were furnished
regarding the conditions under which it was discovered.
4. _Reading, Berks County._—The collection of the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia contains a lower left hindermost tooth of a
mastodon and some fragments of one or two other teeth, said to have been
found on Schuylkill River at Reading. These remains appear not to have
been accompanied by any details regarding the manner of their burial.
5. _Port Kennedy, Montgomery County._—Many remains of the mastodon have
been found in the famous cave, or fissure, discovered at this place. The
first accounts of these fossils were published in 1871 (Cope, Proc.
Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XII, pp. 15, 95; Wheatley, Amer. Jour. Sci.,
ser. 3, vol. I, pp. 235–237, 384–385). Cope (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., ser. 2, vol. XI, pp. 193–267) presented the results of a
thorough exploitation of the cave. For the nature of the remains of
mastodon found there the papers mentioned may be consulted. A list of
the associated fossils and a discussion of the geological features of
the case will be found in its proper place on page 312.
6. _Jackson Township, York County._—In the collection of the Academy at
Philadelphia there is a lower left hindermost molar of a mastodon which
is labeled as having been found in the township mentioned, but no
details regarding the exact locality and kind of deposit were furnished.
Jackson Township is situated in the west and northwestern part of York
County.
7. _Kishacoquillas Station, near Reedsville, Mifflin County._—In 1858
Professor H. D. Rogers (Geol. Pennsylvania, vol. I, p. 480) wrote that 4
grinders of a mastodon and a part of the skull had been found 3 miles
southwest of Brown’s Mills on Kishacoquillas Creek. The remains rested
on rounded pebbles and were covered with a few feet of alluvium.
Professor Mosheim Swartzell, of Washington, D. C., informs the present
writer that Brown’s Mills is located at the station Reedsville, and that
the tooth must have been found near the station.
8. _Chambersburg, Franklin County._—In 1806, Dr. B. S. Barton (Phila.
Med. and Phys. Jour., vol. II, p. 157) recorded that a large grinder of
Elephas americanus of Cuvier had been found in a field a few miles from
Chambersburg. The tooth was evidently that of a mastodon.
9. _Frankstown, Blair County._—Dr. W. J. Holland, in 1908 (Ann. Carnegie
Mus., vol IV, p. 233), reported remains of young mastodons from a cave
at the place named. They were associated with many other species of
mammals, a list of which will be presented on pages 321, 322.
10. _Bedford, Bedford County._—According to Cuvier (Oss. Foss., 4th ed.,
1834, vol. II, p. 274), Mitchill mentioned that remains of a mastodon
had been found at or near this place. The present writer has not seen
Mitchill’s statement.
11. _Pittsburgh, Allegheny County._—In 1876, Professor J. J. Stevenson
(2d Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, K, p. 22), reported that numerous
fragments of bones and teeth had been found in the river bank at the
junction of Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. They were said to have
been presented to a Pittsburgh high school.
12. _Hickory, Washington County._—In 1875, Professor J. J. Stevenson (2d
Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, K, p. 22) reported that a mastodon tooth had
been found in Mount Pleasant Township, in the county named. It was said
to have been discovered on the high divide between Raccoon and Chartiers
Creeks. The tooth is preserved at Washington and Jefferson College, at
Washington, in the county of the same name. Professor Edwin Linton has
informed the writer that the tooth was found about 1 or 1.5 miles
southeast of Hickory. This indicates that it was found along Westland
Run, probably about halfway down to the village of Westland. The
geological position and possible age will be discussed on page 323.
13. _Erie, Erie County._—In the Erie Public Museum the writer has seen a
part of a lower right hindermost molar of a mastodon which is labeled as
having been found long ago on what was called Frontier farm, about 2
miles west of the Public Library, below Eighth street and toward the
lake. The discovery is credited to W. F. Leutzer. The locality would
apparently be on Chase Creek, at an elevation of about 600 feet above
sea-level, unless it had possibly been buried along the creek in some
pre-Wisconsin formation. In lack of the information that ought to have
been preserved it may be impossible to arrive at any certain conclusion.
Mr. Clyde C. Hill, civil engineer, North East, Erie County, has informed
the writer that Chase Creek flows through the old Frontier farm.
OHIO.
(Maps 5, 7.)
IN UNGLACIATED REGION.
1. _Pike County._—In 1875 (Cincinnati Quart. Jour. Sci., vol. II, p.
154), J. H. Klippart wrote that the upper jaw of a mastodon, with a
considerable part of the cranium, had been found somewhere in this
county and had been on exhibition in the State Agricultural rooms. It
was owned by a Mr. Faust, of Galion or Crestline. Nothing more appears
to be known about this specimen.
2. _Nashport, Muskingum County._—In 1837 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXI,
p. 79), S. P. Hildreth, in an unsigned article, stated that mastodon
remains had been found 2 miles north of this place, during the
excavation of a canal. He recognized large portions of tusks and some
molar teeth. At the same place were found the skull which became the
type of _Castoroides ohioensis_, as well as a skull which Hildreth
described and named _Ovis mamillaris_, but which probably belonged to a
domestic sheep.
47. _Lisbon, Columbiana County._—In the Ohio University Department of
Archæology and History there are some remains of a peccary which, as
reported by Professor W. C. Mills, was found associated with remains of
a mastodon. The locality is said to be in the northwest quarter of the
northeast quarter of section 24, township 18 north, range 3 west. This
would be in the south edge of the town of Lisbon and probably on the
south side of the Middle Fork of Little Beaver River. It would be just
outside of the moraine of the Wisconsin drift-sheet.
IN ILLINOIAN DRIFT AREA.
3. _Cincinnati, Hamilton County._—In the first edition of his “Ossemens
Fossiles,” in 1812 (vol. II, Mastodons, p. 12), Cuvier mentioned the
discovery of a tooth of a mastodon on the right bank of Ohio River,
between the two Miamis. In 1843 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 1, vol. XII,
p. 127), Lyell reported that teeth of the mastodon and of an elephant
had been found 4 miles north of Cincinnati, in gravel beds of the higher
terrace.
In his “Travels in North America,” volume II, page 60, Lyell wrote that
several teeth of mastodons had been discovered on Mill Creek, and on
what he indicated as the upper terrace. He presented a list of the
genera of mollusks that had been found at the same place. He added that
mastodon remains had been found in the strata of the upper terrace, both
above and below Cincinnati. Professor Fenneman writes that in Mill Creek
valley the Illinoian is distinctly terrace-like and composed of
interbedded sheets of outwash and till, as though made during repeated
advances of the ice. The teeth mentioned may belong, therefore, to the
Illinoian or Sangamon.
The most important discovery of mastodon remains is that recorded by
Seth Hayes (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. XVII, 1895, p. 217) and by
E. W. Claypole (Amer. Geol., vol. XV, 1895, p. 325). These remains form
what is known as the “Shaw mastodon.” They were discovered in Hyde Park,
in the northeastern part of Cincinnati, in section 27 of Columbia
Township. The spot is 1.4 miles away from the river, and just south of
the upper part of Crawfish Creek. Remains of at least three mastodons
were exhumed, including 3 tusks, a lower jaw with teeth, and many other
bones. There were found also a tooth and a vertebra of a horse. An
interesting matter regarding the lower jaw is the presence of 2
mandibular tusks of considerable size (Hayes, as cited, plates XI, XII).
The diameter of each is given as 1.5 inches. One projected beyond the
jaw 9.75 inches; the other, 7.4 inches. They were curved rather strongly
downward. The specimen is to be referred to _Mammut progenium_ Hay. The
geology of the locality will be described on page 328.
Under this number may be recorded the discovery of mastodon teeth in a
well sunk at Mount Washington, about 8 miles east of the central part of
Cincinnati (Fuller and Clapp, Water-Supply Paper 259, 1912, p. 27). The
teeth were found in coarse gravel, which lies only 15 feet from the
surface, and is overlain by old till and loess. The indications are that
the age of the mastodon is early Pleistocene.
IN AREA OF WISCONSIN DRIFT.
4. _Amanda, Butler County._—In the collection of the Philadelphia
Academy of Sciences the writer has seen 2 teeth of a mastodon, probably
of the same individual, which are labeled as having been found on Dick’s
Creek, Butler County. This creek is in Lemon Township, and flowing
westward, empties into the Miami near Amanda. The teeth are credited to
W. S. Vaux. No details regarding the circumstances of discovery are
recorded. The locality is south of the Germantown moraine.
5. _Germantown, Montgomery County._—In 1875 (Cin. Quart. Jour. Sci.,
vol. II, p. 154), Mr. J. H. Klippart reported that some years before
that time an account had been published in the Dayton Journal of the
finding of teeth, tusks, and some other parts of the skeleton of a
mastodon near Germantown. It is not known whether any competent person
identified these remains, nor what has become of them.
In 1870 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. L, pp. 54–57), Edward Orton
described a geological section which was exposed along Twin Creek, a
mile east of Germantown. Here were found precipitous walls of clay and
gravel from 50 to 100 feet in thickness and extending 0.25 mile in each
direction from a point. Beneath this was a bed of peat along 40 rods of
the east bank of the creek, varying from 12 to 20 feet in thickness. In
the peat-bed were found mosses, grasses, sedges, and wood and berries of
red cedar. Orton reported that in 1870 there were taken from this bed
two mastodon tusks each 8 feet in length; also a tooth which afterwards
was shown to belong to _Castoroides_. Whether or not these tusks were
those mentioned by Klippart is uncertain.
This section is discussed by Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., XLI,
p. 363, plate XIV) and by G. F. Wright (“Ice age in North America,” 5th
ed., p. 592, fig. 151). The latter regards the peat-bed as having come
into existence during a temporary recession of the Wisconsin ice and as
having been covered up during another advance of it. Leverett thinks
that there is good reason to believe that the peat-bed indicates a
considerable interval of deglaciation, but that it remains to be
determined whether this preceded the formation of the early Wisconsin
moraine or succeeded it. Considering the great thickness of the
overlying Wisconsin drift and the almost certainty that Illinoian drift
underlies the Wisconsin, it seems probable that this peat-bed belongs to
an interglacial deposit, probably the Sangamon.
6. _Dayton, Montgomery County._—In 1820 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. I, vol.
II, p. 245), Caleb Atwater wrote that teeth of the mastodon had been
found at Dayton. No details were given and the case is not illuminating.
The weights given for some of the teeth make it doubtful whether or not
he distinguished mastodon teeth from those of elephants.
About the first of April 1921, Mr. C. E. Pickering, of Lake View, Ohio,
sent to the Smithsonian Institution for identification a well-preserved
upper right second molar of a mastodon. This had been found 4 miles east
of Dayton in an excavation, 30 feet below the surface. The tooth is 130
mm. long and 95 mm. wide. The surfaces of the cones are furnished with
welt-like ridges which descend from the summit to the bases.
This whole region is occupied by Wisconsin drift. It is probable that
the tooth was found in some river deposit, not in the drift itself.
7. _New Paris, Preble County._—Professor Joseph Moore (Proc. Ind. Acad.
Sci. for 1886, p. 277) reported that many bones of a mastodon had been
discovered by a farmer living 2 or 3 miles from New Paris. Two grinding
teeth and one tusk nearly 11 feet long were part of the remains. The
bones became the property of Earlham College. Nothing was said regarding
the circumstances of the discovery, but the bones were probably found in
one of the marshes so common in that region. New Paris itself appears to
be situated on the Germantown moraine.
8. _West Sonora, Preble County._—In 1893 (Amer. Geologist, vol. XII, p.
73) Professor Joseph Moore reported that mastodon remains had been found
near Sonora, Preble County, in company with a fragment of a tooth of
_Castoroides_. He probably meant West Sonora, as there is, at present at
least, no town by the name of Sonora in the county. He furnished no
details as to topography or geology. West Sonora is on the Englewood
glacial moraine.
9. _New Madison, Darke County._—The museum connected with the public
library in Greenville, Darke County, contains a large lower jaw of a
mastodon with the second and third molars, right and left, found near
the headwaters of Mud Creek, on the farm of Elias Harter. The place was
evidently near the village of New Madison. The township is number 10
north, range 1 east, and is named Harrison. In the same collection is a
part, about 4 feet long, of a tusk found on the farm of Daniel Ruh,
about 2 miles north of New Madison. It was met with at a depth of 3 feet
in digging a ditch. For the geology of the region see page 326. New
Madison is on the Englewood moraine.
10. _Fort Jefferson, Darke County._—In the collection at the public
library in Greenville is a nearly complete mounted skeleton of a
mastodon found about 1908, in Neave Township, 11 north, range 2 east,
near the village named. The spot is on the Delaplaine farm and near the
headwaters of Bridge Creek. The region is very flat and was originally
swampy.
11. _Six miles west of Greenville, Darke County._—The writer has been
informed by Mr. Calvin Young, living west of Greenville, that, a good
many years ago, a considerable part of a skeleton of a mastodon had been
exhumed on Kraut Creek, on the farm of Absalom Shade, in the southeast
quarter of section 34, township 12 north, range 1 east. One tusk was
broken up by the workmen in order to discover what kind of wood it was.
A lower jawbone, containing large molars, was 3 feet 2 inches long. The
remains were sold to John Collett, sent to a museum in Terre Haute, and
finally destroyed in a fire. The remains were originally found at a
depth of 5 feet and scattered about in sand and overlain by vegetable
mold and peat.
In a letter of March 9, 1915, Mr. Young wrote that another mastodon had
been found 6 miles west of Greenville. The remains were buried at a
depth of 2.5 feet and lay on a bed of sand and gravel. Teeth and a tusk
10 feet long were observed, but the skeleton was not exhumed. These
fossils were found on or near the Sidney moraine.
12. _Greenville, Darke County._—The collection at Greenville contains an
upper left hindermost molar of a mastodon said to have been found in
Greenville Creek, about 0.75 mile west of the town. Another tooth, an
upper left second molar, was found nearly northeast of the town, but how
far is not stated. Mastodon remains were said by Joseph Moore (Amer.
Geologist, vol. XII, p. 73) to have been found associated with the giant
beaver, somewhere near Greenville.
These remains also must have been buried near the Sidney moraine,
probably in swamps along its border.
13. _Ansonia, Darke County._—In the collection at Greenville nearly
complete ossa innominata, right and left, and some vertebræ are
preserved, all found on the farm of Hezekiah Woods, in section 9 of
township 13 north, range 2 east, at the headwaters of Stillwater Creek.
A considerable part of the south of this section is occupied by a swamp.
Around this runs the contour-line of 1,000 feet above sea-level.
14. _Troy, Miami County._—Mr. H. C. Shetrone, of the Ohio Archæological
Museum, at Columbus, reported in 1914 that remains of a mastodon had
been found in a depression about 3 miles from Troy. A company engaged in
draining the pond and in digging found the bones. A lower jaw containing
teeth was secured, as well as an upper tooth. The tusks had not been
found. Troy is on the Loramie River, situated between the Englewood and
Sidney moraines. The remains certainly belong to the latter part of the
Wisconsin stage or later. Professor W. C. Mills writes that the remains
were found on the farm of Mr. Wheeler, 3 miles southeast of Troy. A
swampy kettlehole was being drained.
15. _Catawba, Clark County._—In 1875 (Cin. Quart. Jour. Sci., vol. II,
p. 154), J. H. Klippart wrote that a considerable part of a skeleton of
a mastodon had been found in Clark County and had been placed in
Wittenberg College, at Springfield. No details were furnished.
From Mr. C. G. Shatzer, of Wittenberg College, in reply to an inquiry,
the present writer has received the information that this mastodon is
now mounted and in the collection of the Ohio State University at
Columbus. It was found at the edge of a small marsh, on the farm of Mr.
N. S. Conway, on or close to the line between Clark and Champaign
counties, and about 4.5 miles southwest of Mechanicsburg. This would be
apparently about a mile northwest of Catawba and in the hills east of
Buck Creek. Mr. Shatzer stated that it is in a rather strong
knob-and-kettle country. This is shown, too, by the topographical sheet
of the region.
The writer has examined this mastodon. The tusks measure, following the
curve, 9 feet 8 inches in length. At the base of one of them one
diameter is 162 mm.; the other, 184 mm. The tusks are somewhat spirally
curved. The animal was not aged, inasmuch as the second true molar is
worn only on the first crest, and the third molar is not at all worn.
49. _Brighton, Clark County._—Mr. Shatzer reports that in 1905 or 1906
he excavated a mastodon at a point about 5 miles southeast of the place
where the other was found and about a mile due north of the village of
Brighton. This skeleton was met in a marsh and lay at a depth of about
18 inches, but one fore-leg went straight down into the blue clay. The
tusks were badly decayed, but many of the bones were well preserved.
16. _Urbana, Champaign County._—In 1908 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 4, vol.
XXV, p. 193), Professor R. S. Lull wrote that the Yale University
collection has a fairly complete skeleton of a young mastodon from
Urbana. The present writer made a note on this specimen to the effect
that it was found on a farm 5 miles north of Urbana. This would seem to
be not far from Mad River.
50. _Woodstock, Champaign County._—Mr. J. H. Klippart (Cin. Quart. Jour.
Sci., vol. II, p. 153) reported that in 1869 a farmer, W. A. Howard, of
Woodstock, while ditching in his meadow, dug up a finely preserved femur
of a mastodon. For several years this was on exhibition in the State
agricultural rooms at Columbus. Unfortunately one can not be sure that
the bone was not that of one of the elephants.
30. _Fayette County, near New Holland, Pickaway County._—In 1875 (Cin.
Quart. Jour. Sci., vol. II, p. 154), J. H. Klippart reported that
portions of a skeleton of a mastodon had been discovered in a bog near
New Holland. There appears to be no certainty that the remains were not
those of an elephant. They had not been exhumed.
17. _South Bloomfield, Pickaway County._—In 1834 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser.
1, vol. XXV, p. 256), in an unsigned article, S. P. Hildreth reported
the discovery of mastodon teeth and ribs in an excavation for a culvert
in a small stream, a mile east of Bloomfield, now called South
Bloomfield, where a canal was being constructed. The teeth were in a
fine state of preservation. At the same place was found the tooth of an
elephant. These remains are said to have been embedded in a black boggy
earth.
18. _Circleville, Pickaway County._—In 1820 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. II,
p. 245), Caleb Atwater stated that a large thigh bone of a mastodon had
a short time before been found near the town in digging a mill-race.
Here again there must be doubt regarding the identification of the
animal.
19. _Pickaway Plains, Pickaway County._—This name is given to a level
tract lying about 5 miles southwest of Circleville and east of Scioto
River. In the article cited above, Caleb Atwater stated that he had 2
teeth of a mastodon, one of which had been found in a small rivulet near
the “Pickaway Plains.” This tooth is illustrated by figures 1 and 2 B,
of plate II, of the paper cited. It is evidently a tooth of _Mammut
americanum_. The locality would be not far from the broad terminal
Wisconsin moraine.
20. _Salt Creek Township, Pickaway County._—The writer just quoted
reported that the other mastodon tooth which he owned had been found in
the bed of Salt Creek, 22 feet 9 inches below the surface. This tooth is
figured on plate II of Atwater’s paper above cited.
21. _Shadeville, Franklin County._—In the collection of the University
of Ohio, the writer has seen a tooth of a mastodon which was found at
Shadeville. This place is on Scioto River, a few miles below Columbus.
It is probably of Late Wisconsin age.
51. _Granville, Licking County._—In 1873 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol.
V, p. 79), L. E. Hicks reported that he had examined the left side of
the pelvis of a mastodon found in the bank of Raccoon Creek, near
Granville, along the route of the Atlantic and Lake Erie Railway. This
place is on the west border of the Grand River moraine.
22. _Mount Gilead, Morrow County._—In Ward’s Natural History
Establishment, at Rochester, New York, the writer has seen an upper left
third molar of a mastodon, labeled as having been found at this place.
No details accompanied the specimen. The tooth is 158 mm. long and 95
mm. wide, and has a large pulp-cavity. Mount Gilead is on the moraine
which forms the eastern limb of the Scioto lobe. The tooth may be with
safety regarded as of Late Wisconsin age.
23. _Harper, Logan County._—In Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, are 2
molars of a mastodon, the lower second and the third, which were found
somewhere in the vicinity of Harper.
24. _Roundhead, Hardin County._—In 1875 (Cin. Quart. Jour. Sci., vol.
II, p. 153), J. H. Klippart reported that considerable parts of the
skeleton of a mastodon had been exhumed at Fort McArthur, in Hardin
County, having evidently drifted out to the Scioto marsh and being
widely scattered. Fort McArthur does not appear on recent maps; a
gazetteer of 1835 locates the place in Logan County, 24 miles north of
Urbana. The locality appears to be in the neighborhood of Roundhead and
in the marshes in which Scioto and Miami Rivers take their rise.
25. _Washington Township, Auglaize County._—In Bulletin No. 16 of the
Geological Survey of Ohio, 1912, page 38, Mr. Alfred Dachnowski, quoting
from C. W. Williamson, stated that in 1878 Mr. S. Craig, while engaged
in surveying section 19 of Washington Township (Tp. 6 S., R. 5 E.)
discovered a mastodon skeleton. No further search had been made in 1905
(Williamson’s Hist. West. Ohio and Auglaize County, p. 336). While
doubtless a proboscidean was buried there, one can not be sure that it
was not an elephant. This place is not far from New Knoxville.
26. _Pusheta Township, Auglaize County._—From the same authorities it is
learned that in 1894 a mastodon calf was discovered in section 29 of the
township named (Tp. 6 S., R. 6 E.), embedded in a layer of muck at the
bottom of a circular pond. The skeleton is reported as having been quite
complete, but it went to pieces as it dried. The tusks were about 1 foot
long. At this place the waters flow into Clear Creek, a branch of
Auglaize River.
27. _Wapakoneta, Auglaize County._—The authorities quoted reported that
a mastodon had been discovered in a ditch excavation in section 33 of
Duchouquet Township (Tp. 5 S., R. 6 E.), not far from Wapakoneta. The
remains crumbled on exposure and drying. They may have been those of an
elephant.
28. _Duchouquet Township, Auglaize County._—The authorities on whom
reliance is here put state that in 1891 a mastodon was discovered by
some laborers who were deepening and widening the bed of a creek which
extends through section 22 of the township mentioned. This creek must
have been either Auglaize River or a branch of it, so unimportant that
it is not down on the topographical sheet of that quadrangle. The tusks
extended across the creek and were cut off by the workmen and carried
away.
29. _St. Johns, Auglaize County._—Mastodons have been reported from two
localities near the village of St. Johns and along the headwaters of
Willow Creek. The one nearest the village is mentioned in Dachnowski’s
work “Peat Deposits of Ohio” (Bull. 16, Geol. Surv. Ohio, 1912, p. 38).
It was found in section 4 of Clay Township (Tp. 6 S., R. 7 E.), some
time about 1870. There is no certainty that the bone did not belong to
an elephant. The other mastodon was found in 1870 and accounts of the
discovery were given by Dr. G. K. Gilbert (Proc. Lyc. Nat. Hist., N. Y.,
vol. I, 1871, p. 220; Rep. Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. I, pt. 1, 1873, p.
556); and by C. W. Williamson (Hist. West. Ohio and Auglaize County,
1905, pp. 334–336). The locality is 2.5 miles east of St. Johns, in
section 3, Clay Township. Farmers were engaged in running a broad ditch
through a swamp. The depth of the swamp deposit at that point was 8
feet, of which the upper third was peat, the remainder, so far as shown,
of marl or marly clay. The bones were in their natural relations and it
was evident to Gilbert that the animal had mired there. The lower
limb-bones were directed downward and well preserved, but the bones
nearer the surface were badly decomposed. The presence of the teeth
enabled Gilbert to identify the animal as the mastodon. The peat had
evidently been deposited after the death of the animal, which had
occurred after the deposit of the drift. Klippart (Cin. Quart. Jour.
Sci., vol. II, p. 153) stated that a part of the remains had been placed
in the Wapakoneta High School. The remains must have been buried near
the Loramie moraine.
In Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, the writer examined teeth and
bones of two mastodons which had been found in Auglaize County, but the
exact localities were not known.
30. See page 75.
31. _Ohio City, Van Wert County._—In 1848 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2,
vol. V, p. 215), Whittlesey stated that a mastodon tooth had been found
at this place, and further, that it had been mentioned by Charles Lyell.
It was found in alluvium and rested on a blue marl. The locality is in
the vicinity of the Lima moraine.
32. _Columbus Grove, Putnam County._—In 1913, Mr. H. B. Maple, of this
town, sent to the U. S. National Museum for identification a lower left
first molar, found in gravel 3 miles north of the town, near the border
of ancient Lake Maumee.
33. _Liberty Township, Putnam County._—In 1874, Professor N. H. Winchell
(Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. II, pt. 1, p. 392) told of the finding of large
bones, supposed to belong to a mastodon, just southeast of the center of
section 6, in draining the Medary marsh, in the township named (Tp. 2
N., R. 7 E.) The bones were in a sandy loam along the north side of the
Leipsic ridge, a part of the Defiance moraine. Another was found in
section 8 of the same township. The remains consisted of two teeth,
bones of the posterior extremities, and a fragment of a tusk. The
limb-bone was removed 23 feet from the tusk. These remains lay at a
depth of about 3 feet from the surface. Other large bones, mastodon or
elephant, were found in section 7, Ottawa Township (Tp. 1 N., R. 7 E.).
This was evidently on the south side of the ridge mentioned, but yet
probably north of Blanchard River.
34. _Springfield Township, Lucas County._—In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Ohio,
vol. I, pt. 1, p. 556), Dr. G. K. Gilbert wrote that Dr. J. B. Trembley,
of Toledo, had informed him that a tooth of a mastodon had been obtained
from a marsh in Springfield, Lucas County. It is probable that Gilbert
meant Springfield Township. He could not ascertain the exact locality,
but he remarked that all the marshes of that township date from the
formation of the lowest and most recent of the raised beaches and that
it was almost certain that the tooth is not less recent than they.
Springfield Township is nearly in the center of this county.
In 1886 (Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci., vol. IV, p. 309), Dr. E. Sterling,
of Cleveland, wrote that about 15 years previously a mastodon skeleton
had been found in a cranberry swamp in Lucas County; but no more exact
location was given. A large ditch was being made where the muck of the
bog was about 8 feet deep and rested on a layer of “hard pan.” The
skeleton was badly decayed. What proof the writer had that the remains
belonged to the mastodon is not stated.
35. _Jackson Township, Wood County._—From a clipping taken from the
Toledo Blade of January 15, 1919, with 2 illustrations, it is learned
that Mr. John Welsh, of the township named, while digging a trench on
his farm, unearthed a tooth of a mastodon. The pictures show that it was
a considerably worn, lower right hindermost molar. Jackson Township (Tp.
3 N., R. 9 E.) is in the southwestern corner of the county. From Mr.
Welsh the writer learns that the locality is 3.5 miles northeast of
Deshler and in section 17. The tooth was buried at a depth of 4 feet.
The locality is well within the area covered by old Lake Maumee.
36. _Carey, Wyandot County._—In April, 1911, Mr. O. N. Copley, Cary,
sent to the Smithsonian Institution a much-worn lower left first true
molar, found at Cary, in muck, at a depth of 3 feet. With it was found
also a canine tooth of a bear, apparently _Ursus americanus_. These were
buried near the Defiance moraine.
37. _Old Fort, Seneca County._—At Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio,
the writer was told of a mastodon which had been found at Old Fort, and
was in the possession of Mr. J. A. Gillmor, of Fremont, Ohio. Upon
inquiry Mr. Gillmor stated that the tooth, of which he sent a sketch,
had been found in 1909 in a low and marshy piece of tiled ground which
lies east of Sandusky River, opposite Old Fort. The tooth was very
superficially buried, for it was turned up by the plow. Mr. Gillmor
stated that in constructing the Nickel Plate Railroad, not far from
where the tooth was found, some large bones had been discovered. The
locality is north of Defiance moraine and on the old bed of Lake Maumee.
38. _Bucyrus, Crawford County._—In 1838, as told by the geologists C.
Briggs (Second Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Ohio, pp. 127–129) and J. W. Foster
(Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 1, vol. XXXVI, 1839, p. 189, fig. 1), a nearly
perfect skull and various parts of the skeleton were found near Bucyrus,
on the land of a Mr. Hahn, during the excavation of a mill-race, and in
a bed of fresh-water shell marl about 4 feet thick. Both tusks were,
however, missing. There were secured also 6 cervical vertebræ, 6
dorsals, 1 lumbar, 5 caudals, 28 ribs, most of the pelvis, and several
limb-bones. The fine skull was sent to the American Philosophical
Society in Philadelphia, and is now preserved in the Academy of Natural
Sciences of that city. What was done with the remainder of the skeleton
the present writer does not know. This specimen has been referred to by
several authors. N. H. Winchell (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. II, pt. 1, 1874,
p. 247) stated that the skeleton was embedded in the muck and marl of a
swamp and that what remained of it was then in possession of the Ohio
Agricultural and Mechanical College. The locality was probably near
Celina moraine.
39. _Sandusky, Erie County._—In 1848 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. V,
p. 215), Whittlesey wrote that a tusk and a few bones of mastodon or
elephant had been uncovered at the deep cut of the Mansfield Railroad, a
few miles from Sandusky, in a Recent bog of muck. J. H. Klippart (Cin.
Jour. Nat. Hist., vol. II, 1875, p. 153) referred to the tusk and said
that a part of it was preserved in the Homœopathic College at Sandusky.
It is impossible now to say whether this belonged to a mastodon or an
elephant. If still preserved it may be possible to determine the genus
from the microscopical structure of the ivory.
40. _Brownhelm Township, Lorain County._—In the collection of Oberlin
College are many bones of a mastodon, some jaws and teeth, and a part of
the skull, collected about 1898, on the farm of a Mr. French, in the
township named, not far from the shore of Lake Erie. Professor Lynds
Jones, of Oberlin College, has sent the information that this mastodon
was found in a county ditch in township 6 N., range 19 W., about where
the ditch crosses from lot 29 to 30, on what is known as the North Ridge
road. This ridge is mentioned by J. S. Newberry (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol.
II, 1874, p. 207, map opp. p. 58), and has an elevation of from 100 to
118 feet above Lake Erie. It represents the beach of old Lake Warren.
According to Professor Lynds Jones, the mastodon had been buried in a
morass between two branches of the North Ridge or old beach. This was of
course well along toward the close of the Pleistocene period.
41. _Pittsfield Township, Lorain County._—In the collection at Oberlin
College are some fragments of mastodon teeth, found somewhere in
Pittsfield township (Tp. 4 N., R. 18 W.) at a depth of about 2 or 3
feet, in a ditch. No further details have been secured.
In the American Museum of Natural History, at New York, is a lower right
second molar which had been received from Mr. J. J. Crook. It had
probably been found somewhere about Lagrange, but this is not certain.
42. _Cleveland, Cuyahoga County._—The geologist Charles Whittlesey
(Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. XV, art. 3, p. 15) stated that, many
years before he wrote, a grinder of a mastodon had been found on the
west side of Cuyahoga River, in the valley alluvium, resting on drift
clay near the lake level. This might indicate one of three things: The
mastodon belonged to some pre-Wisconsin stage; or the tooth had, after
the retirement of the lake to its present level, been washed down from
above; or the animal had lived there after the lake had reached about
its present level.
Newberry (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. I, pt. 1, 1873, p. 183) stated that his
“Delta Sand Deposit,” which forms the surface of the Cleveland plateau,
had yielded numerous portions of the skeletons of elephant and mastodon.
These could hardly have existed before the retirement of the lake within
the Warren beach.
Klippart (Cin. Quart. Jour. Nat. Sci., vol. II, 1875, p. 153) says that
a nearly complete skeleton of a mastodon was dug up in the immediate
vicinity of Cleveland, but had been broken into pieces at once by the
workmen. The identity of this specimen is doubtful and the exact
locality is unknown.
43. _Medina County._—In 1875 (op. cit., p. 153), Klippart reported that
nearly 50 years before he wrote tusks, said to have been 12 feet long,
and some parts of the skeleton of a mastodon had been taken out of a
marl pit in this county. As in other cases, there is uncertainty about
the locality and the identity of the animal.
44. _Green Township, Summit County._—Professor William C. Mills, of the
State University of Ohio, has informed the writer that he had secured
remains of a young mastodon in section 13 of this township (Tp. 2 N., R.
9 W.). The bones were found at a depth of about 30 inches and were badly
decayed. The region is flat and lies in a bend of the headwaters of
Tuscarawas River.
45. _Massillon, Stark County._—S. P. Hildreth, in 1837 (Amer. Jour.
Sci., ser. 1, vol. XXXI, p. 56), reported that a year or two before he
wrote some very large bones and tusks of a mastodon had been brought to
light in excavating a mill-race near Massillon through a swamp or wet
prairie. This city is situated on the Tuscarawas River.
46. _Canton, Stark County._—In the Cincinnati Inquirer of November 11,
1910, a paragraph announced that some boys, while digging in the east
end of the city, had found 2 mastodon teeth. On November 26 the writer
received a letter from Mr. N. D. Bush, of Canton, who described the
teeth, so that it is certain that they were those of the mastodon. Both
Massillon and Canton are situated on the broad Grand River moraine.
47. See page 70.
48. _Trumbull County._—Mr. John T. Plummer, in 1843 (Amer. Jour. Sci.,
ser. 1, vol. XLIV, p. 302, footnote), stated that he owned a grinder
with 10 prominences which had been found in this county. Evidently the
tooth was that of a mastodon, but the locality is somewhat vague.
For 49 and 50 see page 74; for 51 see page 75.
MICHIGAN.
(Maps 5, 8.)
1. _Church, Hillsdale County._—In 1901 there was found, on the farm of
Mr. Levi Wood, near Church, the greater part of the skeleton of a small
mastodon. This was exhumed by an agent of the U. S. National Museum and
is exhibited there. The animal is small and probably a female. The bones
were found in a peat-swamp, not far from the surface. Those most deeply
buried were only 4 feet from the surface, while others were down only
about 2.5 feet.
The whole of the township in which Church is situated is occupied by a
part of the Mississinawa moraine, the outermost one formed by the Erie
lobe of the Wisconsin ice. So far as the ground is concerned, the
mastodon might have lived there long before the close of the Wisconsin
stage at any time after the exposure of the moraine.
This mastodon was described and figured by Mr. C. W. Gilmore in 1906
(Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. XXX, p. 610, plate XXXV).
2. _Adrian, Lenawee County._—In the American Journal of Science (vol.
XXXVIII, 1864, p. 223), Dr. Alexander Winchell reported the discovery of
remains of a mastodon on section 7 of the township of Adrian, Lenawee
County. The locality is said to have been about 7 miles northwest of the
town of Adrian. The township must therefore be that designated as 6
south, 4 east. Winchell gave a list of the bones, and this comprises
probably about half of the skeleton, including the skull. According to
Winchell, these remains were found at a depth of only about 2 feet in a
peat-bog; beneath this peat, which was 2.5 feet thick, was marly clay,
passing at the depth of 4 feet into loose sand.
According to the glacial map of Leverett and Taylor, the locality would
lie well outside the limits of Lake Maumee and would be on the Fort
Wayne moraine. Probably a long while after the Wisconsin glacial sheet
had retired from Michigan, this mastodon died there and became covered
by the thin deposit of peat, as found. Here may be noted likewise some
remains of a mastodon which Winchell, in the same paper, says had been
found in Adrian.
In the U. S. National Museum (No. 188) there is a lower jaw of a
mastodon, reported to have been found in a lacustrine marsh in this
county, in the “same locality as the Decker mastodon in Adrian College.”
A note states that with this were found bones of deer, elk, and
castoroides. (See further, under the account of the skull of
_Castoroides_ found at Adrian.)
In the annual report of the Michigan Geological Survey for 1901, page
253, A. C. Lane mentioned that at Clinton, Lenawee County, Mr. P. B.
Gragg had found several teeth and bones of mastodon. These seem to have
been buried in the same glacial drain-way as those found in Adrian
township.
27. _Clayton, Lenawee County._—Mr. George Townsend, of Clayton,
Michigan, has informed the writer that he has the lower jaw of a
mastodon which he found while digging a posthole on his farm near that
town. The locality is described as the middle of the line between the
southeast and northeast quarters of southeast quarter of section 7, T.
7. S., R. 2 E., and near a creek. The township is Dover. According to
Leverett and Taylor the immediate region is covered by glacial ground
moraine.
3. _Howell, Livingston County._—Dr. A. C. Lane (op. cit., p. 252)
reported that a lower tooth and a part of a pelvis had been obtained in
dredging the Shiawassee River, in 1900. Mr. C. W. Gilmore, of the U. S.
National Museum, tells the writer that he saw a mastodon tooth which had
been found in a swamp 2 miles southwest of Howell. Alexander Winchell,
in 1864 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXVIII, p. 224), reported mastodon
remains from Green Oak, in Livingston County. No details were furnished.
Most of this county is occupied by the Charlotte moraine system, formed
by the ice-lobe which extended out from Saginaw Bay.
4. _Bellevue, Eaton County._—The writer has learned from Mr. N. A. Wood,
of the University of Michigan, that mastodon remains had been described
from near Bellevue by Mr. E. A. Foote, in the third volume of the Report
of the Pioneer Society of Michigan, on pages 402–403. The animal was
found on the farm of Mr. Charles Cummings. It was a large one, the femur
having a length of 3 feet 10 inches and one tusk was over 12 feet in
length. Four teeth belonged to the upper jaw. The remains must have been
found before 1879.
Bellevue is situated on the Kalamazoo River, which here traverses the
Kalamazoo moraine. As in other cases in the central regions of the
State, mastodons may have lived at a rather early stage after the
Wisconsin ice began to withdraw; but they may have kept farther from the
glacial front.
5. _Olivet, Eaton County._—Dr. A. C. Lane (Ann. Rept. Board of Geol.
Surv. Michigan for 1901, p. 253) reported the finding of mastodon bones
near Olivet. A letter from Professor Samuel Rittenhouse, of Olivet
College, gives the information that many of the bones of the skeleton
had been secured. These were exhumed from a marsh on the northwest
quarter of section 11, township 1 north, range 5 west. Following
Leverett and Taylor’s map, the locality seems to be on an esker through
which flows Battle Creek. The country in this region is covered by the
Kalamazoo morainic system of the Saginaw lobe. The mastodon must have
been buried after the ice receded from that moraine.
6. _Stanton, Montcalm County._—Mr. N. A. Wood, preparator in the
University of Michigan, informed the writer that Mr. L. C. Hodges, of
Stanton, in 1911 found some mastodon teeth. Nothing more is known about
these remains. Stanton is situated between the West Branch morainic
system and the Charlotte system.
7. _Buchanan, Berrien County._—Mr. William Hillis Smith, of Niles,
Michigan, informed the writer that many remains of mastodons were found
in a large ditch made to drain the Bakerstown marsh. This ditch began
south and west of Buchanan and emptied into Lake Michigan. It was 16
feet wide and 8 to 10 feet deep. In the course of the work bones and
teeth were frequently thrown out by the steam shovel, especially bones
of mastodons. One skull was badly crushed, but was repaired by Mr. E. H.
Crane, of Kalamazoo, and sold to the Ward Establishment, of Rochester,
New York. Exact statements as to localities are wanting, but the ditch
was evidently located on and within the Valparaiso moraine. It is this
moraine which runs around the southern end of Lake Michigan and
separates the St. Lawrence drainage from that of the Mississippi; east
of the lake it extends far north into Michigan. Naturally, this moraine
was formed before the withdrawal of the Lake Michigan lobe of the
Wisconsin glacier into that lake, and the mastodons might have lived,
died, and been buried there at any time after the exposure of the
moraine and the development of climatal conditions that permitted their
existence.
Mr. Hillis Smith stated that a tooth of an elephant had been thrown out
in making the ditch above mentioned. This tooth was in the possession of
Mr. E. H. Crane, of Kalamazoo. The species is not known.
The mastodons referred to above were mentioned by Lane in his report of
1901, page 253. He also called attention to a list of the mollusks found
in the muck beneath one of the mastodons, prepared by Bryant Walker
(Nautilus, vol. XI, 1898, p. 121), in which 36 species were named.
8. _Eau Claire, Berrien County._—In the Joint Documents of the House of
Representatives of Michigan, session 1841, page 559, Bela Hubbard stated
that remains of a mastodon had been found on Paw Paw Creek, Berrien
County. Lane (Rep. Geol. Surv. Michigan for 1901, p. 252) stated that
there are in the Agricultural College at East Lansing, 6 teeth and half
of a lower jaw, found near Eau Claire, and which may be the remains
referred to by Hubbard. This appears, however, to be an error. On these
teeth are the label: “Found at Eau Claire, Berrien Co., Mich. Found
beneath several feet of muck while digging a ditch. B. L. Comstock, Aug.
17, 1896.” The teeth are extraordinarily large; M^3 right is 222 mm.
long.
The exact places where the remains mentioned were found have not been
recorded. For an account of the small glacial lakes which occupied the
depressions that existed between the Valparaiso moraine and the shore of
Lake Michigan while the latter was yet filled with ice, see Leverett and
Taylor’s Monograph No. LIII, pages 225–227. In the deposits of these
lakes, but probably long after the glacial ice had retired, were buried
the bones of the mastodon and other animals.
From Mr. N. A. Wood, of the University of Michigan, the information has
been received that a part of a skull of a mastodon was found in making a
public ditch about 2 or 3 miles south of Barada.
25. _Galien, Berrien County._—In 1885 (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol.
V, p. 133), I. A. Lapham reported the discovery of the right ramus of
the lower jaw of a mastodon at Terre Coupée. This place has disappeared
from the maps; but it is said to have been situated on the railroad, 11
miles west of Niles, not far east of Galien. The jaw was found by Mr. A.
H. Taylor, at a depth of 6 feet. It was peculiar in having a
supernumerary molar, a seventh. The jaw was again described by Dr. J. C.
Warren in 1855 (Amer. Jour. Sci. (2), vol. XIX, pp. 348–353).
9. _Dorr, Allegan County._—A. C. Lane (Rep. Geol. Surv. Michigan for
1901, p. 253) stated that Frank Fleser and others had secured a jawbone
of mastodon and several teeth. The place is stated to be 4 miles west of
Dorr, probably in the valley of Rabbit River, where it cuts through the
Valparaiso moraine.
10. _Cannonsburg, Kent County._—In the Kent Scientific Museum at Grand
Rapids is a lower left last molar, labeled as having been found at
Cannonsburg, by Henry Detmer. The exact locality of the place where the
tooth was found is unknown to the writer. The tooth is only slightly
worn and is of a white color. Cannonsburg is on a great expansion of
what Leverett and Taylor call the Charlotte morainic system, a system
produced by the Saginaw lobe of the Wisconsin glacier. Being one of the
more distant moraines of the Saginaw lobe, it was one of the earliest to
be freed from ice and to offer itself to animal occupancy; but it may
not have been invaded by mastodons until the glacial wall had moved much
farther away.
11. _Moorland, Muskegon County._—In the Kent Scientific Museum at Grand
Rapids, Michigan, is a mounted mastodon, the bones of which, except the
limbs, belong to a specimen found about 1905 in a swamp north of
Moorland. The exact locality, as given by Mr. C. L. McKay, the finder,
is the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter, section 16, township
10 north, range 14 west. The skull and the tusks are in good condition.
Beneath the skeleton was found the skull which was made the type of
_Boötherium sargenti_ Gidley.
The Moorland swamp forms part of a great plain about 25 miles wide lying
between the “Lake border morainic system” (Leverett and Taylor, p. 222)
and the present eastern shore of Lake Michigan. This plain appears to
have been occupied by either ice or the waters of old glacial lakes
until well near the close of the Wisconsin stage. The animal must have
been one of the latest of his tribe to inhabit the State of Michigan. It
may have lived long after the time of the musk-ox on whose skull the
mastodon’s pelvis was lying.
12. _Williams Township, Bay County._—In the annual reports of the
Geological Survey of Michigan (1901, p. 253; 1905, p. 354), the
discovery of the skeleton of a mastodon in Bay County was announced. It
had been found in a depression called a pot-hole. The locality more
accurately given is in the southwest corner of section 3, township 14
north, range 3 east. There was a fragment of a tusk 8.75 feet long and
but little curved, a femur and its socket 9.5 inches across, one
vertebra, and one tooth. These were found 3 or 4 feet from the surface.
The remains were sent to Ypsilanti. An examination of Leverett and
Taylor’s plate XVII (Monograph LIII) indicates that the mastodon could
not probably have lived there until after the time of Lake Warren. At
that time the ice-sheet occupied most of Lake Huron and a part of
Saginaw Bay, but the climate of that region was probably, for a long
time after the passing of Lake Warren, too raw and cold to please the
mastodon, so that it was long afterward that this individual left his
skeleton in the boggy hole.
13. _Near Saginaw, Saginaw County._—Dr. A. C. Lane has reported (Ann.
Rep. Geol. Surv. Michigan for 1901, p. 252) that he had found in the
possession of farmers in Tittabawassee Township, Saginaw County, parts
of a tusk, said to have come from a ditch near the course of the Parker
drain, about 0.25 mile north of the south line of section 20, township
13 north, range 3 east, according to Mr. D. E. Williamson, of Saginaw.
Dr. Lane also reported remains of a mastodon, including the lower jaw,
found in digging a tile ditch on the “Willis farm.”
14. See page 85.
15. _Saginaw County._—In October 1910, Mr. Ralph McQuiston sent to the
writer photographs of three mastodon teeth found on a farm about 8 miles
east of north of Elsie, Clinton County. He has since given this locality
as being in the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 4,
township 9 north, range 1 east. According to Leverett and Taylor’s
glacial map of Michigan, this would be about 6 miles within the old Lake
Warren beach-line and in sandy deposits laid down in water. The teeth
were found at a depth of 3 feet. It may be that the animal died at that
spot after the waters of Lake Warren had retired. If so, it would be
interesting to determine the origin of the materials which covered the
mastodon. On the other hand, the mastodon remains were possibly
deposited there after the withdrawal of Lake Wayne and that the
overlying materials were laid down by the water of Lake Warren, for this
lake appears to have stood at a higher level than its predecessor. If
the latter supposition is correct, mastodons could live not far away
from the glacial front.
Further correspondence with Mr. McQuiston makes it appear improbable
that the overlying materials were deposited by lake waters. Professor
Leverett suggests that the animal had died in an old swale and had
afterwards been buried under fine material washed in from the somewhat
higher ground in the neighborhood. In that case the mastodon may have
lived at any time after the lake waters had retired from the locality.
14. _Alma, Gratiot County._—In Alma College, at Alma, Gratiot County,
are some remains of a mastodon, found about 6.5 miles southeast of Alma,
on the farm of Mr. Albert Smith. These remains were exhumed under the
direction of Professor H. M. MacCurdy, of Alma College (Mich. Acad.
Sci., Rep. XXI, p. 119). Various parts of the skull are preserved, one
part showing beautifully the air-cells; also a fragment of a tooth,
axis, three dorsal vertebræ, a few ribs, and a part of the pelvis. From
Mr. Albert Smith it is learned that the remains were found on the
southwest quarter of section 17, township 11 north, range 2 west. This,
following Leverett and Taylor’s map, would be on the Owosso moraine,
which here runs north from Ithaca, Gratiot County. A ditch was being dug
through a peat-bog and the bones were met with at a depth of 4 feet or
less from the surface. Professor MacCurdy wrote that the bones were
lying on a bed of gravelly sand and were covered by a thin layer of
mixed sand and vegetation, while over this was about 3 or 4 feet of
well-decayed peat. The locality is about 2 miles from the shore-line of
the glacial Lake Maumee, as mapped by Leverett and Taylor.
In the collection at Alma College is a left ramus of the jaw of a
mastodon, which contains the second and the third true molars and the
socket for the first molar. This jaw is reported to have been found on
the William Pitt farm, about 7 miles from Alma and in Seville Township.
The exact locality is given the writer by Professor MacCurdy as being in
the south half of the northeast quarter of section 22, township 12
north, range 4 west. Professor C. A. Davis contributed for the writer
the information that these bones were discovered in constructing ditches
from 18 inches to probably 3 feet in depth.
In the Alma College collections are some mastodon remains, including
three fine upper teeth, which were found in the southeast part of the
village of Alma. The locality is described as being in the northeast
quarter of the northeast quarter of section 3, township 11 north, range
3 west. Professor Charles A. Davis, deceased, formerly professor at Alma
College, later connected with the Bureau of Mines at Washington, D. C.,
as peat expert, informed the writer that many years ago he exhumed parts
of two skeletons of mastodons. Part of the bones lay in a small deposit
of marl and were well preserved; the others lay on the edge of the
marl-bed and above it and were not so well preserved. It appears that
the locality had been covered permanently with water in which peat was
growing. Associated with the bones in the marl were the fruits of the
tamarack (_Larix laricina_) and of the black spruce (_Picea mariana_).
These trees are growing there to-day, and extend far north into British
America; hence, when those mastodons were living in the region about
Alma the climate may have been as warm as it is to-day or much cooler.
Professor C. A. Davis informed the writer that a large number of
mastodon bones were found about 1885 by a farmer who lived half a mile
west of Riverdale. This was in Seville Township, No. 12 north, range 4
west, apparently in section 31. The discovery was made by the owner of
the land, who found a number of teeth of a mastodon attached to the
roots of a small elm tree which he pulled out of a swale on his farm.
The bones were not more than 18 inches below the surface. Professor
Davis regarded it as remarkable that remains of the mastodon should be
so near the surface in ponds and swales where peat is growing.
16. _Bancroft, Shiawassee County._—Dr. A. C. Lane (7th Ann. Rep. Geol.
Surv. Michigan, 1905, p. 553) reported that some ribs, tusks, teeth, and
many bones of a mastodon had been found near Bancroft, at a depth of 4
feet, in marl, above which were muck, marl, and sand. Lane gives the
locality as being on the line between sections 36 and 25, township 6
north, range 5 east, but this would be about 12 miles east of Bancroft.
The range is probably 3 east. The locality appears to be on the Fowler
moraine.
17. _Venice, Shiawassee County._—In the agricultural school at East
Lansing is a lower right hindermost molar, catalog No. 3392, which is
said to have been found at Venice by Mr. Hiram Johnson. There are also
parts of one or two tusks from the same place, probably of mastodon.
Venice is just north of the Owosso moraine, and the mastodon must have
lived there at a rather late time in the Wisconsin stage. A letter from
Mr. Fayette Johnson, of Washington, D. C., son of Mr. Hiram Johnson,
informs the writer that he saw the bones taken up about the year 1884.
The place was about the center of section 21, township 7 north, range 4
east. This would be apparently on the Owosso moraine.
18. _Fenton, Genesee County._—Alexander Winchell (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XXXVIII, 1864, p. 224) reported mastodon remains from this place. No
details were given. Fenton is located on the Portland moraine, one of
those built up by the Saginaw lobe.
19. _Davison, Genesee County._—In the museum of the Michigan
Agricultural School, at East Lansing, Michigan, is a large left femur,
found near Davison, Genesee County. It was presented by Mr. A. B.
Cullen, but no more exact information was furnished. A comparison of
this femur with those of the mastodon and of a specimen of _E.
primigenius_ from Siberia indicates that the bone belonged to the
American mastodon. The length is 40.5 inches. Davison is situated on the
border of an old lake which lay along the front of the ice which built
up St. Johns moraine (Taylor, Monogr. LIII, p. 241). At this stage the
earliest of the glacial lakes, Lake Maumee, had not yet come into
existence; but it must have been long after this time that the mastodon
lived in the region about Davison.
20. _Utica, Macomb County._—In 1864, Alexander Winchell (Amer. Jour.
Sci., vol. XXXVIII, p. 224) reported mastodon remains from near this
town. A mention of this discovery is given in volume XVII, page 425, of
the “Collections and Researches made by the Michigan Pioneer and
Historical Society,” by George H. Cannon. It is here stated that remains
had been unearthed on the farm of Hon. P. K. Leech, and that specimens
of the jawbone and several teeth were in the cabinet of Hon. W. W.
Andrus. A letter to the present writer from Mr. A. F. Leech, son of Mr.
P. K. Leech, states that the remains had been found on the east half of
the northeast quarter of section 31, township 3 north, range 12 east, in
a swale which runs across the land described. These teeth and bones were
destroyed in a fire many years ago. According to Leverett and Taylor’s
Glacial Map of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan, the locality where
these remains were discovered is near the outer border of the glacial
Lake Maumee, at a point where there was a delta. This delta is mentioned
by Leverett and Taylor (Monogr. LIII, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 383). It is
where Clinton River entered old Lake Maumee. It is evident that the
animal did not live before the time of this lake; it probably existed
long after this time, when the climate had much moderated.
21. _Plymouth, Wayne County._—Alexander Winchell (First Bienn. Rep.
State Geologist, 1861, p. 132) stated that a Mr. Shattuck had exhumed
nearly an entire set of teeth of a mastodon, with a part of a tusk 7
feet in length. Winchell saw five of the teeth; the other bones appear
to have been destroyed. The exact location of this place is not known,
but Plymouth is within the border of the glacial Lake Maumee; and the
existence of the mastodon was possible only well toward the close of the
Wisconsin stage.
22. _Wyandotte, Wayne County._—In the collection of the University of
Michigan are many bones, including jaws with teeth, of a mastodon found
in Monguegon Township, about 6 miles southwest of Wyandotte and about 2
miles northwest of Sibley. The locality more accurately given is the
northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 12, township 4
south, range 10 east. This was on the farm of Mr. James H. Vreeland. A
county ditch was being made to drain what is known as the Big Marsh. As
reported to the writer by Mr. R. A. Smith, Assistant State Geologist of
Michigan, on a very coarse limestone gravel are 30 inches of blue clay
and over this about 30 inches of muck. The bones were mostly in the blue
clay; those lying in the muck were much decayed. Some teeth and an atlas
are in the possession of Mr. Vreeland.
According to Leverett and Taylor’s map, this mastodon was buried within
the borders of glacial Lake Lundy, just outside of that of Lake Rouge, a
contemporary of Lake Algonquin. On page 442 of Leverett and Taylor’s
monograph it is stated that the altitude of the beach of Rouge Lake is
589 feet. On the map just referred to the 600–foot contour-line runs at
a considerable distance west of the locality of the mastodon find. The
latter appears, then, to have been somewhere between the altitude of 589
and 600 feet above sea-level, without considering the depth the skeleton
may have lain below the surface. The altitude of Lake Erie is 573 feet.
It is evident that the lake had attained nearly, if not quite, its
present level when this mastodon lived.
Dr. E. C. Case, who superintended the excavation of this specimen,
informed the writer that the bones were found 4 feet from the surface.
23. See page 88.
24. _Petersburg, Monroe County._—Alexander Winchell (Amer. Jour. Sci.,
vol. XXXVIII, 1864, p. 224) reported mastodon remains from this place.
The town is in township 7 south, range 6 east. According to Leverett and
Taylor’s map, Petersburg is within the beach which marks the old glacial
Lake Warren. Probably, therefore, this mastodon lived after the
retirement of this lake, unless it had lived during the time of Lake
Wayne and been covered over by the deposits of Lake Warren when the
waters of the latter made their advance on the land. The time of the
mastodon was more probably after both lakes had ceased to exist.
23. _Saline, Washtenaw County._—Mr. N. A. Wood, of the University of
Michigan, informed the writer that he had seen some mastodon remains
which had been found here in 1880. No exact statements were given
regarding the place. Saline is very close to the beach of old Lake
Maumee, where this beach is crossed by Saline River and on the Defiance
moraine.
25. See page 83.
26. _Seven miles southeast of Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County._—In 1908
(Folio 155, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 9), Russell and Leverett stated that
remains of a mastodon had been found a few years previously on the farm
of Albert Darling, about 7 miles southeast of Ypsilanti, where laborers
were digging a ditch across a swampy field. The lower jaw with molar
teeth in place, the left tusk, teeth of the upper jaw, portions of the
cranium, some vertebræ and ribs, and some of the larger bones of the
limbs were found. With considerable restoration these parts were mounted
and placed in the museum of Michigan University. The locality must be
not far away from Huron River and within the beach of old Arkona Lake, a
predecessor of the present Lake Erie.
27. See page 81.
INDIANA.
(Maps 5, 9.)
MASTODONS FOUND IN THE UNGLACIATED REGION.
1. _Posey County._—On page 341 of Blainville’s “Ostéographie des
Mammifères,” volume III, it is stated that Lesueur had shown Blainville
drawings of a fine vertebra and a femur, with its epiphyses, of a
mastodon which had been found along the Wabash River. His language
indicates that this was somewhere below New Harmony. He stated that
these bones were in the library at Vincennes, Indiana. In answer to my
inquiry about these bones, President Horace Ellis, of Vincennes
University, informed me that some bones which appear to be those
mentioned are in his university.
These remains were found in digging a well, at a depth of 60 feet. One
of the curators of the library at Vincennes, Mr. Badollet, states that
with these bones were some skin and hair. We may suppose that there was
some mistake about this.
Unfortunately, as in so many other cases, it is now impossible to
determine just where these remains were found. New Harmony is situated
on the border of the Illinoian drift, and this continues nearly 10 miles
farther south. This drift is covered by loess. A well sunk here would,
at a depth of 60 feet, be in probably Iowan loess. Nearer the river, in
the lowlands, the depth given would probably be in Wisconsin outwash.
2. _Dubois County._—Some details regarding the specimen found here are
given in the author’s paper on the “Pleistocene of Indiana” (36th Ann.
Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 702). A part of a mastodon was found long
ago near the mouth of Wolf Creek, at the Rock House Ford of White River.
This appears to be in Harrison Township (1 north, range 4 west). The
valley of White River is here occupied by alluvial terraces older than
the Wisconsin drift (Leverett, Monogr. XXXVII, U. S. Geol. Surv., plate
VI). There is here too, no doubt, much outwash from the Wisconsin
glacier itself.
The writer has received a photograph of a mastodon tooth which Mr.
Marshall Roberts, of Jasper, Indiana, found in 1912 in East White River,
in the northwest part of Harrison Township. The tooth is 195 mm. long
and 87 mm. wide and has four crests and a large talon.
In Samuel L. Mitchill’s “Observations on the Geology of North America,”
page 363, it is stated that a part of a mastodon had been found, in July
1817, “near the falls of the east branch” of White River. No exact
conclusion can be drawn from the facts known.
3. _Hindostan, Martin County._—Mastodon remains (36th Rep. Geol. Surv.
Indiana, p. 707) have been found at Hindostan, on the east bank of White
River, about 4.5 miles directly southwest of Shoals. A mastodon tooth
was found in White River at Shoals (op. cit., p. 709). It appears to be
impossible to determine the age of this material.
4. _Orange County, west of Orleans._—The writer has given an account
(36th Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 710) of mastodon remains found here,
on the farm of Mr. Marion F. Mathers, apparently near the line between
the townships of ranges 1 and 2 west and 3 north, and about 2 miles
south of the line between Orange and Lawrence Counties. The remains
appear to have been found in a valley and about 4.5 feet below the
surface. Being found thus in an unglaciated region, they might have been
deposited at any time during the Pleistocene.
5. _Sparksville, Jackson County._—Some years ago teeth and ribs of a
mastodon were found on the bank of White River, at Sparksville. The
valley here is filled with outwash from the Wisconsin drift, but there
is possibly some outwash from the Illinoian.
6. _Jackson County, 7 miles west of Tampico._—(See 36th Ann. Rep. State
Geologist of Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 706.) A mastodon tooth was reported
found on the bank of Judah Creek, a branch of Mill Creek, in section 9,
township 4 north, range 4 east, not far from Muscatatuk River. This is
at some distance outside of the border of the Illinoian drift. Along
Mill Creek are alluvial deposits, but nearby is Chestnut ridge of
probably Wisconsin age (32d Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 192).
7. _New Albany, Floyd County._—In the Fifth Annual Report of the
Geological Survey of Indiana, page 176, Mr. William W. Borden stated
that mastodon remains had been frequently found on the bank of the Ohio
River, at New Albany. As too often, there are lacking details as to
localities and levels. It is quite probable that there is some outwash
at this place from the Illinoian drift, and there is much from the
Wisconsin.
MASTODONS FOUND WITHIN AREA COVERED BY ILLINOIAN DRIFT.
8. _Princeton, Gibson County._—In 1910, three teeth of a mastodon were
found in this village, at a depth of 6 feet, in a sewer which was being
constructed in West Chestnut street. This region is covered by Illinoian
drift. According to Leverett’s map (Monogr. LIII, 1914), Princeton is
situated on Illinoian ground moraine covered by loess. Dr. E. W. Shaw,
of the U. S. Geological Survey, who is familiar with the region in
question, informs the writer that these teeth were almost certainly
found in Iowan loess, deposited at some time between the Illinoian and
the Wisconsin glacial stages.
52. _Vincennes, Knox County._—At the State University of Colorado, at
Boulder, there is an atlas of a mastodon which was taken there by
Professor M. M. Ellis, formerly of Vincennes, who stated that this, with
other bones, had been found at Vincennes, associated with a skull of a
fossil bison.
9. _Knox or Gibson County._—In Blainville’s “Ostéographie des
Mammifères,” page 340, it was stated that the lower jaw of a mastodon
had been found at some place between Vincennes and New Harmony. The
locality would be in either Knox or Gibson County. The valley of the
Wabash in all this region is filled with outwash from the Wisconsin
glacier, and most probably the animal represented lived during the
Wisconsin stage; but our lack of knowledge of the conditions in which
the jaw was found forbids any assumption of certainty in our conclusion.
10. _Parke County._—In the Forty-first Annual Report of the State Museum
of New York it is reported that there was received, about 1888, the
tooth of a mastodon, found in this county, at the junction of Raccoon
and Little Raccoon Creeks. These creeks unite on section 23 of township
14 north, range 8 west. The political name of the township is Florida.
The region is covered by Illinoian drift; hence the tooth is quite
certainly more recent than that epoch. The valleys of the creeks named
are occupied by outwash from Wisconsin drift, and probably the teeth
found lodgment there during the Wisconsin stage.
11. _Brookville, Franklin County._—The writer has given an account of
the remains of mastodons found near Brookville (36th Ann. Rep. Geol.
Surv. Indiana, 1912, p. 704). The information is derived from a report
by Dr. Rufus Haymond, made in the First Annual Report, 1869, page 199.
Two of these were found 8 or 9 feet below the surface, in the gravel of
the upper terrace, along Whitewater River. One was discovered about half
a mile below Brookville, the other about 3.5 miles below the village.
According to Mr. A. E. Taylor’s account of this region (34th Ann. Rep.
Geol. Surv. Indiana), the terrace in which the mastodon bones were
buried is 100 feet above the present bed of Whitewater River. As Haymond
speaks of skeletons being found at these localities, it is probable that
something more than isolated teeth or bones were buried there. If so,
the bones were in their original place of interment, and since that
interment the terrace was built up higher by about 8 feet. According to
Leverett (Monogr. LIII, p. 118), these terraces were made from the
outwash of the Wisconsin glacier while it was forming the moraines which
cross Wayne and the southern part of Randolph Counties. If this is true,
these mastodons lived shortly after the culmination of the Wisconsin
stage. This interpretation would imply that mastodons could live in very
close proximity to the glacial front. However, not too much importance
must be attached to this case, for it is possible that the animals were
not correctly identified.
According to Haymond, another skeleton was found about 3.5 miles
northeast of Brookville, in a piece of marshy ground which the owner was
ditching. This discovery must have been made either on the outer
(Hartwell) moraine of the Wisconsin glacier or along East Honnas Creek,
where it breaks through the moraine. In either case, the animal must
have been buried there after the retirement of the ice from that
moraine.
12. _Dearborn County._—In 1872 (3d and 4th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Indiana, p. 402), Professor R. B. Warder mentioned briefly that some
remains of mastodon had been met with in this county. A part of a large
pelvis was found at a salt spring on Tanner’s Creek, below Guilford.
This may have belonged to either a mastodon or an elephant. A mastodon’s
tooth is said to have been found on high ground on George Randall’s
farm, 5 miles west of southwest of Aurora, lying on a stratum of blue
clay 8 or 9 feet below the surface. This region is occupied by Illinoian
drift and the mastodon probably lived there at some time after the
Illinoian stage and before the Wisconsin. However, we can not be certain
that the animal was not a mammoth, for no description was given of the
tooth and it has almost certainly been destroyed.
According to L. C. Ward’s report on the soils of Dearborn County (32d
Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 232), this immediate region is
occupied by what he calls limestone upland soil, which has resulted from
the decay of Silurian limestones and shales. Nothing is said about
Illinoian drift there. Nevertheless, by some means, this proboscidean
was buried there during the Pleistocene period.
Warder mentioned other remains of proboscideans reported from Ohio
County, adjoining Dearborn on the south, a piece of a tusk found near
Patriot, a tusk on Laughery Creek above Hartford, and a tooth at Rising
Sun, in the river bank; but these may have belonged to elephants. To an
elephant may have belonged the tusks which Warder reported as having
been found in the river bottom 5 miles below Vevay, in Switzerland
County.
54. _Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County._—Mr. M. G. Mock, of Houston, Texas,
formerly of Muncie, Indiana, a careful collector of mastodon and
elephant teeth, in a letter informed the writer that in August 1887 a
large mastodon tooth was found near Lawrenceburg, but the exact locality
was not given.
20. _Charleston, Clark County._—In the Fifth Annual Report of the
Geological Survey of Indiana, 1874, page 176, Mr. William W. Borden
reported the discovery of a skeleton of a mastodon on tract 55 of the
“Illinois Grant,” about 2 miles southwest of Charleston Landing and
about the same distance from the Ohio River. A part of the bones was
sent to the old Louisville Museum; the others were, in 1874, in the
possession of Mr. J. Coons, one of the finders. Probably the bones have
long been lost or destroyed. According to Borden, they were found in a
sand-bank. This region is occupied by Illinoian drift.
According to R. W. Ellis’s soil survey of this region (32d Ann. Rep.
Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 245, map), this area is occupied by what is
called New Washington clay loam. This is regarded as the residual soil
of the disintegrated limestone of the Jeffersonville and Niagara
formations. Nothing is said about any glacial drift here, but the sand
of the sand-pit mentioned must have been deposited during the
Pleistocene.
MASTODONS FOUND BETWEEN THE SHELBYVILLE AND THE BLOOMINGTON MORAINES.
13. _Greencastle, Putnam County._—The State collection at Indianapolis
contains a last molar of a mastodon found somewhere near Greencastle. It
is not known whether it was found on Wisconsin drift or on Illinoian, or
in Wisconsin outwash along Eel River.
50. _Greensburg, Decatur County._—From Dr. W. D. Matthew, American
Museum Natural History, New York City, the writer has received
information, accompanied by drawings, that teeth and part of the jaw of
a mastodon were found near Greensburg, by Mr. Roscoe Humphrey. The
drawings show two teeth, one having a length of 102 mm., the other of
135 mm. Mr. Humphrey states that the jaw and the teeth were found in a
branch of Sand Creek, about 4.5 miles southeast of Greensburg. This is
evidently on the Shelbyville moraine.
14. _Danville, Hendricks County._—The collection of the State Museum at
Indianapolis contains a lower second true molar labeled as having been
found near Danville. The specimen is credited to Dr. Vinnage. As this
region is covered by Wisconsin drift, it is probable that the animal
lived after the Wisconsin ice had retired.
15. _Attica, Fountain County._—Mr. J. E. Walker, of Attica, Indiana, has
informed the writer that about October 1, 1895, a mastodon jaw was found
near Newtown, in that county. Mr. Charles B. McKinney, of Newtown, wrote
that the jaw was discovered in the bank of Coal Creek, about 4 rods from
where the creek crosses into Montgomery County, in the northeast quarter
of section 9, township 20 north, range 6 west. The bank rose 3 feet
above the bed of the creek and was composed of a black loam; higher
ground is found about 20 rods away. This jaw must have been buried
originally where it was found or nearby and after the ice which formed
the Champaign moraine had withdrawn further north. It may have been long
after this withdrawal. The description of the jaw and teeth leaves no
doubt as to the correct identification of the animal.
Former State Geologist John Collett, in 1880 (2nd Rep. Bur. Stat. Geol.
Indiana, p. 386), stated that in digging a canal a few miles north of
Covington a skeleton of a mastodon had been found embedded in wet peat.
Collett reported that the bones yet contained their marrow. The identity
of the species and the details as to location and depths are not given.
Doubtless the age of the animal was Late Wisconsin.
MASTODONS FOUND NORTH OF THE BLOOMINGTON MORAINIC SYSTEM AND SOUTH OF
THE WABASH RIVER AND THE MISSISSINAWA MORAINE.
The whole region is occupied by deposits from the Wisconsin glacial
sheet.
16. _Bowers, Montgomery County._—Professor Donaldson Bodine of Wabash
College, has informed the writer that about 1885 some remains of a
mastodon were unearthed on the farm of Milton N. Waugh, near Bowers. The
exact locality is said to be in section 12, township 20 north, range 3
west. This must be close to a stream named on the map Potato Creek. This
lies north of the Bloomington morainic system or on its northern edge.
The epoch of the animal is not earlier than Wisconsin.
According to Jones and Orahood’s soil survey of this county (37th Ann.
Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 149), the glacial drift is almost
everywhere overlain by loess, varying in thickness from a few inches to
nearly 3 feet. This loess was deposited after the ice had retired from
that region.
17. _Indianapolis, Marion County._—In the State Museum at Indianapolis
there is a lower right last molar labeled as having been found in
Indianapolis, at Pennsylvania and Thirtieth streets, by workmen who were
digging a sewer. This was probably in outwash materials brought down by
Fall Creek from the northeast during the withdrawal of the Wisconsin ice
from the Bloomington moraine to the one which passes through Union City
and Muncie, called the Union City moraine.
18. _Anderson, Madison County._—In the Indianapolis Star of July 30,
1911, is an account of the finding of jawbones, with teeth, of a
mastodon. The account was accompanied by reproductions of photographs,
which make the identification certain. The remains were found on the
farm of Louis Webb, but the exact location was not indicated. The animal
certainly lived after the culmination of the Wisconsin stage.
Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv. LIII, p. 99) states that in parts of
central Indiana the Wisconsin drift may be relatively thin, as little as
from 15 to 20 feet. In western Tipton and southern Clinton Counties a
buried soil about 20 feet below the surface seems to represent the land
surface previous to the Wisconsin invasion. In southern Madison County a
black mucky soil, carrying pieces of wood large enough to be called
logs, underlies the till at from 15 to 40 feet. Such a soil would be the
product of the interval between the Illinoian glacial stage and the
Wisconsin, probably either Sangamon or Peorian. In such deposits there
might be found vertebrate remains, possibly even of horses.
19. _Fairmount Township, Grant County._—In 1883, A. J. Phinney, M. D.,
in describing the geology of Grant County (13th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Indiana, p. 143), reported that some years previously the tooth of a
mastodon was found in one of the marshes south of the lake in Fairmount
Township, number 23 north, range 8 east. In another part of the report
it is stated that the lake was in section 14. It covered at the time of
writing about 10 acres, but had formerly covered about 30 acres. The
drainage is now north into the Mississinawa River; but, before the
Wisconsin ice had withdrawn to where the Mississinawa moraine now is,
the drainage was toward the south into White River. At some time after
the retirement of the ice from this region it became occupied by
mastodons, elephants, giant beavers, and doubtless many other species of
animals.
For 20 see page 91.
21. _Muncie, Delaware County._—A. J. Phinney, in 1882 (11th Ann. Rep.
Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 131), reported that a mastodon tooth was found
4.5 miles west of Muncie, on the farm of Edward McKinley. No details as
to depth or kind of soil were given. The tooth is said to have measured
4 by 5.5 inches, with a depth of 7 inches. Unless the roots were present
and large it seems not unlikely that the tooth was that of an elephant.
Phinney did not say that he saw the tooth. He reported other supposed
mastodon remains which had been found in this county, but there is no
assurance that they were correctly identified. Whatever proboscideans
they were, they lived after the Wisconsin ice had retreated from that
region.
Mr. M. G. Mock, of Houston, Texas, formerly of Muncie, Indiana, has been
interested in making collections of fossils and curiosities. He has kept
a note-book of his finds and has illustrated it with sketches. He has a
lower right last mastodon molar which was found near Muncie. It is 8.5
inches long, and has 4 crests and 5 roots.
He reports having seen a mastodon tooth with 3 crests, which was found
June 1887, about 1.75 miles east of Muncie, at the mouth of Hog Creek.
Two teeth, of which Mr. Mock still owns one, were found August 8, 1894,
2.5 miles south of Muncie, in a ditch near Buck Creek, on the farm owned
by Oliver McConnell.
53. _Royerton, Delaware County._—Mr. M. G. Mock, above referred to,
showed the writer a drawing of a mastodon tooth which was found May 24,
1890, near Royerton, 6 miles north of Muncie. With this were two other
teeth; one 7 inches long and weighed nearly 4 pounds. These were
discovered in excavating tile clay at a depth of about 3.5 feet.
22. _Henry County._—In the collection of Princeton University are two
lower true molars, apparently the first of each side. The length of each
is 95 mm. They are labeled as having come from Henry County, Indiana,
but there is nothing to indicate from what part of the county.
23. _Losantville, Randolph County._—Losantville is, according to
Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv. LIII, plate VI), on the Bloomington
moraine of the Wisconsin. As indicated on the map, the drift is covered
with silt formed in local ice-border pools. Hence the mastodon in
question left his bones in a depression on the top of the Wisconsin
drift-sheet, and later they were covered by a deposit of peat.
In Nautilus, volume IV, page 131, Elwood Pleas, of Dunreith, Indiana,
gave a list of six species of mollusks found associated with the
mastodon. All are yet living.
Dr. A. J. Phinney (Twelfth Ann. Rep. Ind. Geol. Surv., p. 181) stated
that mastodon bones had been met in this county, but no details were
furnished.
24. _Dalton, Wayne County._—In the Earlham College collection there is a
lower jaw found in Nettle Creek, near Dalton. It contains the last two
molars. The last one has five crests and a talon. The front of the
symphysis is rough, but there are no alveoles for tusks. Dalton is in
the northwestern corner of the county and on the southern border of the
Shelbyville moraine, where this joins the Bloomington moraine.
25. _Jacksonburg, Wayne County._—Dr. John T. Plummer (Amer. Jour. Sci.,
ser. I, vol. XLIV, 1843, p. 302) stated that he had obtained near
Jacksonburg, 18 miles west of Richmond, a tooth. It had four
cross-ridges and was so well preserved that a dentist attempted to make
artificial human teeth from it. According to Leverett’s map, the tooth
was probably on the surface of Wisconsin drift. It could not, therefore,
have lived until after the Shelbyville moraine had been cleared of ice.
26. _Richmond, Wayne County._—In the twelfth volume of the American
Geologist, page 73, Professor Joseph Moore, then of Earlham College,
stated that some sound teeth and decayed bones of a mastodon had been
found 2 miles east of Richmond, in scooping out a fish-pond. A label on
a lower last molar states that the remains were found on the Floyd farm.
With them were found a fragment of an incisor of _Castoroides_.
According to Leverett (Monogr. LIII, plate VI), the locality would be
outside of the Bloomington moraine of the Wisconsin drift.
MASTODONS FOUND WITHIN THE MISSISSINAWA MORAINE.
27. _Penn Township, Jay County._—Mr. David McCaslin (12th Ann. Rep.
Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 169) stated that various remains of mastodon had
been found in Jay County. He mentioned in particular fragments found in
Penn Township (township 24 north, range 8 east) and which seemed to
indicate the presence of an entire skeleton. It is, however, possible
that this skeleton was that of an elephant. The Salamonie moraine passes
diagonally through this township.
28. _Fort Wayne, Allen County._—Richard Lydekker (Foss. Mamm. Brit.
Mus., pt. IV, p. 17) stated that there is in the British Museum of
Natural History a cast of the left half of the brain of an immature
specimen of mastodon which had been found at Fort Wayne. The cast had
been sent to that museum by the Chicago Academy of Science.
Professor C. R. Dryer (16th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 129)
reported five skeletons of mastodons found in Allen County. No
particulars were given. A note from Professor Dryer to the present
writer states that he had been unable to obtain additional information.
It is not unlikely that some of these remains belonged to elephants, but
doubtless some were those of mastodons. It is to be regretted that so
little of value is secured from such discoveries.
29. _DeKalb County, 5 miles west of Waterloo._—In the Carnegie Museum at
Pittsburgh there is a quite complete skeleton of a mastodon which was
found in 1897, in a peat-bog about 5 miles west of Waterloo. Dr. W. J.
Holland gave a brief account of this skeleton in 1905 (Ann. Carnegie
Mus., vol. III, p. 464). The exact location of the place has not been
ascertained by the writer. According to Leverett’s map (Monograph LIII,
U. S. Geological Survey) this mastodon was buried on the eastern border
of the Salamonie moraine, and it could not have lived there until well
along in the latter part of the Wisconsin stage.
55. _DeKalb County, 5 miles northeast of Waterloo._—Dr. W. J. Holland
(Popular Science, New York, vol. XXXIII, 1899, p. 233) described the
finding and disinterment of three mastodons and had a figure of one
skeleton. One of the nearly complete skeletons was found resting on
“hardpan,” partly embedded in a thin layer of shell marl and muck under
the peat, at points not more than 3 feet below the surface.
56. _Noble County._—Under this number may be mentioned the following
discovery of mastodon remains: In the American Naturalist, volume II,
1868, page 56, was reported a communication made to the Chicago Academy
of Science by Dr. Meyers, of Fort Wayne. He announced that he and Dr.
Stimpson, of Chicago, had unearthed the skeletons of three mastodons
somewhere in Noble County, in a basin-shaped depression in the middle of
a corn-field, formerly a willow swamp. One of the animals was a young
one. Some of the bones had been found by Mr. Thrush, in digging a ditch
through his land.
The skeletons lay at a depth of 4 or 5 feet, in a stratum of peat which
overlay blue clay containing lacustrine shells. In the peat were found
fragments of boughs and branches of several kinds of wood in a good
state of preservation, and some fragments had been gnawed by beavers.
30. _Ashley, Steuben County._—The American Museum of Natural History,
New York, contains the fine skull of a mastodon, found in Steuben
Township not far from Ashley. The finder of the skull, Mr. Walter F.
Deller, of Ashley, informed the writer that it was discovered in a swamp
which was being drained, about 5 feet from the surface. He states that
the bones lay in a marl, itself overlain by muck, and on top of all some
soil which had been washed in. So far as can be determined, the animal
was buried between the Mississinawa and the Salamonie moraines. With the
skull were found other parts of the skeleton, which shows that the
remains were in their original place of burial.
MASTODONS FOUND OUTSIDE OF MISSISSINAWA MORAINE AND BETWEEN WABASH AND
KANKAKEE RIVERS.
31. _Beaver Lake, Newton County._—In 1870 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol.
IV, p. 229), Frank H. Bradley reported that in draining Beaver Lake, in
Newton County, mastodon remains had been found, in company with
_Boötherium_. No details were furnished, and it is not known what was
done with the specimens. It is probable that the musk-ox belonged to the
species _Symbos cavifrons_. It occurs over the country much more
abundantly than any other musk-ox.
Beaver Lake has disappeared from the maps, but it is shown on the
geological map of Indiana, published in the Eighteenth Annual Report of
the Geological Survey of Indiana. The lake occupied a part of the
present township of McClellan (township 30 north, range 9 west).
Doubtless this lake existed ever since the retirement of the ice from
that region. The mastodon was probably found in making the ditch from
the lake in a northwesterly direction into the Kankakee River.
32. _Jasper County._—John Collett, at that time State geologist,
reported in 1882 (12th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 73) that
remains of a mastodon had been found in this county, but no particulars
were furnished. He stated that remains of this species, as well as those
of the mammoth, were buried in deposits of peat. A portion of the county
is occupied by the Marseilles morainic system, the remainder by the
Kankakee marsh, perhaps largely a lake during the latter part of the
Wisconsin stage. On the maps the number 32 is placed arbitrarily.
33. _Denham, Pulaski County._—In 1915 the U. S. National Museum secured
a large part of the skeleton of a mastodon found about 2 miles west of
Denham. The locality is described to the writer by Mr. W. D. Pattison,
of Winamac, as being on the half-section line between the southeast
quarter of the northwest quarter and the northeast quarter of the
southwest quarter of section 9, township 31 north, range 3 west. This
would be not far west from the center of the section. The skeleton was
thrown out by the shovel of the ditching machine, but most of the bones,
including the skull, were obtained in quite good condition. They were
found at a depth of about 9 feet, in a marly deposit, itself overlain by
sandy materials.
On consulting Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana it is seen that this
skeleton was found in a marshy tract, in which Monon River rises. It is
represented by Leverett as a ground moraine plain, surrounded by plains
covered by sand and displaying sand dunes. It forms a part of what has
been called Kankakee Lake, but which, as Leverett says, may have been in
late Pleistocene times not greatly unlike what it has been within Recent
times. It must have been well along in the afternoon of the Wisconsin
stage when this mastodon tempted the insecure footing of these swamps.
This skeleton has been mounted and is now on exhibition at the U. S.
National Museum.
34. _Rich Grove Township, Pulaski County._—Mr. J. W. Gidley, of the
National Museum, and Mr. F. M. Williams, of Winamac, Indiana, in 1915,
saw some mastodon bones which had been found here. No details have been
reported.
49. _Indian Creek Township, Pulaski County._—From Dr. E. S. Riggs, of
Field Museum of Natural History, it has been learned that in June 1914,
about half of the skeleton of a mastodon was found on the farm of Mr.
William Battie, 5 miles west of Oak, Pulaski County. This would be in
township 29 north, range 2 west. The skeleton was encountered by
ditchers at a depth of 3 feet, in black loam. It was not secured for the
Field Museum of Natural History.
35. _Royal Center, Cass County._—Mr. Gidley and Mr. Williams, as
mentioned under No. 34, saw also some mastodon remains which were from
about 2 miles west of Royal Center.
48. _Fulton, Fulton County._—The American Museum of Natural History, New
York, contains several mastodon bones secured by Mr. Barnum Brown in
1915, but which had been found by Mr. Arthur Fry, in July 1913. These
remains were met with in excavating for abutments for a bridge and had
been thrown out of a drainage ditch. The bones were disassociated and
scattered over a considerable area. They were all in black muck
overlying compact quicksand and about 4 feet below the black loam
surface soil. From Mr. Fry it is learned that the locality is 2 miles
southeast of Fulton. This is in township 29 north, range 2 east, and
quite certainly in section 36. Mr. Fry wrote that in digging up these
bones logs were found that had been gnawed by beavers.
Dr. W. D. Matthew informs the writer that on cleaning up the materials
there proved to be present at least four individuals. One was
represented by a very complete skull with portions of the tusks. There
was another skull; also two lower jaws which appeared not to belong to
either of the skulls. From the shortness and the diameter of the tusks
it is believed that all the individuals were females. Besides the skulls
there were many bones belonging to the trunk and the limbs.
36. _Macy, Miami County._—Near this place was found the fine skeleton of
a mastodon which is mounted and on exhibition in the Public Museum at
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A figure of this has been published by the writer
(36th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 659).
This skeleton was found, according to Mr. H. L. Ward, director of the
museum mentioned, in 1907, in the northwest quarter of section 29,
township 29, range 4 east, between Macy and Deedsville. This locality is
on the great moraine which lies north of Eel River and was produced by
the ice fronts of the Michigan, the Saginaw, and the Lake Erie lobes.
According to a sketch and some notes furnished to Mr. Ward by Mr. C. F.
Fite, who secured the skeleton, it was lying at the lower end of an
8–shaped area of low muck land surrounded by rather high sandy land. The
skeleton was buried at a depth of 4 or 5 feet, and the surface was miry
and covered with water. Mr. Fite concluded from the position of the
bones that the animal had become mired. He says in a letter to the
present writer that the contents of the stomach had been preserved, but
on exposure to the air became powdery like ashes.
Mr. Fite writes that he took up portions of another mastodon in the
southwest quarter of section 26, township 29 north, range 5 east (Perry
Township), and that he has the lower jaw and teeth. This animal was
found in an old pond which had a growth of buttonwood. The bones were in
a blue clay, itself overlain by a rich black soil.
Still another mastodon is reported by Mr. Fite from this region. This
was found in the fall of 1915, in the northwest quarter of section 12,
township 29 north, range 3 east. The remains were found at a depth of 4
feet and were in a pretty fair state of preservation, except the skull.
The animal had been a large one.
37. _Peru, Miami County._—In the collection of Yale University is a
lower left last molar, No. 11689, labeled as having come from Peru, but
there is no other information. Peru is on the Wabash River, a few miles
south of Denver.
51. _Jackson Township, Miami County._—Mr. Fite reports having found
another mastodon in the southeast quarter of section 11, Jackson
Township, Miami County (T. 25 N., R. 5 E.). This would be not far from
Pipe Creek, between Somerset and Amboy, and some miles outside of the
Mississinawa moraine. The writer has seen these bones, mostly vertebræ,
and agrees with the identification.
38. _Laketon, Wabash County._—Elrod and Benedict state (17th Ann. Rep.
Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 240) that in 1872 a nearly complete skeleton of
a mastodon was found about 2 miles west of this place, in digging a
ditch at the roadside. The exact location is in section 8, township 29
north, range 6 east, near the bank of Silver Creek. The political name
of the township is Pleasant. This would be on the southern border of the
great moraine already mentioned as running northeastward and
southwestward, north of Eel River. After some litigation the skeleton
was put on exhibition at Fort Wayne.
In throwing up an embankment for a bridge across Silver Creek, workmen
found in the same township, as reported by Elrod and Benedict, bones of
_Elephas primigenius_. They were under 5 feet of muck.
39. _North Manchester, Wabash County._—Elrod and Benedict, as cited
above, reported that a jawbone with two teeth in it had been found on
the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 1, township
29, range 7 east. This is about 3 miles east of North Manchester. The
description given of these teeth shows that the jaw was that of a
mastodon. It was found beneath 2.5 feet of solid blue clay. According to
Leverett’s map, the locality is not far west of the outer border of the
Mississinawa moraine.
40. _Lagrange, Lagrange County._—Professor Donaldson Bodine, now
deceased, formerly of Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana, informed
the writer that there are in Wabash College some teeth and other parts
of a mastodon, which were found in 1910 in some dredging operations near
Lagrange.
H. Pohlig (Bull. Soc. Belge Géol., etc., vol. XXVI, 1912, p. 187)
described a lower jaw, found somewhere about Lagrange, which he referred
to _Tetracaulodon ohioticum_. It contained a small tusk 230 mm. long and
40 mm. in diameter. There was present also an alveolus for the other
tusk. He accepts the genus _Tetracaulodon_ for mastodons “a quatre
défenses permanentes sans émail représenté par le _Mastodon ohioticum_.”
Individuals without lower tusks are regarded by him as females.
In Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, Rochester, New York, there is,
or was, a lower jaw of a mastodon from Lagrange County.
The writer has received a photograph showing the right fore-leg, two
ribs, two tusks, and a lower jaw of a mastodon found in 1884, in a
swamp, 4 miles northwest of Lagrange. The remains were embedded in a
clayey marl deposit, at a depth of from 4 to 10 feet. They are said to
have been exhumed by Dr. H. M. Betts. The hindermost lower molar shows
five crests and a heel. On the right side is a small lower tusk.
Lagrange is situated at the junction of moraines formed by the Saginaw
and the Huron-Erie lobes of the Wisconsin glacier. From this the
Lagrange moraine runs off northwestward (Leverett, Monogr. U. S. Geol.
Surv., LIII, p. 143). Parts of the county are occupied by till plains
and others by sand and gravel plains and channels of glacial drainage.
At the time these mastodons lived in Steuben and Lagrange Counties, the
Wisconsin ice must have retired quite beyond the limits of the State.
MASTODONS FOUND NORTH OF KANKAKEE RIVER.
41. _Lowell, Lake County._—Mr. M. W. Ponto, Lowell, Indiana, has sent to
the U. S. National Museum a photograph of a lower right hinder molar
(apparently not yet having come into use) of a mastodon. This was found
at a depth of 2 feet 9 inches in a trench for a tile drain. The locality
is in the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 36,
township 33 north, range 9 west. This is on the southern border of what
Leverett (Monogr. LIII, p. 175) regards as possibly the westward
continuation of the Kalamazoo morainic system of the Lake Michigan
glacial lobe.
42 to 44. _Porter County._—In 1898 (22d Rep. Geol. Surv. Ind.),
Professor W. S. Blatchley reported mastodons from various localities in
this county; he probably did not see these remains, and the
identifications must be regarded as somewhat doubtful. Nevertheless it
is more probable that the bones and teeth belonged to the mastodon than
to any of the elephants. The latter, however, have been found in this
same county. It is rather remarkable that so little definite knowledge
has been preserved regarding the proboscideans found in this corner of
Indiana.
42. _Hebron, Porter County._—One of the localities just mentioned is in
section 25, township 33 north, range 7 west, about 3 miles southeast of
Hebron. No other information has been obtained about this specimen.
Other remains are said to have been found in a marsh, by the side of
Cobb’s Creek, just east of Hebron.
43. _Kouts, Porter County._—Another find of mastodon remains, as
reported by Professor Blatchley, was near Sandyhook, northwest of Kouts.
Mr. C. H. Wolbrandt, of Kouts, has informed the writer that a tooth,
probably that referred to by Professor Blatchley, was found some years
ago in a ditch being made in the Sandyhook marsh. The tooth was found in
a mucky soil at a depth of about 2 feet.
The remains which were found east of Hebron and the tooth found near
Kouts were buried near the northern border of the Kankakee marsh, which
probably was, since the passing of the Wisconsin ice, no less a marsh
than within historical times, and perhaps during some of the time a
lake.
44. _Valparaiso, Porter County._—Professor Blatchley, as quoted above,
reported that some remains of a mastodon were found about 2 miles
southwest of Valparaiso. The locality is in the southwest quarter of
section 27, township 35 north, range 6 west. This would be on the
Valparaiso moraine.
45. _Valparaiso, Porter County._—The writer has learned from Mr. Jacob
Davis, of Hebron, that in dredging at a point about 5 miles southeast of
Valparaiso he met with a skeleton of a mastodon and secured a large
number of bones at a depth of 8 feet; but some of them were carried off
by curiosity hunters. It is depressing to think that such remains should
be preserved for thousands of years only to be put to such trivial uses.
This locality would be in the Kankakee marshes.
46. _Olive Township, St. Joseph County._—In the museum at Notre Dame
University are considerable remains of a mastodon, found about 1902 in
Olive Township, about 12 miles west or southwest of Notre Dame.
Professor Kirsch has sent a photograph of a tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_ which was found in Olive Township. Apparently the mastodon
and the elephant were living together late in the Wisconsin stage.
47. _Notre Dame, St. Joseph County._—From Rev. A. M. Kirsch the writer
learns that remains of two mastodons have been found in the region about
Notre Dame, within a few feet of the surface. All these localities are
within the area of Kankakee marsh. These specimens are now in the fine
collection of that university.
For 48, 49 see page 97; for 50 see page 92; for 51 see page 98; for 52
see page 90; for 53 see page 94; for 54 see page 91; for 55 and 56 see
page 95.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 5, 38.)
OUTSIDE OF AREA OF ILLINOIAN DRIFT.
1. _Shawneetown, Gallatin County._—In 1875 (vol. VI, Geol. Surv.
Illinois, p. 214), Professor E. T. Cox reported that teeth of a mastodon
had been found the preceding summer close to the water’s edge in front
of Shawneetown. They were embedded in a shallow deposit of bluish clay
which rested upon yellow clay and gravel. Michael Robinson, of
Shawneetown, states in a letter that he has in his cabinet teeth of
mastodon and mammoth, found about that town. The bluffs bordering the
Ohio River at Shawneetown were regarded by Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol.
Surv., XXXVIII, plate VI) as of Wisconsin age, consisting of outwash
from the ice-sheet lying farther north.
A. H. Worthen (vol. VI, Geol. Surv. Illinois, p. 39) stated that a fine
tooth of a mastodon, found in Gallatin County, had been presented to the
State cabinet, but no exact history of it was known.
2. _Chester, Randolph County._—A note in the Kansas City Review of
Science and Industry, volume VII, 1883, page 351, taken apparently from
a newspaper at Chester, states that a mastodon’s tusk and skull had been
discovered in Chester. It was expected that Professor A. H. Worthen,
State geologist of Illinois at that time, would arrive and conduct the
exhumation. Later (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. VIII, p. 8) Worthen stated
that a mastodon had been found at Chester; but no details were added.
With so little knowledge as to exact locality and the surroundings the
discovery is of little value.
WITHIN AREA COVERED BY ILLINOIAN DRIFT.
3. _Beaucoup, Washington County._—In 1857, the geologist J. W. Foster
reported (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Science, vol. X, Nat. Hist., p. 163)
that remains of a mastodon had been discovered by workmen in making an
excavation along the Illinois Central Railroad, near the town of
Beaucoup. The bones were at a depth of 18 feet in the prairie drift,
below the yellow clay and in the older or reddish clay. No details were
given as to what bones were found or what was done with them.
Most of this county is covered by Illinoian drift. Leverett (Monogr. U.
S. Geol. Surv., XXXVIII, p. 770) states that on the higher lands this
has a depth of from 10 to 20 feet. One might suppose that at a depth of
18 feet some pre-Illinoian interglacial deposit had been encountered. It
is not at all probable that the bones of the mastodon were inclosed in
the drift itself.
4. _East St. Louis, St. Clair County._—Dr. F. V. Hayden (Proc. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila., 1866, p. 316) announced the finding of a tooth of a
mastodon in the bluffs opposite St. Louis. This was probably in St.
Clair County.
In the American Museum of Natural History, New York, is a lower right
last molar of a mastodon, labeled as having been found in St. Clair
County, but there is no other information.
In the collection of the St. Louis Academy of Science there are two
teeth of a mastodon, right and left last upper molars, which had been
brought in by a boy and presented to the Academy. He said that they had
been found in East St. Louis and had been in the possession of the
family for some time. The length of the left molar is 175 mm., the width
102 mm. While the valley of the Mississippi River is here filled by
deposits laid down during the Wisconsin stage (Leverett, op cit., plate
VI) and by later-formed alluvium, Illinoian drift enters into the
bluffs, and perhaps pre-Illinoian interglacial soils. It is, therefore,
of interest that there should be an exact record made of the place of
discovery of every bone and tooth found, the character of the deposit,
and the depth of burial. In all the cases here recorded no such records
have been kept.
5. _Alton, Madison County._—In 1866 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. I, p.
315; 1871, Amer. Naturalist, vol. V, p. 607), A. H. Worthen reported
that a part of a jawbone of a mastodon, with two teeth in it, had been
found in the lower part of the loess, 30 feet below the surface, at some
point just above Alton. The jaw was separated from the limestone by 2 or
3 feet of local drift. The bone was of a chalky whiteness and in a fine
state of preservation. Worthen wrote that the loess on the bluffs in
this region is from 40 to 80 feet in thickness, but appears in places to
have been removed by erosion, so that it comes down to the rock.
Reference is made by Worthen later (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. VIII, p.
8) to the discoveries of vertebrate fossils in the drift and loess of
this region. He mentions that Hon. William McAdams found, at Alton and
Chester, remains of mastodon, mammoth, megalonyx, castoroides, and “_Bos
primigenius_.” McAdams’s collection is now in the U. S. National Museum
and a list of the species is presented on page 339. These species were
described by the writer in 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, pp.
109–117). In it are only two fragments of molars of this species.
In the collection at Yale University (No. 11713) is an upper left last
molar of a mastodon, obtained from Mr. McAdams. The enamel is very
white. There is on the label the date “Feb. 21, 1888.” This may be one
of the teeth referred to above, and the date may refer to the date of
purchase.
6. _Sandoval, Marion County._—Before the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, at its meeting in 1856 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv.
Sci., vol. X, 1857, p. 163), the geologist J. W. Foster stated that at
Sandoval, on the Illinois Central Railroad, mastodon remains had been
found at a depth of 12 feet, under conditions similar to those existing
near Beaucoup, in Washington County. Here again there is a poverty of
information. In this county there is, in many places, a very compact
white clay overlying the Illinoian drift. The relations of this to the
drift are not well understood. At a depth of 12 feet in this clay the
Illinoian drift might not be reached in some places, while at this depth
in the drift a pre-Illinoian deposit might be encountered.
7. _Near Niantic, Macon County._—In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. V,
p. 308), A. H. Worthen gave an account of finding some remains of a
mastodon in this county, near the line between it and Sangamon County
and between Illiopolis and Niantic, on a farm then owned by Mr. William
F. Correll. The American Journal of Science, volume 50, page 422, in a
note regarding the discovery, states that the place is 1.5 miles
southeast of Illiopolis. A well was being sunk in a low, spongy piece of
ground, which had evidently been a pond filled up by wash from the
surrounding higher ground. At a depth of 4 feet two tusks were found,
one measuring 7 feet in length and about 8 inches in circumference, the
lower jaw containing the teeth, the teeth of the upper jaw, and some
small bones. Besides these remains of the mastodon, there were found
some bones of the buffalo and deer, and two antlers of an elk. The bones
of these yet existing species are said to have been found at the same
depth as the mastodon bones, but were of a lighter color and less
decayed.
The bones were partly embedded in a light-gray quicksand, filled with
small fresh-water shells. Above this was 4 feet of black peaty soil.
In the eighth volume of the Geological Survey of Illinois, on page 23,
Worthen wrote that some of the smaller bones of the mastodon and those
of the other animals, except the antlers of the elk, were preserved in
the State Museum of Natural History, at Springfield.
In the museum of the Chicago Academy of Science are, as reported by the
curator, Frank C. Baker, to Netta C. Anderson (Augustana Lib. Pubs. No.
5, p. 14), two rami of the lower jaw and several molars of a mastodon,
all well preserved. They are labeled as having been found in Macon
County, “6 miles from Abraham Lincoln’s first home” and as having been
presented by C. F. Günther. With these is an upper tooth which probably
belonged with the same lot as the lower jaw. There can hardly be a doubt
that this jaw and these teeth are those described by Worthen. The finder
had probably sold them to Mr. Günther, of Chicago, who had a private
collection.
The region about Niantic is within the area of the Illinoian drift, so
that the bones must have been deposited in the pond after the passing
away of the Illinoian ice-sheet.
Dr. F. C. Baker (Bull. Univ. Illinois, vol. XVII, p. 300), in speaking
of this case, says that the deposit rests on Illinoian drift and hence
it appears referable to the Sangamon interval. It seems to the present
writer that these animals belong to a later time, possibly the Late
Wisconsin. The locality is about 5 miles from Sangamon River. One might
suppose that time enough had elapsed after the Illinoian for the
drainage of the pond that must once have been there. Also, Worthen in
his account states the uplands are covered by loess from 6 to 20 feet in
thickness. One might expect that the pond would have been filled up with
the loess which had blown into it and which had been washed into it from
the surrounding higher land. These considerations are of course not
final. The Wisconsin moraine is not far away, and it is possible that
outwash from this was responsible for the pond and that the animals
lived after the glacier had passed away.
8. _Warsaw, Hancock County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s “Preliminary List of
Fossil Mastodon and Mammoth Remains in Illinois and Iowa” (Augustana
Lib. Pubs. No. 5) it was reported by Mr. C. K. Worthen, of Warsaw, that
a part of a mastodon tooth had been found sticking out of a bank of a
creek 5 miles below the town mentioned.
The writer has seen in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy, from
near Warsaw, a part of a lower second molar, labeled as having been
found at a depth of 10 feet, 3 miles east of the Mississippi River. It
was presented by G. W. Hall.
9. _Manito, Mason County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a large upper
right second molar, No. 7801, presented in 1913 by Mr. John Wiedmer, of
St. Louis. This was found by his workmen near Manito, in a peat deposit,
at a depth of 5 feet, embedded in the top of a layer of sand which
underlies the peat. At about the same depth was found a part of the
skull of _Symbos cavifrons_, also presented to the U. S. National
Museum. The place of discovery more exactly given is in section 22,
township 23, range 6.
This locality is within the area of the Illinoian drift. On the east, a
few miles away, is the foot of the great Shelbyville moraine; while very
near, toward the west, there are, according to Leverett (op. cit., plate
VI) widely spread deposits brought down by the Illinois River from the
Wisconsin ice-sheet. The geological conditions here seem to make it
probable that both animals lived near the close of the Wisconsin stage.
There may, however, have been a considerable interval between the times
of the two animals; for peat, sometimes at least, accumulates very
slowly. In proof of this may be cited the case of mastodons found near
the surface of peat swamps in Michigan. In the same peat-swamp at Manito
were found at depths of 3 or 4 feet some Indian flint implements. These
are in the collection of the U. S. National Museum.
10. _Knox County._—On page 14 of Netta C. Anderson’s list, already
mentioned, Professor Albert Hurd, curator of the museum of Knox College,
Galesburg, reported that there was in the collection a well-preserved
tooth of a mastodon found in the bed of Spoon River, which runs across
the southeastern part of the county. Exactly where along this stream the
tooth was discovered is not on record.
11. _Cambridge, Henry County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, on page 12,
Professor Frank C. Baker, then curator of the Chicago Academy of
Science, reported that there is in the collection a part of a tusk of a
mastodon, found at Cambridge, in digging a well, at a depth of 16 feet.
In this case one can not be certain that the tusk did not belong to one
of the elephants. From information accompanying the specimen one can
determine little about the exact geological age of the animal. It is
probably post-Illinoian.
12. _Rural Township, Rock Island County._—Dr. J. A. Udden (in Netta C.
Anderson’s list, p. 18) reported that there is in the collection of
Augustana College, Rock Island, a well-preserved tooth of a mastodon,
found in 1900, in a creek in the township named, in the southeastern
corner of the county. Udden gives the locality as being in section 19,
township 16 north, range 1 west.
In the same institution (J. A. Udden, Augustana Coll., Pub. No. V, p.
12) is a part of a proboscidean tusk, referred to the mastodon, which
Dr. Udden states was found near Milan, at the base of the loess, in the
red oxidized layer of the Illinoian boulder clay. The locality is on the
north side of Rock River and on the east side of the Milan road south of
Rock Island. The conditions would seem to indicate that the animal had
lived about the close of the Illinoian drift stage.
About June 15, 1916, Mr. A. Daxon, of Omaha, Nebraska, sent photographs
of two mastodon teeth to the U. S. National Museum for identification.
These teeth were found in Bowling Township, Rock Island County, 10 or 12
miles south of Rock Island, but no further information about them has
been secured.
Professor J. A. Paarmann, curator of the Davenport, Iowa, Academy of
Sciences, has written that he had seen a finely preserved mastodon tooth
which had been picked up on the surface of the ground a mile west of
Milan. The land around about is swampy. The tooth was in the possession
of Edward Herbert, Rock Island, Illinois, but the present writer has not
been able to get any information from him.
13. _Sterling, Whiteside County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No.
4222) is a mastodon molar, recorded as found near the town named. It was
transmitted through the U. S. Geological Survey and credited to T. A.
Schroder. It is said to have been found with other teeth and parts of
the skeleton, so that there is little probability that the skeleton was
disturbed after its original interment. It is to be regretted that so
little information was allowed to come with the specimen.
Sterling is in a region of very complicated Pleistocene geology. South
of it is an extensive region of swamps and deposits referred by Leverett
(op. cit., plate VI) to “sand and gravel plains of Wisconsin age.” North
of the town is drift mapped by Leverett as Iowan, but which is now
regarded as Illinoian. As to the age of the tooth in question, no
probable conclusion can be formed, except that it is of post-Illinoian
time.
27. _Walnut, Bureau County._—In the American Museum of Natural History,
in New York City, there are three molars (No. 10666), belonging to each
side of the upper jaw of a mastodon which was found somewhere near
Walnut, in Bureau County.
14. _New Milford, Winnebago County._—According to S. P. Lathrop (Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. XII, 1851, p. 439), a large tooth of a mastodon, in a
fine state of preservation, was found in the Kishwaukee River, being
brought up in a seine.
The geology about New Milford is not well worked out. The deposits along
the Kishwaukee were probably laid down during or shortly after the
Wisconsin stage.
15. _Byron, Ogle County._—In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. V, p.
110), James Shaw reported that a tooth identified as that of a mastodon
had been found, in 1858, in a tributary of Stillman’s Run, somewhere in
the region about Byron. The locality is low and marshy. The tooth is
described as having been a ponderous grinder, weighing 7.5 pounds, and
to have been covered with a black and shining enamel. A large mastodon
tooth, just out of the water, might attain such a weight. The statement
regarding the enamel confirms the identification.
Shaw reported further that a large leg-bone, supposed to belong to a
mastodon, had been found 2 or 3 miles above Byron, along the bank of
Rock River, 5 feet below the surface and about 15 feet above ordinary
water-level. It was sent to the State Museum at Springfield. This may
have belonged to one of the elephants.
_Harper, Ogle County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, on page 15, is a
report from Miss Abba Eager, of Forreston, concerning a tooth of a
mastodon found on the farm of Mr. Gross, in Forreston Township, about a
mile south of Harper, in the bed of a small stream. Another tooth had
been found there a short time before.
Byron is on Rock River, and the tooth was probably in alluvial deposits
laid down after the recession of the Wisconsin ice. Harper is near the
western border of the county and Illinoian drift covers the country. All
that can be said in the case of the teeth found is that the possessors
lived after the Illinoian stage.
16. _Urbana, Champaign County._—In the collection of the Illinois State
University the writer saw a lower right last molar of a mastodon, found
June 1, 1911, at Crystal Lake park, 1.5 miles northeast of the
university.
_Pesotum, Champaign County._—In 1909, Mr. Rufus M. Bagg (Univ. Ill.
Bull., vol. VI, No. 17, p. 49) recorded the fact that a mastodon tooth
with some bones had been found near Pesotum, on the farm of Mr. Pfeffer,
at a depth of 3.5 feet, in digging a ditch.
Inasmuch as this whole region is covered by Wisconsin drift, the animal
could not have lived there before the ice which deposited the Champaign
moraine had withdrawn. It probably lived there long after the ice had
retreated, possibly about the time when the megalonyx, whose claw alone
is left as a memorial of his former existence, lived in that region.
17. _Edgar County._—In 1870 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. IV, p. 266),
Frank H. Bradley, in describing the topography of Edgar County, stated
that a nearly perfect skeleton of a mastodon had been found in one of
the sloughs of the prairie region which prevails in the western part of
the county. It was said that after having been exhibited over that
region it was sold to some museum in Philadelphia, but the writer has
been unable to obtain further information.
In 1857 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Science, vol. X, Nat. Hist., p. 10), J.
W. Foster reported that a jaw and three teeth of a mastodon had been
found in yellow clay, about 3 feet from the surface, at Bloomfield, in
this county. This name has disappeared from the maps and gazetteers.
A little of the southern border of the county is occupied by Illinoian
drift, but the greater part is covered by drift of Wisconsin age. The
mastodons reported probably lived after the retirement of the last ice
of the Glacial period.
18. _Fairmount, Vermillion County._—In 1870, Frank H. Bradley (Geol.
Surv. Illinois, vol. IV, p. 242) stated that in September 1868 remains
of a mastodon were found 2 miles southeast of Fairmount. He described
the locality as having a black soil, from 1 to 2 feet deep, and
underlain by a light-brown tenacious clay, filled with the shells of
_Lymnæa_, _Physa_, _Planorbis_, _Sphærium_, etc. The bones of the
mastodon lay partly in this marly clay, but the tip of one tusk rose to
within 13 inches of the surface. The bones were considerably decayed,
but Bradley thought this had resulted from the previous draining of the
land and the accession of air to the bones. Some fragments of this
skeleton are in the collection of the Chicago Academy of Science. The
locality is very close to the northern edge of the Champaign moraine.
19. _Iroquois and Vermillion Counties._—Under this number must be
recorded 3 mastodons found at as many different places. Hoopeston is in
Vermillion County, but evidently the mastodon credited to this place was
found in Iroquois County.
_Six miles northwest of Hoopeston._—In 1881 (2d Ann. Rep. Dept. Statist.
and Geol. Indiana, p. 18; of complete report, p. 386), John Collett gave
an account of the discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of a mastodon
about 6 miles northwest of Hoopeston. The locality is evidently in the
southwestern corner of township 24 north, range 11 east. Each tusk
formed a full quarter of a circle, was 9 feet long, 22 inches in
circumference at the base, and weighed, while yet wet, 175 pounds. The
lower jaw was well preserved, nearly 3 feet long, and contained a
magnificent set of teeth. The leg-bones, when joined at the knee, made a
length of 5.5 feet. What was supposed to be remains of herbs and grasses
which the animal had eaten were found between the ribs.
The following mollusks are reported as being found in the same clay as
that which contained the bones: _Pisidium abditum?_, _Valvata
tricarinata_, _Valvata striata?_, _Planorbis parvus_. It is stated that
these shells live at present all over the States of Illinois, Indiana,
and Michigan, and indicate that the climate of the mastodon’s day was
greatly like that of the present in that region.
Dr. John M. Clarke (56th Ann. Rep. New York State Museum, published in
1904, p. 926) states that the tusks of this mastodon are now in the
American Museum of Natural History and form a part of a mounted
mastodon. The lower jaw is also in that museum. The writer has seen this
jaw, No. 14345, and there are in it 2 tusks of considerable size, such
as the writer has supposed characterized _Mammut progenium_. In case
this species shall prove to be a natural one it continued from the first
interglacial or even earlier to the close of the Wisconsin. This is the
mastodon to which Blatchley refers (22d Rep. Indiana Geol. Surv., p.
90).
_East Lynn, Vermillion County._—The writer has a note to the effect that
some mastodon remains were found near this place in 1881, but the
authority can not be cited. East Lynn is 7 miles west of Hoopeston.
_Rossville._—Dr. Rufus M. Bagg, jr. (Univ. Ill. Bulletin, vol. VI, No.
17, 1909, p. 49, plate IV, figs. 2, 3) reported the finding of a
mastodon’s tooth near Rossville, on the banks of the North fork of
Vermillion River, about 7 miles south of Hoopeston. The figures indicate
that the tooth is the lower right first molar, 127 mm. long and 85 mm.
wide.
All three of the mastodons mentioned were evidently buried in pond and
swamp deposits which lie on or near the Bloomington moraine of the
Wisconsin drift. They lived, therefore, after the disappearance of the
last glacial ice-sheet and probably long after that disappearance.
20. _Beecher, Will County._—At Hebron, Indiana, the writer has seen
various bones of mastodons which had been unearthed in the region about
Beecher by Mr. Jacob Davis, in dredging large ditches. He described
these bones as amounting to “about two wagonloads.”
Mr. George Langford, of Joliet, Illinois, stated in a letter that it is
reported that over a dozen mastodons have been found on one farm near
Beecher in the last 10 years. Mr. Langford sent also a geological
section (fig. 1) taken along Trim Creek. Besides the mastodon remains
found there, he obtained a large part of an antler of _Cervalces_. The
locality is given as the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of
section 11, township 33 north, range 14 east, 3 miles north of east of
Beecher.
This locality is on the Valparaiso moraine, the last formed before the
Wisconsin ice withdrew into Lake Michigan. It was, however, probably
long after this that the mastodons lived and died there.
Mr. Langford’s account seems to indicate that, after the deposition of
the Valparaiso moraine and the withdrawal of the ice-sheet, there was
left along what is now Trim Creek a shallow lake, which became gradually
filled by washings from the moraine. This at length became a marsh and
produced peat and other vegetable muck. At one stage the surface appears
to have been occupied by a forest, which later became covered by about 4
feet of sandy soil. Over this is 2 feet of black peat, itself overlain
by probably Recent deposits.
[Illustration:
FIG. 1.—Geological section of Trim Creek. Beecher, Will County,
Illinois.
]
1. Moraine.
2. Wisconsin drift.
3. Alluvium.
4. Black peat.
5. Sandy soil, with bones.
6. Peat, sand, vegetable matter.
7. Same stained brown; with gravel.
Mr. Langford has written that all the mastodon bones were found above
the gravel, some of them 5 or 6 feet below the surface. Antlers of the
elk occurred only above the mastodon bones.
21. _Morris, Grundy County._—In 1870, Frank H. Bradley (Geol. Surv.
Illinois, vol. IV, p. 193) stated that in 1868 the remains of a mastodon
were found at Turner’s “strippings,” about 3 miles east of Morris. These
bones lay under 18 inches of black mucky soil and about 4 feet of
yellowish loam, and rested on about a foot of hard blue clay, which
itself covered the coal. The bones were mostly badly decayed and the
greater part were broken and thrown away by the miners; but some,
including a part of a lower jaw and 3 teeth, were sent to the State
Cabinet at Springfield. The locality was regarded by Bradley as part of
an old river bottom.
In 1871, Worthen referred to the same or another mastodon which had been
found in the vicinity of Morris. He stated that it had been found in
undisturbed drift, 8 feet below the surface. The blue clay on which lay
the mastodon described by Bradley may have been brought down from the
ice which deposited the Valparaiso moraine. The loam and muck were
probably deposits of considerably later date. It is not probable that
the Worthen mastodon was buried in undisturbed drift.
22. _Whitewillow, Kendall County._—At a locality in this county, near
Whitewillow, have been found many mastodon bones and those of various
other animals. The place is 5 miles west by north of Minooka and 15
miles west of Joliet. Collections have been made there by Dr. E. S.
Riggs, of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, and by Mr.
George Langford, of Joliet. Mr. Langford wrote that his collection was
made in township 35 north, range 8 east, and probably section 27. The
farm belonged to John Bamford. Apparently Dr. Riggs’s collection was
made at the same place. Further details will be found on page 337.
Dr. Riggs reported in Netta C. Anderson’s list, already referred to
several times, that in 1902 at least six skulls and numerous other bones
had been found in a well 10 feet in diameter. Above these were bones of
bison, deer, and elk.
23. _Yorkville, Kendall County._—In the Field Museum of Natural History
is a composite skull of a mastodon, part of which was found somewhere
about Yorkville; but the writer knows nothing more definite.
Yorkville is situated on Fox River, near the northwestern border of the
Marseilles moraine.
24. _Aurora, Kane County._—H. M. Bannister, in 1870 (Geol. Surv.
Illinois, vol. IV, p. 113) wrote as follows: “A portion of the remains
of a mastodon, consisting of the tusks and several teeth, was obtained
in excavating the track for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad
near the city of Aurora, and are now preserved in the museum of Clark
Seminary at that place.”
These same remains were described by the geologist C. D. Wilbur (Trans.
Ill. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. I, p. 59, figs. 1 to 3). He stated that both
tusks and seven teeth were found, all well preserved. The tusks were 10
feet long and 10 inches in diameter at the base; they were curved upward
and considerably worn at the ends on the underside. Charles Whittlesey
(Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. XV, art. 3, p. 16) probably referred to
these remains. He stated that they were found in a swamp.
Probably one of these teeth was sent to Dr. J. C. Warren, of Boston, the
author of “The _Mastodon giganteus_ of North America.” It is described
in the second edition of this monograph, on page 76. In the Proceedings
of the Boston Society of Natural History, volume IV, page 376, Warren
described a tooth, probably the same, which had been found 40 miles west
of Chicago, at a depth of 8 feet. He said it was the largest mastodon
tooth then known.
In Netta C. Anderson’s list, page 10, it is reported that in 1875 some
mastodon remains were found about 8 miles southwest of Naperville, which
is in Du Page County. The locality would be not far from the common
meeting-point of Kane, Kendall, Will, and Du Page Counties; also
probably within 8 miles of Aurora. The remains, whatever they were, were
donated to the museum of Jennings Seminary, Aurora.
In Netta C. Anderson’s list it is stated that teeth and a tusk of a
mastodon were found, in 1853, by workmen extending the Burlington
Railroad south of Aurora. They were in a swamp near Fox River, where the
Burlington shops are situated. These remains, probably the same as those
above described, were presented to Jennings Seminary.
25. _Batavia, Kane County._—This town is in Kane County, about 9 miles
north of Aurora. In Netta C. Anderson’s list, on page 13, Dr. E. S.
Riggs, of the Field Museum of Natural History, reported that, somewhere
in this vicinity, in cutting a ditch to drain a marshy lake of about 200
acres, some leg-bones and vertebræ of mastodon were found in a sticky
clay from about 5 to 7 feet from the surface. Dr. Riggs writes that
along the same ditch he picked up a jaw of the existing species of elk
and some bison bones.
_Maple Park, Kane County._—Doctor Rufus M. Bagg recorded in 1909 (Bull.
Univ. Ill., vol. VI, No. 17, p. 50, plate IV) the discovery of a large
part of the skeleton of a mastodon. It was found at a depth of 6 feet.
The exact location was not given.
The whole of Kane County lies between or is covered by the Bloomington
and Marseilles moraines, and the mastodons found there must have lived
after the retirement of the ice which produced those moraines.
26. _Glencoe, Cook County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, on page 9,
Professor James G. Needham, of Lake Forest University, reported that a
fragment of a mastodon’s tooth had been dug up while a ditch in glacial
drift was being made.
Glencoe is situated on the eastern till ridge, as described by Leverett
(Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., XXXVIII, p. 381), the one nearest the
western shore of Lake Michigan. If the tooth mentioned really occurred
in undisturbed drift, it is possible that it was redeposited from some
earlier interglacial deposit.
In 1891, W. K. Higley (Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci., vol. II, pt. 1, p. XV)
reported the finding of some bones of a mastodon, about 6 years
previously, on the south side of Wicker Park, near Milwaukee Avenue,
Evanston. The bones were in a layer of fine sand in which were trunks of
oak trees. The depth was 13 feet. The remark was made that the level
marked the upper or late limit of the mastodon.
27. See page 105.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 5.)
1. _Dover, Racine County._—In the Milwaukee Public Museum is a tusk,
identified as that of a mastodon, exhumed from a peat-bog at Dover, in
1878. Both tusks and some fragments of a scapula, some ribs, and
vertebræ were found, but apparently no teeth. Only one tusk was saved; 4
feet 8 inches long and moderately curved, the middle of the concave
surface being about 6 inches below a line joining the base and the tip
of the tusk.
Dover is situated near the southern border of Racine County, in the
southwestern corner of township 3 north, range 20 east. It is,
therefore, within the great composite moraine which runs along the
western side of Lake Michigan. According to Alden’s map (Prof. Paper
106, U. S. Geol. Surv., plate III) the town is on a tract covered by
ground moraine of the Lake Michigan glacier.
2. _Waukesha, Waukesha County._—In the Milwaukee Public Museum is a
slightly worn upper hindermost molar of a mastodon, No. 3867, labeled as
having been found at Waukesha. There is no other history. The geological
age is probably practically the same as that of the tooth found at
Dover, Late Wisconsin.
3. _Madison, Dane County._—The records for mastodons at Madison are not
very satisfactory.
Professor Eliot Blackwelder informs the writer that there is in the
collection at the State University of Wisconsin a large vertebra,
supposed to be that of a mastodon, brought up out of Lake Monona, in
1906.
Professor C. A. Davis informed the author that in 1908 he visited the
fill in one of the city parks made by pumping mud from Lake Monona and
found fragments of ivory and parts of proboscidean bones. It is possible
that these fragments belonged to an elephant.
4. _Bluemounds, Dane County._—In 1862 J. D. Whitney, in his “Report on
the Geological Survey of the Upper Mississippi Land Region,” page 132,
mentions having found, at Bluemounds, the first 3 deciduous molars of
the mastodon, exquisitely preserved and not at all discolored. Dr.
Jeffries Wyman, in Whitney’s report, on pages 421, 422, referred to
these milk molars. Whitney in 1866 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. I, p.
162) stated that he had found in a crevice near Bluemounds bones and
teeth of mastodon, peccary, buffalo, and wolf.
5. _Lone Rock, Richland County._—Professor Eliot Blackwelder, of the
Wisconsin State University, informs the writer that there is in their
collection a pair of tusks, supposed to be of a mastodon. They were
found somewhere about Lone Rock in 1901, which is on the northern bank
of the Wisconsin River, in the southeastern corner of Richland County.
6. _Sinsinawa, Grant County._—In his report on the geology of the lead
region, already referred to, J. D. Whitney stated, on his page 133, that
the greatest quantity of bones of the mastodon found in that region
seems to have been near Sinsinawa mound, but he had no exact particulars
of depth or position. Some were preserved at the locality for several
years; others, to the amount of several bushels, were carried off or
destroyed.
7. _Wauzeka, Crawford County._—In the collection of the Public Museum of
Milwaukee is an upper last molar, found at the place named. It is only
slightly worn and nearly white in color. Nothing is known about the
exact place or under what conditions it was found.
8. _Richland Center, Richland County._—Professor George Wagner of the
Wisconsin State University, has informed the writer that there is in
that university an almost complete skeleton of a mastodon, found at the
place named. No particulars are known to the present writer regarding
the history of the specimen.
9. _Menomonie, Dunn County._—Professor S. Weidman, of the Wisconsin
Geological and Natural History Survey, informed the writer that in the
brick clays used at Menominee had been found a part of a leg-bone of a
mastodon. Dr. Weidman was kind enough to send the bone for examination.
It proved to be the distal end of the right humerus, including the
epiphysial part. The interior of the bone had been neatly excavated, as
if by a tool of some kind, the marks of which remained, which proved to
be the jaws of a wolf. He had evidently been after the marrow and had
scraped out all of the part filled by cancellated bone. The explanation
appears to be that the mastodon had in some way broken an arm and had
died. The wolves then proceeded to devour him; they could not have
broken the limb themselves.
The finding of the bone shows that these clays belong to the
Pleistocene. In a sand formation underlying the clays a caribou antler
and bones of the Mackinaw trout, _Cristivomer namaycush_, have been
found. Professor Weidman regards the clays as being of pre-Iowan age.
MARYLAND.
(Map 5.)
1. _St. Mary’s City, St. Mary’s County._—The U. S. National Museum (No.
200) contains a fine upper left hindermost molar of _Mammut americanum_,
labeled as presented by Mr. J. Varden and as found many years ago in a
marl-bed at or near the town named. It was probably met in digging for
Miocene marl, but was doubtless inclosed in overlying Pleistocene
materials. According to Shattuck’s Pleistocene map of Maryland
(Pleistocene volume, plate I), St. Mary’s City is situated on the
Wicomico terrace; but because of absence of exact information whether
the tooth was in the body of this deposit, or below it, or possibly in
later materials above the Wicomico, its exact age can not be determined.
Teeth from the locality were mentioned by Lucas on page 162 of the
volume just cited. The geology of the county is described in a special
volume of the Maryland Survey, 1907.
2. _St. Clements, St. Mary’s County._—The U. S. National Museum contains
a lower right hindermost molar, found long ago, apparently 1837, and
presented by A. McWilliams. It is recorded as having been discovered in
digging a mill-race at or above St. Clements. This race must quite
certainly have been located along St. Clements Creek. The place is
situated in the Wicomico plain; but possibly Talbot deposits extended up
the creek farther than mapped.
3. _Towson, Baltimore County._—Professor F. A. Lucas (Maryland Pliocene,
Pleistocene vol., p. 163) stated that the collection of the Maryland
Geological Survey contains a fine upper last molar of a mastodon found
on the Ridgeley estate, at Hampton, near Towson, about 10 miles north of
Baltimore. At present one can not determine the time during the
Pleistocene when this tooth was part of a living creature.
4. _Lane’s Creek?, Washington County._—The writer received, in 1912, a
letter from Professor A. F. Bechdolt, of Bellingham, State of
Washington, in which he stated that somewhat more than 37 years before,
while teaching school in Washington County, Maryland, he saw the remains
of a skull of a mastodon which some negroes had unearthed in making a
mill-race, but they had broken it in pieces with sledgehammers.
Professor Bechdolt recollected plainly the “mammillary face” of the
tooth. The locality is described as being near the Pennsylvania line,
south and somewhat west of Mercersberg, Pennsylvania, among the
foot-hills of North Mountain, at a place locally known as “The Corner.”
It appears probable that the locality was somewhere along Lane’s Creek.
4. _Clear Spring, Washington County._—In circular No. 109, volume XIII,
Johns Hopkins University, 1893, pages 26, 27, is an account of the
finding of a mastodon tooth in 1863. It was discovered after a storm,
lying on a pile of driftwood, in Conococheague Creek, at a point 2.5
miles south of Clear Spring, and a mile north of the entry of the creek
into Potomac River. The tooth is in the collection of Johns Hopkins
University.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 5.)
1. _Six miles east of Williamsburg, York County._—In Godman’s Natural
History (3d ed., 1860, vol. II, p. 77) mention is made of the discovery,
in 1811, of remains of a mastodon along the banks of the York River, 6
miles east of Williamsburg. The account was derived from Dr. S. L.
Mitchill (Med. Repos., New York, vol. XV, p. 388; Cuvier’s “Theory of
the Earth,” p. 399). He had received his information from Bishop James
Madison, then president of College of William and Mary, at Williamsburg.
The parts found consisted of the bones of the pelvis, a thigh bone, 2
vertebræ, 2 ribs, 2 tusks, and 7 molar teeth, 4 of which were yet in a
part of the jaw, probably the lower. The largest tooth is reported as
weighing 7.25 pounds; the smallest between 3 and 4 pounds. It is
probable that mastodon teeth in a wet condition would weigh the amount
stated. Clark and Miller (Bull. IV, Virginia Geol. Surv., 1912, p. 20)
refer this animal to the Pleistocene of the Talbot formation.
Dr. Lyon G. Tyler, president of College of William and Mary, informs the
writer that the fossils above mentioned were doubtless destroyed in a
fire which consumed the main building in 1859.
2. _City Point, Prince George County._—The U. S. National Museum (No.
539) contains a part of the upper second true molar of _Mammut
americanum_, sent there in 1888 by Mr. John S. Webb. The tooth is
silicified. Mr. Webb reported that the fragment had been unearthed by
laborers in making a ditch through some lowland which abounded in shells
and blue marl. In a letter dated September 2, 1918, Mr. Webb informed
the writer that his recollection is that the tooth was found about 12
miles north of Disputanta and near James River.
3. _Abingdon, Washington County._—An upper right second true molar in
the U. S. National Museum (No. 8807) is recorded as having been received
in January 1869 from Mr. Wyndham Robinson, but there is no information
as to the exact locality, depth, and kind of soil inclosing it. With it
were found some vertebræ and fragments of ribs and of tusks.
4. _Saltville, Smyth County._—In the U. S. National Museum is the
horizontal part of the right ramus of the lower jaw of a young mastodon,
found at the place named. This, with some remains of an undetermined
species of _Bison_ and some teeth of _Elephas primigenius_, were
presented to the museum in 1914 by Mr. H. D. Mount. They had been found
about 1896, in making an excavation for the water reservoir of the town.
It is said that within less than a century the valley at Saltville was
at times a lake. The reservoir is situated at the edge of this former
lake. The bones were found at a depth of not more than 8 feet. Mr. O. A.
Peterson (Ann. Carnegie Mus., vol. XI, 1917, p. 474) records the finding
of mastodon remains in the Saltville deposit. He states that fragmentary
remains of mastodon have for many years been picked up in that valley. A
list of the species of vertebrates found at this place is given on page
353.
About 100 years ago (Med. and Physic. Jour., Phila., XV, 1806, 1st
Supp., p. 388) an account of the discovery of mastodon remains in Wythe
County, Virginia, was published by B. S. Barton. The details had been
communicated to him by Bishop James Madison, president of William and
Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia. According to the bishop, not only
were bones discovered but also the stomach of the animal in a state of
perfect preservation, and containing a large quantity of half-masticated
food (Godman’s Amer. Nat. Hist., 3d ed., 1860, vol. II, p. 74). Later,
the bishop admitted that he had been misinformed. It is probable that
something was found there, at least some bones. Bishop Madison had made
arrangements to have the bones sent to Williamsburg; but if they reached
there they were doubtless destroyed by a fire in 1859. The supposed
discovery is mentioned in Cuvier’s “Ossemens Fossiles,” volume II, page
270, and is discussed in Barton’s “Archæologia Americana,” 1814, page
41.
Wythe County at that time occupied far more territory than at present,
and possibly the bones described by Madison had really been found in
Washington or Smyth Counties; but Saltville, as the writer is informed
by Mr. E. C. Hutton, surveyor, never was in Wythe County.
5. _Covington, Alleghany County._—In 1901 there was sent to the U. S.
National Museum by Dr. A. C. Jones, of Covington, a lower last molar of
a mastodon found at that place. This tooth differs from the ordinary
teeth of _Mammut americanum_ in having the crown more depressed. The
writer has observed similar teeth which have been found elsewhere. It is
possible that they belonged to a species distinct from _M. americanum_.
Dr. Jones informed the writer that the tooth was found within the city
limits of Covington, about 300 yards from Jackson River, at a depth of
12 feet, in brick clay.
6. _Hot Springs, Bath County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a part of
an upper left second true molar, recorded as having been found about a
mile from the Hot Springs Hotel. The tooth is silicified. It was
presented by Mr. J. F. McAllister. Hot Springs is at the head of Wilson
Creek, a tributary of Jackson River. In the folio of Monterey Quadrangle
coming down nearly to Hot Springs, no mention is made of any
Pleistocene; but the presence of occasional deposits of soils along some
of the streams is recorded. Evidently some of these deposits were laid
down in Pleistocene times.
7. _Edom, Rockingham County._—The American Geologist in 1891 (vol. VII,
p. 335), contains an account of the finding at this place of bones of
what was called a mammoth, but which was more probably a mastodon. It
was said to have been discovered on the land of a Mr. Frank. The
information was furnished by Dr. Zirkle, who stated that a nearly
complete skull had been found.
In the U. S. National Museum is the symphysis of the lower jaw of a
mastodon, recorded only as having been found in Virginia. The specimen
(No. 210) would not be worth mentioning were it not that it presents in
front two sockets for tusks of considerable size. The bases of the tusks
are retained at the bottom of the sockets. The left socket has a
diameter of about 35 mm.; the other is slightly smaller. From the
outside of one socket to the outside of the other is 94 mm. The front of
the symphysis is damaged, so that its length can not be determined. Its
lower face is quite flat. The height of the jaw at the front of the
tooth which was present is about 150 mm. It seems to the writer that
this jaw belonged to the species _Mammut progenium_.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 5.)
1. _Stewartstown, Monongalia County._—Dr. G. F. Wright, in his “Ice Age
in Northern America,” fifth edition, page 378, wrote that Dr. I. C.
White had reported (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. XXXIV, pp. 378–379)
the finding of a tooth of a mastodon at this place; but in the article
quoted nothing is said about a mastodon. Evidently White published this
article elsewhere.
The tooth is said to have been dug up on the fifth and highest terrace
along Monongahela River. In White’s article, page 378, it is stated that
in the region of Morgantown the high-terrace deposits are about 275 feet
above low-water in the Monongahela and 1,065 feet above tide. It is
probable that the mastodon lived there during the early Pleistocene.
2. _Parkersburg, Wood County._—In 1902 the present writer received from
Mr. J. W. Miller, of the High School of Williamstown, West Virginia, a
letter inclosing photographs of a mastodon tooth, found on Neal Island,
3 miles above Parkersburg. The tooth appears to be the upper left second
molar and is furnished with all of its roots. The writer does not know
under what conditions the tooth was found. Its perfect state of
preservation shows that it could not have been carried far by the
stream. For a discussion of the Pleistocene of some parts of West
Virginia the reader may consult the paragraphs on pages 354–355.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 5, 39.)
1. _New Hanover County._—Under this number must be mentioned that a
tooth of _Mammut americanum_ has been found about 10 miles below
Wilmington, near the Fort Fisher road. This tooth is in the possession
of Captain E. D. Williams, of Wilmington.
2. _Pender County._—Professor H. H. Brimley, of the State Museum at
Raleigh, North Carolina, has informed the writer that there are in that
museum some remains of mastodon from Pender County; but nothing more is
known to the present writer about the nature of these remains or about
the locality where they were found.
3. _Duplin County._—From the same source it is learned that there are in
the collection at Raleigh teeth of mastodon which had been found in
Duplin County.
4. _Goldsboro, Wayne County._—In the State Museum at Raleigh is a left
ramus of a mastodon, collected near Goldsboro. The writer has examined
this important specimen and has also received a photograph of it, sent
by Professor H. H. Brimley. This is evidently the jaw described by Leidy
(Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1871, p. 113) from photographs received
from Professor W. C. Kerr, then State geologist of North Carolina. This
jaw was recorded as having been obtained from gravel overlying Miocene
marl, near Goldsboro.
This specimen presents the peculiarity of having two tusks at the front
of the symphysis. The diameter of these is 45 mm. How long they were
originally can not be determined. The form of this jaw and presence of
two large incisor tusks indicates that this specimen belongs to _Mammut
progenium_. The front molar present, M_{2}, has a length of 122 mm. and
a width of 88 mm. Leidy regarded this jaw as having belonged to a male
animal. Professor E. Emmons (Geol. Surv. North Carolina, 1858, p. 199)
mentions that a large number of bones had been found in a marl pit near
Goldsboro.
5. _Jacksonville, Onslow County._—In the collection of the State Museum
at Raleigh the writer has seen a part of a skeleton of a mastodon, found
near Jacksonville and exhumed by Mr. T. W. Adicks. A considerable part
of the skull, including upper teeth, both upper tusks, lower jaw, and
some limb-bones, were secured. The animal was evidently a fully mature
one, as there were present in the jaws the last and the next to the last
molars; but these were not greatly worn. In the lower jaw there were no
tusks, but the tip of the jaw seemed to indicate that earlier in life
these might have been present. The upper tusks are unusually short. One
is 33 inches (841 mm.) long, 94 mm. in diameter at the base, and 120 mm.
about the middle of the length. At the base is a pulp-cavity whose depth
is 230 mm. The distal end of this tusk is much worn, evidently during
the life of the animal. On one side is a flat surface 120 mm. long and
75 mm. wide which is directed obliquely to the plane of the curvature of
the tusk. Opposite this surface is another whose plane is parallel with
that of the curvature of the tusk. About 50 mm. from its tip the tusk is
crossed by a groove nearly 20 mm. wide and 42 mm. deep, which appears to
have been produced by the drawing of branches or roots across the tusk.
About 60 mm. further back there is another groove, broader and
shallower. The other tusk is 940 mm. long. Near its extremity it is
crossed by three grooves, one of which, about 55 mm. behind the tip,
runs two-thirds of the way around the tusk.
The small size of the tusks makes it pretty certain that this animal was
a female. The jaw does not differ especially from that of a Late
Wisconsin mastodon, apparently about one-sixth taller, found near
Winamac, Indiana, and now mounted in the U. S. National Museum.
6. _Maysville, Jones County._—From Professor H. H. Brimley, of the State
Museum, at Raleigh, the writer has learned that tusks and teeth of
_Mammut americanum_ had been secured for that museum at Maysville. This
is situated on White Oak River. Photographs show the teeth are lower
hindermost molars, right and left. The writer has seen these teeth;
likewise upper second and third molars and the tusks. The latter are of
medium size, having a diameter of 120 mm. at the base. The pulp-cavity
is 190 mm. deep. The enamel of all the teeth is rather rough and
corrugated.
7. _Sixteen miles southeast of Newbern, Pamlico County._—On the left
bank of Neuse River, at a point said to be 16 miles below Newbern,
several vertebrate fossils were collected many years ago. The collection
appears to have been made by the botanist Nuttall; but the first mention
found by the writer is a paper by H. B. Croom, in 1835 (Amer. Jour.
Sci., ser. 1, vol. XXVII, pp. 168–171). He stated that the locality was
on the north bank of Neuse River, on the land of Mr. Benners, who had
dug several pits in order to obtain marl. In these pits, some reaching a
depth of 25 feet, many fossil shells, sharks’ teeth, and bones of marine
fishes were found. These marls appear to belong to the Pleistocene
(Stephenson, North Carolina Geol. and Econom. Surv., vol. III, p. 289).
In the same pits were found teeth and bones of various Pleistocene
mammals. A few of the fossils, as the great shark tooth, certainly
belonged to Tertiary deposits. Croom states that there were fragments of
the horns of a fossil elk; also a mastodon tooth which had a breadth of
7 inches and a depth of 9.5 inches. It is not improbable that this was a
tooth of an elephant. Teeth, supposed to belong to a fossil elk and
which had a breadth of 3 inches and a depth of 4.5 inches, were probably
hindermost milk molars of _Mammut americanum_. Harlan (Amer. Jour. Sci.,
vol. XLIII, 1842, p. 143) indicated that he had seen in the collection
made by Nuttall remains of the mastodon; also of a supposed _Sus_, an
elephant, elk, deer, horse, seal, cetaceans, a tortoise, shark, skate,
snake, and fish. This collection apparently passed into the hands of T.
A. Conrad. J. W. Foster (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. X, p. 166)
stated that Conrad had many years previously obtained these animals near
Newbern. Besides those mentioned he included a hippopotamus. This
identification was probably based on milk tusks or lower tusks of the
mastodon.
8. _Harlowe, Carteret County._—In 1828 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XIII, p.
348), Elisha Mitchell wrote that in digging the Clubfoot and Harlowe
Canal, remains of both the elephant and the mastodon had been found.
Under this number may be mentioned the finding of a jaw of a mastodon in
the Inland Waterway Canal, which appears to run some miles east of the
old Clubfoot and Harlowe Canal. This specimen is, or was recently, in
the laboratory of the U. S. Fish Commission at Beaufort.
9. _Pitt County._—In 1871 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p. 113), Leidy
reported that an isolated lower last molar tooth of _Mammut americanum_,
but accompanied by the jaw, had been obtained in Pitt County. No more
exact locality was mentioned. In the U. S. National Museum (No. 202) is
a lower right hindermost molar which was found in Pitt County.
10. _Wilson County._—From Professor H. H. Brimley the writer learned
that there are in the museum at Raleigh some remains of mastodon from
Wilson County. The writer has seen at Raleigh a lower second left molar,
from Wilson County.
11. _Tarboro, Edgecombe County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 205)
is a lower right last molar of _Mammut americanum_, recorded as having
been sent by Dr. Pitman, of Tarboro. It is black and very heavy.
12. _Rocky Mount, Nash County._—Professor E. Emmons (Geol. Surv. North
Carolina, 1852, p. 56) mentioned the finding of mastodon bones in
marl-pits, on the farm of Mr. Knight, on the bank of Tar River, 3 miles
west of Rocky Mount. The Pleistocene is here supposed to belong
principally to the Sunderland, but partly to the Wicomico formation.
Emmons, in 1858 (Rep. North Carolina Geol. Surv., Agric. East Cos., p.
199), figured and briefly described a molar of a mastodon which he
referred to _Mastodon giganteus_. This was found in a Miocene marl pit
in Halifax County; but so many Pleistocene species have been reported
from such marls that it is possible that the tooth belonged to a
Pleistocene animal.
Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, 1869, p. 396) referred
this tooth with doubt to his _Mastodon obscurus_; but the type of the
latter, a lower molar (Leidy op. cit., plate XXVII, fig. 13), presents
no such double series of trefoils.
Leidy (op. cit., p. 247, plate XVII, fig. 16) referred some fragments of
mastodon teeth found at Tarboro to his _Mastodon obscurus_; but these
seem to the writer to belong to _Gomphotherium rugosidens_. We do not
know that _G. obscurum_ is a Pleistocene species, nor is it certain that
it has been found in North Carolina.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 5.)
1. _Beaufort, Beaufort County._—In the region about Beaufort numerous
remains of mastodons have been found, most of which are to be referred
to _Mammut americanum_. In the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia the writer has seen a fine left lower last molar of this
species. The collection of Rutgers College contains a part of a tooth
from Coosaw River. At Princeton University there is an upper second true
molar from somewhere about Beaufort. Field Natural History Museum has 3
teeth of _Mammut_, recorded as having been found in the phosphate bed at
Beaufort.
Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1870, p. 98) stated he had seen, in
the collection of C. N. Shepard at Amherst College, bones, fragments of
jaws, and teeth of mastodon from the marl at the head of Hilton Harbor,
on St. Helena Island, on which Beaufort is situated. Among these were 2
inferior tusks about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter at the
base. If the molars which accompanied them had differed from those of
_Mammut americanum_, Leidy would have been quick to note the fact.
Evidently the bones and teeth mentioned by Leidy are those now in the
mounted skeleton at Amherst College, described by Professor F. B. Loomis
(Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. XLV, p. 437, figs. 1, 3, 4) as _Mastodon
americanus_. This was a very large animal and the two large lower tusks
show that it belonged to _Mammut progenium_.
In the Academy’s collection at Philadelphia is a large hindermost molar,
180 mm. long and 96 mm. wide, which had been sent to the Academy in
company with the type of _Gomphotherium rugosidens_.
2. _Ashley River, above Charleston, Charleston County._—In 1860
(Holmes’s Post-Pl. Foss. South Carolina, p. 109), Leidy stated that
fragments of teeth and bones had been found in the Post-Pliocene
deposits of Ashley River, apparently referable to _Mastodon ohioticus_
(_Mammut americanum_). In a footnote to this statement, F. S. Holmes
says that since Leidy’s statement was written several perfect teeth have
been discovered, and referred to plate XIX, figures 1, 2, 3. These
figures illustrate the teeth which belonged to Dr. L. F. Klipstein,
Christ Church. In the preface to Holmes’s work he refers to the teeth on
this plate as being those associated with teeth of a horse, remains of a
deer, and a piece of pottery. On page III of the introduction there is
further explanation of the discovery. Exactly where the swamp which
Klipstein was draining was situated seems not to have been stated, but
the context appears to indicate that it was somewhere along Ashley
River.
In 1918 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. XLV, p. 438, fig. 2, not “fig.
3”) Professor Loomis described and figured 2 lower tusks, found in Nine
Mile Bottom, 9 miles above Charleston, probably along Ashley River. On
page 441 Loomis correctly described these, except that what he called
enamel is only a dense outer layer of dentine. Evidently these tusks had
been used for punching against hard objects. One may surmise that the
animal had been accustomed to bark trees with them.
Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1870, p. 98) states that he saw in
the collection of C. N. Shepard, at Amherst College, remains of
mastodons, etc., which had been found on Ashley River.
In the collections at Charleston, both the private ones and that of the
Charleston Museum, there are teeth of _Mammut americanum_, but records
of exact localities are usually wanting.
3. _Head of Cooper River, Berkeley County._—John Drayton, in his “View
of South Carolina,” in 1802, page 39, plate, figure 4, mentions the
discovery of fossil bones in Biggin Swamp, made in digging a canal
between Santee and Cooper Rivers. It appears probable that this swamp is
not far from Monks Corner. Drayton’s figure shows that the tooth was one
of _Mammut americanum_. It is said to have been buried at a depth of 8
or 9 feet. B. S. Barton (Archæologia Amer., 1814, pp. 22–23) stated that
he had examined teeth of both mastodon and elephant from this swamp.
George Turner (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. IV, 1899, p. 511) speaks
of the discovery of bones of what is called the mammoth in the
construction of the Santee and Cooper River Canal. Cuvier (Oss. Foss.,
ed. 4, vol. II, p. 275) stated that the naturalist M. Bose had witnessed
the exhumation of 5 molars of mastodon during the excavation of the
“canal de Caroline,” 15 miles from Charleston. They were found in pure
sand at a depth of 3 feet. It is possible that there is here an error in
the distance from Charleston.
4. _Lee County._—Tuomey (Rep. Geol. Surv. South Carolina, 1848, p. 178)
states that between Lynch’s Creek and Black River, “near Concord
church,” he found a bed of Pliocene marl about 4 feet thick, which, like
the Darlington deposit, rests on black shale. In an excavation made in
this marl, he found a portion of a tusk of a mastodon. This might,
indeed, have belonged to an elephant, but more probably to _Mammut
americanum_.
5. _Darlington County._—In 1848 (Rep. Geol. Surv. South Carolina, 1848,
pp. 177–180), Tuomey reported that 2 perfect molars of _Mastodon
maximus_ (=_Mammut americanum_) had been found on land of G. W. Dargan,
somewhere near Darlington. They were found in a swamp and covered with 3
or 4 feet of mud, but lying in a marl which he regarded as belonging to
the Pliocene. One was sent to the college at Columbia. In a note to the
geologist J. W. Foster (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. X, 1856, p.
167), Tuomey stated that he had placed in the cabinet of South Carolina
College a fine tooth of mastodon, found in Darlington district. At an
earlier date Robert W. Gibbes (same Proceedings, vol. III, 1850, p. 67)
exhibited before the association teeth of a horse found at Darlington,
associated with bones of Mastodon.
GEORGIA.
(Map 5.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—In Richard Harlan’s list (Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci., vol. I, 1841–43, p. 189) of fossil vertebrates which had been
exhumed in making the Brunswick Canal were mentioned teeth of _Mastodon
giganteum_ (=_Mammut americanum_). About this time J. H. Couper (Proc.
Geol. Soc. Lond., vol. IV, p. 33) read a paper in which he mentioned the
occurrence of the same species in the canal referred to. Lyell (Second
Visit, etc., p. 348) included the mastodon among the species discovered
here. Richard Owen (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1846, p. 93) reported
the result of an examination of a collection submitted to him through
Lyell. Hippopotamus had been recognized in a supposed incisor; but Owen
showed that it was a small tusk of a proboscidean, probably of _Mammut
americanum_. Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, p. 248)
stated that he had examined in the collection of the Academy the hinder
part of a tooth of the American mastodon.
Gidley (Bull. 26, Geol. Surv. Georgia, p. 436) recognized _Gomphotherium
floridanum_ and _Mammut americanum_ in a collection which had been made
some years ago at Brunswick, probably in dredging in the harbor.
Inasmuch as only fragments of these teeth were present, the
identification was difficult. The writer has, through the kindness of
Professor S. W. McCallie, had the opportunity to examine these
fragments. They appear all to belong to _Gomphotherium rugosidens_, a
species rather common in that region. This species probably does not
belong to the Pleistocene, but to the upper Miocene or the Lower
Pliocene. It is possible, however, that it belongs to the lowermost
Pleistocene, the Nebraskan.
2. _Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Chatham County._—Remains of _Mammut
americanum_ have been found at two places in Chatham County, Heyner’s
Bridge and Skidaway Island. Lyell (Travels in N. A., 1845, vol. I, p.
163) records his visit to Heyner’s Bridge, on White Bluff Creek, about 7
miles south of Savannah. In Hodgson’s memoir this locality is said to be
on Vernon Creek (map 40). Lyell had learned from Dr. Habersham that
bones of mastodons and other extinct mammals had already been found
there. Lyell himself secured a grinder of a mastodon. It was found in a
bed of clay about 6 feet thick exposed only at low water. The tooth
referred to may be the one mentioned by Lydekker (Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit.
Mus., pt. IV, p. 23). Hodgson (“Memoir on Megatherium,” p. 12) reported
the discovery of mastodon remains at this place, specifying a section of
a tusk 3.25 feet long and nearly 11 inches in circumference; also a
femur, which was sent to Paris. Reference is made to the mastodon
remains on page 42 of the memoir mentioned. For the geology of this
locality and a list of the species found there the reader is referred to
page 371.
FLORIDA.
(Maps 5, 10.)
It has not been practicable to arrange the figures on the map of
mastodons in Florida in an orderly manner. Below, the localities are
described by beginning at the northern end of the State and ending at
the southern end.
1. _Marianna, Jackson County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 324) is
a tooth of _Mammut americanum_, recorded as having been sent to the
National Institute, September 25, 1847, by Walter Yonge, from Marianna.
No additional information has been preserved. It is a large upper right
last molar, with 5 cross-crests, a hinder talon, and nearly complete
roots. Marianna is situated on Chipola River.
12. _Little River, Gadsden County._—Dr. E. H. Sellards (8th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., 1916, p. 104) reported that a tooth of _Mammut
americanum_ had been obtained from Little River.
2. _Fort White, Columbia County._—Dr. E. H. Sellards reported to the
writer the discovery of a tooth of _Mammut americanum_ at a point 3
miles northwest of Fort White. No details have been received. The town
is on Santa Fe River.
3. _Citra, Marion County._—In Ward’s Natural History Establishment, at
Rochester, New York, the writer saw in January 1914, 2 cross-crests of a
probably hindermost upper molar of _Mammut americanum_. There had been
present a large pulp-cavity. Nothing definite about the history of the
specimen could be obtained, except that it had been found at Citra.
15. _Neals, Alachua County._—From this locality Sellards (5th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., p. 58) reported the discovery of a mastodon,
probably _Gomphotherium floridanum_. Associated with this species was an
undetermined species of _Hipparion_. At the same place has been found
_Tapirus terrestris?_ On his plates IV and V of the same volume,
Sellards has figured teeth belonging to two undetermined species of
mastodons. All of these fossils came from the phosphate deposits at
Neals.
16. _Archer, Alachua County._—Dr. Joseph Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1886, p. 11) reported that Dr. W. H. Dall had discovered at
Archer remains of a mastodon to which Leidy gave the name _Mastodon
floridanus_. It is here referred to the genus _Gomphotherium_. It was
associated in the Alachua clays with a species of _Hipparion_, three
species of _Procamelus_, and a rhinoceros; also an astragalus of
_Megatherium_. All of these, except the last, are usually referred to
the Lower Pliocene or the Upper Miocene. The writer believes that they
belong to the lowest Pleistocene, the Nebraskan.
17. _Williston, Levy County._—Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1887,
p. 309) reported the finding of several species of fossil vertebrates in
the Mixon bone-bed, at or near Williston. The species were
_Gomphotherium floridanum_, _Hipparion plicatile_, _Procamelus major_,
and _Teleoceras proterus_. These were found in the Alachua clays at
depths from 2.5 to 6 feet. In Dall’s list of 1892 (Bull. U. S. Geol.
Surv. No. 84, p. 129) _Hipparion ingenuum_ is included.
18. _Juliette, Marion County._—Sellards, in 1913 (5th Ann. Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 58), stated that _Gomphotherium floridanum_ had been
found in hard phosphate in a mine at this place. As in other such cases,
he referred the species to the Upper Miocene or the Lower Pliocene.
5. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—In the collection of the Florida
Geological Survey is a fragment of a molar of _Mammut americanum_ which
was dredged up from Withlacoochee River during operations by the
Schilman and Bene Phosphate Company. It was presented by John D.
Robertson.
In the possession of Mr. J. D. Robertson of Ocala, Florida, is a part of
a skull of _Mammut americanum_, reported by him to have been found in
the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 1, township 17
south, range 19 east. This would be about 6 miles east of Dunnellon and
not far from Withlacoochee River.
In the region about Dunnellon the mastodon _Gomphotherium floridanum_
has been collected. For the list of species found at Dunnellon and in
Withlacoochee River the reader may consult page 376.
19. _Near San Pablo Beach, Duval County._—From station 120, on the
Inland Waterway, near San Pablo Beach, Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 106) reported the discovery of a tooth of _Mammut
americanum_ in place in the bank of the canal. Remains of _Elephas
columbi_ and undetermined species of _Bison_ and _Odocoileus_ had been
thrown out by the dredge.
4. _Almero Farm, St. John County._—At the residence of Mr. Fred R.
Allen, 113 King street, St. Augustine, Florida, the writer had the
privilege of examining seven teeth of _Mammut americanum_ which had been
found near Mr. Allen’s farm, 28 miles south of St. Augustine, in the
Inland Waterway Canal. At the same place Mr. Allen had found remains of
a fossil horse, a mylodon, alligator, and a part of the plastron of
_Terrapene antipex_. The deposits are to be regarded as belonging to
some part of the first half of the Pleistocene, probably the first
interglacial.
6. _Daytona, Volusia County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 2150) is
an upper left last molar of _Mammut americanum_, sent in August 1901
from Daytona by E. T. Conrad & Company. It had been found at a depth of
5 feet in an old oyster-bed which was being dug up for surfacing the
streets. The locality is within the limits of the town and about 2 miles
from the Atlantic coast. The senders reported a little later that they
had found four other teeth, a piece of tusk 40 inches long and 7 inches
in diameter, and about a bushel of bones and fragments. There appeared
to be other bones in the pit, but nothing more is on record. Since that
mastodon died there, the land appears to have been depressed beneath the
sea, permitting the growth of the oyster-bed, after which there was
again an elevation.
13. _Fellsmere, St. Lucie County._—Dr. E. H. Sellards (8th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., p. 105) stated that _Mammut americanum_,
represented by a tooth or teeth, had been found at Fellsmere in
connection with the construction of drainage canals.
7. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—At this place have been found
well-preserved remains of _Mammut americanum_. Besides a part of a lower
jaw, there are some parts of tusks and fragments of other parts. The
right side of a palate containing the second and the third true molars,
found in what has been called stratum No. 2, has been figured by
Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., plate XXXI). The age of
these will be discussed on pages 381–384.
14. _Palm Beach, Palm Beach County._—In his report of 1916, already
cited, Dr. Sellards noted the fact, on page 105, that several teeth of
_Mammut americanum_ had been obtained by him, 8 miles west of the
Florida East Coast Railroad, in the canal constructed to drain the
Everglades. From the same canal had been secured _Elephas columbi_,
_Equus complicatus_, and a femur of a species of _Bison_. Sellards
informs us that the vertebrate fossils here, as at Vero and many other
localities, are embedded in the sand and muck beds which lie above the
Pleistocene marls.
8. _Hillsboro County._—Remains of mastodon have been reported from
various places in this county, but the localities have not been very
exactly defined.
In the National Museum (No. 6726) is a lower left hindermost molar of
_Mammut americanum_ which was sent by Mr. W. L. Spitler, of Tampa.
Exactly where it was found is not recorded. The tooth is white and well
preserved. There are five cross-crests. The cones are unusually low, and
such teeth may possibly represent an undescribed species.
At Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, the writer has seen a mastodon
tooth, labeled as having come from Tampa Bay. The tooth is heavy and
rock-like. A part of an atlas of the mastodon is from the same place.
In the collection of Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, is a lower right
last molar of a mastodon, labeled as having been found at Sulphur
Springs, Hillsboro County. The writer has not found where this place is
situated. All of the specimens mentioned belong to _Mammut americanum_.
9. _Alafia River, Hillsboro County._—Dr. E. H. Sellards (7th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., p. 112, fig. 45) records the finding of an upper
right last molar of _Mammut americanum_ in this river. The tooth is
unworn and has four cross-crests and a large talon. It was preserved in
the collection of S. A. Robinson. With a collection of teeth of _Equus_
found in Alafia River and preserved in the American Museum of Natural
History, New York, is a single cross-crest of _Mammut americanum_.
20. _Brewster, Polk County._—In his report of 1915 (p. 106, fig. 36) Dr.
E. H. Sellards figured a fragment of a tusk, found in a phosphate mine,
which he supposed might belong to _Gomphotherium floridanum_. He figured
also a tooth (p. 104, fig. 34) which he definitely referred to this
species, but it is not clear that it was found at Brewster. A list of
the species found associated with the tusk will be found on page 380.
Among these species is _Mammut progenium_, a species ranging from the
Aftonian to the Late Wisconsin. While all the species of the list are
referred by Sellards to the Upper Miocene or Lower Pliocene, _M.
progenium_ appears to favor a later reference.
10. _Pains Creek, Polk? County._—In the collection of the Academy of
Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, is a tooth of _Mammut americanum_
recorded as having been found on Pains Creek, 50 miles from Tampa. It
appears to be a second milk molar; the length is 43 mm., the width at
the second crest likewise 43 mm.
There is a Big Pains Creek in the northwestern corner of Polk County,
which empties into Peace Creek. A little further south is Little Pains
Creek, which empties into Peace Creek in De Soto County, near Bowling
Green. On which of these the tooth was found can not be determined.
11. _Peace Creek, De Soto County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No.
1990) is an upper right hindermost molar recorded as having been found
on Peace River. It was a part of the exhibit of the Plant System at the
Centennial Exposition at Atlanta, Georgia. It is credited also to the
Peace River Phosphate Company. Probably the tooth was found somewhere
not far from Arcadia. Leidy (Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 129) does
not record the species from Arcadia, but his undetermined species of the
genus may have been _M. americanum_.
The tooth mentioned above has five cross-crests and a conical talon. At
the ends of the transverse valleys are large tubercles.
ALABAMA.
(Map 5.)
1. _Bogue Chitto, Dallas County._—The U. S. National Museum contains 3
or 4 fragments of large molars of _Mammut americanum_ found not far from
the town named. One fragment is labeled as having been found in section
10, township 17 north, range 7 east. This would probably be 6 or 7 miles
west of north from the town named. Another fragment is said to have been
found in the bed of Bogue Chitto. The teeth were sent to the U. S.
Geological Survey by Crawford P. Lewis. From this same region there have
been collected remains of _Elephas imperator_ and _Equus leidyi_.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 5.)
1. _Perthshire, Bolivar County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
fragment, the rear end, of an upper left hindermost molar of _Mammut
americanum_, received from Perthshire in August 1914. It is the gift of
Mr. S. D. Knowlton and was reported as having been sucked up with gravel
from the bed of Mississippi River. This place is in the northern part of
Bolivar County and immediately south of latitude 34°.
2. _Caseilla, Tallahatchie County._—The writer has seen a lower left
last molar of a mastodon, found in 1915, near this place. It was sent to
the U. S. National Museum for identification by Dr. B. Franklin, of
Caseilla. He stated that the tooth had been found in Avant Creek, about
3 miles above its entrance into Yalobusha River, apparently in the
southeastern corner of Tallahatchie County, in township 23 north, range
7 west. The tooth had been buried in joint clay. The banks of the creek
are usually about 10 feet high, but where the tooth was found, on the
south side of the creek, the bluff is about 50 feet high.
3. _Jackson, Hinds County._—In the collection of the Academy of Natural
Sciences of Philadelphia is a lower left last milk molar, presented by
Dr. Isaac Lea and reported to have been found near Jackson, Mississippi.
No additional information was furnished. The tooth is but slightly worn
and has complete roots.
4. _Vicksburg, Warren County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 344) is
a fragment of an upper right last molar, said to have been found at
Vicksburg. The fragment consists of the hindermost crest and the talon.
In Wailles’s report on the geology of Mississippi, 1854, page 284, there
is a statement to the effect that mastodon remains had been found in the
deep cut of the railroad at Vicksburg.
5. _Bovina?, Warren County._—In Wailles’s report, just cited, it is
stated that mastodon bones had been found in the vicinity of Big Black
River, near the eastern line of Warren County. While the statement is
rather indefinite, the locality is probably somewhere in the region
about Bovina, on the railway from Vicksburg to Jackson.
6. _Claiborne County._—According to Dr. Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1859, p. 111), portions of jaws with teeth of mastodons have
been found in this county, associated with a skull of a bear which he
could not distinguish from that of _Ursus americanus_.
7. _Jefferson County._—In Wailles’s report of 1854 (p. 284), already
cited, it is stated that remains of the mastodon had been found in this
county, near the former town of Greenville. The writer has not been able
to learn more exactly where this town was situated.
8. _Natchez, Adams County._—The region about Natchez is a fertile one
for remains of mastodons and various other fossil vertebrates. The first
mention of the finding of fossils here appears to be a note by S. L.
Mitchill in 1826 (Cat. Organ. Remains, p. 10), who presented two teeth
to the Lyceum of Natural History, New York. G. Troost, in 1835 (Trans.
Geol. Soc. Penn., vol. I, p. 143), stated that he had in his cabinet a
tooth of a mastodon, found near Natchez.
In 1845 (Proc. 6th Meet. Assoc. Amer. Geologists and Naturalists, pp.
77–79), M. W. Dickeson read a paper on the geology of the Natchez
bluffs, in which he mentioned the occurrence of mastodons.
In 1846 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1846, p. 106), the same writer
exhibited at the Academy a large collection of fossil bones which had
been made near Natchez. His account treats especially of the remains of
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_ and a human pelvis; but it is mentioned that the
deposit abounds in bones and teeth of the mastodon. Dickeson stated that
the stratum which contained these organic remains is a tenacious blue
clay which underlies what he called the diluvial drift east of Natchez.
This “drift” is now regarded as being mostly loess.
Lyell, in 1846 (Second Visit to U. S. N. A., ed. 2, vol. II, p. 195),
wrote that mastodon remains had been found in the loam (loess) which
contained land-shells at different depths.
Hilgard in 1860 (Geol. Agric. Mississippi, p. 196) gives a list,
furnished by Dr. Leidy, of the mammalian fossils which had been found
“in a solid blue clay said to belong to this formation” (the Bluff
formation). Mastodons are said to be by far the most common. At Pine
Ridge, 6 miles north of Natchez, in townships 7 and 8 north, range 3
west, mastodons and other mammals occurred at a depth of about 20 feet
from the surface, in a ravine. The list referred to was quoted from
Wailles’s report of 1854 (Agric. Geol. Mississippi, pp. 285, 286).
Leidy, in 1889 (Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p. 9), in speaking of the
occurrence of human remains at Natchez, referred to the occurrence of
the mastodon at this place. McGee, in 1891 (12th Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol.
Surv., pt. I, p. 399), in discussing the geological conditions at
Natchez, stated that several nearly perfect skulls of the mastodon and
at least one of the American elephant had been discovered at Natchez.
His idea was that some of these remains had been found in the brown loam
and some in the gravelly beds well down toward the Port Hudson clays.
In his discussion of the loess at Natchez, Shimek, in 1904 (Bull. Labs.
Nat. Hist., Univ. Iowa, p. 305), expressed doubt about the occurrence of
mastodons and other vertebrates in the loess.
In the collection at Yale University is a large lower jaw of _Mammut
americanum_, labeled as found at Natchez. Both rami are represented and
each has in it the second and third molars. The hindermost molar is but
little worn. The second molar is 115 mm. long and 87 mm. wide, the third
molar 188 mm. long and 93 mm. wide. The spout at the front of the jaw is
cut off square and is rough, but there are no sockets for tusks.
For further consideration of the Pleistocene geology at Natchez and a
list of the species of vertebrates found there, the reader is referred
to pages 389 to 393.
9. _Pinckneyville, Wilkinson County._—On page 284 of Wailles’s report of
1854 he stated that mastodon bones had been obtained in Bayou Sara, near
Pinckneyville.
10. _Between Zeiglerville and Pearce, Yazoo County._—In the U. S.
National Museum (No. 10275) is a right ramus of the lower jaw of a
mastodon, found on the farm of Mr. R. L. Fisher, about 8 miles northwest
of Vaughan. This jaw was sent to the U. S. National Museum by Mr. R. H.
Douthat, secretary of the Yazoo Commercial Club, of Yazoo City. The
specimen had been washed out of its place of burial along a creek. From
Mr. Fisher the writer has received the information that the jaw was
found along Teshacah Creek, in section 9, township 12 north, range 1
east. It appears to have been buried at a depth of about 15 feet.
The length of the jaw from the rear to the front of the penultimate
molar is 630 mm., to the front of the beak 808 mm. A part of the front
of the jaw has been broken off during exhumation, as shown by the
photographs. The height at the middle of the length is 195 mm. The
coronoid process rises 400 mm. above the lower border of the jaw. There
are present the hindermost and the penultimate molars. The hindermost is
220 mm. long and has five crests and a low rough talon. In the front of
the jaw is a part of the socket for an incisor tusk which had a diameter
of about 40 mm. Apparently the jaw is to be referred to _Mammut
progenium_.
11. _Woodville, Wilkinson County._—From Mr. W. L. Ferguson, of
Woodville, the writer has received a letter, with a photograph showing
jawbones, with teeth, of one or more mastodons found near Woodville.
Some fragments of tusks, a part of a skull, and some vertebræ were also
found. The information is sent that these remains were buried under 30
feet of deposit. They were found on the bank of Dunbar Creek, a
tributary of Bayou Sara, in township 1, range 3, section 24.
On pages 385 to 389 will be treated the geology of this region; but at
the present it would be unsafe to refer these mastodons to any
particular stage of the Pleistocene.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 5. Fig. 23.)
1. _Kingsport, Sullivan County._—The writer was informed by Mr. George
P. Torbett, a newspaper man, that D. M. Lafitte, of Bristol, Tennessee,
had a tooth of a mastodon, found near Kingsport. Mr. Torbett had seen
the tooth and recognized its similarity to a mastodon tooth shown him.
2. _St. Clair, Hawkins County._—Dr. S. W. McCallie, State Geologist of
Georgia, waiting in 1892 (Science, vol. XX, p. 333), reported that a
mastodon tooth had been found somewhere in that county. On making
inquiry of Dr. McCallie the writer received the information that the
tooth was found about 3.5 miles nearly due east from St. Clair and about
7 or 8 miles south of Rogersville. The tooth was presented to the
University of Tennessee.
3. _Mossy Creek, Jefferson County._—The writer has received from Mr. W.
C. Bayless the information that a mastodon tooth had been found 3 miles
south of the place named. The more exact locality is given as the farm
of John Silver, 0.75 mile north of Bays Mountain. The tooth was
discovered under a white oak stump, at a depth of 6 feet. It was 7.5
inches long and had 5 cross-crests.
4. _Dandridge, Jefferson County._—The geologist G. Troost, writing in
1835 (Trans. Geol. Soc. Pa., vol. I, p. 142), stated that he had in his
cabinet a tooth of a mastodon from the locality named.
5. _Neuberts Springs, 7 miles Southeast of Knoxville._—Doctor McCallie,
as cited above, reported the discovery of four molars of a mastodon in a
fair state of preservation at a point 7 miles southeast of Knoxville.
They were found beneath 30 inches of a yellow tenacious clay, in which
occurred water-worn stones. In a communication to the writer, Dr.
McCallie indicates that the remains had been buried at a time when
Tennessee River flowed at a higher level than at present.
6. _Eleven miles West of Nashville, Davidson County._—From Mr. William
A. Nelson, a member of the Tennessee Geological Survey, the information
has been received that some mastodon remains, including teeth, had been
found 11 miles west of Nashville, just west of Mill Creek and about 200
yards from Cumberland River. The remains occurred in a very tough
yellowish clay which occupied a solution channel in the Carter Creek
limestone. This was at a depth of about 15 feet from the surface.
Under this number may be recorded the finding of a part of a lower molar
of a young mastodon near Nashville, sent to the writer for examination
by Mr. W. E. Myer, of Nashville, in 1920. It had been found in the north
bank of Cumberland River, about 300 yards upstream from Lock A, in a bed
of sand beneath nearly 30 feet of gravel. With it were found a calcaneum
of a camel and some fragments of a shell of a turtle. In a thin bed of
gravel just below this were discovered a tooth of _Equus leidyi_, a
femur of a probably larger horse, and an antler of a small probably
undescribed deer. Apparently these fossil-bearing deposits belong
somewhere near the Aftonian interglacial stage. Remarks on the geology
of this locality will be found on page 399.
7. _Williamson County, 11 miles Southeast of Nashville._—The geologist
Troost (vol. cit., p. 139) recorded the finding of mastodon bones and
teeth in the region noted. The locality was said to be about 0.5 mile
from Liberty meeting-house. It must be in the extreme northeastern
corner of Williamson County. In another spot not far away were found a
tusk and a part of a tooth.
8. _Fayetteville, Lincoln County._—From Mr. Wilbur A. Nelson, above
mentioned, the writer learned in 1913 that Mr. W. F. Myer, of Carthage,
had dug up, near Fayetteville, about two-thirds of the skeleton of a
mastodon. Nothing more has been learned about this.
9. _Memphis, Shelby County._—In 1850 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. X,
p. 57), Dr. Jeffries Wyman reported that teeth of a mastodon had been
found somewhere about Memphis. They were supposed to have been obtained
from the diluvium of Mississippi River, and were found associated with
_Castoroides_, _Castor_, and _Megalonyx_.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 5.)
1. _Ludlow, Kenton County._—In the Sunday Star of Washington, D. C., for
January 3, 1919, there appeared a reproduction of a photograph of a
tusk, believed to belong to a mastodon, which had been found at Ludlow,
opposite the lower end of Cincinnati. It was unearthed by the steam
shovel in the course of excavating for the Southern Railroad, at a depth
of 35 feet, in a gravel bank. It is reported to have a length of 6 feet
10 inches and a diameter of 7 inches. A part of the distal end is
missing. According to the photograph, the tusk forms somewhat more than
half the circumference of a circle whose radius is about 23.5 inches.
The curvature and the thickness, as compared with the length, appear to
indicate that it belonged to a mastodon, but the identity is not
certain.
2. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—At this place there have been collected
an almost incredible number of teeth, skulls, and other bones of _Mammut
americanum_; and these have been sent to many museums of this country
and Europe. While skulls are said to have been found, no complete
skeletons have ever been collected. In 1805, Dr. B. S. Barton (Med.
Phys. Jour. Phila., vol. I, pp. 154–159) wrote of bones he had seen from
this place. He quoted from a letter written by John Bartram to James
Logan. Some Shawanese Indians had brought to Pittsburgh a tooth and a
piece of tusk. They described a head as having a long nose and a mouth
on the underside. They reported that there were at the Lick five whole
skeletons; also a shoulder-blade which, when stood on end, came to the
shoulders of a tall man. What they regarded as the long nose may be
interpreted as a tusk. Probably some tons of mastodon bones have been
collected at this place, but it is quite certain that nearly the whole
of this important material has been lost. Further reference to the
locality, its geology, and the species collected there will be made on
pages 401 to 404, map 41.
3. _Bluelick Springs, Nicholas County._—From an excavation made at this
place by Mr. Thomas W. Hunter, in an attempt to restore the springs
which supplied the once popular watering-place, there were taken a large
quantity of bones of various animals, perhaps as much as two farm-wagon
loads. The greater number of these bones belonged to the mastodon.
Portions of skulls were found, but no complete skull. There were in the
collection perhaps 100 mastodon teeth and many tusks, but some of these
may have belonged to elephants. In some cases the tusks show at the
distal end evidences of abrasion by use. Several tusks are planed off on
opposite sides, as if they had lain buried in the bottom of a stream,
had been worn down flat by sand and gravel, and had then been turned
over and planed on the other side. In Mr. Hunter’s collection, seen by
the writer, there are small tusks, probably deciduous upper or lower
ones, which vary from 87 mm. to 115 mm. in length. Each one is slightly
flattened, and has an outer layer of hard dentine or possibly enamel,
which is smooth. When this has peeled off the underlying dentine is
grooved and ridged longitudinally. The transverse diameters vary from 20
to about 27 mm. Some of these small tusks are straight, others are
slightly curved. On page 405 will be given a list of the associated
animals and remarks on the geology.
4. _Harrisonville, Harrison County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
lower left penultimate molar of a mastodon said to have been found
somewhere near this place. It was presented by Hon. M. L. Ross, through
Mr. R. L. Garner. No details are known. The village mentioned is said to
be near Cynthiana, but it is not on the maps at hand.
5. _Fayette County._—In Kentucky University there is a lower left
hindermost molar of a mastodon, labeled as having been found somewhere
in the county.
6. _Drennon Springs, Henry County._—In 1881, Mr. G. K. Greene, (2d Ann.
Rep. Bur. Statist. and Geol. Indiana, 1880, p. 428) stated that the
collection of the State University of Indiana contains a remarkably fine
half of a lower jaw of a mastodon, found at the place named. Nothing
more is known about it. In 1831, C. S. Rafinesque (Monthly Amer. Jour.
Geol., vol. I, p. 354) wrote that “Drennon’s Licks had bones and
mounds,” indicating that at that early time fossil bones had been found
there.
7. _Louisville, Jefferson County._—In 1835, Dr. Richard Harlan (Med. and
Phys. Res., p. 256) referred to statements made to the effect that
several mastodon skeletons had been found in digging the canal around
the falls of the Ohio, at Louisville. They were taken from the river
banks, at a depth of several feet beneath the present soil. It was added
that several pairs of tusks were arranged in a circle within which were
remains of a fire and Indian tools. The authority for this story is
hardly what one could desire.
8. _Smithland?, Livingston County._—In the Academy of Natural Sciences
at Philadelphia is a part of a lower left hindermost mastodon molar,
labeled as having been found at the mouth of Cumberland River. It is
credited to Dr. P. B. Goddard. No details have been preserved. Smithland
is at the mouth of Cumberland River, but how far away from this town the
tooth was found is not known.
FINDS OF ELEPHAS PRIMIGENIUS IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 11.)
1. _Toronto, York County._—In 1863 (Canad. Naturalist and Geol., vol.
VIII, p. 399), Professor Alex. Winchell wrote that he had a cast of a
tooth found at Toronto, and thought by him to belong to _Elephas
primigenius_. The writer saw this cast at Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is
evidently a lower right penultimate molar of the species mentioned. It
is to be regretted that more information was not furnished as to the
exact locality and the beds; it would be of interest to know whether it
had been found in the interglacial deposits that occur about Toronto.
2. _Amaranth, Dufferin County._—In 1908 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol.
IX, p. 387), Dr. Robert Bell reported the finding of the greater part of
the skeleton of an elephant in a swamp in lot 9, range 7, of the
township of Amaranth. The tusk was said to be 14 feet long and 8 inches
in diameter. The context indicates that the remains were found at a
moderate depth in shell marl.
In 1891 (Geol. Mag., dec. 3, vol. VIII, p. 504), Professor J. Hoyes
Panton reported the discovery, in 1890, of bones of a mammoth at this
place, impliedly in a bed of marl. There were 31 ribs, several vertebræ,
a tusk 12.66 feet long, with a portion broken off; also a tooth weighing
16.75 pounds. From Mr. Simon Jelly, of Shelburne, the writer learns that
the bones reported to have been found at Shelburne are the same as those
reported from Amaranth. They had been exhumed by his brother, John
Jelly, and were taken to Owen Sound and from there exhibited at county
fairs for several years.
These bones, or a part of them, are at present in possession of Mr.
Alexander Duke, of San Diego, California. A photograph of the tusk shows
it has quite the length given for it. It is relatively slender, the base
having a diameter said to be 9.5 inches. It is spirally twisted in the
distal half. The atlas is present and stated to measure 16 by 9 inches.
There is a small but distinct photograph of a hindermost molar,
apparently an upper one. The tooth is 16 inches long, 7 inches high, and
3 inches wide. This is the length from the front of the grinding-surface
to the base behind. The plates are not worn to the base in front. There
appear to be 22 ridge-plates present, and 6 in a 4–inch line. The base
of the tooth is straight; the ridge-plates curve forward slightly as
they ascend. The hyoid arch is preserved. The writer regards the
specimen as being a large individual of _Elephas primigenius_.
This elephant lived after the Wisconsin ice-sheet had begun to withdraw.
According to Taylor’s map (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., LIII, plate XIX),
this region had become cleared of ice while the basin of Lake Ontario
was still fully occupied by the glacier; but it is doubtful that the
animal could have lived there at that time.
NEW YORK.
(Map 11.)
1. _Minoa, Onondaga County._—Dr. Burnett Smith, of Syracuse University,
sent the writer photographs of a lower hindermost molar of an elephant
which, associated with a tusk, was found at this place, 8 miles east of
Syracuse. Dr. Smith has ascertained that the tooth and the tusk were dug
up during the construction of the West Shore Railroad. The tooth is
quite certainly that of _Elephas primigenius_. It is worn down to the
base in front, but retains a part of its large posterior root.
2. _Williamson, Wayne County._—In the collection of Rochester University
is a lower left hindermost molar tooth found at this place. Professor H.
L. Fairchild informed the writer that the tooth was found on the
Iroquois beach, but whether on the northern or southern side is not
known.
3. _Pittsford, Monroe County._—In 1842 (Zool. New York Mamm., p. 101,
plate XXXII, fig. 2), J. E. De Kay described, under the name _Elephas
americanus_, a tooth found at Perinton, about 10 miles east of Rochester
and near Irondequoit River. A description of the discovery and of the
locality had been given in 1837 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXII, p. 377)
by an anonymous writer. Two teeth and a tusk had been found in a sandy
bank on the stream mentioned while a race was being made for a saw-mill.
The tusk, and probably the teeth also, lay at a depth of 4 feet. The
exact locality was described as being 2 miles north of the crossing of
Erie Canal. This is in reality southeast of Rochester and near
Pittsford. On page 59 is described a tusk of a supposed mastodon found
at Pittsford in 1830.
De Kay regarded the animal as belonging to an undescribed species, but
his name _Elephas americanus_ had been applied to the mastodon by Cuvier
in 1799.
On examining Fairchild’s plates showing the recession of the Wisconsin
ice-sheet (Bull. 127, State Mus. New York) it will be seen that the
localities where the three specimens of _Elephas primigenius_ have been
found are close to the south shore of the ancient Lake Iroquois. The
animals could not, therefore, have lived before the ice had nearly or
quite withdrawn into the basin of the present Lake Ontario. They may
have lived long after this, possibly up to, or near to, the beginning of
the Recent. It is to be noted further that the locality of the molar
tooth found at Williamson, Wayne County, is closer to the shore of
Iroquois Lake than is that of any of the mastodons; so possibly this
species existed somewhat longer than did the mastodon.
4. _Buffalo, Erie County._—From the director of the Buffalo Society of
Natural History, Dr. William L. Bryant, the writer has received
photographs of a right upper hindermost molar of _Elephas primigenius_
dredged from near the middle of Niagara River, opposite Buffalo. The
tooth is 275 mm. long and 100 mm. wide on the worn surface. It is worn
to near the base in front, but probably no plates are wholly lost. There
appear to be about 24 present. It appears probable that the tooth had
not been carried far after being washed from its resting-place. Although
it probably belongs to the Wisconsin stage, there is a possibility that
it was washed out of some older Pleistocene deposit.
5. _Queensbury, Warren County._—Mr. C. A. Hartnagel, assistant State
geologist of New York, informed the writer of the discovery, some 60
years ago, of a tooth of an elephant near Queensbury, situated near the
southern end of Lake George. The tooth is labeled as found on the John
Harris farm. The nature of the deposit in which it was buried is not
known. It was found during the excavation of a cellar, therefore at no
great depth.
The tooth is a lower right hindermost molar, worn on only about 8 plates
and not to the base in front. About 7 plates are missing from the rear.
There are present 17 ridge-plates. The length along the base is 250 mm.;
originally it must have been close to 350 mm. On a lateral face there
are only about 7 of the plates in a 100–mm. line. Nevertheless, the
writer regards the tooth as belonging to _E. primigenius_. It is
unusually long for the species; hence the plates are thicker, quite as
thick as some specimens of _E. columbi_. However, the enamel, as shown
on the worn face, is much thinner than that of _E. columbi_ and
comparatively little folded. The plates are only moderately concave on
the hinder face. The height of the tooth at the ninth plate is 140 mm.
6. _Lewiston, Niagara County._—From Mr. C. A. Hartnagel the writer
received information of the finding of a tooth of an elephant at
Lewiston; and later the tooth was sent for examination. It proved to
belong to _E. primigenius_ and to be the upper right hindermost molar.
Inasmuch as it is worn to the base in front and as the large anterior
root is missing, some plates, probably at least two, are missing. There
are 22 present. The tooth is worn back to the tenth from the rear. The
length, as the tooth is preserved, is 275 mm. The height at the tenth
plate from the rear is 160 mm., not including the base of the roots. The
greatest thickness is 85 mm. On the lateral face are 9 plates in a
100–mm. line. The base of the tooth is straight; the hinder border of
the crown, arched.
Mr. Hartnagel stated that besides the tooth some fragments of other
teeth and two atlases were found at the same place. Evidently more than
one animal was present. The remains here described were discovered at
least 20 feet below the gravel-bed at that place and 80 feet below the
level top of the terrace at points where it was not eroded. The bones
and teeth appear to have been scattered through a bed of sediments at
least 6 feet in thickness. The remains described above were mentioned by
Kindle and Taylor on page 13 of Folio 190 of the U. S. Geological
Survey, but were referred to a mastodon. The writers described the
deposit in which the tooth was found. The geological age was believed to
be that of the Iroquois episode of the Wisconsin.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 11.)
1. _Trenton, Mercer County._—In the collection at Princeton University
is an upper right last molar of this species recorded as having been
found at Trenton. It was discovered in the bluff of Delaware River, just
outside the fence of the Riverview cemetery, about 12 feet from the
surface. The tooth was given to Dr. Marcus S. Farr by Dr. C. C. Abbott,
and to him by Dr. Ward, of Trenton. Dr. Abbott was certain that it was
found in the Trenton gravels. Further mention will be made of this on
page 304.
2. _North Plainfield, Union County._—In Rutgers College is a
considerably weathered elephant tooth referred to this species. It was
found on Greenbrook road, 2 miles east of North Plainfield. There are
about 12 ridge-plates present in the specimen. This locality is on the
border of the Wisconsin drift moraine, and the elephant tooth was
probably buried in outwash from the moraine.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 11.)
1. _Brookfield, Tioga County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 193) is
a part of an upper molar of _Elephas primigenius_ sent in 1889 by Mr.
Ira Sayles, of Brookfield. It was found along the north fork of
Cowanesqua Creek. The hinder 13 plates are present. Mr. Sayles, in a
letter to the present writer, stated that originally the tooth had 8
more enamel plates. This would seem to indicate that the tooth is the
hindermost molar. Ten of the plates on the side of the tooth are crossed
by a line 100 mm. long. The animal probably belonged to the Late
Wisconsin stage.
2. _Chadd’s Ford, Chester or Delaware County._—In the collection of the
Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, is a fragment of an elephant
tooth labeled as found in kaolin deposits owned by W. W. Jeffries and G.
B. Dillingham. The specimen was described by Leidy (Proc. Phila. Acad.,
1875, p. 121). In this fragment are six ridge-plates, and a line
crossing them measures 60 mm. The tooth appears to have belonged to
_Elephas primigenius_. Leidy stated that it had been found lying on the
kaolin bed, 8 feet below the surface.
In the same collection is a fragment of a tooth to be referred to _E.
primigenius_, consisting of three plates, apparently presented by I.
McClure. It is said to have been found in Chester County, but no more
exact locality was named.
3. _Harvey’s, Greene County._—From Mr. Andrew J. Waychoff, of
Waynesburg, the writer has received for examination a lower jaw of a
young individual of _Elephas primigenius_ found near the place named.
Professor Edwin Linton sent the information that it was discovered in
the bed of Gray’s Fork of Ten mile Creek, about 0.25 mile west of
Graysville. In the jaw are the second true molars, right and left,
slightly worn. The length of each is 165 mm., the width 62 mm.
4. _Lone Pine, Washington County._—From Professor Edwin Linton, of
Washington and Jefferson College, the writer received a photograph of an
elephant tooth found at Lone Pine. This place is located on Little Ten
mile Creek, 7.25 miles southeast of Washington. Professor Linton writes
that a 100–mm. line crosses ten of the ridge-plates on the side of the
tooth. The photograph shows that there are 20 plates present, of which
12 are worn more or less.
5. _Beaverdam, Erie County._—In 1828 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XIV, p.
31), Mr. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer described a tooth which must have been
that of _Elephas primigenius_. It had been found near Lake Erie, at a
place called Beaverdam, near a small rivulet, and at a height of 600
feet above the lake. He stated that there were 13 layers of enamel in a
line 4.5 inches long. The tooth was sent to the Lyceum of Natural
History, New York, but was probably destroyed in a fire at the old
American Museum of Natural History.
OHIO.
(Maps 11, 36.)
1. _Waverly, Pike County._—In the U. S. National Museum is an upper
molar of an elephant said to have been found in a gravel-pit of the
Norfolk and Western Railroad, at Waverly. It was sent to the Smithsonian
Institution in 1900 by Mr. E. Sehon, who stated that the tooth had been
picked up along the railroad mentioned, about 30 miles south of Kenova,
West Virginia, but that the gravel had been loaded on the cars at
Waverly. The tooth is believed to be the hindermost milk molar. There
are 10 plates in a line 100 mm. long. The Pleistocene geological
conditions at Waverly may to some extent be learned by consulting
Leverett’s paper forming Monograph XLI of the U. S. Geological Survey,
pages 101–104. There is a possibility that this tooth was buried in
gravels older than the last glacial stage.
2. _Zanesville, Muskingum County._—In 1853 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2,
vol. XV, pp. 146–147) is found a brief account of the discovery of
elephant remains at Zanesville. One tusk and four molars were found. Two
of the latter weighed (probably while wet) 20 pounds each and two others
14 pounds each. They had been found on the line of what was then called
the Ohio Central Railroad and in the eastern part of the city. At about
the same time (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. IV, p. 377) Warren
exhibited a tooth of an elephant, one of three received by him from
Zanesville (misprinted Lanesville). In the second edition of his
monograph on “Mastodon giganteus” Warren figured one of these teeth (his
plate XXVIII). It was stated that he had four of the teeth, all
belonging to _Elephas primigenius_. These are now in the American Museum
of Natural History, New York. The right upper hindermost molar is a fine
large tooth. The large front root is missing, as are quite certainly
about 3 plates. There are now 28 present. The length along the nearly
straight base is 335 mm. The rear is high and arched. There are 9 plates
in a 100–mm. line and the enamel is little festooned. Foster, in 1857
(Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 10th meeting, p. 156), described the
discovery and exhumation of these remains, publishing a geological
section illustrated by a figure. The elephant bed is 37 feet above the
river and over 20 feet from the surface. In the collection of the State
University at Columbus (No. 5296) is a fine upper hindermost molar of
_Elephas primigenius_ credited to T. W. Lewis and said to have been
found at Zanesville. There are nine or ten plates in a 100–mm. line.
Zanesville is situated in the unglaciated part of the State; but outwash
from both the Illinoian and the Wisconsin glaciers has been deposited
along the river. For a knowledge of the Pleistocene epoch in that
region, Leverett’s work may be consulted (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv.,
vol. XLI, p. 158, plate II).
3. _Duncan Falls, Muskingum County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No.
308) is a tooth, apparently the first true molar, of _Elephas
primigenius_ labeled as having been found on Salt Creek, in the county
named. Salt Creek is situated in the eastern part of the county, flows
southward, and empties into Muskingum River at Duncan Falls. This tooth
is probably the one mentioned by J. W. Foster in 1857 (Proc. Amer.
Assoc. Adv. Sci., 10th meeting, 1856, p. 158) as having been found near
the mouth of Salt Creek and then owned by Mr. A. C. Ross.
4. _Millport, Columbiana County._—From Professor Edwin Linton, of
Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania, the writer
received a letter stating that there is in that institution a tooth of
an elephant found in section 7 of Franklin Township (17 north, range 3
west), apparently about 2 miles northeast of Millport and on or near the
stream Nancy Run. The locality is outside of the glaciated area.
Probably the animal had lived during the Wisconsin stage, but there is a
chance that it belonged to an earlier time.
5. _Mount Healthy, Hamilton County._—In 1914, the writer received the
photograph of a skull of _Elephas primigenius_ which was found some
years before at Mount Healthy. Professor N. M. Fenneman informed the
writer that it was discovered on the farm of Barney Miller, in the bank
of Whisky Run. Professor C. A. Hunt, of Mount Healthy, has sent the
information that it was found in the bed of Taylor Creek, a branch of
West Fork of Mill Creek, in the northeast quarter of section 28,
township 3, range 1, of the Miami purchase. Taylor Creek is probably
another name for Whisky Run. The skull was met with in deep alluvial
sediment. At the time of Professor Hunt’s writing it was in the
possession of Mr. Jacob Kismer, North Side, Cincinnati. In 1920 it was
purchased for the U. S. National Museum (No. 10261).
The front of the skull is preserved from the vertex to the front of the
premaxilla. A part of one tusk, about 4 inches in diameter, is present.
An upper molar was detached and later lost or otherwise disposed of. The
one present has 10 ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line. Leverett (Monogr.
XLI, p. 283), in speaking of drift deposits in Mill Creek Valley, stated
that the greater part of the drift is Illinoian. Professor Fenneman
(Bull. 19, Geol. Surv. Ohio, p. 158) refers the deposit to the Wisconsin
stage.
15. _Butler County._—In the collection of the Academy of Natural
Sciences at Philadelphia is an elephant tooth which is accredited to W.
S. Vaux and labeled as having been found in Butler County. The tooth has
now a length of 230 mm., but is worn down to the base in front and the
large anterior root is missing. The width is 105 mm. It appears to be a
large hindermost upper molar of _E. primigenius_. Nothing more definite
is known about the locality. The whole country is covered with Wisconsin
drift.
6. _Dayton, Montgomery County._—In the collection of the Society of
Archæology and History at the University of Ohio is a tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_ which, as reported by Professor W. C. Mills, was found near
the middle of the eastern boundary of Montgomery County. This would not
be far from Dayton. The locality is within the area covered by Wisconsin
drift and the animal lived probably not far away from the foot of the
retiring glacier.
7. _Selma, Clark County._—In Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, are two
upper last molars, right and left, said to have been collected at Selma.
There are nine ridge-plates in a line 100 mm. long. Nothing is known
regarding the geological conditions connected with the discovery, except
that the locality is within the Wisconsin area.
8. _Versailles, Darke County._—In the U. S. National Museum is an upper
hindermost molar of _Elephas primigenius_ (No. 4761), recorded as found
in Wayne Township, on the farm of Foster Compton, in the northeast
corner of the township. This would be probably about 4 miles north of
east of Versailles. The country is level and was doubtless originally
swampy. This tooth is apparently the one mentioned by A. C. Lindemuth in
1878 (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. III, pt. 1, p. 509). He stated that it had
been picked up in the creek bottom just north of Versailles.
Under this number may be recorded a tooth of _E. primigenius_ found many
years ago by George H. Teaford, about 2 miles southeast of Palestine, in
Darke County, and now in the collection in the public library at
Greenville. It is a lower left hindermost molar. There are 20 plates
present and evidently a few are missing from the front.
9. _Jersey, Licking County._—In the collection of the Ohio State
University, Columbus, are two large teeth of _Elephas primigenius_
labeled as sent from this place and credited to D. D. Condit. The length
along the base of one of the teeth is 286 mm. There are nine plates in a
100–mm. line and the enamel is unusually thin. This locality is on the
western border of the Wisconsin terminal moraine and the animal belongs
therefore to the Late Wisconsin stage.
10. _Chicago, Huron County._—In the collection of the Society of
Archæology and History, at the University of Ohio, the writer has seen a
tooth of _Elephas primigenius_, labeled as having been found at this
place, which is located on or close to the Defiance moraine.
11. _Kamms, Cuyahoga County._—About May 1, 1911, Mr. F. W. Glenn, of
Kamms, sent to the U. S. National Museum a photograph of a tooth which
the present writer identified as belonging to _Elephas primigenius_.
This town is about 4 miles from the shore of Lake Erie.
12. _Cleveland, Cuyahoga County._—In the collection of Adelbert College,
Cleveland, is a lower jaw of _Elephas primigenius_ which was obtained
here. Professor H. P. Cushing has furnished the writer photographs of
this jaw, which belonged to a young animal, inasmuch as the hindermost
milk molar had not wholly appeared above the bone. Of this tooth, six
ridge-plates were crossed by a line 50 mm. in length.
This jaw was found in 1909, in making a sewer, in hitherto undisturbed
materials, 22 feet from the surface. In the section at that point is
found 22 feet of sand resting on till, the latter being the upper part
of the glacial filling of the preglacial Cuyahoga Valley, 300 feet down
to the rock. The jaw was at the base of the sands. Professor Cushing
regarded the jaw as older than old Lake Warren and presumably as
belonging to the time of Lake Whittlesey.
13. _New Berlin, Stark County._—At Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio,
the writer has seen a well-preserved specimen of an upper second true
molar of _Elephas primigenius_ found near New Berlin. There were counted
16 ridge-plates, of which 11 are in a 100–mm. line.
From Rev. J. P. Stahl, Alliance, Ohio, the writer has learned that this
tooth was found about a mile south of New Berlin, in a small gravel hill
along the Canton and New Berlin highway. The gravel was being removed to
make a road-bed. New Berlin is on the Grand River moraine and the
elephant belongs therefore to the Late Wisconsin stage.
14. _Amboy, Ashtabula County._—In the Buffalo, New York, Natural History
Society, the writer examined a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_,
discovered at this place. It is the front half of the right upper
hindermost molar. There are nine ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line. At the
same place, and probably under the same geological conditions, were
found teeth of _Elephas columbi_. These conditions will be described on
page 329.
15. See page 135.
MICHIGAN.
(Map 11.)
1. _Three Oaks, Berrien County._—Mr. C. K. Warren, of Three Oaks, has in
his possession the upper and lower last molars, right and left, of an
elephant which appears to have been found somewhere in the neighborhood
of Three Oaks. These are large teeth and seem to the writer to belong to
_E. primigenius_. The left upper tooth is 300 mm. long and 100 mm. wide.
There are 22 plates. The tooth is worn back to the fourteenth plate, 170
mm. high. There are only seven plates in a 100–mm. line, but it must be
taken into account that the tooth is a large one for the species. The
plates are parallel with one another and the base of the tooth is
straight. The enamel is thin.
One of the lower teeth has a length of 342 mm. The height at the first
unworn plate, about the fourteenth, is 135 mm. On the outer face there
are six plates in a 100–mm. line.
Not knowing exactly where these teeth were found or at what depth, not
much can be said regarding them. However, the region about Three Oaks is
occupied by Wisconsin drift and the animal quite certainly lived during
the Late Wisconsin stage.
As shown by the map of mastodons in Michigan (map 8), at least three
specimens of the American mastodon have been found in this county. It is
extremely probable that the two species lived together.
2. _Eaton Rapids, Eaton County._—In the Michigan Agricultural School, at
East Lansing, is a lower jaw (No. 8260) of _Elephas primigenius_, found
at Eaton Rapids, on the Grand River. Dr. A. C. Lane (Ann. Rep. Geol.
Surv. Michigan for 1905, p. 553) says that it was found 2 miles below
the town. It was found in 1904 by Charles H. Fry. The jaw contains a
tooth on each side, and in front of each is a socket for a missing
tooth. Behind the tooth is a cavity in the jaw for a succeeding tooth.
The one present is taken to be the first true molar. There are present
13, possibly 14, plates. The length of the tooth is 123 mm., its width
51 mm. The enamel is thin and little crinkled. The jaw is 100 mm. high
at the rear of the tooth present.
Eaton Rapids is situated on the Grand River, where the latter breaks
through the Charlotte morainic system. In this county there have been
found two mastodons, one about Belleview, the other in the vicinity of
Olivet.
INDIANA.
(Map 11.)
IN AREA COVERED BY ILLINOIAN DRIFT.
1. _Otter Creek Township, Vigo County._—In Ward’s Natural History
Establishment, Rochester, New York, the writer saw a pair of upper
second molars which, in 1885, were found in Otter Creek Township. They
were dug up on the farm of W. H. Stewart, while making a ditch in low
ground. From information received from Mr. S. D. Humphrey, North Terre
Haute, it appears that the locality is not far from the common
meeting-point of sections 8, 9, 16, 17 of township 13 north, range 8
west. The complete tooth, the one of the left side, had 22 plates and a
front and a rear talon. The length was 248 mm., the width 96 mm. There
were 10 plates in a line 100 mm. long. This thinness of the plates is
evidence as to the specific identity of the animal.
2. _Madison, Jefferson County._—The collection of the Academy of Natural
Sciences, at Philadelphia, contains a large lower last molar of the
right side, presented by Dr. Hallowell in 1840, and labeled as coming
from Madison. The length is 245 mm., and there are 9 plates in 100 mm.
This tooth was mentioned by Dr. Leidy in 1869. From the information
furnished one can conclude only that _Elephas primigenius_ once lived in
southern Indiana.
3. _Vevay, Switzerland County._—Professor E. Danglade, of the U. S. Fish
Commission, presented the U. S. National Museum a tooth (No. 7913),
apparently a second true molar, possibly the first, of _E. primigenius_.
There are 10 plates present. The tooth was found on the shore of Ohio
River about 1.5 miles below Vevay, having been washed out of a gravel
bank, and is much weathered. No exact conclusions about the age of the
tooth can be drawn from the known facts.
IN AREA BETWEEN THE SHELBYVILLE AND THE BLOOMINGTON MORAINES.
10. _Webster, Wayne County._—In the collection of Earlham College are 2
elephant teeth, credited to Jehiel Bond and found on Nolands Fork, near
Webster, Wayne County. One is the second molar of the right side of the
upper jaw and is much worn; the other is the third upper molar of
apparently the same side and is but little worn. These teeth were
mentioned by the author in his report on the “Pleistocene Vertebrata of
Indiana” (33d Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 750), but he had not
then determined to what species they belonged. A renewed study shows
that they certainly belong to _Elephas primigenius_. With these teeth is
a tusk which measures 1,800 mm. along the convex curve.
Webster is situated south of the Bloomington moraine, in a tract of
country indicated by Leverett as covered by undulating drift, in part
morainic.
The greater part of this political township, made up apparently of parts
of townships numbered 13 north and ranges 8 and 9 west, is occupied by
outwash deposits laid down by the Wabash River and brought from further
north during the Wisconsin stage; but at present, at least, it is
impossible to assign the animal to any particular division of that
stage.
IN AREA NORTH OF BLOOMINGTON MORAINE AND SOUTH OF THE MISSISSINAWA
MORAINE AND THE WABASH RIVER.
4. _Windsor, Randolph County._—In the collection at Earlham College,
Richmond, Indiana, is a part of a tooth referred to this species. It is
either the last milk molar or the first true molar of the right side of
the lower jaw. There are present eleven plates and one or more is
missing from the rear. The length along the base is 100 mm., the width
is 55 mm. There are six plates in a line 50 mm. long. This tooth was
found August 20, 1893, in the bed of Stony Creek, near Windsor.
According to Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana, this is just south of
the Union City moraine near its junction with the Bloomington moraine.
By what is known of the habits of this species it may have lived even
when the glacial sheet was forming the Union City moraine.
5. _Winchester, Randolph County._—In the collection of Earlham College
is a lower molar of the right side, apparently the first, labeled as
found at Winchester. No details are furnished. Winchester lies on the
border of the Union City moraine and all the country about is occupied
by Wisconsin drift. It is quite certain, therefore, that this mammoth
lived at some time between the formation of the moraine mentioned and
the end of the Pleistocene epoch.
6. _Fairmount, Grant County._—Here was found, in 1904, the nearly
complete skeleton of the mammoth mounted in the American Museum of
Natural History in New York City. It has been described and figured by
the writer (36th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 718, figs. 63, 64;
Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXIII, p. 396, fig. 133). It was found on the
farm of Mrs. Dora C. Gift, about 4 miles east of Fairmount. The location
is in the southeast quarter of section 23, township 23 north, range 8
east. This information has been furnished by Mr. George Swisher,
surveyor of Grant County.
This whole region is mapped by Leverett as being occupied by ground
moraine of till plains, and the animal must have lived after the
Wisconsin ice cleared away. A tract more or less morainic, an extension
of the Union City moraine, is indicated by Leverett on his latest map as
passing further south than Fairmount. At the earliest it must have been
after the withdrawal of the ice from the Union City moraine that the
animal lived. Considering the character of the surrounding country, the
nature of the deposit inclosing the skeleton, and the depth at which it
was buried, it might be supposed that it was not long after the
formation of the Union City moraine that this elephant existed.
9. _North Liberty, St. Joseph County._—From Professor A. M. Kirsch, of
Notre Dame University, the writer received a photograph of an upper
molar of _Elephas primigenius_ found at New Liberty about 1905. This
tooth is worn to the base in front and to the fourth plate from the
rear. Evidently several plates are gone from the front. Apparently 18
remain. The extreme length is 215 mm. The edges of the plates, as seen
on the side of the tooth present a sigmoid curve. The enamel was
evidently thin.
IN AREA NORTH OF KANKAKEE RIVER.
8. _Crown Point, Lake County._—Mr. G. W. Stose, of the U. S. Geological
Survey, informed the writer that about 1888 he helped in exhuming some
bones of an elephant near Crown Point, discovered in the construction of
a large ditch in township 34 north, range 8 west. The bones lay in a
swamp clay at a depth of 8 to 10 feet. A part of a tusk, one tooth, and
one large bone were put in Guenther’s Museum, Chicago. Another tooth
(M^3) owned by Mr. Stose (No. 8067) was presented to the U. S. National
Museum in 1914. It is worn to the base in front; 22 plates remain. The
length of the tooth is 285 mm., and the width 100 mm. There are 8 plates
in a 100 mm. line. The enamel is thin and little folded.
IN AREA BETWEEN THE WABASH AND KANKAKEE RIVERS.
7. _Near Francisville, Pulaski County._—The writer has received from Mr.
W. D. Pattison, of Winamac, Indiana, two photographs of a tooth of an
elephant which quite certainly belonged to _Elephas primigenius_. The
locality is in the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section
20, township 30 north, range 4 west. According to Leverett’s map, this
is in a tract covered by Wisconsin ground moraine and but little above
the level of the Kankakee marshes, the 700–foot contour-line being not
far away. Just west of the place is a part of the Marseilles moraine.
The spot must be very near Metamonong Creek.
11. _Rochester, Fulton County._—The American Museum of Natural History,
New York, has a well-preserved skull of _Elephas primigenius_ which had
been exhumed in the vicinity of Rochester. The exact locality is not
known to the writer.
The specimen is supposed to have been a female. The tusks are slender
and only 700 mm. long. The hindermost upper molar is present. It is 245
mm. long and 75 mm. wide. There are 10 plates in a 100–mm. line. There
appear to be 25 or 26 plates present. The second molar was still in use
and about 130 mm. long. This was a large elephant, the measurements
falling only slightly below the specimen in that museum which was
obtained near Fairmount, Grant County.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 11, 38.)
1. _Cairo, Alexander County._—The collection of the Buffalo Society of
Natural History contains a tooth of an elephant, an upper left second
true molar, apparently belonging to _Elephas primigenius_. It is
reported to have been found at Cairo, at a depth of 95 feet below the
bed of Ohio River. It was probably discovered in preparing the
foundations of a railroad bridge. It has 15 ridge-plates, besides the
front and rear talons. The length of the base, in a straight line, is
156 mm. There are 10 plates in a line 100 mm. long, a number too great
for _E. columbi_. The tooth is unworn. It has suffered no injury, as
from being rolled along the river bed; hence the animal probably died
near where the tooth was found. It is impossible to assign the tooth
with certainty to any particular stage of Pleistocene times. It seems
most probable that the animal lived at the time the Illinoian ice-sheet
was only a few miles away; the depth at which it was buried in the
filling of the river channel appears to lend confirmation to this view.
2. _Ashland, Cass County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 2195) are
some remains of an elephant, referred to _Elephas primigenius_, found at
Ashland in the spring of 1901. The remains consist of pieces of one
tusk, the symphysis of the lower jaw, the right and left upper
hindermost molars, the right lower last molar, a fragment of the rear of
a much-worn upper second molar, and another of a correspondingly worn
lower second molar. They were found in tilling a farm near Ashland by
Mr. J. W. Arnold, of Jacksonville, Illinois.
The upper teeth resemble greatly those figured by the writer in his
report on the Pleistocene Mammalia of Iowa (Iowa Geol. Surv., vol.
XXIII, plate LIX); but the teeth from Ashland are more worn than those
found in Milwaukee. The last molars from Ashland are worn back to about
the eleventh ridge-plate, and the second molar is worn so that only its
rear portion remained. The length of the upper molars is about 275 mm.
The height of the eleventh plate is 185 mm.; the breadth of the
grinding-surface is 90 mm. One or two of the hinder plates are missing,
but evidently there were at least 24. There are 9 or 10 ridge-plates in
a 100–mm. line on the worn surface; farther towards the base 8 plates in
the same space. The ridge-plates are little bent; the enamel is thin and
little sinuous in its way across the worn surface of the tooth.
The lower last molar is 315 mm. long, 152 mm. high, and 85 mm. wide. It
is thus longer than the upper molars, slightly narrower, and not so
high.
A fragment of the hinder end of what appears to be the lower left second
molar shows 7 ridge-plates remaining. These form two series, an inner
and an outer, entirely separate from each other. This condition is
sometimes seen in little-worn teeth.
The geology of this region may be studied on the Tallula-Springfield
Folio, No. 188 of the U. S. Geological Survey. The Tallula Quadrangle
includes a narrow strip of the eastern border of Cass County. Here the
surface forms a nearly level prairie. According to the geologists Shaw
and Savage, the surface in the region next to Cass County and much of
the rest of the quadrangle is covered by a blanket of loess. Its
thickness varies from 4 to 20 feet; under this, sometimes, in wells, is
to be found a dark-colored ill-smelling deposit, of no great thickness,
which is believed to represent the Sangamon stage. Underlying the loess
everywhere is the Illinoian drift.
As regards the geological age of the elephant described above, it is
quite certain that it lived after the Illinoian stage. It is quite
probable, too, that its teeth and bones were found in the loess which
overlies the Sangamon soil in some places in the quadrangle. This loess
may have accumulated during the Iowan glacial stage or during the
succeeding Peorian interglacial. Considering what we know about the
habits of _Elephas primigenius_, it appears most probable that the
animal in question passed its life during some part of the Iowan.
3. _Kewanee, Henry County._—In the collection of the University of
Illinois, at Champaign, is a fragment of an upper molar of _Elephas
primigenius_, found at Kewanee. It was discovered in 1910, in making an
excavation for the National Tube Company, and was presented to the
university by Mr. J. E. Kemp, at that time engineer in charge of the
work of excavation. This gentleman has furnished very exact information
regarding the discovery of the tooth and the nature of the deposits
passed through.
Mr. Kemp himself saw the tooth taken out and states that it was found at
a depth of about 12 feet. As to the materials passed through, Mr. Kemp
writes:
“After the first 2 feet of soil carrying organic matter we have 5
feet of yellow clay above the ground-water level, and below this
approximately 3 feet of yellow clay which becomes very soft unless
carefully drained before working. This yellow clay then merges into
bluish clay, hard and better packed, going to a depth of
approximately 20 to 21 feet. At this level we meet with that black
soil which is known locally as ‘the chip yard’ and which contains
vegetation and pieces of wood, as you describe. This ‘chip yard’ is
a softer stratum than the overlying blue clay and caused difficulty
in the excavation of a hole approximately 20 feet by 30 feet and 20
feet deep, as the vibration of the reciprocating engines in the
building caused the bottom to rise in little hillocks over night,
and the last 2 feet of excavation had to be dug out and 24 inches of
concrete placed in the bottom, in order to preserve the excavation.”
At Galva, 10 miles southwest of Kewanee, in cuttings along the railroad,
is found a section which illustrates the geological situation at Kewanee
(Monogr. XXXVIII, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 126, plate X). There is at the
top 4 feet of loess, 1 foot of Sangamon soil, 4 feet of Illinoian drift;
in another section nearby there are 12 feet of loess, 2 feet of Sangamon
soil, and 40 feet of Illinoian drift.
Another section at Galva is described by Leverett (op. cit., p. 130).
The loess is 15 feet thick, beneath which is a mucky soil about 1 foot
in depth, which caps the Illinoian till sheet. In this soil a log about
a foot in diameter and several feet long was found embedded. Alden and
Leighton (Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXVI, p. 170) mention this occurrence.
From these examples it becomes evident that the “chip bed” at Kewanee is
a Sangamon soil overlain by loess. The elephant tooth at a depth of 12
feet must have been buried in the blue clay. This, however, is probably
the unweathered part of the loess. If so, the mammoth tooth found at
Kewanee is to be referred to the early Peorian stage.
4. _Penny’s Slough, Henry County._—In the collection of the Davenport
Academy of Science is a large upper left hindermost molar tooth, labeled
as having been found in Penny’s Slough. It is very large, the length
along the base being 357 mm. (about 14 inches), and the height of the
eighteenth plate is 175 mm. There is an unusual number of the plates,
apparently 27. There are 7 plates in a line 100 mm. long. The tooth is
moderately worn. There are 2 large roots in front and 2 rows of smaller
ones behind these. The base is straight and the plates little warped.
Mr. C. C. Martin, of Geneseo, Illinois, county surveyor of Henry County,
has informed the writer that Penny’s Slough is located in sections 17,
18, 19, and 20 of township 18 north, range 3 east, in the northern part
of the county and on Rock River. On Leverett’s glacial map of this
region (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., XXXVIII, plate VI) the area is
indicated as being occupied by sand and gravel plains and terraces of
Wisconsin age. It seems most probable that this elephant lived when the
Wisconsin glacier was not far away. However, there is a variety of
Pleistocene formations in that region and the elephant in question may
belong to the Iowan or to the Illinoian glacial stage.
5. _Kendall County._—In the collection of the National Museum is a
plaster cast made from a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_, found somewhere
in Kendall County, but the present location of the original tooth is not
known. It had a length of 280 mm. along the base. There appears to have
been 20 plates, 8 in a 100–mm. line. The tooth seems to have resembled
greatly one of _E. primigenius_ which was brought from Alaska.
Kendall County is mostly occupied by moraines formed during the
Wisconsin stage of the Pleistocene, especially moraines which were built
up just before the retirement of the ice into the basin of Lake
Michigan. Probably the elephant which possessed the tooth lived during
the latter part of the Wisconsin stage.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 11.)
1. _Milwaukee._—In the Public Museum of Milwaukee are considerable parts
of a mammoth skeleton (No. 5351) found within the limits of the city.
These were secured in May 1898, in excavating for a sewer along Cold
Spring avenue and between Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth streets. On
learning of the discovery, Mr. George B. Turner, then taxidermist of the
Milwaukee Public Museum, afterwards chief taxidermist in the U. S.
National Museum, took charge of the excavations for the skeleton. He
furnished the writer with an account of his work, giving a list of the
bones, a plan of the area excavated, and a section of the deposits
passed through. A description of the remains is given below:
_Feet._ _Inches._
Filled-in materials 4 0
Clay and peat, mixed 1 0
Peat 1 3
Peat and clay, mixed 1 0
Peat, clay, and shells 1 0
Clear blue clay with the elephant bones at the
bottom 4 6
Gravel and cobblestones undetermined.
As indicated in Turner’s sketch, the surface of the gravel and stones
sloped downward toward the north.
It will be seen that the bones were buried about 9 or 10 feet below the
natural surface of the ground. The head of the elephant was directed
toward the east, the hinder end toward the west. The parts found were
within a distance of 10 feet from east to west. Later the excavations on
each side of the sewer were extended eastward, as shown on the plan, in
an effort to find the skull, but without success, and iron rods 10 feet
long, in two sections, were driven their full length horizontally
everywhere around the excavation in the hope of recovering the skull.
For some time after the finding of these bones the theory prevailed that
they had belonged to an elephant of one of the circuses which had made
use of the ground near there. The fact that the lower jaw was found, but
not the upper jaw and the brain-case, and only a part of the vertebræ
and a part of the foot-bones, is sufficient to dispose of this theory.
Also, some of the bones lack the epiphyses. Besides this, the elephant
was neither the African nor the Asiatic species. It is evident that the
animal after dying had lain on the surface for some time, so that the
bones were somewhat scattered, perhaps by wolves or waves, and some were
injured by exposure to the weather.
The following is a list of the bones found: Lower jaw, 5 cervicals, 9
presacrals, 31 ribs, both scapulæ, both humeri, both ulnæ, both radii, 9
wristbones, 14 metacarpals and phalanges, 1 femur and a fragment of the
other, 2 tibiæ, 2 fibulæ, 17 metatarsals and phalanges.
It is evident that this elephant lived and died after the Lake Michigan
ice-lobe had withdrawn from that vicinity. It may, however, not have
been long after that withdrawal; for it is probable that the muddy
waters from the foot of that glacial lobe furnished the blue clay which
enveloped the bones. Later peat and muck and mixtures of these with clay
accumulated over the blue clay. The place is within the area of what
Alden has mapped as ground moraine of Lake Michigan glacier. The
occurrence of peat and shells seems to show that there was a pond in
which the elephant had been buried and afterwards covered with clay and
peat.
Under this number must be included the fine palate and teeth found in
excavating for a sewer on the South Side, at Milwaukee. The record as to
exact location, depth, and kind of materials overlying it is missing. A
description of it, with illustrations, was published by the present
writer in 1912 (Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXIII, p. 409, plate LIX).
This individual probably had a history not greatly different from that
of the Cold Spring Avenue elephant.
MARYLAND.
(Map 11.)
1. _Oxford Neck, Talbot County._—In 1869, Cope (Proc. Amer. Philos.
Soc., vol. XI, p. 178) stated he had seen in the collection of the
Baltimore Academy of Natural Sciences two molars, the tusk, maxillary
and premaxillary bones, and parts of frontals, with fragments of other
bones, which he referred to _Elephas americanus_ Leidy. These, it is
supposed, were remains of _E. primigenius_. Lucas (Maryland Geol. Surv.,
Pliocene and Pleistocene, 1906, p. 164) refers to these remains and
identifies them as certainly those of _E. primigenius_. He found a
smaller tooth of this species which had come from Oxford Neck. Leidy
(Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, 1869, p. 255) speaks of the
teeth, tusks, and the other parts mentioned above.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 11.)
1. _Saltville, Smyth County._—In 1914, Mr. H. D. Mount, of the Mathieson
Alkali Works, of Saltville, sent to the U. S. National Museum some
remains of an elephant, identified as _Elephas primigenius_. These were
found about 1896 in making an excavation for the water reservoir. The
most important parts sent are teeth, whole or fragmentary, and appear to
represent three or four individuals. Among the teeth is a complete but
considerably worn upper left hindermost molar and an unworn upper second
true molar. The former indicates the presence of 23 ridge-plates; the
latter 16 of them. Remarks on this discovery and a list of all the
species secured will be found on page 352.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 11, 39.)
1. _Inland Waterway Canal, Carteret County._—In the collection of the
State Museum, at Raleigh, the writer has seen an upper hindermost molar
(A. N. 1326) which certainly belongs to this species and which is said
to have been dredged up in Core Creek. The creek forms a part of the
Inland Waterway which joins Neuse River with the harbor at Beaufort. The
molar was presented to the State collection by Mr. H. T. Paterson, U. S.
assistant engineer, now of Newbern, North Carolina. From the director of
the museum, Professor H. H. Brimley, the writer has received photographs
of this fine tooth. In the same canal was found a jaw of a mastodon
which is mentioned on page 117. From Mr. Paterson the writer has
received the important information that the tooth was found in Core
Creek about 8.5 miles from Beaufort, in 1909, while dredging a
sedimentary deposit varying from 6 to 8 feet in depth, containing
numerous cypress stumps and roots and underlain by a deposit of sand
mixed with shells and other fossils. Into this the dredge went from 6 to
8 feet.
The tooth is worn to the base in front and a very few plates are
probably missing. Nevertheless, there are still 22 or 23 remaining. The
base of the tooth is nearly straight and the ridge-plates are but little
curved. The length of the base is 232 mm. Measured along the side of the
tooth are 11 ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line. The enamel is unusually
thin, being about 1.3 mm. in thickness, and but little undulating across
the grinding-surface.
It is believed that the deposit containing this elephant tooth and the
cypress stumps belongs to the first interglacial, while the underlying
sands containing marine fossils belong to the Nebraskan glacial stage.
FLORIDA.
(Map 11.)
1. _Palma Sola, Manatee County._—Mr. Charles T. Earle, an enthusiastic
collector living at this place, sent to the U. S. National Museum in
1921 various lots of vertebrate fossils which had been washed up on the
beach at Palma Sola. Among the fossils belonging to the Pleistocene is a
tooth, a right lower second milk molar, which must apparently be
referred to _Elephas primigenius_. It is much worn, the plates present
rising above the base only about 10 mm. The anterior root and the
posterior had been considerably absorbed. Only 4 ridge-plates remain;
evidently at least 1 had wholly disappeared from the front, and 2,
possibly 3, from the rear. The original length of the tooth can not be
determined. The width is 30 mm. The 4 enamel plates present, together
with the portion of cement belonging to each, occupy a length of 30 mm.
The enamel is thin.
It would be more surprising to find this species in Florida had it not
already been discovered in North Carolina and at two places in Texas,
Temple and near San Antonio. One can not state with certainty the stage
of the Pleistocene during which this individual lived, but the writer
believes that it was during an early stage, perhaps the first
interglacial.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 11. Figure 23.)
1. _Whitesburg, Hamblen County._—In a collection of fossil vertebrates
sent many years ago to the U. S. National Museum and described by the
writer in 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 85) is a fragment
consisting of two plates from the rear of a penultimate milk molar,
probably of the lower jaw. This is referred to _Elephas primigenius_. Of
page 395 will be found a list of the accompanying species.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 11.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—In the Academy of Natural Sciences at
Philadelphia is a fine upper left hindermost molar, sent from the place
named. There are present 23 or 24 plates. It is worn back to the apex of
the eighteenth plate. The length along the base in a straight line is
253 mm.; there are therefore about 9 plates in a 100–mm. line. Some
other teeth from the same place, now in the collection, were regarded as
belonging to the same species.
In William Cooper’s account of collections made at Bigbone Lick (Monthly
Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, pp. 168–171) he showed that great numbers of
teeth as well as bones of elephants had been collected at various times
at this locality. He refers all to _Elephas primigenius_, but certainly
many of them must have belonged to the species now known as _E.
columbi_. Cooper mentions the discovery of a fine and nearly entire
skull of an elephant, 4 feet long, having all of the teeth and one tusk
in it. In the nearly 100 years that have elapsed this specimen has
probably suffered destruction.
FINDS OF ELEPHAS COLUMBI IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 12.)
1. _St. Catharines, Lincoln County._—In 1898 (Ottawa Naturalist, vol.
XII, p. 137), Mr. L. M. Lambe stated that there was in the collection of
the Geological Survey of Canada from this place a molar of a mammoth,
purchased in 1887 by Mr. Whiteaves. It had been found while excavating
under the opera house for a sewer, on Queen Street. In the collection of
the Buffalo Society of Natural History the writer has seen a cast of a
lower right hindermost molar, the original of which is said to have been
found at St. Catharines. It was probably made from the tooth now in the
collection at Ottawa. There are 22 plates; probably one or two may be
missing from the front, and the wear extends over only 6 plates. Of
these there are 7 in a 100–mm. line. The plates of the hinder half are
considerably curved, and the hindermost ones lean strongly forward. The
writer regards the tooth as that of _Elephas columbi_.
As shown by Fairchild’s plate 17 (Bull. 160, New York Geol. Surv.) and
Coleman’s plate 22 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., XV, p. 347) this town is
situated within the Iroquois beach. The elephant could, therefore,
hardly have lived at or before the time of the formation of the beach;
in reality it probably lived long after the lake had retired to its
present limits.
In his “Catalogue of Casts of Fossils,” 1866, page 37, Henry A. Ward
gave a figure of a cast of an elephant tooth, No. 143, the original of
which was said to have been found at St. Catharines. This tooth may be
the one now at Ottawa, but if so the figure is incorrect.
2. _Hamilton, Wentworth County._—In 1863 (Canad. Nat. and Geol., vol.
VII, p. 135), a lower jaw of an elephant was described under the name
_Euelephas jacksoni_ Briggs and Foster. This had been found near
Hamilton, at the extreme western end of Lake Ontario. It was mentioned
and figured as _Euelephas jacksoni_ in the same year by W. E. Logan
(Rep. Geol. Surv. Canada, p. 914, figs. 495, 497). The specific name,
however, is not to be credited to Briggs and Foster, for it was proposed
by W. W. Mather in 1838 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXIV, p. 362, figures)
for a lower jaw of an elephant found in Jackson County, Ohio. This jaw
is, however, from the description and the figure, wholly indeterminable.
Lambe (Ottawa Naturalist, vol. XII, p. 136) presents a short history of
the specimen found at Hamilton. It was reported first by T. Cottle in
1852 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 2, vol. X, p. 395; reprint in Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. XV, 1853, p. 282). Besides the jaw, lacking most of the
left ramus, there was found a much-curved tusk nearly 7 feet long.
The writer has had the opportunity to examine this jaw, now in the
Victoria Museum at Ottawa. It is believed to belong to _Elephas
columbi_. The finely preserved last molar has been worn on about 9 of
the ridge-plates, and this worn surface is about 110 mm. long. There are
24 plates present, and 8 of these occupy a 100–mm. line. The hinder
plates lean forward and the base of the tooth is very convex.
Cottle reported that the remains were discovered at a depth of 40 feet
from the surface and at an elevation of 60 feet above the level of the
lake. It is stated on the label that the elevation above the lake was 70
feet, and this is the height given by Logan (Geol. Canada, 1863, p.
914). The author stated also that at an elevation of 7 feet more were
found antlers of _Cervus canadensis_ and the jaw of a beaver.
VERMONT.
(Map 12.)
1. _Mount Holly, Rutland County._—In 1849 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci.,
vol. II, p. 100), Professor Louis Agassiz exhibited before the members
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science a tooth and a
tusk of an elephant, discovered in making excavations for the Rutland
and Burlington Railroad, somewhere on the slope of Mount Holly, Rutland
County. It was said to have been found lying under an erratic boulder.
Agassiz was doubtful as to the specific identity of the animal. In 1850
(Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. IX, p. 256), Zadock Thompson gave a
brief account of this discovery. The remains were found, he said, in
Mount Holly Township, at an elevation of 1,360 feet above sea-level, in
a deposit of muck, at a depth of about 9 feet. This muck-bed is located
on the divide between the streams which flow into Connecticut River and
those which empty into Lake Champlain. In 1853 (“History of Vermont,”
App., p. 14) Thompson presented a more extended report on the discovery.
This is reprinted in Edward Hitchcock’s “Report on the Geology of
Vermont,” 1861, page 176. The elevation is given here as 1,415 feet; the
location is said to be east of the summit station. On the Wallingford
topographic sheet of the U. S. Geological Survey the station named
Summit is shown to have an elevation of 1,500 feet. First, there was
found a tooth lying on gravel beneath 11 feet of peat; soon afterward a
tusk was discovered at a distance of 80 feet, and later the other tusk
and some bones were met with not far away. The grinder was in an
excellent state of preservation. The length of one tusk along the
convexity of the curve is given as 80 inches, while the distance direct
from the base to the tip was 60 inches. A figure of the tusk was given
by Hager in the second volume of the 1861 report just referred to, on
page 934. According to Agassiz’s statement, the tooth and tusk were
taken to the Lawrence Scientific School, Cambridge.
Dr. J. C. Warren (“Monogr. on _Mastodon giganteus_,” ed. 2, 1855, p.
162, plate XXVIII, fig. B) figured and described the tooth. The length
was given as 11 inches at the base, and the number of ridge-plates as
22. This would give an average of 8 plates in a 100–mm. line. This
number and the general appearance of the tooth indicate that the animal
was _Elephas columbi_, instead of _E. primigenius_. The difference
between this tooth and that of _E. primigenius_ is well shown by the
figure of a tooth of _E. primigenius_ from Zanesville, Ohio, figured on
the same plate with the Vermont tooth. This tooth is now in the American
Museum at New York.
Thompson reported the presence of many billets of wood, about 18 inches
long, in the bottom of the muck, the work of beavers.
At the Davenport (Iowa) Academy of Natural Science the writer examined a
tooth of an elephant labeled as having been found on Mount Holly in
excavating for the Vermont Central Railroad. The length along the base
is 300 mm., the height of the ninth plate is 160 mm., the length of the
grinding-surface 160 mm. There are in all 24 plates, the 10 anterior
ones of which are worn. There are 7 ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line,
measured on one side of the tooth. This tooth is regarded as belonging
to _Elephas columbi_; it certainly belonged to another individual than
the one that Warren figured. It is almost certain that the animals
represented by the teeth and skeletal remains found on Mount Holly lived
after the retreat of the ice from those mountains; and one may suppose
that local glaciers lingered long after the main ice-front had abandoned
the region. The animals lived certainly as late as near the close of the
Pleistocene, if not at the beginning of the Recent; they may have been
living on those mountains while the basin of Lake Champlain was an arm
of the sea.
NEW YORK.
(Map 12.)
1. _Homer, Cortland County._—In 1847 (Amer. Jour. Agric. and Sci., vol.
VI, p. 31, fig.), Samuel Woolworth reported that an elephant tooth had
been found on the bank of a small stream, about 2 miles northwest of
Homer. Emmons, in 1858 (Geol. Surv. North Carolina, East. Cos., p. 200),
figured the same tooth. In his Manual of Geology (ed. 2, 1860, p. 242,
fig. 207) he stated that this tooth was found in Cortland County. Henry
A. Ward, of Rochester, advertised and sold casts of this elephant tooth,
as the writer is informed by Mr. Frank H. Ward, of Ward’s Natural
Science Establishment. It is almost certain that this elephant lived in
the neighborhood of Homer after the Wisconsin glacial ice had begun its
retreat to the far north.
2. _Elmira, Chemung County._—In the collection of the American Museum of
Natural History in New York is a part of an elephant tooth (Cat. No.
10488) which the writer identifies as belonging to _Elephas columbi_,
and which is recorded as having been found at Elmira. There are only 3
ridge-plates in the fragment. As to the time during the Pleistocene when
this species lived in New York, all that can be said is that it was
during the last half of the Wisconsin stage. No specimens have been
found as close to the glacial lakes preceding Lake Ontario as in the
cases of _Elephas primigenius_, but this may be due to accidents of
preservation or to failures of discovery.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 12.)
1. _Middletown, Monmouth County._—In 1818 (Cuvier’s “Theory of the
Earth,” p. 384, plate I, figs. 2, 5), S. L. Mitchill referred to a tooth
of an elephant found somewhere about Middletown. In his “Catalogue of
Organic Remains,” 1826, page 10, Mitchill mentioned a singular
boat-shaped tooth of an elephant, found on Bennett’s farm, Middletown,
New Jersey. Both references are to the same tooth; the shape was due to
the wear the tooth had suffered. It was said to come from the region
where the horse remains were obtained. This tooth was a lower right
hindermost molar, much worn. It evidently belonged to _Elephas columbi_.
We have no other information about the specimen. It appears probable
that the deposits which yielded remains of horses and of elephants are
to be referred to an interglacial stage, at least as old as the
Sangamon. The finding of a bone of _Megatherium_ along the New Jersey
coast suggests that the Aftonian may be represented there.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 12.)
1. _Rogersville, Greene County._—The writer has received from Mr. Andrew
Waychoff, of Waynesburg, a small photograph of a lower hindermost molar,
found 3 miles south of Rogersville, in the bed of Hargus Creek. The
tooth was found about 1909 or 1910 and passed into the possession of Mr.
Waychoff; but it had been broken by the finder, who wished to see what
was in it. The tooth has 8 ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line and the form
and arrangement of the plates indicate that it belonged to _Elephas
columbi_. It is impossible to determine, with the knowledge at command,
the stage of the Pleistocene to which this animal is to be assigned.
2. _Pittsburgh, Allegheny County._—In 1910 (Science, n. s., vol. XXXI,
p. 31), an anonymous note stated that there was in Carnegie Museum of
Natural History an enormous tusk, supposed to be of this species, found
in the banks of the Allegheny River, in a suburb of Pittsburgh. There
is, however, no certainty that the tusk was not that of _E. primigenius_
or of _Mammut americanum_. In either case it would be difficult to refer
the animal to any definite Pleistocene stage.
3. _Tryonville, Crawford County._—In 1892, Mr. H. Roberts sent to the
Smithsonian Institution considerable parts of a skeleton of _Elephas
columbi_, including the hinder part of a lower molar, probably the
penultimate. These remains had been found in digging a cellar in
Tryonville, at a depth of 7 feet. Tryonville is on Oil Creek and in the
eastern part of the county. From Mrs. A. A. O’Dell, Niagara Falls, New
York, daughter of Mr. Roberts, the writer learns that the cellar was at
a height of 80 feet above the level of Oil Creek. Since that time the
creek has abandoned its channel at that point.
OHIO.
(Maps 12, 36.)
1. _Stark County._—In Princeton University is a large lower left
hindermost molar catalogued as having been found in Stark County. The
tooth has 24 ridge-plates and is worn back to the fourteenth from the
front. The length from the front of the tooth to the base of the last
plate is 315 mm. There is no exact record of the locality. The Grand
River moraine of the Wisconsin ice covers most of this county, so that
the animal probably lived after the ice had disappeared from that
vicinity.
2. _Amboy, Ashtabula County._—In the collection of the Buffalo (New
York) Natural History Society is a small elephant tooth, evidently a
second milk molar, found at Amboy. It is regarded by the writer as
belonging to _Elephas columbi_. There are present 7 ridge-plates and all
have suffered wear. The length from front to rear is 114 mm.
In the Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland, is a large lower right
hindermost molar of an elephant found at Amboy, in the extreme
northeastern corner of the State. There is a description and figure of
this tooth in the Scientific American for January 23, 1904, on page 60.
It is there called _Elephas primigenius_. It presents 23 plates and
front and rear talons; the length from the base in front to the rear of
the hinder talon is 295 mm. There are from 6 to 8 plates in a 100–mm.
line. The tooth was found between 1890 and 1900 in a gravel-pit near
Amboy, worked by the Lake Shore Railroad. In the same pit was discovered
a tusk which may have belonged to the same animal. A tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_ at the Buffalo Society of Natural History was probably
found at the same place. The writer is informed by Professor Frank R.
Van Horn, of the Case School of Applied Science, that the deposit
consists of interstratified sands and gravels and is supposed to be the
delta formation of the old Conneaut River. Its thickness was from 50 to
75 feet. In this deposit was driftwood, arranged in such regular order
that it suggested the idea that it had formed part of a corduroy road.
MICHIGAN.
(Map 12.)
1. _Jackson County._—In 1863 (Canad. Naturalist and Geologist, vol.
VIII, p. 399), Alexander Winchell described an elephant tooth (No.
3163), found in this county. This is now in the collection at the
University of Michigan, labeled _Elephas jacksoni_. The writer regards
it as belonging to _E. columbi_. It is the much-worn hindermost tooth of
the left side of the lower jaw. There are present 17 plates, and about 7
are missing from the front end. Above the bases of the rear plates are
only 5 in a 100–mm. line; on the worn face are 7 plates in this
distance. The anterior plates lean backward with respect to the base,
while the hinder ones lean forward. The plates are more or less bent
between base and apex. The Kalamazoo morainic system crosses the middle
of Jackson County, running east and west.
In 1861 (1st Bien. Rep. Geol. Surv. Michigan, p. 132), Professor
Winchell mentioned this tooth and stated that it had been found in the
northern part of the county while a ditch was being made. The locality
is, therefore, north of the moraine referred to above.
INDIANA.
(Map 12.)
1. _Terre Haute, Vigo County._—In the State Museum at Indianapolis is a
fine lower left molar of _E. columbi_, labeled as found, in 1896, near
Terre Haute, on the farm of Aaron Conover, and presented by Earl
Conover. Mr. Herbert C. Anderson, county surveyor of Vigo County,
informed the writer that the farm is located in the southwest quarter of
section 9, township 12 north, range 9 west. This is 3.5 miles north of
Terre Haute. The place is near Wabash River and the deposit is probably
outwash from one of the ice-sheets. The depth at which the tooth was
found is given as 18 feet. The length from the top of the anterior plate
to the base of the hindermost is 380 mm.; width of worn face 100 mm. The
hinder plates lean strongly toward the front and there are 6 plates in
100 mm.
2. _Monrovia, Morgan County._—The collection of the State Museum at
Indianapolis contains the hinder half of what appears to be the lower
right last molar. This was presented January 10, 1911, by David Hobson,
of Monrovia, Indiana, and is labeled as found 1.5 miles southeast of
Monrovia, in a gravel bar in Sycamore Creek. There are present 13
plates, considerably flexed as they rise from base to summit.
According to Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana, Monrovia is situated on
the northern edge of the Shelbyville moraine. The tooth seems to have
been found in Sycamore Creek, on the moraine or near its southern
border, not far from the northern border of the Illinoian drift area.
While the possessor of this tooth probably lived during some period of
the Wisconsin stage, it is possible that the tooth had been washed out
of some deposit of the Illinoian or of some interglacial deposit laid
down between the Illinoian and the Wisconsin stages.
3. _Windfall, Tipton County._—In the Morrill collection, in the
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, there are two teeth, an upper and a
lower last molar, secured at Windfall by Professor Erwin H. Barbour.
These teeth have been described and illustrated by the writer (36th Ann.
Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 742, plates XXV, XXVI). Windfall is
situated on Wisconsin drift, some miles west of the more or less
morainic belt which marks the northwestward continuation of the Union
City moraine.
4. _Bringhurst, Carroll County._—In the State Museum at Indianapolis is
a last molar found some years ago near Bringhurst and presented by Mr.
John Flora. There are 27 plates present, an unusual number. The length
of the tooth is 320 mm. from the summit of the first to the base of the
twenty-sixth. No information was furnished as to the exact place where
the tooth was found, nor as to the depth and kind of materials.
Bringhurst is situated on Wisconsin drift, and the animal must have
lived at some time after the ice retired from the Fowler-Lafayette
moraine.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 12, 38.)
1. _Staley, Champaign County._—In the collection at the University of
Illinois the writer has seen a lower last molar recorded as having been
found by John Early at a point 5.5 miles west and 1.5 miles south of
Champaign, apparently not far from Staley. It is said to have been
picked up by a dredge; hence probably in some ditching operations. The
writer regarded the tooth as belonging to _Elephas columbi_.
Apparently this tooth was found very near the outer border of the
Champaign moraine; hence the animal might have lived at any time after
the deposition of this moraine. It is more probable, however, that this
species did not affect such a cold environment, and haunted those
regions when the climate had greatly ameliorated.
2. _Stronghurst, Henderson County._—In the summer of 1914, Mr. John
Shick discovered near Stronghurst, in a well, at a depth of 20 feet,
four elephant teeth. A letter, with photographs of these teeth, sent to
the U. S. Geological Survey, was shown the writer, who identified the
teeth as belonging to _Elephas columbi_, apparently the second and third
upper deciduous molars, right and left. They were reported to have been
found in a dark soil. All the region about Stronghurst is occupied by
Illinoian drift. Since at a depth of 20 feet an old soil was reached it
becomes quite certain that this represents a pre-Illinoian interglacial
deposit, probably the Yarmouth stage; and to that must be assigned the
time of the elephant in question.
3. _Chillicothe, Peoria County._—In the palæontological collection of
the University of Iowa is a tooth of _Elephas columbi_, recorded as
collected at Chillicothe by Fred Wachs. It was found in gravel, at a
depth of 40 feet, but the exact locality is not known. The tooth is the
first lower true molar.
It is impossible to determine the geological age of this tooth.
Chillicothe is situated on Illinois River and within the area of the
Wisconsin drift. The valley is filled with deposits brought down from
the Wisconsin ice-sheet and by late alluvium; but at a depth of 40 feet
there might possibly be some earlier gravels.
4. _Chicago Heights, Cook County._—From J. H. Knapp, Chicago Heights,
the writer has received photographs of a lower hindermost molar of
_Elephas columbi_, found in Second Creek, 2.5 miles east of Chicago
Heights. This locality is situated on the Valparaiso moraine and we must
refer the time of the existence of the elephant to the Late Wisconsin
stage.
5. _Pawpaw, Lee County._—In the collection of the palæontological
department of the University of Nebraska the writer saw a lower molar of
_Elephas columbi_ (apparently the left second), found at Pawpaw. It was
presented by Dr. M. H. Everett, of Lincoln, Nebraska. There are present
19 ridge-plates, and there are 7 plates in a 100–mm. line.
On inquiry by the writer Mr. Frank Wheeler, of Pawpaw, furnished
detailed information. In constructing an ice-pond there was found at a
depth of 4 feet parts of both hip-bones, a femur 4 feet 4 inches long,
some much decayed foot-bones, some vertebræ and ribs, and the head and
lower jaw. The head is said to have been nearly 3 feet long and the
lower jaw 26 inches long. In the latter were two huge teeth. It appears
that the forelegs were present, but much decayed. No tusks were found,
nor any upper teeth. It was concluded that the animal was 22 feet 6
inches long and between 15 and 16 feet high; but the dimensions were
undoubtedly exaggerated. Certain “streaks and mossy fibers” led to the
conclusion that the animal had been covered with a coat of hair. It is
probable that all of these remains except the tooth in Lincoln have been
lost. Undoubtedly, had an expert in exhuming such skeletal remains been
called in there might have been rescued a large part of the skeleton. Up
to this time no good skeleton has been secured of _E. columbi_.
The place where the skeleton was found is in the southwest quarter of
the southeast quarter of section 10, township 37 north, range 2 east.
This is situated on a member of the Bloomington morainic system, a
moraine left by the Wisconsin ice-sheet. It is evident, therefore, that
the skeleton of the elephant had, during some Late Wisconsin time,
fallen in a pond and become slowly covered up.
There is an account of this discovery in F. E. Stevens’s “History of Lee
County, Illinois,” 1914, page 527.
6. _Woodhull, Henry County._—In the Galesburg, Illinois, Register of May
14, 1911, appeared an account of the finding of three large molars and
some bones of a supposed mastodon in a clay of a brick and tile factory
at Woodhull.
Professor Page L. Baker, superintendent of schools in Woodhull, states
that first a part, 6 feet 10 inches long, of a tusk was found, 9 inches
in circumference at the base, 6 inches at the other end. Some scattered
bony plates supposed to belong to the skull were observed, but no
limb-bones were found. Five teeth were secured, varying in weight from 6
to 16 pounds; one had 20 enamel plates, and there were 6 of these plates
in a 100–mm. line. It can hardly be doubted that the species represented
was _Elephas columbi_.
Professor Baker stated that the pit was about 14 feet deep, the upper 2
feet consisting of prairie soil, possibly loess. Below this is 10 feet
of red clay, and then about 2 feet of white clay, resting on a layer of
muck. The bones were in the white clay, but resting on the muck. The
teeth were wholly in the white clay. The tusk was removed about 15 feet
from the teeth. This region is covered by Illinois drift, overlain by
loess, sometimes of considerable thickness. It does not appear from the
depth and character of the deposits that the Illinoian drift had been
penetrated. The muck-bed belongs probably to the Sangamon stage,
possibly to the Iowan. The reader is referred to the geological sections
found at Galva, about 18 miles further east (see p. 142).
MARYLAND.
(Map 12.)
1. _Oxford Neck, Talbot County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol.
XI, p. 178), Cope wrote that there had been found on the farm of Lambert
Kirby, in Oxford Neck, a molar tooth resembling that of a half-grown
_Elephas primigenius_ or _E. columbi_. Besides this tooth were remains
of what Cope called _Elephas americanus_ Leidy. These, it is supposed,
belonged to _Elephas primigenius_. The collection referred to had been
placed in the cabinet of the Baltimore Academy of Sciences; but the
writer has not seen it. Lucas (Maryland Geol. Surv., Pliocene and
Pleistocene, 1906, p. 167) describes the teeth from this locality. He
identified one small tooth as belonging certainly to _E. columbi_, and a
large one as probably belonging to the same species.
2. _Queen Anne County._—In 1820, Horace H. Hayden (Geolog. Essays, p.
121) wrote that he had an enormous grinder of the Asiatic elephant, dug
up in the county named, on the plantation of Mr. Carmichael. It was said
to have been enveloped in a stiff blue clay.
Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill (Cuvier’s “Theory of the Earth,” 1818, p. 394,
plate I, figs. 3, 5) mentions and figures the tooth, apparently that of
_Elephas columbi_. It is said to have been dug out of the ground by the
side of a marsh. It was the last upper molar of probably the right side.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 12.)
1. _Wirt County._—From Professor John L. Tilton, of the University of
West Virginia, the writer has received for examination a fragment of a
tooth of _Elephas columbi_ reported to have been found many years ago,
somewhere in Wirt County along Little Kanawha River. No details have
been preserved. The thick ridge-plates and the heavy crimped enamel
betray the species.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 12, 39.)
1. _New Hanover County._—In the State Museum at Raleigh, the writer has
seen a part of a molar tooth of this species consisting of 9
ridge-plates. It is said to have been found in the quarry of Ross and
Larry. There are 8 ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line and the enamel is
rather thick.
Captain E. D. Williams, of Wilmington, has informed the writer that this
quarry is situated about 9 miles below Wilmington, near the Fort Fisher
road. From a point a little below this Captain Williams secured a tooth
of _Mammut americanum_.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 12.)
1. _Beaufort, Beaufort County._—In 1877, Dr. Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Phila., vol. VIII, p. 213) stated that there was in the exhibit of
the Smithsonian Institution at the exposition at Philadelphia, in 1876,
a last lower molar of this species, found at Beaufort. The present
writer has not recognized the tooth in the collection of the U. S.
National Museum.
In Rutgers College are six or more teeth or parts of teeth of _E.
columbi_, recorded as coming from Coosaw River. In the collection of
Amherst College the writer has seen two lower hindermost molars, labeled
as collected in Coosaw River.
2. _Edisto River._—In the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia there is a fragment of a molar of _Elephas columbi_,
comprising only 2 ridge-plates, recorded as having been found in or on
Edisto River. The specimen is credited to Dr. H. C. Chapman. While the
locality is indefinite, it probably was somewhere around Edisto Island.
3. _Charleston, Charleston County._—Numerous teeth of _Elephas columbi_
have been found in the region surrounding Charleston. Godman (Amer. Nat.
Hist., vol. II, p. 257) referred to a statement made by Catesby to the
effect that negroes had found teeth along Stono River which they
recognized as those of an elephant. This had previously been mentioned
by Barton in his “Archæologia Americana,” 1814. In Holmes’s
“Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina,” page 108, Leidy stated that
small fragments of teeth and bones, usually much water-worn, of the
extinct elephant are not infrequently found in the Post-Pliocene
deposits in the vicinity of Ashley River. In a footnote to this remark,
F. S. Holmes stated that later a perfect tooth had been discovered and
was figured on plate XVII; but the tooth there figured came from Texas.
In 1870 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1870, p. 98), Leidy reported that
he had seen in the collection of C. N. Shepard, at Amherst College,
remains of elephant from Ashley River. It is certain that at least a
part of these remains belonged to _Elephas columbi_. In the U. S.
National Museum are teeth, recorded as having been secured from the
phosphate beds about Charleston. As an example may be mentioned No.
2105, a large upper right molar, with 20 ridge-plates. Another has the
number 1614 (Hay, Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXIII, p. 413, plate LXI, fig.
4).
In the Charleston Museum the writer has seen a lower second milk molar
(No. 13504) of this species. There are 9 ridge-plates and front and rear
talons. The length is 123 mm., the width 52 mm., with 8 plates in a
100–mm. line. In the same museum is an upper left second milk molar (No.
1109) with 8 plates present. The length along the base is 95 mm.; from
the base in front to the rear of the crown 117 mm.; width 55 mm. This
tooth appears to have been found somewhere about Charleston. In the same
museum are other teeth of this species, mostly parts of the hindermost
molars. Other teeth are found in the private collections of Charleston.
In the American Museum of Natural History, New York, there are some
teeth (Nos. 13707, 13708) from the vicinity of Charleston which are
referred to _Elephas columbi_. One is an upper hindermost molar, worn to
the base in front and having left 18 plates. There are 6 plates in a
100–mm. line. The enamel is thick. The length of the tooth is 292 mm.;
the width, 90 mm. Another is a worn lower tooth with 16 plates.
Another tooth, either a last milk molar or a first true molar, is not
worn to the base and retains the front root. There are 12 plates and a
large talon and a 100–mm. line crosses 8 plates. The enamel is thick and
considerably festooned. The greatest length of the tooth is 173 mm.
There is another lower right tooth, probably the last milk molar, which
presents 11 plates and front and rear talons. There are nearly 8 plates
in a 100–mm. line.
Another right lower tooth, apparently the first true molar, 165 mm. long
on the grinding-face, has likewise 8 plates in 100 mm. A part of an
upper hindermost molar preserves 11 plates. There are 6 plates in 100
mm. and the enamel is thick and folded.
For a list of the vertebrate fossils found in the region about
Charleston, and their geological age, the reader is referred to page
363.
4. _Head of Cooper River, Berkeley County._—In 1802, John Drayton (“A
View of South Carolina,” p. 40, plate, fig. 5) wrote that elephant bones
had been discovered in the excavation of a canal joining Santee and
Cooper Rivers. Drayton’s illustration shows that this tooth must have
belonged to _Elephas columbi_. The locality was in Biggin Swamp,
apparently not far from Monks Corner. At the same time and place were
found remains of _Mammut americanum_. The materials are said to have
been deposited in the Charleston Library. Barton (Archæologia Amer., p.
22) stated he had examined teeth of both the mastodon and the elephant
from this place. Richard Harlan (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 1,
vol. III, p. 66, plate V, fig. 3; Med. Phys. Res. p. 359, plate, fig. 3)
stated that a tooth of an elephant from the Santee Canal had been sent
to the Academy at Philadelphia.
GEORGIA.
(Map 12.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—This is the type locality of _Elephas
columbi_. This species was based by Falconer (Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc.
Lond., XIII, 1857, table opposite p. 219) on a part of a tooth received
from the geologist Charles Lyell and which had been found in the
Brunswick Canal. The specimen consisted of 10 median plates of a lower
second or third molar. Falconer figured it in 1868 (Palæont. Mem., vol.
II, pp. 214, 221, plate X). Lyell (Second Visit, etc. vol. I, p. 348)
noted that an elephant had been found in excavating the canal. Richard
Harlan, in 1842 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. I, p. 189), stated
that a large collection of bones of various animals had been presented
to the Academy by J. Hamilton Couper, of Darien, Georgia. Among these
were teeth of _E. primigenius_. Couper, in 1848 (Hodgson’s Memoir, etc.,
p. 45), stated that two lower jawbones with teeth, several loose teeth,
two tusks, and several vertebræ of _Elephas primigenius_ had been
collected in the canal during 1838 and 1839. These remains quite
certainly belonged to _Elephas columbi_ unless possibly some belonged to
_E. imperator_.
Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, 1869, p. 254) records the
presence in the collection of the Academy of a lower molar of _E.
columbi_. The present writer has seen in this collection parts of four
teeth of this species which had been sent from the Brunswick Canal,
doubtless parts of the Couper collection. The species are listed on page
369.
2. _Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Chatham County._—Lyell (Second
Visit, etc., vol. I, p. 314) reported that _Elephas primigenius_ had
been found at this place, with _Megatherium_, _Mylodon_, _Mastodon_, and
what was doubtless a species of _Bison_. Habersham, in 1846 (Hodgson’s
Memoir, etc., p. 29), mentioned two teeth which he identified likewise
as _E. primigenius_. These elephant teeth are all to be referred with
much certainty to _E. columbi_.
For the examination of the geology about Savannah the reader is referred
to page 371, map 40.
FLORIDA.
(Maps 12, 13.)
1. _St. Marks River, Wakulla County._—In 1870 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1870, p. 98), Leidy stated that from this place there was in the
collection of the Natural History Society of Boston a molar of the
thick-plated variety of elephant. The grinding-surface, irregular and
worn so as to present a terraced appearance, has a length of 8.5 inches
and included 11 ridge-plates. The species is quite certainly _Elephas
columbi_.
It may be mentioned that Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p.
103) reported that part of a skeleton of a mastodon or of an elephant
had been obtained from Wakulla Spring by Mr. John L. Thomas. This is
near Crawfordville.
2. _Station 120, Duval County._—Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Florida, p. 106) reported that _Elephas columbi_ had been discovered at
Station 120, on the Inland Waterway Canal. At the same place had been
found _Mammut americanum_, an undetermined species of _Bison_, and an
undetermined species of _Odocoileus_. The locality is probably 5 miles
south of Pablo Beach.
3. _Citra, Marion County._—In January 1914, the writer saw at Ward’s
Establishment, at Rochester, New York, the hinder half of a lower left
hindermost molar of _Elephas columbi_, labeled as found at Citra. No
details were preserved respecting the history of the tooth. There were 6
ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line.
4. _Near Mantanzas, St. John County._—At the residence of Fred R. Allen,
St. Augustine, Florida, the writer has seen part of four hindermost
molars, three upper and one lower, of _Elephas columbi_, found in the
Inland Waterway Canal, near his farm, 28 miles south of St. Augustine,
apparently not far from Mantanzas. At the same place have been found
_Mammut americanum_, _Equus_ sp., _Mylodon harlani_, and _Terrapene
antipex_. Sellards (8th Rep. p. 106) adds to this list an undetermined
species of _Bison_ and one of _Odocoileus_.
5. _Ocala, Marion County._—From this place Leidy (Trans. Wagner Inst.,
vol. II, p. 17, plate III, figs. 6–9) has described and figured a first
and a second milk molar. The figures have been reproduced by the writer
(Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXIII, plate LXI, figs. 2, 3, 5, 6). These teeth
certainly belong to _Elephas columbi_. They were found in a fissure in a
limestone rock, near Ocala, in the property of Mr. F. M. Phillips. With
them were a part of a skull of _Smilodon floridanus_, teeth of a horse
which Leidy referred to his _Equus fraternus_ (=_E. leidyi_), and teeth
supposed to belong to the little camel _Procamelus (Auchenia) minimus_.
These fossils were referred to the Pliocene, but apparently there is not
sufficient reason for doing so. The geology of the locality is treated
on page 378.
6. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—In the collection of the Florida
Geological Survey, No. 2232, is a part of the rear of what is regarded
as a hindermost upper molar, found in a phosphate mine near Dunnellon.
There are 7 ridge-plates, but some are missing from the front and some
from the rear. The height of the front plate present is 210 mm.; the
width is 82 mm. There are 6 plates in a 100–mm. line. This tooth is
remarkable because of its thinness. It is possibly a more anterior
tooth, but is rather high to be such.
The geology of the neighborhood of Dunnellon and a list of the species
collected there are to be found on page 376.
7. _Holder, Citrus County._—In the collection of Dr. H. G. Bystra,
chemist of the Buttgenbach river mine, is a fragment of a tooth of
_Elephas columbi_, found in the mine, on Withlacoochee River, a few
miles north of Holder, in section 29, township 17 south, range 19 east.
In the same collection are a fragment of an upper and one of a lower
molar, found in the same place in dredging for phosphate rock.
21. _Sumterville, Sumter County._—In the collection of the Florida
Geological Survey (No. 240) is a single plate of a tooth of _Elephas
columbi_, found by Dr. Sellards 3 miles east of Holder.
16. _Daytona, Volusia County._—In 1916 (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 105), Sellards stated that Mr. Morris, of Daytona, had found
in a marl pit a tooth of _Elephas columbi_. As stated on page 122,
remains of _Mammut americanum_ have been found in similar pits. In these
pits were collected a piece of a tusk of a proboscidean and a rib of a
whale, thought to belong to the genus _Balænoptera_.
In the Fifth Annual Report of the Florida Geological Survey, on pages
222 to 225, are presented the logs of artesian wells put down at
Daytona. In one well was found a bed of white marl at a depth of 6 feet,
having a thickness of 9 feet. It is possible that this corresponds to
the marl-bed which furnished the elephant and whale, and it may belong
to the first glacial stage.
8. _Tampa, Hillsboro County._—In the collection of Heidelberg
University, Tiffin, Ohio, the writer has seen a fragment consisting of
two plates of an upper molar of _Elephas columbi_, labeled as having
been found at Tampa.
9. _St. Petersburg, Pinellas County._—In the museum of the State
University at Gainesville, Florida, is an upper left second molar of
_Elephas columbi_ recorded as having been found at Indian Rock, a
village near St. Petersburg, in the peninsula west of Tampa Bay. The
tooth is covered with barnacles and had evidently been in salt water. No
other information was secured respecting the tooth.
10. _Kingsford, Polk County._—In the collection of Yale University is a
fragment of a lower molar of _Elephas columbi_, recorded as having been
found at Kingsford. It was obtained under 19 feet of phosphate rock and
sand. The collector was Juan C. Edmundoz. There are present 5 coarse
plates. The tooth belongs possibly to _E. imperator_. As recorded on
another page, teeth of horses have been found in the same situation. If
correctly reported, they belong, with the phosphate, to the Nebraskan
stage of the Pleistocene.
20. _Palma Sola, Manatee County._—There has been sent to the U. S.
National Museum, with other fossils, a fragment of a tooth of _Elephas
columbi_, washed up on the beach at Palma Sola, and found by Mr. Chas.
T. Earle. Besides the elephant tooth were fragments of deer antlers,
several teeth of _Equus complicatus_, a few of _E. leidyi_, one of _E.
littoralis_, and an astragalus and a metapodial of _Bison latifrons?_.
These all belong apparently to early Pleistocene. With them came teeth
of sharks, a beak of a porpoise, and the distal end of a metapodial of a
camel, all probably washed out of Miocene or Pliocene deposits in the
neighborhood.
11. _Sarasota, Sarasota County._—In the American Museum of Natural
History are two fragments of teeth of _Elephas columbi_ collected about
8 miles southeast of Sarasota by Mr. Barnum Brown, in 1911; one consists
of three, the other of two plates. With them were found fragments of
extinct turtles and a dermal plate of an edentate, possibly of
_Chlamytherium_; also several teeth of horses.
18. _Eau Gallie, Brevard County._—Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 105) announced that teeth of _Elephas columbi_ and of _Equus
complicatus_ had been found in the Hopkins Drainage Canal.
17. _Fellsmere, St. Lucie County._—Sellards (op. cit., p. 105) reported
a tooth or teeth of _Elephas columbi_ found in a drainage canal at this
place.
12. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—Numerous fragments of teeth of _Elephas
columbi_ have been found at Vero. The geology will be discussed on pages
381 to 383, and a list of the fossil vertebrates that have been found at
Vero will be presented.
13. _Zolfo, Hardee County._—In the American Museum of Natural History
(No. 15546) is the right ramus with the symphysis and one tooth of
_Elephas columbi_. The tooth is quite certainly the hindermost one.
Thirteen plates are present and a number must have worn out and
disappeared from the front. Zolfo is on Peace Creek.
14. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—Numerous remains of _Elephas columbi_
have been found at Arcadia and vicinity, mostly in the course of
dredging for phosphate. The geology of the region is discussed on pages
380–381 and a list presented of fossil vertebrates found there.
Leidy (Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p. 22, plate VII) figured a very
large tooth found at Arcadia. It has 27 plates and is 400 mm. long.
There are 6 plates in a 100–mm. line. This tooth is in the collection of
the Wagner Institute in Philadelphia. Leidy recorded also a part of a
last molar, now in the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia.
In the collection of the Public Museum at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an
upper, left, hindermost molar labeled as found in the phosphate beds of
Peace Creek, probably at Arcadia. It was presented by Mr. Ad. Meinecke.
There are 6 plates and a little more in a 100–mm. line. Teeth, Nos. 319
and 1991, from Arcadia, are in the U. S. National Museum. No. 1571 of
the Florida Geological Survey was found 6 miles north of Arcadia.
15. _Tourner’s, Glades County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 8088)
is a part of a tooth of _Elephas columbi_ sent by J. M. Purvis,
Tourner’s, Florida. It was reported as having been collected on the
Caloosahatchee River at the place named. This place (spelled also
Turner’s) appears to be near Thompson’s and probably in township 43
south, range 29 east. This tooth appears to be the penultimate milk
molar; there are 9 ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line. The enamel is thin
and much folded.
Leidy (Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p. 23) recorded the discovery of a
last molar tooth of _E. columbi_ at some point on the river mentioned.
The tooth is in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Dall
(Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 129) on the authority of Leidy stated
that _Bison latifrons_ and _Equus fraternus_ had been found in the
Pliocene beds along this river. It is probable that he used _B.
latifrons_ in a wide sense. Sellards (8th Rep., p. 102) shows that at
least the elephant and the horse were from the Pleistocene.
19. _Palm Beach, Palm Beach County._—Sellards, in his Eighth Annual
Report, page 105, stated that there had been secured from the Palm Beach
Canal for the drainage of the Everglades, teeth of _Elephas columbi_, as
well as those of _Equus complicatus_ and _Mammut americanum_, and a
femur of a species of _Bison_.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 12.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—In the Academy of Natural Sciences at
Philadelphia the writer has seen a number of teeth which belong to
_Elephas columbi_, found at Bigbone Lick. Whether or not these are part
of the collection given by President Thomas Jefferson the writer has not
learned. One of these teeth has been described and figured by the writer
(Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 737, plate XXII, fig. 1). It is
identified as the upper hindermost milk molar, is wholly unworn, and
shows well the form of the crown before it came into action. In that
stage the roots are almost wholly undeveloped. The length taken at right
angles with the plates is 145 mm. For remarks on the geology of this
locality and a list of the species of vertebrates the reader is referred
to pages 401 to 404.
2. _Mouth of Big Twin Creek, Owen County._—In the American Museum of
Natural History are two fine teeth and a lower jaw, with the ascending
rami missing, found where the creek opens into Kentucky River. From the
finders, Mr. H. B. Ogden and his son, the writer learned that the jaw
was about on a level with the water. They had fastened their boat to it,
thinking it was a stump. The top of the bluff was about 35 feet above
the water. Some other bones were secured, among them a humerus. The
bones were in a mixture of what Mr. Ogden called hardpan and sand. No
certain statements can be made about the geological age of this
specimen. It might well be pre-Wisconsin.
FINDS OF ELEPHAS IMPERATOR IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 14.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—A number of teeth of _Elephas
imperator_ have been seen by the writer in the collections made in the
vicinity of Charleston.
No. 13557 of the Charleston Museum is a right ramus of the lower jaw
containing the hindermost molar. Sixteen plates are counted, but it is
probable that about two are missing from the front. There is no
indication that there was another tooth behind it. The exact locality of
discovery is not known. In the Frost collection is a part (8 plates) of
a lower right last molar, which must be referred to this species. Seen
on the inner face are only four ridge-plates in a 100–mm. line. In the
collection of Rev. Robert Wilson is a fragment of a molar of _E.
imperator_. The four plates present occupy 100 mm. of the length of the
tooth.
2. _Head of Cooper River, Berkeley County._—Richard Harlan (Jour. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. III, 1823, p. 66, plate V, fig. 2; Med. Phys.
Res., p. 359, plate, fig. 2) described briefly and figured an elephant
tooth found in constructing the Santee Canal, probably in Biggin Swamp,
where the remains of _Mammut americanum_ and _Elephas columbi_ were
discovered. The tooth was a large one, the greatest diagonal length
being 14.5 inches (368 mm.). It had been worn back quite to the rear,
the trituration having affected 15 ridge-plates. This worn face measured
9 inches (228 mm.). Harlan stated that on this grinding-face 5 inches
was occupied by 6 enamel plates and 7 plates of cement. An estimate
shows that a 100–mm. line would cross 5 of the ridge-plates. Had this
tooth possessed the number (24) of ridge-plates usually found in _E.
columbi_, its length would have been 20 inches or more.
FLORIDA.
(Maps 14, 15.)
1. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—In the collection of the Florida
Geological Survey (Nos. 2233, 2234) are two fragments of teeth of an
elephant dredged from Withlacoochee River at Dunnellon, presented by Mr.
F. J. Titcomb. The teeth are regarded by the writer as being lower last
molars, although the plates run nearly directly across the
grinding-surfaces. They may belong to one individual. No. 2233 presents
six plates; five of these occupy a line 100 mm. in length. They are much
bent as they ascend, so that their hinder faces are very concave. The
enamel is moderately thick.
The tooth (No. 2234) has been figured by Dr. Sellards of the natural
size (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 85, fig. 12). As shown by
that figure, the ridge-plates of the rear portion have a thickness of 25
mm. or even more. Taken all together there are hardly 5 in 100 mm. If
that tooth had belonged to _Elephas columbi_ and had had 24 plates, the
length would have been about 25 inches, which is hardly to be supposed.
2. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—In the eighth Annual Report of the
Geological Survey of Florida, Dr. E. H. Sellards described and figured
(p. 150, plate XXV, fig. 1) a lower jaw of an elephant which had been
found near Vero. He referred it to _Elephas columbi_, but noted the
coarseness of the plates and its resemblance to _E. imperator_. The
specimen was found 3 miles west of Vero, along the bank of the drainage
canal. It was embedded in a matrix of brown sand, a stratum of which
rests on the marine shell-marl which underlies that region. It is
evident that a number of plates are missing from the front and that the
tooth is the hindermost one. If the jaw had belonged to _E. columbi_
with 24 plates, the length of the teeth would have been about 440 mm. In
case the tooth is that of _E. imperator_, there were probably about six
more plates in front originally and the tooth had a length of about 330
mm. The width appears to be about 90 mm. In the collection at Amherst
College is a fragment of a lower right molar, probably the hindermost,
of this species. Six plates are represented. It is well worn down, with
a very concave grinding-surface. The plates are close to 25 mm. thick.
The exact place where the tooth was found is not mentioned on the label,
but it was somewhere about Vero.
3. _Labelle, Lee County._—In the report just cited (p. 112, fig. 46),
Sellards described briefly and illustrated a tooth he secured in
Caloosahatchee River in 1914. Notes taken by the writer are to the
effect that it was found on the north bank of the river, at the first
bend above Labelle, probably in Lee County and in township 43 south,
range 29 east.
The length of this tooth, as preserved, is 310 mm. from the base in
front to the rear of the talon. There are 12 ridge-plates present, but
evidently some are gone from the front. There are 5 of these plates in a
100–mm. line, taken at the middle of their height. Sellards’s statement
that his figure is one-fifth the natural size is evidently an error for
one-third.
If this tooth belonged to _E. columbi_ and had the usual number of
plates, 24, the length would have been near 600 mm., a size not
probable. If it belonged to _E. imperator_, as the writer thinks it did,
the original length was somewhere near 450 mm., a more reasonable, but
at the same time, an unusual dimension.
4. _Everglades._—In the American Museum of Natural History, New York
(No. 8068), is a part of a tooth once supposed to belong to the Indian
elephant and said to have been mentioned somewhere by the geologist J.
D. Dana as having been found in the Everglades. It appears to be well
fossilized. It is apparently the second true molar of the right side.
There are 12 plates, of which 5 occupy a line 100 mm. long. Some plates
are evidently missing from the front. The writer believes that this
tooth belongs to _Elephas imperator_.
5. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 189) is
a part of the left ramus of the lower jaw of an elephant recorded as
having been found on Peace Creek. This jaw was collected by J. Fras Le
Baron, and in a report made to Professor S. F. Baird in 1881, he
indicated that this fossil, with many others which he had sent to the
Smithsonian Institution, had been found somewhere along Peace Creek
between the mouth of Little Charlie Apopka Creek and tide-water, but the
place is no more exactly designated; in any case not many miles away
from Arcadia. It, with other Pleistocene fossils, was found in gravel
overlying a soft yellow limestone about 4.5 feet thick.
The jaw has been described and figured by Leidy (Trans. Wagner Inst.,
vol. II, p. 23, plate VIII, fig. 2) as _Elephas columbi_. He stated that
eight of the ridges occupy a space of 6.4 inches. His estimate was,
however, made near the grinding-surface of the tooth, where the plates
converge. The writer has removed the bone and some of the cement from
the inner face of the tooth, so as better to expose the edges of the
plates. It is found that four of the enamel plates, with the
corresponding cement plates, occupy 100 mm. The plates are too coarse
for the tooth to be that of _Elephas columbi_. The length of the tooth,
in a straight line along the base, is 260 mm. Had the tooth originally
had 22 plates, a moderate number for _E. columbi_, the total length
would have been 500 mm. or more. Meanwhile, the width is only 85 mm.
There are now 12 plates left, and there were at first probably 18. The
original length was probably about 400 mm. or less. Leidy thought that
the 12 plates present represented the complete number entering into the
constitution of the tooth, but the exposure of the base of the tooth in
front shows that a number of plates had been worn out and lost.
The species of vertebrates found along Peace River in the vicinity of
Arcadia and their geological age are discussed on pages 380–381.
6. _Palmetto, Manatee County._—From Mr. J. C. Hennessy, of Palmetto, the
U. S. National Museum has received a part of a lower left hindermost
molar of _Elephas imperator_, found by him on January 10, 1917, on the
north shore of Manatee River, within the corporate limits of Palmetto.
The specimen presents seven ridge-plates and part of an eighth. Portions
of the tooth are missing from both ends. The distance across five plates
is 106 mm. The width across the worn face is 100 mm., the height of the
hindermost plate present 150 mm. The enamel is strongly plicated. The
tooth certainly belongs to _Elephas imperator_. The whole length of the
tooth in its complete state was about 360 mm. Had it belonged to _E.
columbi_, with 24 plates, the length would have been about 480 mm. (19
inches).
ALABAMA.
(Map 14.)
1. _Bogue Chitto, Dallas County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
lower left molar which belongs to this species. It was collected by
Lawrence Johnson, of the U. S. Geological Survey. It is worn down to the
base in front and some plates have thus disappeared. Parts of seven
plates and the hinder talon remain. The width of the grinding-face is 90
mm. At the third plate from the rear the height of the crown is 97 mm.
The hinder border of the tooth is obtusely keeled and there are no
indications that there was another tooth behind it. It seems necessary,
therefore, to regard it as the hindermost molar. The large hinder root
was developed, but hollow to contain the pulp. The anterior root is
entirely missing. The plates of the crown turn backward strongly. Of
these plates there are on the inner face of the tooth hardly four in a
100–mm. line; on the outer face, only four. The enamel is rather
strongly folded and of moderate thickness.
With this tooth there came from the same place a molar of _Equus leidyi_
and some fragments of teeth of _Mammut americanum_. The writer believes
that these species show the presence, along Bogue Chitto, of Pleistocene
deposits of about Aftonian age.
2. “_Near Gulf of Mexico._”—J. C. Warren, in the second edition of his
work, “The _Mastodon giganteus_ of North America,” 1855, page 162, plate
XXVIII, figure A, described and figured a part of a large upper molar,
probably the hindermost, of an elephant which, as the writer believes,
belongs to _Elephas imperator_. Warren stated merely that this tooth had
been found in Alabama, near the Gulf of Mexico. He regarded the tooth as
belonging to _Elephas primigenius_ and representing a form with
extremely thick plates. Falconer (Palæont. Mem., vol. I, p. 227)
described the tooth with somewhat more accuracy than did Warren,
although he had only a cast of the tooth. He stated that the specimen
presented the middle portion of an enormous last upper molar of the
right side. This tooth had lost part of the front by wear and the rear
by fracture. There were preserved eight complete ridges and a half of
another in front. Falconer said that it bore a close resemblance to the
Bollaert tooth found at San Filipe, in Texas, a tooth described in The
Geologist, of London, in 1861, 1862, volumes IV and V. He gave the
length of the fragment, measured at the base, as 7 inches; the length of
the eight hinder ridges, at the base, 6.6 inches; the width of the crown
at the third ridge, 4.6 inches; the greatest width behind, 4.9 inches;
the height of the last ridge, 8 inches. The average thickness of the
plates, including the cement, was 0.8 inch. Warren’s figure shows that
the enamel is well crimped. Falconer referred the tooth, with some
doubt, to _Elephas columbi_, but he was not well acquainted with _E.
imperator_. The present writer believes that the tooth belongs to the
last species named. It is now in the American Museum of Natural History,
New York. The width of the grinding-surface is 110 mm. There are 5
plates in a 100–mm. line. The plates are not curved. The enamel is thick
and festooned.
FINDS OF ELEPHANTS OF UNDETERMINED SPECIES IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
The rather numerous specimens of elephants here described are those
whose specific identity can not at present be determined. Often the
discovery of elephant remains, especially of teeth, has been reported
without any attempt at description or identification; or they may have
been referred to _Elephas primigenius_ at a time when no specific
distinctions were recognized among our elephants. In probably most cases
the specimens reported have been lost. The great majority of them
belonged either to _Elephas primigenius_ or to _E. columbi_. It has
seemed worth while to keep record of these unidentified specimens; for
equally with the others they show the presence of Pleistocene deposits.
UNGAVA.
1. _Long Island, James Bay._—In 1898 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. IX,
p. 371, fig. 1), Robert Bell reported the discovery of an elephant tooth
on Long Island, identified by Boyd Dawkins as that of _Elephas columbi_;
by Cope as probably a variety intermediate between _E. columbi_ and _E.
primigenius_. No measurements were given by Bell, and the tooth was
figured obliquely, so its proportions can hardly be determined. Cope
regarded it as a hindermost molar, but it appears to be a last milk
molar or a first true molar. It is remarkable for the great thickness of
the cement between the enamel plates.
The tooth was reported found on the naked rock of an island nearly bare
of soil. It might be supposed that a tooth thus exposed would soon have
been destroyed by weathering. Lucas (Geol. Surv. Maryland, Pleistocene
vol., p. 151) expressed the opinion that it had been carried there by
water or ice. One might suppose it had been brought to the island by
human agency. Of its geological age nothing can be said, except that it
is Pleistocene. This locality is not marked on the map of elephants of
undetermined species, as it lies somewhat too far north.
ONTARIO.
(Map 16.)
1. _St. Catharines, Lincoln County._—In 1866 (Cat. Casts Foss., p. 37,
fig.), Henry A. Ward represented a cast of an elephant tooth which
appears to be the lower right hindermost molar. The original is stated
to have been found at St. Catharines and to be in a museum at Niagara.
It is possible that this is the tooth described on another page as
_Elephas columbi_ and now in the Victoria Museum at Toronto; but, while
Ward’s figure represents the greater length of the tooth as worn, in the
other tooth only 6 plates are worn. It is possible that the figure is
incorrectly drawn.
2. _Hamilton, Wentworth County._—In 1904 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol.
XV, p. 352), Coleman mentioned the finding of mammoth remains in a
tunnel excavated through Burlington Heights, near Hamilton, and in a
gravel-pit about a mile farther westward. A tusk and some bones were
secured, but nothing by means of which the species may be identified. On
page 147 is described the jaw of _E. columbi_, discovered at Burlington
Heights. Logan (Geol. Canada, 1863, pp. 966, 967) illustrated the jaw
just mentioned by two figures, 496, 498, of the symphysis of an
elephant, found at Hamilton. Possibly this bone belonged to _E.
primigenius_.
3. _Toronto, York County._—In 1895 (Jour. Geol., vol. III, p. 641),
Coleman reported that in 1894 a tooth of a mammoth had been found on Don
River, north of Toronto, at a point where the stream flows over the
middle till of the region and cuts away banks showing stratified sand
and in some cases the upper till. The tooth may, therefore, belong to
the interglacial beds, but possibly to the late glacial. In 1901 (Jour.
Geol., vol. IX, p. 291), the same author indicated the possible
occurrence of mammoth or mastodon in the Don Valley beds. This was
recorded in 1900 (Rep. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci., p. 330). On page 300
(Jour. Geol., vol. IX) it is stated that an ulna of a mammoth or
mastodon had been found in interglacial beds in Toronto, possibly in
deposits representing the cold-climate Scarboro beds; but as it showed
glacial scratches it may have been lying on the surface at the time of
the Wisconsin ice advance. Even in the latter case the bone can, it
would seem, be referred to an interglacial stage.
In 1899 (Ottawa Naturalist, vol. XII, p. 194), Coleman stated that teeth
of mammoths had been discovered in a bar, a part of the Iroquois beach
at York, east of Toronto.
VERMONT.
(Map 16.)
1. _Richmond, Chittenden County._—Edward Hitchcock (Geol. Surv. Vermont,
1861, p. 176) stated that in 1858 remains of an elephant had been found
in Richmond, but no details were furnished. One of the teeth is still
preserved in the University of Vermont. The writer regards the species
as indeterminable.
NEW YORK.
(Map 16.)
1. _Seneca Lake._—In 1858 (Geol. Surv. North Carolina, East. Counties,
p. 200), Emmons stated that a tooth belonging to the elephant had been
taken from the beach of Seneca Lake. When this happened, exactly where,
and what was done with the tooth, the present writer does not know.
2. _Wellsburg, Chemung County._—In 1793 (Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, Sci.,
vol. II, pt. 1, p. 164), Timothy Edwards reported a horn or bone of some
animal had been found in Chemung, or Tyoga, River, about 12 miles from
Tyoga Point. Mr. F. W. Ashley, of the Library of Congress, informed the
writer that Tyoga Point was a former name of the present town of Athens,
Pennsylvania. Whether the tusk was really found in Pennsylvania or in
New York is uncertain, nor is it any more certain that the tusk was that
of an elephant and not of a mastodon. The fragment was 6 feet 9 inches
long, with a circumference of 21 inches at the base and 15 inches at the
other extremity. It was estimated to have formed an arc 10 or 12 feet
long of a semicircle.
Mather, in 1843 (Geol. 4th Dist., pp. 233, 636), stated that bones of
both the mastodon and the elephant had been found in Orange County. On
page 44 of the same volume he stated that bones supposed to belong to an
elephant had been found 2 miles west of Greenville, in Greene County.
Hall regarded them as belonging to a mastodon. The case is doubtful.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 16.)
1. _Chambersburg, Franklin County._—In 1806 (Phila. Med. and Phys.
Jour., vol. II, pt. 1, p. 157), Dr. B. S. Barton reported remains of a
mammoth found at Chambersburg.
2. _Pittsburgh, Allegheny County._—In 1875 (Proc. Acad. Natural Sci.,
Phila., p. 121), Leidy exhibited drawings of an elephant tooth, dredged
up at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers at
Pittsburgh. The tooth was nearly entire and weighed slightly less than
16 pounds. Leidy referred the tooth to _Elephas americanus_, but whether
it was _E. primigenius_ or _E. columbi_ can not be determined.
3. _Meadville, Crawford County._—In the Geologist, of London, volume V,
1862, on page 431, it was stated that Mr. A. B. Ruhmond, of Meadville,
had reported to the Scientific American the discovery of mammoth remains
in the excavation of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad at French
Creek. No further information was furnished. In this case the remains
might have been those of a mastodon.
4. _Girard, Erie County._—In the Erie Public Museum are three tusks,
said to have been found near Girard; one is about 4 feet long; another
somewhat longer. They are slender and probably belonged to _Elephas
primigenius_, but there is no certainty about this.
OHIO.
(Maps 16, 36.)
1. _Little Salt Creek, Jackson County._—Somewhere along this creek was
discovered the lower jaw and its teeth, to which was first given the
name _Elephas jacksoni_. The creek, with its branches, gathers up the
waters of the central part of the county and leaves the county at its
northwest corner.
The first notice of this jaw appears to have been given in 1838 (First
Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Ohio, pp. 96, 97) by C. Briggs, assistant
geologist of the survey. He stated that with some other bones it had
been found, by unnamed persons, about 1835, in the bank of a branch of
Salt Creek, in the northwest part of the county. A second search, made
by Briggs and Foster, brought to light fragments of the skull, two
teeth, and some other parts of the skeleton. Parts of the tusk in a
frail condition were secured. It is interesting to learn that the tusk
measured on the outer curve 10 feet 9 inches. The writer has been unable
to learn what has become of these bones; none is in the collection of
the State University at Columbus. The report made by Briggs on this
specimen was reprinted in the American Journal of Science, volume XXXIV,
1838, page 358, in a review of Mathers’ First Annual Report. The author
of the review was almost certainly J. W. Foster. An unsigned letter,
apparently also by Foster, follows, in which are poor figures of the jaw
and one of the teeth. In this letter the name _Elephas jacksoni_ is
applied to the remains. In 1839 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXVI, p. 190),
Foster contributed a figure of one of the teeth, probably a hindermost
molar, but it is uncertain whether it represents the whole tooth or the
remaining part of a worn one; nor is the amount of reduction indicated.
The present writer finds it impossible to decide whether the tooth
belongs to _Elephas primigenius_ or _E. columbi_.
2. _Beverly, Washington County._—In 1874 (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. II, pt.
1, p. 471), Mr. E. B. Andrews reported that, several years before he
wrote, parts of the skeleton of a huge mammoth had been dug up in
Beverly. Among other parts were several large teeth in good
preservation, one of which was deposited in the cabinet of Marietta
College; but the writer has not been able to learn anything about it. A
Dr. Bowen, of Waterford Township, was said to have found, somewhere
farther up Muskingum River, a shoulder-blade of a mammoth; but this
locality must have been in Morgan County. The identification of the
species is also questionable.
3. _Nashport, Muskingum County._—J. W. Foster (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol.
II, 1838, p. 80) reported a molar and a tusk of an elephant had been dug
up at Nashport, in excavating a canal. With these had been found remains
of a mastodon, of _Castoroides_, and of a supposed sheep. More probably
the latter was an intrusion of a domestic sheep. These remains had been
preserved in the Zanesville Athenæum, but the writer can get no trace of
them.
4. _Ross County._—In 1866 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. XV, art. 3,
p. 15), Charles Whittlesey reported he had seen remains of elephant in
alluvial muck in Ross County, at an elevation of about 50 feet above the
bottom land of the Scioto Valley. The locality was no more exactly
defined and one can not determine whether it is within the Wisconsin
area, that of the Illinoian, or that not glaciated. According to
Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv. XLI, p. 259), what appears to be an
Illinoian terrace along Scioto River opposite Chillicothe stands 120
feet above the river, while the Wisconsin terrace is 60 feet lower. The
elephant remains were probably on the Wisconsin terrace.
5. _Cincinnati, Hamilton County._—In 1843 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., vol.
XII, p. 127), Lyell wrote that both elephant and mastodon teeth had been
found in the gravelly beds of the higher terraces on the right bank of
the river at Cincinnati. In his “Travels in North America” (vol. II,
1845, p. 59), Lyell was more definite in his statement. He stated that
near the edge of the higher terrace, in digging a gravel-pit, which he
saw open at the end of Sixth street, a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_
had been discovered not long before. Dr. E. O. Ulrich informs the writer
that this was probably at the eastern end of the street. Inasmuch as all
the elephant remains of our country were at that time referred to _E.
primigenius_, it is doubtful whether the specimen belonged to this
species or to _E. columbi_. Professor N. M. Fenneman writes that the
“higher terrace” here mentioned can be nothing more than the terrace on
which the lower city stands, namely, the Wisconsin outwash. He knows of
no fragments of Illinoian terrace there.
6. _Fort Jefferson, Darke County._—In 1878 (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. III,
pt. 1, p. 508), Mr. A. C. Lindemuth wrote that Dr. G. Miesse had in his
collection an almost perfect skeleton of a mammoth, as well as portions
of a mastodon, both of which were found in the peat deposits of Mud
Creek “prairie.” This mastodon is doubtless the one described on page 73
and preserved in the Greenville Public Library. Where the elephant
remains are the writer does not know. The locality appears to be in
Neave Township (township 11 north, range 2 east).
7. _Circleville, Pickaway County._—In 1834 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXV,
p. 256), in an unsigned article, the geologist S. P. Hildreth told of
having a tooth of an elephant which had been found in gravelly diluvium
back of Circleville. This meant probably somewhere east of the town.
8. _South Bloomfield, Pickaway County._—In the article just cited,
Hildreth told of securing, near South Bloomfield, teeth of the “American
elephant,” in association with those of the mastodon. They were found in
excavating for a culvert over a small branch near the town. Hildreth
described the teeth, so that it is certain that they belonged to an
elephant; but the species can not be determined. A tooth is described as
being 7 inches broad, 6 inches long, and 3 inches thick.
9. _Cleveland, Cuyahoga County._—In 1886 (Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci.,
vol. IV, p. 308), Dr. E. Sterling reported the finding of an elephant in
a small swamp 3 miles from Cleveland and 2 miles from the lake. The
swamp had originally occupied about 2 acres of surface. A well-preserved
tusk, two vertebræ, three ribs, part of the sacrum, and a molar were
secured. In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. I, pt. 1, p. 183), J. S.
Newberry stated that the delta sand deposits, the gravel and sand, which
form the surface of the Cleveland plateau, had yielded numerous parts of
the skeletons of mastodon and elephant.
10. _Montville, Geauga County._—In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. I, pt.
1, p. 526), M. C. Read recorded the discovery of remains of an elephant
at this place. Two tusks were secured, also all the bones of the pelvis,
seven or eight vertebræ, some ribs, fragments of the skull, and a part
of one tooth; the latter was not described. The remains were found in a
small marsh; at the surface was a deposit which had resulted from the
growth of swamp vegetation; at the bottom was clay; and in this clay the
bones were buried. They were supposed to have belonged to a young
animal.
11. _Canton, Stark County._—In Mount Union-Scio College the writer has
examined a right tibia of a proboscidean reported to have been found 3
miles northeast of Canton. It is believed to have belonged to one of the
elephants and not to a mastodon. The following measurements were taken.
_mm._
Total length 675
Side-to-side diameter of lower end across the articular surface 200
Fore-and-aft diameter of lower end across the articular surface 160
Circumference at middle of length 345
Side-to-side diameter at middle of length 110
Fore-and-aft diameter at middle of length 104
Side-to-side diameter at extreme upper end 245
MICHIGAN.
(Map 16.)
1. _East Saginaw, Saginaw County._—In 1902 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Michigan for 1901, p. 252), Dr. A. C. Lane reported the tooth of a
mammoth found in ditching close to the Père Marquette shaft No. 2, in
East Saginaw, and that this had been identified by the taxidermist
William Richter. The size given, 11 by 5 inches, indicates that it
belonged to one of the elephants. It was found at a depth of 3 feet or
less, and at an elevation of about 25 feet above the lake. The writer
has been unable to get any additional information about this tooth. The
locality is within the beach-line of the glacial Lake Algonquin, which
appears, according to Leverett and Taylor (Monogr. LIII, U. S. Geol.
Surv., p. 397), to have stood at a lower level than our present Lake
Erie.
2. _Macomb County._—Alexander Winchell (1st Bienn. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Michigan, 1861, p. 132), in speaking of an elephant molar found in the
northern part of Jackson County, added that other remains had been found
in Macomb County. A. C. Lane (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Michigan for 1901,
p. 252, footnote) takes this to refer to the remains of the mammoth.
Here again a discovery is made of little value, through the neglect to
collect accurate information and to preserve the specimen. Macomb
County, situated on Lake St. Clair, is nearly wholly occupied by
deposits laid down by the falling glacial lakes from Lake Maumee to Lake
Erie.
3. _Grand Ledge, Eaton County._—Former State Geologist A. C. Lane (Ann.
Rep. Geol. Surv. Michigan for 1901, p. 252) made the following
statement:
“Mr. E. R. Grinold, of Grand Ledge, noticed in ditching north of
that town that they had cut through a tusk; and through Mr. C. V.
Fuller my attention was called. I went there and found the remains
barely a foot from the surface, in a little low swale which Mr.
Frank Tabor, the owner, said was a duck pond 40 years ago; in other
words, a good place for a large, heavy animal to get mired. We
exposed three teeth which were plainly those of a mammoth, and were
lying just exposed. The teeth were, two of them, 8 inches long, the
third 6. The tusk had flattened into an ellipse about 9 by 5 inches
near the butt, and 6 or 7 feet long.”
Grand Ledge is on the south bank of Grand River, in the northern edge of
the county; likewise on the Lansing moraine, one of the concentric
moraines laid down by the retreating Saginaw lobe of the Wisconsin ice.
4. _Buchanan, Berrien County._—Mr. W. Hillis Smith, of Niles, Michigan,
informed the writer that in 1899 a drainage ditch was being made through
the Bakerstown marsh, south and west from Buchanan, and in the course of
the work many mastodon bones were thrown out; also that one tooth of a
mammoth was found. This came into the possession of Mr. E. H. Crane, of
Kalamazoo.
INDIANA.
(Map 16.)
IN DRIFTLESS AREA.
1. _Vanderburg County._—John Collett (7th Ann. Report Indiana Geol.
Surv., pp. 245, 246) stated that mammoth remains had been found in
Vanderburg County. Nothing more is known about these.
2. _Shoals, Martin County._—Mr. M. F. Mathers, of Orleans, Indiana,
informed the writer that in 1880, while at Shoals fishing, a part of the
upper jaw of an elephant, with two large teeth in it, was found, in
White River below the shoals. Mr. Mathers assures the writer that the
teeth were of a kind very different from those of a mastodon found on
his place. He did not know what became of the specimen.
E. T. Cox (2d Ann. Rep. Indiana Geol. Surv., 1871, p. 103) stated that
remains of the mammoth and of the mastodon had been found in Martin
County embedded in marsh clay resting on the drift. The only drift in
the county is the Illinoian. These animals must have lived after the
Illinoian stage; but not necessarily immediately after.
ON AREA COVERED BY ILLINOIAN DRIFT.
3. _Vigo County._—John Collett, in 1881 (2d Ann. Rep. Bur. Statist. and
Geol., 1880, p. 385), stated that elephant remains had been found in
Vigo County.
4. _Gosport, Owen County._—In 1859, Professor T. A. Wylie (Amer. Jour.
Sci., vol. XXVIII, p. 283) gave an account of the discovery of parts of
the skeleton of an elephant in the bank of White River, about a mile
southeast of Gosport. Two tusks, four teeth, and some fragmentary parts
of the skeleton were exhumed, from a bed of sand, overlain by 8 feet of
stiff bluish clay. The sand appeared to rest on bed-rock. One tusk had a
length of about 9 feet and a diameter of 8 inches, and this diameter was
maintained to near the tip. The teeth were evidently the second and
third molars, probably of the upper jaw. The largest molar measured 11
inches on the longest diagonal and had 20 plates. “The distance between
the plates and the interval between the pairs is about one-fourth inch.”
This specimen was probably taken to the University of Indiana and
destroyed in a fire. It seems most likely that the remains belonged to
_E. primigenius_. They were apparently buried in outwash materials from
the Wisconsin ice-sheet.
17. _Wailesboro, Bartholomew County._—In 1902 (Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci.,
1901, p. 247), J. J. Edwards, a physician, reported a tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_ found in a gravel-pit 0.5 mile south of Wailesboro at a
depth of 7 feet. The tooth weighed 9 pounds. It was afterwards destroyed
in a fire. Although this was quite certainly the tooth of an elephant,
the identification of the species may be doubted.
5. _Brookville, Franklin County._—Dr. R. Haymond (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser.
1, vol. XLVI, p. 294), under the name _Megatherium_, described a tooth,
evidently of an elephant. In 1869 (1st Ann. Rep. Indiana Geol. Surv., p.
200) Haymond stated that he had the tooth in his possession; but the
family does not now (1910) know what became of it. It measured 13 inches
in length, 6 inches in height, and 4 inches in thickness. It probably
belonged to _E. columbi_. No statement was made as to the exact place of
discovery.
John T. Plummer, in 1843 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 1, vol. XIV, p. 302),
described a tusk found in digging a ditch near Brookville, 15 feet from
the surface. It was nearly 6 feet long, had a diameter of 4 inches, and
was strongly curved. This might have belonged to a mastodon.
ON AREA BETWEEN THE SHELBYVILLE AND THE BLOOMINGTON MORAINES.
6. _Parke, Vermillion, and Putnam Counties._—John Collett, State
geologist in 1881 (2d Ann. Rep. Bur. Statist. and Geol., p. 385) made
the bare statement that mammoth remains had been found in these
counties. The southern portions of Parke and Putnam Counties are
occupied by Illinoian drift; the northern portion of each by Wisconsin.
Collett’s statement is not of great value for us. Some remains might
have been buried on the area covered by the Illinoian drift.
IN AREA NORTH OF THE BLOOMINGTON MORAINE AND SOUTH OF THE WABASH RIVER
AND THE MISSISSINAWA MORAINE.
7. _Montgomery County._—W. H. Thompson, in 1886 (15th Ann. Rep. Indiana
Geol. Surv., p. 159), reported the lower jaw of a mammoth found in the
bed of Black Creek, on the land of Milton N. Waugh, who was not willing
to part with it. Thompson thought that a lake had formerly occupied
parts of Sugar Creek and Madison Townships. The jaw contained two teeth;
besides this jaw, there were two tusks nearly 11 feet long.
The writer was informed by the late Professor Donaldson Bodine that the
locality was on section 12, township 20 north, range 3 west. The teeth
and bones were unearthed by a Mr. Parish and afterwards sold by him; but
it has been found impossible to trace their history. The locality is on
or very near a portion of the Bloomington morainic system, so that it is
evident that the animal lived during the latter portion of the Wisconsin
stage.
16. _Connersville, Fayette County._—M. G. Mock has shown the writer a
sketch of an elephant tooth found some years ago 3 miles southwest of
Connersville. The tooth was 9 inches long, 7 inches high, and weighed 8
pounds. Whether it belonged to _E. primigenius_ or to _E. columbi_ is
not known.
8. _Wayne County._—John Collett, as mentioned under No. 6, stated that
mammoth remains had been found in this county, but he did not enter into
details.
9. _Noblesville, Hamilton County._—John Collett, in the report cited in
the last paragraph, on page 385, gave a detailed account of the finding
of some remains of a mammoth 4 miles southeast of Noblesville, on the
farm of John H. Caylor. The locality is given as on the east half of the
northeast quarter of section 16, township 18, range 9 west; but
evidently the range is 5 east. In the summer of 1880 a large ditch was
being made for the drainage of a swamp, situated, according to Collett,
in a valley 20 rods wide and extending several miles from southeast to
nearly northwest. The higher land on each side is glacial drift and
contains gravel and large boulders. The ditch was 4 feet deep, 3 feet of
which was in recent peat or bog, and the bottom extended down 1 foot
into fine blue clay. In this clay were found two well-preserved teeth of
a mammoth, a hip bone, a thigh bone, and the tips of two vertebræ. These
bones and teeth were scattered along the line of the ditch a distance of
80 feet and in a width of less than 2 feet. What became of these bones
we are not informed. According to Leverett’s map, this region is covered
by Wisconsin ground moraine. I am informed by Professor Leverett that
the valley mentioned by Collett was probably originally a subglacial
drainage channel.
15. _Muncie, Delaware County._—M. G. Mock, of Houston, Texas, formerly
of Muncie, Indiana, showed the writer a sketch of an elephant tooth, a
lower hindermost molar, with considerable parts of the skeleton, found
on the farm of S. N. Priddy, July 1, 1895. The tooth was 12 inches long
and 5 inches across. This belonged probably to _Elephas columbi_, but of
this there is no certainty.
10. _Dora, Wabash County._—Elrod and Benedict, in 1892 (17th Ann. Rep.
Indiana Geol. Surv., p. 241), reported two large teeth of a mammoth
found on the farm of John H. Peffley, in the east half of the southwest
quarter of section 18, township 27, range 8 east. The writers of the
report saw one of the teeth and identified it as _Elephas primigenius_;
but probably they did not consider the differences between this species
and _E. columbi_.
IN AREA NORTH OF WABASH RIVER.
11. _Jasper County._—John Collett (12th Ann. Rep. Indiana Geol. Surv.,
p. 73) reported that mammoth remains had been found in Jasper County.
Nothing was added.
12. _Pleasant Township, Wabash County._—Elrod and Benedict, as noted
above, state on their page 240 that some years previously mammoth bones
had been discovered while throwing up an embankment for a bridge across
Silver Creek. The bones were found under 5 feet of muck. We have no
assurance that these bones were not those of a mastodon. It was reported
to Elrod and Benedict that some were in Wabash College, at
Crawfordsville. On this same creek, near Laketon, were found some
mastodon remains, for which see page 98. This township, in the
northwestern corner of Wabash County, lies on the great moraine which
runs along the north side of Eel River.
13. _St. John’s, Lake County._—Professor W. S. Blatchley, in 1898 (22d
Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 90), stated that an almost complete
skeleton of a mammoth had been found in a marsh at the headwaters of
Deep River, in the north half of section 35, township 35 north, range 9
west. This would be very close to St. John’s and on the Valparaiso
moraine.
It is not probable that Professor Blatchley saw this skeleton, and we
can not, therefore, be certain that it was not that of a mastodon. If it
did belong to one of the elephants it is to be regretted that such rare
materials have not been preserved.
14. _Allen County._—Professor C. R. Dryer (16th Ann. Rep. Indiana Geol.
Surv., p. 129) recorded the finding of a single mammoth tooth in Allen
County. Nothing more is known about this.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 16, 38.)
WITHIN THE AREA OF THE ILLINOIAN DRIFT.
1. _Equality, Gallatin County._—In 1875, E. T. Cox (Geol. Surv.
Illinois, vol. VI, pp. 213–214), in his report on Gallatin County,
Illinois, stated he had picked up numerous plates of elephant teeth at
what was called “Half-moon,” located near Equality, in section 19,
township 9, range 8 east. It is an excavation made many years ago to
obtain salt-brine, near the Saline River, as the region thereabout
furnishes salt springs. It is implied in Cox’s account that other
remains of elephants had been found there, but usually in a bad
condition. It is impossible to determine to which species of elephant
the fragments belonged.
According to Leverett’s glacial map of the region (Monogr. XXXVIII, U.
S. Geol. Surv., plate VI), the locality is occupied by alluvial terraces
older than the Wisconsin drift. Not far away is the border of the
Illinoian drift. Most probably the elephants there represented lived
after the Illinoian stage, but they may have lived at any time
thereafter up to the Late Wisconsin.
2. _Chester, Randolph County._—Professor A. W. Worthen, former State
geologist of Illinois, made (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. VIII, p. 8) the
statement that Hon. William McAdams had found at Chester and Alton
remains of mammoth, _Megalonyx_, _Bos_ (=_Bison_), _Castoroides
ohioensis_, and other extinct animals. He did not, however, say what
species had been found at each place.
A newspaper statement was published in 1911 to the effect that William
Rade, of Belleville, had a large tooth, found in the lowlands along
Mississippi River south of Chester. It was described as a molar a foot
in length, 6 inches in diameter (in height probably), weighing over 5
pounds, and having several parallel ridges across the face. It was
doubtless the tooth of a species of elephant. A letter addressed to
William Rade brought no response. It is probable that the tooth had been
washed down from higher ground at some time. Its geological age is
indeterminable.
3. _Calhoun County._—William McAdams reported in 1883 (Trans. St. Louis
Acad. Sci., vol. IV, p. LXXIX) that he had recovered from the clay in a
ravine in Calhoun County, Illinois, “the jaw of an elephant beside which
Jumbo would seem small.” One of the teeth from this fossil jaw, and
which McAdams presented before the Academy for inspection, weighed
nearly 18 pounds. It is not known what became of this jaw and the teeth;
nor can we determine the geological age of the animal. Such discoveries
lose most of their value through lack of exact statements regarding the
origin of the objects.
15. _Christian County._—In 1866 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. I, p. 39),
Worthen stated that a tooth of a mammoth had been found by David Miller
in a sand drift near the South Fork of Sangamon River, in Christian
County. It was presented to the State cabinet. The tooth is said to have
been of a chalky whiteness. The drift which covers this county belongs
to the Illinoian. It is not probable that the animal in question lived
before the Illinoian stage.
4. _Sangamon County._—In 1873, Worthen (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. V, p.
308) stated that the tooth of a mammoth had been found some years before
in the bluffs of the Sangamon River and near the surface. He concluded
that it had not come from beds older than the loess. While the
probability is that the tooth was found in the Sangamon loess, there can
be no certainty about it. The animal might have lived there while the
Wisconsin ice was nearby.
5. _Fulton County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list of 1905 (Augustana
Library Pubs. No. 5, p. 10), Professor Albert Hurd, of Knox College,
reported that there was in the museum of that college a poorly preserved
tooth of some species of elephant, found in Fulton County. All that can
be said about the geological age of this find is that the county is
covered by Illinoian drift and that the tooth is probably not older.
Nevertheless, it might have been found in some excavation or along some
ravine which had reached the Yarmouth.
6. _Galesburg, Knox County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list referred to,
page 14, Professor Albert Hurd reported there was in the cabinet of Knox
College a much decayed elephant tooth, found near Galesburg in the
making of a ditch. The presumption is that the ditch had not passed
through the Illinoian drift and that the animal had lived after the
Illinoian stage; it may be during the Sangamon stage.
14. _Pekin, Tazewell County._—In 1909 (Bull. 506, U. S. Geol. Surv., p.
61), Dr. J. A. Udden reported remains of a proboscidean found in Adam
Saal’s gravel-pit, between Illinois River and Dead Lake, a mile south of
Pekin, at a depth of 18 feet. There were two tusks, two teeth, a part of
a jaw, and a few other bones. One tooth is reported to have weighed 18
pounds, the other 8 pounds. These were doubtless weighed while wet. Only
the teeth of an elephant would weigh so much. It is impossible to
determine the species. Udden stated that the gravel probably belongs to
the latest Wisconsin terrace. The locality is on the border of the
Shelbyville moraine.
9. _Peoria, Peoria County._—In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. V, p.
237), A. H. Worthen reported two molar teeth, with a portion of the jaw,
found in a gravel-bed in the bluff in the city of Peoria. A part of one
of these teeth was then in the State Cabinet at Springfield. According
to Worthen, these remains were found at a depth between 12 and 48 feet.
According to Udden’s map (Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv., 506, plate I) the
locality would probably be on the early Wisconsin terrace. The animal
must have lived during the formation of this terrace. It would seem that
this must have been after the Wisconsin ice had begun to retire and
while the region was yet much depressed. Baker (Univ. Ill. Bull. XVII,
p. 299) stated that this animal was a mastodon.
7. _Rock Island, Rock Island County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list of
mastodons and elephants it is stated that in laying the overflow pipe
from the basins of the Rock Island waterworks on the bluff south of the
city, a cut was made in the loess to a depth of about 22 feet near the
edge of the bluff. In the lower part of this cut were found a part of a
tooth of an elephant and a piece of a leg-bone. These were given to the
museum of Augustana College. The loess at this point is said to be about
35 feet thick and the lower part is somewhat peaty in cuts in the
streets further west. Probably this loess belongs to the Iowan stage and
that beneath it was an old soil deposited in peat-swamps. The fossil
seems to belong to the Iowan glacial stage, possibly to the Peorian
interglacial.
ELEPHANTS FOUND WITHIN THE AREA OF THE WISCONSIN DRIFT.
8. _Atwood, Piatt County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, page 17, it is
stated that in the museum of Northwestern University there is a tooth of
a mammoth found near Atwood in 1879. It was dug up from about 6 feet
from the surface. Atwood is in the extreme southeastern corner of Piatt
County; the region round about is occupied by what Leverett (Monogr.
XXXVIII, plate VI) calls the Shelbyville till sheet, belonging to the
early Wisconsin stage. The animal may have lived at any time since that
till was deposited up to Late Wisconsin. The tooth was probably buried
in some old peat-swamp and unearthed during tilling operations.
13. _Wheaton, Du Page County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, page 10, it
was reported on the authority of Charles A. Blanchard, president of
Wheaton College, that about 1890 the remains of a mammoth were found in
ditches on the Jewell farm, near Wheaton. The remains consisted of about
a dozen ribs, as many vertebræ, a femur, and other parts of legs. It
appears to the writer that the remains may have belonged to a mastodon.
Wheaton is situated on that part of the Valparaiso moraine which runs
parallel with the western shore of Lake Michigan. Whatever the animal
was it must be regarded as belonging to the Late Wisconsin stage.
13. _Oak Park, Cook County._—Under this number 13 must be recorded a
mammoth tooth found in a gravel-pit at Oak Park, at a depth of several
feet. Only parts of it were secured and the species is unknown. The pit
was in the Glenville beach, laid down during the waning of the Wisconsin
glacial sheet (Baker, F. C., Univ. Ill. Bull. XVII, p. 70).
10. _Evanston, Cook County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, page 9,
Professor U. S. Grant, of Northwestern University, reported that the
museum contains the tooth of a mammoth, taken from a gravel-pit near
Evanston. The animal must have lived after the Wisconsin glacier had
withdrawn into the basin of Lake Michigan.
11. _Rochelle, Ogle County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, pages 15, 16,
Professor Frank Leverett reported that in July 1886 he had seen a
collection of mammoth fossils at the house of F. G. Rossman, a farmer
living near Rochelle, which he had obtained in a bog in the northwestern
part of section 33, Lynnville Township. The materials consisted of a
tusk, two teeth, a piece of the jawbone, a few ribs, and some fragments
of bones. The fragment of tusk was about 5 feet long, 20 inches in
circumference at one end, about 18 inches at the other. The tooth was
from 12 to 13 inches long and 4 inches wide.
Rochelle is on the border between the Wisconsin drift-sheet and the
earlier one lying west of it. On Leverett’s map this is put down as
being Iowan; but no Iowan is now recognized in Illinois. Mr. F. N. Rice,
county surveyor, reported that Lynnville Township is number 41 north,
range 2 west.
IN THE UNGLACIATED REGION IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE.
12. _Galena, Jo Daviess County._—The geologist J. D. Whitney reported in
1866 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. I, p. 162) that a few teeth of the
elephant had been found near Galena, on the surface. These are said to
be preserved in a collection in Galena. Whitney stated that these were
all that he had met with in the lead region. In his Geology of the Lead
Region (Wisconsin Geol. Surv., vol. I, pp. 129–133) the same author said
that, so far as he knew, elephant remains never were found in the lead
crevices. The teeth mentioned above had been found within the limits of
the city of Galena.
Galena is situated in the driftless region and no conclusion is reached
about the geological age of those teeth.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 16.)
1. _Stockholm, Pepin County._—All that is known regarding the occurrence
of an elephant at this place was published by Professor N. H. Winchell
in 1910 (Bull. Minn. Acad. Sci., vol. IV, p. 417), as follows: “Capt.
Jos. Buisson stated that a mammoth tooth was found opposite Lake City,
near Stockholm, on the shore of Lake Pepin.” The tooth may have been
that of a mastodon.
MARYLAND AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
(Map 16.)
1. _Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County._—In B. L. Miller’s
geological report on this county (Maryland Geol. Surv., 1911, pp. 125,
126) it is stated that a right humerus of a mammoth, as determined by J.
W. Gidley, had been found at the road crossing of Cabin Branch, near the
western branch of Patuxent River. The bone was sent to Georgetown
University, Washington, D. C.
2. _Washington._—In the Prince George’s County volume of the Maryland
Geological Survey, 1911, page 123, Dr. B. L. Miller stated that a tooth
of _Elephas americanus_ (_E. primigenius_ probably) had been found in
Wicomico materials in the pits of a Washington brick company, at a depth
of 35 feet. The brickyard was bounded by Florida and Trinidad avenues
and the Bladensburg turnpike. What has become of this tooth is not
known, nor can one be certain that the tooth was not that of _E.
columbi_. It may with safety be referred to an early stage of the
Pleistocene.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 16.)
1. _Warrenton, Fauquier County._—In 1831, Richard Harlan (Monthly Amer.
Jour. Geol., vol. I, pp. 58–67), in a letter to the editor, stated that
a “Dr. W.” of the village presented him with a fossil molar tooth of an
elephant found in that vicinity. Nothing more is known of this specimen.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 16.)
1. _Wheeling, Ohio County._—The geologist J. W. Foster (Proc. Amer.
Assoc. Adv. Sci., 10th meeting, p. 160) reported that Alfred Sears had
deposited in the Smithsonian Institution some elephant remains obtained
4.5 miles below Wheeling Creek. They were found on the second bottom or
terrace and at a depth of 17 feet from the surface. Within a few feet of
this place was an Indian mound. When the mound was built, 17 feet of
sediment had accumulated over the elephant remains. One can, however,
hardly refer the bones to a time farther back than the Wisconsin. A
record in the U. S. National Museum shows that Mr. Sears, in 1852, sent
a tusk and a tooth of an elephant to Washington. These were doubtless
placed in the collection of the Old National Institute. If they were
transferred to the Smithsonian Institution the record has apparently
been lost.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 16, 39.)
1. _16 miles below Newbern, on Neuse River, in Pamlico County._—Harlan,
in 1842 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLIII, p. 143), stated that he had seen,
in the collection made by Nuttall on Neuse River, remains of an
elephant. Elisha Mitchell, in the same year (Elements of Geol., p. 128),
stated that there was in the cabinet of the University of North Carolina
a tooth of an elephant from the locality mentioned. Possibly the tooth
referred by Croom (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXVII, 1835, p. 170) to the
mastodon and which was 7 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep, was really
that of an elephant. Were it not for the fact that _Elephas primigenius_
has been found in this region of North Carolina, one might, with
confidence, refer the tooth found below Newbern to _E. columbi_. For
other species found at this place the reader may consult pages 358 to
359.
2. _Harlowe, Carteret County._—Elisha Mitchell (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol.
XIII, 1827, p. 347) stated that in digging the Clubfoot and Harlowe
Canal remains of both the mastodon and the elephant had been found.
Nothing more definite was communicated. The probability is that the
animal was _Elephas columbi_.
3. _Duplin County._—At the meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1850, Dr. R. W.
Gibbes reported that he had obtained a part of a molar of an elephant
found somewhere in Duplin County. He spoke of its resemblance in
narrowness and in thinness of plates to a tooth found in Vermont and
exhibited by Agassiz. Possibly it belonged to _Elephas primigenius_.
FLORIDA.
(Map 16.)
1. _Wakulla Springs, Wakulla County._—In the collection of the Florida
Geological Survey is a right tibia of an elephant reported found at the
place named. The measurements shown in the accompanying table were
secured. For comparison the dimensions of the tibia of the great
_Elephas primigenius_ in the American Museum of Natural History at New
York are presented.
_Measurement of tibias, in millimeters._
┌─────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
│ │Wakulla Springs│ │
│ │ elephant. │E. primigenius.│
├─────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│Total length │ 813│ 735│
│Greatest width across upper end │ 266│ 245│
│Fore-and-aft diameter at middle of │ │ │
│ length │ 106│ 100│
│Side-to-side diameter at middle of │ │ │
│ length │ 132│ 106│
│Greatest width across lower end │ 215│ 205│
└─────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┘
With the tibia from Wakulla Springs is the distal half of an immense
femur of the left side. The distance across the articular surface of the
distal end was at least 241 mm., but the bone has suffered some
abrasion. The outer articular surface measures 115 mm.; the inner 1,202
mm. When the bone is placed on a table with the hinder face downward the
inner ridge which bounds the patellar groove rises 280 mm. above the
table. Whether these bones belong to _Elephas imperator_ or to _E.
columbi_ is uncertain.
2. _Stokes Ferry, St. Mary’s River, Nassau County._—In 1909, Sellards
(2d Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 147) stated that Dr. L. W.
Stephenson, of the U. S. Geological Survey, had found at this place, in
a phosphate deposit, a fragment of an elephant tooth together with 3
teeth of a fossil horse and some ear-bones of a whale. The elephant
belonged probably to _E. columbi_, but possibly to _E. imperator_.
3. _Bartow, Polk County._—Dr. W. H. Dall (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1891, p. 120) has recorded the discovery at this place of tusks supposed
to be those of _Elephas columbi_. Possibly the tusks were those of _E.
imperator_ or even those of _Mammut americanum_.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 16.)
1. _Natchez, Adams County._—In his report on the Geology and Agriculture
of Mississippi, 1854, page 284, Wailles wrote that fossil remains of the
elephant were not then known to have been found in the State. However,
on page 286, _Elephas primigenius_ is included in the list of fossil
Mammalia furnished by Leidy. The latter does not say where in
Mississippi elephant remains had been discovered, but it was probably at
Natchez.
In his work on the Lafayette formation (12th Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol.
Surv., part 1, p. 400), McGee stated that at least one skull of the
American elephant had been found at Natchez in gravel, well down toward
the Port Hudson clays, and that to this adhered some of the coarse
gravel of the matrix. Probably the species was _Elephas columbi_. It is
likely that the skulls referred to by McGee were not as complete as he
supposed.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 16. Figure 23.)
1. _Gallatin, Sumner County._—In 1835, Professor G. Troost (Trans. Geol.
Soc. Penn., vol. I, 1835, p. 144) reported that a Mrs. Ephraim Foster
possessed a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ found in a well at a depth of
40 feet. The identification followed the opinion of that time that only
one species of elephant had existed in the country. It more probably
belonged to _E. columbi_.
2. _Columbia, Maury County._—In the publication just referred to the
geologist G. Troost stated that he owned a tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_, found a few miles below Columbia, probably near Duck
River, but no details as to the exact locality and kinds of deposits
were furnished. Hayes and Ulrich (Folio 95, U. S. Geol. Surv.) appear
not to have recognized any Pleistocene in this quadrangle. On page 6
they stated that narrow strips of bottom lands occur along the larger
streams, particularly along Duck River. The tooth was probably that of
_E. columbi_.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 16.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—Remains belonging certainly to both
_Elephas primigenius_ and _E. columbi_ have been found here, and there
is no reason for supposing that any other species has ever been
collected. Many specimens have, however, been mentioned in the
literature of the subject which one may have difficulty in referring to
either of these species. The difficulty arises from the insufficiency of
the descriptions and of the illustrations when there are any.
Two elephant molars from America were figured by Cuvier (Oss. Foss., ed.
4, plate XV, figs. 9, 11), without any exact locality being given, so
far as the present writer can discover. Adams (Palæontograph. Soc., vol.
XXXIII, p. 122) says of these that one was from Mississippi, the other
from Bigbone Lick, but which is from the latter place is not indicated.
Caspar Wistar (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s., vol. I, 1818, p. 376)
reported that in the Jefferson collection there were teeth which he
referred to the Siberian elephant. Among these were some which belonged
to a young animal.
William Cooper (Monthly Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, 1831, pp. 168–171)
recalled the quantity of elephant remains found at Bigbone Lick before
his visit. In the Finnell collection was a tusk with part of the base
missing, which was still 11 feet 10.5 inches long and 22 inches in
circumference. It was much curved, a fact which induced him to refer it
to an elephant. In the same collection were numerous other parts of
elephants, including 20 or more teeth. A Mr. Bullock secured a skull
nearly entire. It is pretty certain that the greater part of all this
fine material has been lost. Many of the bones and teeth collected in
early times went to the museums of Europe; some are mentioned by Leith
Adams (Palæontograph. Soc., vol. XXXIII, pp. 75, 122) and Lydekker (Cat.
Foss. Mamm. Brit. Mus., pt. IV, p. 191).
2. _Newport, Campbell County._—In 1871 Professor Shaler (Amer.
Naturalist, vol. IV, p. 160) stated that he had a tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_, which had been found in the uppermost terrace of the
alluvial plane opposite Cincinnati, at a depth of over 60 feet from the
surface.
In 1877 (Geol. Surv. Kentucky, vol. III, p. 79), the same writer stated
that a molar tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ had been found in the city
of Newport, about 25 feet above high-water mark and at a depth of 40
feet. It is not improbable that the two accounts refer to the same
specimen.
3. _Bluelick Springs, Nicholas County._—In the collection of Mr. Thomas
W. Hunter, made at this place, were several much water-worn teeth of
elephants, the species not determined.
4. _Eminence, Henry County._—The geologist David D. Owen, in 1857 (3d
Geol. Surv. Kentucky, p. 103), reported that bones and teeth of the
mammoth had, at times, been found here. They do not appear to have been
preserved.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE EQUIDÆ IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
MASSACHUSETTS.
(Map 17.)
_Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard._—In 1900 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XI,
p. 459, plate XLII, fig. 2), J. B. Woodworth reported finding an
astragalus of a horse in an osseous conglomerate, regarded as belonging
to the Miocene. It was identified by Professor H. F. Osborn, who
remarked that it resembled closely the same bone of some Pleistocene
horses. From this conglomerate have been obtained bones of whales,
supposedly also a skull of a walrus. While the size of the astragalus
suggests more that of a Pleistocene horse, it is possible that there was
some large Miocene equid that lived there. The present writer is
inclined to believe it will be found that the astragalus came from one
of the older Pleistocene deposits recognized as present at Gay Head.
NEW YORK.
(Map 17.)
1. _Throg’s Neck, New York County._—In 1866 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl.,
vol. XV, art. 3, p. 16), Charles Whittlesey stated he had a tooth of a
horse, taken from the compact marine drift at Throg’s Neck. It was
obtained by J. A. Bailey from excavations at Fort Schuyler, 18 feet
below the surface.
According to Folio No. 83 of the U. S. Geological Survey, Harlem
Quadrangle, Throg’s Neck is occupied by till which usually thinly
covers, or leaves exposed, the underlying Hudson schist; Salisbury gives
an account of the drift on page 14 of the folio cited. At the depth
indicated the tooth was probably lying in pre-Wisconsin deposits; and
taking into consideration the geological age of other horse remains, one
may reasonably conclude that the tooth at Throg’s Neck was of a horse
that lived during the middle or early Pleistocene. That there may be
materials of a pre-Wisconsin stage underlying the surface drift at
Throg’s Neck is indicated by Woodworth’s discovery (Bull. 48, N. Y.
State Mus., p. 626, plate I) of deposits older than the Wisconsin along
Hempstead Bay, Long Island.
NOTE.—In 1858 (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. VI, p. 303), Dr.
Skilton, of Troy, wrote that a farmer had dug up, in what had been
marshy ground, 17 teeth of a horse. These, Skilton stated, belonged
to _Equus major_. The teeth were greatly decayed. The writer of the
report said that the enamel of the first upper molar, meaning the
anterior of the six grinding teeth, measured 1.9 inches (47.5 mm.);
that of the corresponding lower teeth 2.33 inches (58 mm.). If these
measurements were taken correctly, they indicate a horse much larger
than any yet known, unless it be _Equus giganteus_ of Texas. There
is no evidence that Dr. Skilton had made any serious study of the
dentition of horses and the teeth were probably those of a domestic
horse, or even of some other animal.
In 1884 (Trans. Linn. Soc. N. Y., vol. II, p. 47), Dr. C. Hart
Merriam, in his paper “The Vertebrates of the Adirondack Region,”
stated he had examined several fossil molar teeth of _Equus major_
exhumed at Keenes Station, near the Oswegatchie Ox Bow, in Jefferson
County, New York. He compared them with the corresponding teeth of
an immense dray horse and found them much larger.
Professor G. C. Manse, of St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York,
sent me for examination 4 upper teeth of a horse which must be those
examined by Dr. C. H. Merriam. They are labeled as having been
collected at Gouverneur, a town not far from Keenes Station. After a
careful study of these teeth and comparison with those of the
domestic horse, the writer concludes that they belonged to the
latter. Domestic horses are known to have larger teeth. Professor
Manse has unfortunately been unable to trace the history of the
teeth back to Dr. C. C. Benton, of Ogdensburg, who showed them to
Dr. Merriam.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 17.)
1. _Swedesboro, Gloucester County._—In 1868 (Cook’s Geol. New Jersey, p.
741), Cope stated that _Equus complicatus_ was represented in New Jersey
by a series of teeth obtained while a mill-dam at Swedesboro was being
cleared. No further information has been secured. At the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the writer has seen a horse-tooth
labeled as coming from the town named; but whether or not it is one of
those referred to by Cope it is impossible to say.
2. _Fish House, Camden, Camden County._—In 1869 (Trans. Amer. Philos.
Soc., vol. XIV, p. 250, fig. 55), Cope wrote that a partial skull of
_Equus fraternus_ had been found at Fish House in a blackish clay at a
depth of 20 feet from the top of the clay. Over the clay was imposed a
bed of sand from 8 to 15 feet thick. This important skull appears to
have been lost (fig. 7).
In 1897 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. New Jersey for 1896, p. 208, plate X),
Lewis Woolman described other remains of horses supposed to belong to
_Equus complicatus_, secured in the same Fish House clays. The writer
has seen these and regards them as belonging to the species just named.
These remains of horses will be mentioned on pages 302–303.
3. _Navesink Hills, Monmouth County._—Somewhere in the northeastern part
of Monmouth County, in the region of the Navesink (or Neversink) Hills,
have been found remains of a fossil horse. They were first mentioned by
S. L. Mitchill (Cat. Organ. Remains, 1826, pp. 7, 8). He mentioned a
cervical vertebra and teeth in sound condition. Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat.
Sci., Phila., vol. VII, p. 261) wrote that a vertebra and teeth were
associated with remains of a mastodon. Mitchill mentions only a part of
a tibia of a mastodon. These objects were all presented by Mitchill to
the Lyceum of Natural History in New York. The writer believes these
teeth had been buried in an early Pleistocene deposit.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Pittston, Luzerne County._—In the collection of the Academy of
Natural Sciences at Philadelphia are 2 horse-teeth found at or near
Pittston. They were described and figured by Leidy in 1873 (Monograph U.
S. Geol. Surv., I, pp. 245–246, plate XXXIII, figs. 16, 17) as _E.
major_ (=_E. complicatus_). He stated they were found on the banks of
the Susquehanna River, associated with remains of mastodons and _Bison
latifrons_. The last was, however, a species of _Symbos_. In 1869 (Jour.
Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., vol. VII, p. 262), Leidy stated that it was
reported these remains had come from a stratum “full of bones.” This
stratum belonged probably to an early or middle Pleistocene interglacial
stage.
2. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—In 1889 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Pennsylvania for 1887, p. 6), Leidy reported the finding of “a pair of
teeth of a horse, which were yet incompletely developed,” in Hartman’s
Cave, near the town mentioned. He thought they belonged to an indigenous
species. The position of the cave, its fossils, and their age will be
considered in discussing the Pleistocene geology of the State on pages
308 to 311.
3. _Port Kennedy, Montgomery County._—As long ago as 1871 (Amer. Jour.
Sci., ser. 3, vol. I, pp. 235, 384), Wheatley announced the discovery of
2 unidentified species of horses in the great bone cave at the place
named. They were associated with the remains of 40 other species of
vertebrates, besides many insects. In 1899 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.,
Phila., ser. 2, vol. II, pp. 193–267, plates XVIII-XXI), Cope described
the materials collected up to that time from the same cave. Of horses he
recorded 2 forms, which he named _Equus fraternus fraternus_ and _E.
fraternus pectinatus_. He was inclined to believe the latter would prove
to be a distinct species. It is not certain whether this conclusion was
correct; but if not a species, it is probably a subspecies of _Equus
complicatus_. The teeth referred to _E. fraternus fraternus_ are pretty
certainly those of _E. complicatus_. Of this species Cope had a decayed
skull of a young animal with teeth, besides a considerable number of
other teeth and some bones of the skeleton. The geological relations of
these remains and those of the other species will be discussed on pages
311 to 320.
4. _Rutherford, Dauphin County._—In 1868 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1868,
p. 195), Leidy described a horse-tooth, loaned him by Mr. W. Lorenz and
found somewhere between Rutherford and Highspire. It was met in a
depression 6 feet deep and 20 feet across, filled with diluvium. Leidy
thought the tooth might have belonged to a contemporary of the mastodon,
but this was equally improbable. All the cement was dissolved from the
tooth, and the latter was stained by iron, but not petrified. It was an
upper second true molar. It has probably suffered the fate of such
specimens as are retained in private hands.
5. _Frankstown, Blair County._—From Mr. O. A. Peterson, of the Carnegie
Museum, Pittsburgh, the writer learns that some part of an unidentified
species of horse has been found in the collection made some years ago at
Frankstown. For a list of the species page 321 may be consulted.
OHIO.
(Maps 17, 36.)
1. _Cincinnati, Hamilton County._—In 1895 (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist.,
vol. XVII, p. 217), Mr. Seth Hayes recorded the discovery of a molar
tooth and a vertebra of a horse, identified as _Equus fraternus_. It was
met with in exhuming the remains of the “Shaw mastodon” in Hyde Park, in
the northeastern part of Cincinnati. The details of the exhumation are
given in the description of the mastodon. The geological age of these
animals dates probably from about the Sangamon stage. The writer has not
been able to examine the horse remains referred to. It is probable that
the tooth belonged to _Equus complicatus_.
2. _Columbus, Franklin County._—In 1848 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 1, vol.
_V_, p. 215), Charles Whittlesey stated that bones and teeth of a horse
had been found in fissures or “clay seams” of the Cliff limestone at
Columbus. In 1866 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. XV, art. 3, p. 16),
the same geologist reported that Joseph Sullivant, of Columbus, had,
many years before, obtained from the crevices of the Cliff lime rock, on
the west side of Scioto River, a number of bones embedded in red clay.
Among these was the tooth of a horse. The crevice had not been open
since the date of the white settlement of the country and it was wholly
filled by the red clay which results from the decomposition of the
limestone. Probably all the remains mentioned by Whittlesey have been
lost.
In 1875 (Cin. Quart. Jour. Nat. Hist., vol. II, p. 154), Klippart wrote
that, in excavating the exterior wall at the Ohio penitentiary, the
warden, Mr. Burr, found the fossil jaw of a horse with the molars in
good condition. He stated the horse must have been one-third larger than
the ordinary horse of to-day.
From Professor Clinton R. Stauffer, of Adelbert College, Cleveland, the
writer received for examination a horse-tooth, labeled: “Catalogue No.
356. Horse-tooth. Given by Robert Cartwright. Found at Columbus, Ohio,
in excavating in a peat-bed for a gas holder in the penitentiary
grounds, October 30, 1873.” It is possible that this is the same tooth
mentioned by Klippart, but probably it is another. The present writer
identifies the tooth as that of _Equus complicatus_. The geological age
is probably approximately that of the Sangamon stage.
3. _Salt Creek, Columbiana County._—In 1866 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl.,
art. 3, vol. V, p. 16), Charles Whittlesey reported a tooth of a horse
found, about 20 years before, in making the Sandy and Beaver Canal,
along Sandy Creek, in Columbiana County, at a depth not exceeding 12 or
15 feet. Probably the locality was in the southwestern corner of the
county. The sources of Salt Creek are in Hanover Township, not far from
the sources of Little Beaver Creek. From this vicinity Salt Creek flows
westward. This county lies within the Illinoian drift region and the
horse probably lived during the Sangamon stage or earlier.
INDIANA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Evansville, Vanderburg County._—So far as the writer knows, remains
of extinct horses have been found in Indiana only at the mouth of Pigeon
Creek, a short distance below Evansville. Only a single vertebra, a last
cervical, was secured. This formed part of a collection made at the
place named by Mr. Francis A. Lincke. The collection was described by
Dr. Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, p. 199). The bone was
referred to _Equus americanus_, a name employed at that time for the
horse now known as _Equus complicatus_. Although it would usually be
impossible to identify a species of horse on such materials, it is
probable that Leidy was correct. The geological age of the bone-bed is
discussed on page 32. It is concluded that the age is most probably the
Sangamon, but possibly Aftonian. The same species has been found at
Bigbone Lick, above Louisville, on the Kentucky side. The deposits there
overlie the Illinoian drift and are, in part at least, Sangamon.
Associated with the horse bone at Pigeon Creek were megalonyx, a
probably extinct bison, the Virginia deer, a tapir, and the extinct wolf
_Ænocyon dirus_.
ILLINOIS.
(Map 17.)
1. _On the line between Bond and Fayette Counties._—In 1899, Leidy
(Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p. 39, figure) described under the name
of _Equus major_ an equine maxilla, containing 4 premolars, sent him by
A. H. Worthen, State geologist of Illinois. This maxilla had been found
in a bog between Bond and Fayette counties. It was referred by Gidley
(Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. XIV, p. 135, fig. 24) to _Equus
pectinatus_ Cope. The specimen is in the collection of the State museum
at Springfield and has been studied by the writer, who regards it as
belonging to _Equus complicatus_. A fossil horse-tooth found at Bigbone
Lick, Kentucky, greatly resembles one of the premolars of this jaw.
The region where this jaw was found lies within the area of the
Illinoian drift; and, inasmuch as the specimen was found on a bog lying
on this drift, the animal must have lived after the withdrawal of the
Illinoian ice-sheet. The bog deposit belonged probably to the Sangamon
stage.
The writer has endeavored earnestly, but in vain, to obtain more exact
details regarding the locality where the jaw was found and the depth of
interment.
2. _Alton, Madison County._—At a meeting of the St. Louis Academy of
Science, December 4, 1882 (Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sci., vol. IV, p.
LXXX), William McAdams reported he had seen the fossil tooth of a horse
from near Alton. No details were added, except that all the horses he
had seen from the drift were large animals, while those from the bad
lands of Dakota were mostly quite small.
In the McAdams collection, an account of which will be given on page
339, is a fragment of an incisor of a horse. It has on it McAdams’s No.
25. It is doubtful that this tooth was found in the loess. All the
fossils of that collection purporting to have been found in the loess
are very white, while this is of a brownish color, and there is a coat
of iron oxide adhering to some parts of it. This may or may not be the
tooth mentioned by McAdams as above reported.
3. _Greene County._—At the meeting of the St. Louis Academy of Science
just referred to, Mr. McAdams stated that teeth of an extinct horse had
been brought up from the bottom of a well being dug in Greene County.
More exact situation and the depth of the well were not mentioned.
Both Greene and Madison counties are occupied by the Illinoian
drift-sheet. The horse-teeth found in these counties might have come
from Sangamon deposits; or possibly the Illinoian drift had been passed
through and Yarmouth interglacial had been entered.
The geologists J. A. Udden and E. W. Shaw (Belleville-Breese Folio, No.
195, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 7) have noted in those quadrangles deposits
which may consist of pre-Illinoian till; also old black soils which may
belong to the Yarmouth. The quadrangles mentioned lie along the southern
border of Madison County. The old soils were found at depths varying
from 30 to 75 feet. In this region, too, the Illinoian drift is overlain
by a blanket of loess. To arrive at any valuable conclusion, one ought
to know just where specimens are found and at what depths and in what
kind of deposits. On the other hand, the information is of the most
meager kind. The specimens mentioned are not in a collection made by
McAdams and now in the National Museum.
MARYLAND AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Marshall Hall, Charles County._—In the U. S. National Museum is an
upper right molar, first or second, of a horse labeled as found at this
place. It is credited to Mr. O. N. Bryan, who, some years ago,
contributed many articles to the museum. The conditions of discovery are
not known. The length of the grinding-surface is 28 mm., the width 27
mm. It probably belongs to _Equus leidyi_. According to Shattuck’s map
of the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Maryland (Maryland Geol. Surv., 1906,
plate I) this locality is occupied by Talbot deposits. Shattuck regards
the Talbot as belonging to late Pleistocene times. The present writer
does not accept this view.
2. _Georgetown, District of Columbia._—In 1835 (Med. and Phys.
Researches, p. 267), Dr. Richard Harlan acknowledged the receipt, at the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, of remains of a fossil
horse found at Georgetown in constructing the canal along the Potomac.
These were probably teeth and had been sent by Colonel I. J. Abert, of
Washington. They ought now to be in the Academy mentioned. In 1850, R.
W. Gibbes (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. III, p. 67) presented
before the American Association of Sciences a specimen (a tooth?) which
he said came from the bank of the Potomac and was associated with a
tooth of _Bos_ (_Bison_). How he came to have this was not related, nor
is it certain that it was found near Washington.
3. _Mitchellville, Prince George’s County._—In the U. S. National Museum
are 2 upper teeth, molars or premolars (No. 8813), of a horse found on
his estate northwest from the town named, by Mr. Edward S. Walker. They
were presented to the National Museum by Dr. Edward W. Berry, of John
Hopkins University. These teeth, apparently first and second molars,
seem to belong to an undescribed species. The table gives the height of
the teeth and dimensions of the grinding-surface in millimeters.
┌────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┐
│ Tooth. │ Height. │ Length. │ Width. │ Protocone. │
├────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┤
│M^1 │70 │29.5 │25 │12 │
│M^2 │73 │30 │23 │14.5 │
└────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────┘
The teeth present the appearance of having been little worn.
Measurements of the crown taken about one-third the distance to the base
are as follows:
┌────────────────┬────────────────┬────────────────┬────────────────┐
│ Tooth. │ Length. │ Width. │ Protocone. │
├────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┤
│M^1 │25 │25 │11 │
│M^2 │26 │25.2 │13 │
└────────────────┴────────────────┴────────────────┴────────────────┘
The teeth are moderately curved, so that the outer face is convex, the
inner concave. Some of the cement is retained and is colored blue with
vivianite. The enamel presents less complication than is usually found
in either _Equus complicatus_ or _E. leidyi_. The dimensions of the
teeth and the narrowness, especially of the second molar, seem to
exclude reference to either of the species mentioned.
4. _Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County._—Mr. William Palmer, of the U. S.
National Museum, had for many years been making collections, mostly of
Miocene vertebrates, along the cliffs at Chesapeake Beach. Among other
fossils found there are some remains of horses, among them one much worn
upper tooth, probably a premolar. The height is only 21 mm., the length
of the grinding-surface 22.4 mm., the width 24 mm. It may be referred
provisionally to _E. leidyi_. Mr. Palmer had also an ungual phalanx and
a cervical vertebra and various other bones and teeth of horses. The
geological situation at the place and the other Pleistocene species
found there will be discussed on pages 347–348.
5. _Cavetown, Washington County._—In his work on the exploration of
Bushy Cavern, near Cavetown, Mr. Charles Peabody (Bull. IV, Dept.
Archæol., Phillips Acad., p. 12) stated that in a limestone quarry,
south of the cave, in the red earth, was found a tooth which J. W.
Gidley identified as probably _Equus complicatus_. In 1920 (Proc. U. S.
Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, pp. 96–109), the writer described a collection
made at Cavetown. In this were other remains referred to _Equus
complicatus_. Some fragments of a large tooth were referred with doubt
to _Equus giganteus_.
6. _Corriganville, Allegany County._—In a crevice in a limestone rock,
at a point about 3 miles west of north of Cumberland, taken in a
straight line, J. W. Gidley, in the fall of 1912, made a large
collection of fossil vertebrates. In this collection is a first phalanx
of an extinct horse. The species has not been determined. A list of the
accompanying species, so far as determined, will be presented on pages
349–350.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Abingdon, Washington County._—In the U. S. National Museum is the
outer half of an upper hindermost molar of a horse sent, in 1869, by Mr.
Wyndham Robinson. With it were remains of _Mammut americanum_. The
length of the grinding-surface is 30 mm. It belongs pretty certainly to
_Equus complicatus_.
2. _Saltville, Smyth County._—Mr. O. A. Peterson (Ann. Carnegie Mus.,
vol. XI, p. 474) reported the occurrence of an upper left molar of a
horse at Saltville. The species has not been determined. The matter will
be referred to again on pages 352–353.
3. _Ivanhoe, Wythe County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI,
pp. 171–182), Cope gave an account of the discovery of remains of
numerous fossil vertebrates somewhere along New River, in the county
named. Among these animals were upper and lower milk and permanent
molars of a horse. Cope identified these as belonging doubtfully to
_Equus complicatus_. On page 353, the Pleistocene geology of the region
and a list of the accompanying vertebrates will be presented.
4. _Staunton, Augusta County._—From Dr. W. F. Deekens, surgeon dentist
of Staunton, a tooth of a horse found somewhere in that vicinity, was
sent to the U. S. National Museum. It had been found in a limestone
quarry, 70 feet below the surface, in a narrow stratum of clay. Probably
the tooth had been carried down into a crevice in the limestone by a
current of water. The length of the grinding-surface is 31 mm. The
arrangement of the enamel folds is simple, but the tooth had only just
begun to be worn. The narrowness of the tooth is remarkable and it may
belong to an unrecognized species.
5. _Denniston, Halifax County._—From Mr. G. W. Joyner, living near this
place, the U. S. National Museum in 1920 received a left lower
grinding-tooth of a horse, found by the donor in a little stream on his
farm.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Point Pleasant, Mason County._—From Dr. L. V. Guthrie,
superintendent of the West Virginia Asylum, at Huntington, the U. S.
National Museum received for examination a horse-tooth dredged up with
gravel from Ohio River at Point Pleasant. The writer has not been able
to distinguish this tooth (either the last or the next to the last
premolar) from that of _Equus niobrarensis_. If further discoveries
confirm this provisional determination, the known range of the species
will be greatly extended. The tooth has been deposited in the U. S.
National Museum by the owner, Captain H. S. Wert, of Point Pleasant. The
presence of this tooth proves that there are, somewhere not far away,
some early Pleistocene deposits, probably in some high terrace along the
Ohio, such as are found in abundance along the upper part of the river
and its affluents.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 17, 39.)
1 _Elizabethtown, Bladen County._—The geologist E. Emmons (North
Carolina Geol. Surv., 1858, p. 197, fig. 18) described and figured an
upper left second or third molar tooth of a horse which he called _Equus
caballus_, the domestic animal. It, with a tooth from the lower jaw, had
been found in a bed of Miocene age at Elizabethtown. Whatever may have
been the age of the marl-bed, the horse lived during the Pleistocene.
Conrad, however (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLVII, 1869, p. 359), insisted
on the Miocene age of the animal. The same tooth was, in 1860 (Holmes’s
Post-Pl. Foss. South Carolina, plate XV, fig. 16), figured by Leidy and
referred to _E. fraternus_. It is now known as _E. leidyi_. Miller
(North Carolina Geol. and Econom. Surv., vol. III, p. 248) points out
that patches of Miocene marl do occur in the vicinity of Elizabethtown.
2. _Sixteen miles Southeast of Newbern, on the Neuse River, in Pamlico
County._—In a locality on the left bank of Neuse River, about 16 miles
below Newbern, bones of _Equus_ and various other animals were first
found long ago, apparently by Nuttall. T. A. Conrad, in 1838 (Fossils
Medial Tert. U. S., p. X), spoke of great numbers of bones of horse,
mastodon, etc. Harlan (Med. Phys. Res., p. 267) says that Conrad
possessed specimens from the locality. Lydekker (Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit.
Mus. part 3, p. 89) states that there is in that museum an upper
cheek-tooth from Newbern. So far as the writer knows, none of the teeth
found here has been figured or accurately described.
On pages 358–359 will be found a list of the vertebrate fossils
collected at Newbern and a consideration of the geology.
3. _Greenville, Pitt County._—In 1852, E. Emmons (Geol. Surv. North
Carolina, p. 106) said he had procured a grinder of a horse at
Greenville, in the sandy stratum just above the Miocene marl. In 1858
(Geol. Surv. North Carolina Agric., Eastern Counties, p. 197, fig. 21),
the same writer figured an incisor tooth found in the Miocene of Pitt
County. Conrad (Amer. Jour. Sci. 1871, vol. I, p. 468) spoke of the
finding of black and mineralized teeth of a horse, which he regarded as
_E. fraternus_, in Miocene marl. Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1871, p. 113) reported on the upper molar tooth which Conrad had found.
He regarded it as occurring accidentally in the Miocene and as belonging
to _E. complicatus_; but as the tooth was injured, Leidy thought it
might belong to _Hipparion_. In the collection of the Academy of Natural
Sciences at Philadelphia the writer has seen quite certainly the same
tooth. It appears to be an upper premolar, the third or the fourth. It
has a height of about 50 mm. and a length of 30 mm. The inner half has
been split off. It is that of _E. complicatus_.
4. _Plymouth, Washington County._—E. Emmons, in 1858 (North Carolina
Geol. Surv. Agric., Eastern Counties, p. 197, figs. 19, 20), figured 2
teeth, an upper left molar or premolar and a hindermost left molar,
which had been washed up on the beach at Plymouth. This place is on the
south bank of Roanoke River. Judging from Emmons’s figures, one must
conclude that these teeth belong to _Equus leidyi_.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Beaufort, Beaufort County._—In the museum of Rutgers College, at New
Brunswick, New Jersey, the writer has seen 6 teeth of _Equus_, presented
by Mr. G. U. Shepard jr., and obtained on Coosaw River; but no more
detailed information has been furnished. In the Charleston Museum is a
tooth of _Equus complicatus_ which was found by Mr. Earle Sloan, in
Coosaw River.
2. _Charleston, Charleston County._—The remains of horses, especially
teeth, are among the most abundant Pleistocene fossils in the region
around Charleston. Most of the specimens have been discovered in
dredging for phosphate rock, and usually nothing is recorded about the
exact locality where found or about the conditions of burial. A
considerable number of well-preserved teeth have, however, been
discovered in known localities and under defined conditions.
The earliest collection of fossils described from about Charleston was
made by Professor F. S. Holmes, of Charleston, and Captain A. H. Bowman,
U. S. Army. These fossils were sent to Dr. Joseph Leidy and described by
him as early as 1858, but more fully in 1860, in Holmes’s
“Post-Pleiocene Fossils of South Carolina.” Most of these fossils were
obtained on the shores of Ashley River, about 10 miles above Charleston.
From this locality were described 5 upper teeth of _Equus complicatus_
(Leidy, op. cit., p. 102, plate XV, figs. 2–5, 7) and 2 lower ones
(plate XVI, figs. 19, 21).
Of _Equus leidyi_ (=_E. fraternus_ Leidy) the author quoted described
from Ashley River 2 lower teeth (op. cit., plate XVI, figs. 20, 22).
Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1870, p. 98) reported that there
were in the collection of C. N. Shepard, at Amherst College, teeth of
_Equus major_ (=_E. complicatus_) and _E. fraternus_ (=_E. leidyi_)
secured in the Ashley River deposit. Leidy, in 1873 (Contrib. Ext. Vert.
Fauna West. Terrs., p. 245, plate XXXIII, figs. 14, 15) reported an
upper molar and a lower one of _E. complicatus_, found in the “phosphate
beds” of Ashley River.
From Doctor Swamp, Johns Island, southwest of Charleston, Leidy (op.
cit., p. 103, plate XV, fig. 6) described an upper tooth as that of his
_Equus fraternus_. This was afterwards made by Cope the type of this
species; but Gidley (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. XIV, p. 111) determined
that this type belongs itself to _E. complicatus_. It was this
determination which made it necessary to give a new name, _E. leidyi_,
to the teeth of medium size which had gone under the name of _E.
fraternus_.
In the National Museum is a finely preserved upper right third or fourth
premolar of what appears to be _Equus complicatus_ which is recorded
having been found in Wando River, northwest from Charleston. The tooth
is 75 mm. high, 31 mm. long on the grinding-face, and 27 mm. wide. The
enamel is much complicated. In Holmes’s “Post-Pleiocene Fossils of South
Carolina,” on pages 102 and 104, Leidy mentions an upper second premolar
of _Equus fraternus_ found on Goose Creek, about 12 miles from
Charleston. He added a paragraph on the geology. Further reference to
this will be found on page 363. In the Charleston Museum and in the
private collections about Charleston the writer has seen many teeth of
horses found in that region, most of them without statements about exact
localities, though some were found in Stono River. The teeth of _E.
leidyi_ appear to be more numerous in the collections than those of _E.
complicatus_. Many teeth of both species are contained in the Scanlan
collection, made in the region about Charleston and now owned by Yale
University. In this collection are found also two lower molars which the
writer refers to _Equus littoralis_. The reader is referred to pages 362
to 366.
3. _Richland County._—On the occasion referred to in the next paragraph,
Robert W. Gibbes presented a tooth of a horse found in Richland district
at a depth of 17 feet, in a slough, supposed to have been a former bed
of Congaree River.
4. _Darlington, Darlington County._—In 1850 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv.
Sci., vol. III, p. 67), Gibbes showed before the Association several
specimens of horse-teeth, referred to _Equus americanus_ (_E.
complicatus_), found in supposed Pliocene at Darlington. They were
reported as having been discovered associated with bones of a mastodon,
presumably of _Mammut americanum_. No additional information was
furnished. Darlington is situated on a branch of Black Creek, an
affluent of Great Pedee River. The teeth were probably found in a
Pleistocene terrace deposit.
GEORGIA.
(Map 17.)
Apparently remains of extinct horses have been found in Georgia in only
two places, as follows:
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—During the construction (in 1838–39) of a
canal which connected Altamaha and Turtle Rivers, remains of various
fossil vertebrates were discovered. A list of these will be given on
page 370. Among the remains was a lower left last premolar or first
molar of an extinct horse, described by Leidy in 1847 (Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Phila., 1847, p. 266) and again in 1860 (Holmes’s Post-Pleiocene
Foss. South Carolina, p. 104, plate XVI, fig. 23). In the first
publication he referred the tooth to his species _Equus americanus_
(=_E. complicatus_); but in 1860 he referred it to his _Equus fraternus_
(=_E. leidyi_). The size of the tooth appears to justify his later
conclusion.
Lyell, in his “Second Visit to the United States,” made in 1845 (ed. 2,
vol. 1, p. 348), stated that remains of _Equus_ had been found in the
Brunswick Canal. He referred it to _Equus curvidens_, and stated that
this species had the upper teeth more curved than any living horse.
On page 436 of Bulletin No. 26 of the Geological Survey of Georgia, J.
W. Gidley furnished a list of vertebrates dredged up somewhere near
Brunswick. Among the species are 3 horses, _Equus fraternus_ (=_E.
leidyi_), _E. complicatus_, and _E. tau_ (probably _E. littoralis_).
Through the liberality of Professor S. W. McCallie, State Geologist of
Georgia, the writer has been permitted to study these teeth. There is
one damaged upper molar which belongs to _E. complicatus_; 4 upper and 1
lower grinders belong to _E. leidyi_; 2 upper left molars are certainly
those of _E. littoralis_; one having a height of 72 mm., a crown-length
of 23 mm., and a width of 22 mm. The length is slightly greater than
that of the type of the species.
In the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia the
writer has examined an equine tibia presented by J. H. Couper, probably
found in the Brunswick Canal with the other remains presented by Mr.
Couper. It is compared in size with a tibia of the horse Edwin Forrest,
with that of a draft horse in the U. S. National Museum, and with that
of _E. scotti_, No. 10628, in the American Museum of Natural History.
_Measurements of tibiæ of horses, in millimeters._
┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│ │Brunswick│ Edwin │ Draft │ E. │
│ │ horse. │Forrest. │ horse. │ scotti. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Total length of tibia │ 455│ 365│ 420│ 370│
│Side-to-side diameter at │ 65│ 42│ 50│ 49│
│ middle of length │ │ │ │ │
└─────────────────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘
The Brunswick horse was evidently a very large one, but it may have been
an unusually large specimen of _Equus complicatus_.
2. _Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Chatham County._—On page 27 of
William B. Hodgson’s “Memoir on the Megatherium,” in Joseph Habersham’s
memorandum, is noted the fact that among the fossils found here was a
well-preserved tooth of a horse. The height of the tooth is given as
being 2.75 inches, greatest diameter 1.2 inches, the least 1 inch. The
tooth was evidently an upper premolar or molar. It belonged probably
either to _Equus complicatus_ or _E. leidyi_, but to which is uncertain.
In 1850 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. III, p. 67), Robert W.
Gibbes reported the discovery of horse remains, probably a tooth, in the
alluvium of Skidaway Island, a few miles southeast of Savannah. No
further information was furnished. The geological conditions at this
island and the fossils found there will be considered on pages 370 to
372.
FLORIDA.
(Maps 17, 18.)
1. _Stokes Ferry, St. Mary’s River, Nassau County._—In 1909 (2d Ann.
Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 147), Sellards stated, on authority of
notes received from Dr. L. W. Stephenson, that 3 teeth of a fossil horse
had been found at the place named. At the same place was discovered a
fragment of a tooth of an elephant, most probably _Elephas columbi_, and
some ear-bones of a whale. The writer has not seen these and does not
know to what species they belonged.
_Measurements of tibiæ of horses._
┌───────────────────────────────────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│ Dimensions taken. │Equus sp.│ E. │ E. │
│ │Florida. │ scotti. │caballus.│
├───────────────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Total length of bone │ 396│ 370│ 392│
│Length on outer border │ 360│ │ │
│Length on inner border │ 378│ │ │
│Width across upper end │ 125±│ 107│ 108│
│Fore-and-aft diameter at middle of │ │ │ │
│ length │ 45│ 40│ 37│
│Side-to-side diameter at middle of │ │ │ │
│ length │ 56│ 49│ 43│
│Greatest width at lower end │ 94│ 93│ 86│
└───────────────────────────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘
2. _Almero Farm, St. John County._—In the collection of Mr. Fred R.
Allen, of St. Augustine, Florida, the writer has examined a left tibia
of an extinct horse, found in the Inland Waterway Canal, about 28 miles
south of St. Augustine. The species has not been determined, but it may
be well to put on record the measurements. It apparently belonged to a
rather large horse. For comparison, other corresponding measurements are
given, taken from _Equus scotti_, No. 10628 of the American Museum of
Natural History, and from _Equus caballus_, No. 74 of Mr. Chubb’s
collection at the museum mentioned, a trotting stallion.
It will be seen that the tibia found below St. Augustine is a relatively
stouter bone than those it is compared with. The large horse, known to
have existed in Florida, is _Equus complicatus_.
3. _Neals, Alachua County._—This place is near Newberry. Here have been
collected _Gomphotherium floridanum_, _Tapirus terrestris?_, and
_Hipparion_ sp. indet.
4. _Wade, Alachua County._—The writer has seen at Tallahassee, 4 fossil
_Equus_ teeth, found at this place. One is No. 1470 of the Florida
Geological Survey and labeled as found in the Buttgenbach “cummer” mine.
It is a lower left second premolar, 40 mm. high, 31 mm. long, and 14.5
mm. wide, not including the cement present. Another tooth, No. 1462,
from Buttgenbach’s river mine, near Wade, is the hindermost left molar
of the lower jaw, 32 mm. long, and 13 mm. wide in front. It is thought
these teeth belonged to _Equus leidyi_.
5. _Newberry, Alachua County._—This is the locality mentioned by Dall
(Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Survey, p. 128) under the name of Hallowells; but
he mentioned no fossils from this place. In the Report of the Florida
Geological Survey, volume v, page 58, Sellards stated that a species of
_Hipparion_ had been discovered in the hard phosphate. In the eighth
report of the same survey, on page 42, the present writer described a
specifically undetermined species of _Parahippus_, also from the
phosphate deposits. On page 94 Dr. Sellards reported _Equus littoralis_
and _Odocoileus_ from Newberry. The writer has identified as _Equus
littoralis_, a horse represented by a lower left hindermost molar, found
at Newberry.
6. _Archer, Alachua County._—Dr. Joseph Leidy, in 1885 (Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Phila., pp. 32, 33), described from this place a rhinoceros,
_Rhinoceros proterus_, and _Hippotherium ingenuum_. In 1886 (ibid., pp.
11, 12) he again mentioned these species and described in addition to
them _Mastodon floridanus_ and 3 species of camels which he referred to
the genus _Auchenia_. In a list furnished by Leidy to Dr. W. H. Dall
(Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv., No. 84, p. 129), there are listed, besides the
species mentioned, _Megatherium_ and _Cervus virginianus?_, all found in
the Alachua clays and usually referred to the Lower Miocene or Upper
Pliocene. In the list presented on page 375, under the geology of
Florida, a species of tapir is added. At present the writer assigns the
deposits known as the Alachua clays to lowermost Pleistocene.
7. _Williston, Levy County._—In the American Museum of Natural History,
New York, is an upper last molar of _Equus_, found at the place named
and presented by E. Mixon. The enamel is not much plicated. The size of
the tooth indicated that it belonged to _E. leidyi_. In the list of
vertebrates unearthed at Mixon’s (near Williston), furnished by Leidy to
Dall, were included two species of _Hippotherium_, _H. ingenuum_ and _H.
plicatile_. These species are now referred to the genus _Hipparion_. _H.
plicatile_ was described by Leidy in 1887 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
p. 309). A list of the species at present known to have been obtained
here is to be found on page 375 under the geology of Florida. They have
all been found in the Alachua clays and are usually regarded as
belonging to the late Tertiary.
8. _Ocala, Marion County._—In 1889 (Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p.
13), Leidy reported the discovery of some fossil vertebrates in a
fissure in a limestone rock near Ocala. Some equine teeth he referred to
_Equus fraternus_ (=_E. leidyi_). The other species were identified as
_Smilodon floridanus_, _Elephas columbi_, and (with some doubt)
_Procamelus minimus_. For conclusions regarding the geology of the
locality see page 378.
9. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—The writer has examined 2 fossil
horse-teeth found near Dunnellon, now the property of the Florida
Geological Survey. No. 1366 is from the Camp Phosphate Company’s Blue
Run mine. It is a first or second upper molar, worn down to a height of
only an inch and having a grinding-surface 26 mm. long and 25 mm. wide
and with a protocone 12 mm. long fore-and-aft. No. 1444, also a first or
second upper molar, has a height of 47 mm., a length of 24 mm., a width
of 23 mm., and a protocone of 11.5 mm. The enamel of the lakes is much
plicated. The teeth are identified as those of _Equus leidyi_. No. 1444
has been figured by Sellards (7th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 111,
fig. 40) and described as dredged from the Schilmann and Bene river
mine, on Withlacoochee River.
On page 376, under the geology of Florida, will be found a list of the
species obtained at Dunnellon and the surrounding region. In this list
is included _Parahippus_ sp. indet. and _Hipparion plicatile_. Dr.
Sellards believes that many species of that list belong to the
Pleistocene. The horse-like species, the rhinoceros, and the camel are
held by him as being older than the Pleistocene.
10. _Hernando, Citrus County._—At this place have been secured
_Gomphotherium floridanum_, _Hipparion_ sp. indet., and _Procamelus_ sp.
indet., all from the phosphate deposits and referred by Sellards to the
Upper Miocene or the Lower Pliocene.
11. _Holder, Citrus County._—In the collection of Dr. H. G. Bystra, of
Holden, is a fossil horse-tooth dredged from Withlacoochee River, in
section 29, township 17 south, range 19 east. The species to which the
tooth belonged has not been determined.
12. _Orange County._—The writer has seen, in the collection of the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, an upper right last molar
of Equus, labeled as found in the county named. Nothing more is known by
the writer about the tooth.
13. _Eau Gallie, Brevard County._—In 1916 (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 105), Sellards stated that at this place, in the Hopkins
drainage canal, had been collected teeth of _Elephas columbi_ and _Equus
complicatus_.
14. _Kingsford, Polk County._—In the U. S. National Museum are 3
horse-teeth collected in 1903 by Mr. Juan C. Edmundoz, from some of the
phosphate mines in the region about Kingsford. Although most of the
fossils from these mines have been supposed to belong to the late
Miocene or early Pliocene, these horse-teeth are certainly of
Pleistocene age. One tooth, No. 8620, is an upper right true molar,
either the first or the second. It is worn down to about half its
original length. The length of the grinding-surface is 25 mm.; its width
is 26 mm. The enamel surrounding the lakes is extremely complicated.
Another tooth, No. 8619, is a right hindermost molar with the protocone
missing. A third tooth, No. 8618, is a little-worn lower molar, probably
the second. The height is 83 mm., the length 25 mm., width 14 mm. The
teeth are to be referred to _Equus leidyi_.
15. _Brewster, Polk County._—In volume VIII of the Florida Geological
Survey, pages 95, 96, Dr. Sellards states that from the phosphate mines
at Brewster have been obtained teeth of _Hipparion minor_. A list of the
associated species is to be found in the discussion of the Pleistocene
geology of Florida on page 380.
16. _Alafia River, Hillsboro County._—In the American Museum of Natural
History, New York, is a collection of 10 teeth of _Equus_, said to have
been dredged in Alafia River. Some belong to _E. leidyi_. One, a right
third or fourth upper premolar worn down to a height of 40 mm., has
still a length of 30 mm. and a width of 27 mm.; apparently it belongs to
_E. complicatus_. The writer has described an extinct species of
box-tortoise, _Terrapene putnami_ (Fossil Turtles, N. A., p. 360)
dredged by Professor F. W. Putnam in Alafia River about a mile above its
entrance into Tampa Bay. With the bone, which forms the type of the
species, were dredged a peripheral bone of a _Testudo_, possibly _T.
crassiscutata_, and remains of horses and tapirs. It is pretty certain
that the 10 teeth above mentioned were secured by Professor Putnam.
In Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, is a part of a lower right
premolar of _Equus_, apparently _E. leidyi_, said to have been found
near Tampa Bay.
17. _Palmetto, Manatee County._—At several places about the mouth of
Manatee River have been found relics of fossil horses. Mr. Ernest
Leitzel, of Palmetto, sent to the U. S. National Museum for
identification some teeth found in Manatee River, others in Terra Ceia
Bay. The teeth are all well fossilized; some are upper teeth, others
belong below. The writer regards them as belonging to _Equus leidyi_.
In the same museum are 2 lower right true molars, a second and a third,
sent from Manatee by Mr. N. B. Moore. The teeth are moderately worn. The
length of the grinding-surface of the hindermost molar is only 23 mm.,
the width 12 mm. They must have belonged to a small horse and are
referred to _Equus littoralis_.
From Mr. Charles T. Earle the U. S. National Museum received in February
1921, several teeth of _Equus leidyi_, 2 of _E. complicatus_, and 1 of
_E. littoralis_, which had been washed up on the beach at Palma Sola,
about 10 miles below Palmetto. With these teeth came parts of antlers of
a deer, a part of a metacarpal and an astragalus of _Bison latifrons?_,
a part of a beak of a platanistid porpoise, a part of a tooth of
_Elephas columbi_, a fragment or two of a terrapin (_Trachemys_ sp.
indet.), a fragment of the carapace of a soft-shelled turtle, and teeth
of sharks. The porpoise and the sharks, also a part of a metapodial of a
camel, may belong to Miocene or Pliocene deposits near the locality.
18. _Sarasota Bay, Sarasota County._—The region a little further south
than Manatee River has furnished remains of extinct horses. Sellards
(7th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 112, fig. 47) has figured a lower
tooth of a large horse, found by Mr. Joseph Willcox, at White Beach, on
Sarasota Bay. Inasmuch as the fore-and-aft dimension of the tooth is 30
mm., it very probably belonged to _Equus complicatus_. Mr. Willcox has
submitted to the writer 2 large lower teeth, regarded as belonging to
the species just mentioned. Another lower tooth, apparently a third or
fourth lower premolar, found on the same beach, has the fore-and-aft
dimension only 26 mm., the width 15 mm. This is referred to _Equus
leidyi_. At Blackburn’s place, 12 miles south of White Beach, Mr.
Willcox secured a tooth of _Equus_ apparently little worn. The height is
83 mm., the length at the summit 28 mm., but a little further down only
26 mm.; the width 12 mm. This tooth is to be referred to _Equus leidyi_.
In the American Museum of Natural History, New York, are 7 teeth of
_Equus_, collected in 1911 by Mr. Barnum Brown at a place 8 miles
southeast of Sarasota. They appear to belong to the Florida horse of
medium size, _Equus leidyi_.
19. _Calvenia, Hardee County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 4838)
is an upper right last molar of a horse labeled as found near the mouth
of Charlie Apopka Creek and as having been presented by Captain Le Baron
through L. C. Johnson. The tooth belongs to _Equus leidyi_. Another
tooth found at the same place, at the same time (December 16, 1883), and
presented in the same way, is a lower grinder. The height is 75 mm., the
length, 27 mm., the thickness 12.3 mm. It is to be referred to _E.
leidyi_.
20. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—Many remains of horses, especially teeth,
have been collected at and near this place, by Mr. Joseph Willcox, on a
sand-bar at Arcadia being explored for phosphate. The first published
description of these remains appears to be that of Leidy in 1889 (Trans.
Wagner Inst., II, p. 19). Leidy had at hand 17 upper molars, 2 lower
molars, and 2 incisors. He was, at that time, uncertain whether these
teeth pertained to an indigenous species of _Equus_ or to the domestic
horse. The manager of the Arcadia Phosphate Company, Mr. T. S. Moorhead,
informed Mr. Willcox that the main source of the materials of the bar
extended for miles along the shores of Peace Creek and was about 8 feet
thick.
Among the materials examined by Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1890, p. 182) was a tooth which he regarded as belonging to _Equus
major_ (=_E. complicatus_), but, on the suggestion of Professor Cope, he
described and figured as _Hippotherium princeps_. Later, Lucas (Trans.
cit., vol. IV, p. 49, plate XIX, figs. 12, 13) concluded that Leidy’s
first opinion was correct. The tooth is abnormal in having the column of
the protocone free from the other cusps of the tooth for a short
distance from the grinding-surface. In Bulletin No. 84 (p. 129) of the
U. S. Geological Survey, Leidy referred the Peace Creek horses to his
_Equus fraternus_ (=_E. leidyi_), and it is found that in size and other
respects the type of _Hippotherium princeps_ agrees with this species.
It is retained, however, as _Equus princeps_.
In the U. S. National Museum are 6 teeth collected on Peace Creek,
probably not far from Arcadia, which all apparently belong to E. leidyi.
J. W. Gidley (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. XIV, 1901, p. 121)
stated that there is in the American Museum a tooth from Peace Creek,
much too small to be referred to any species at that time reported from
the United States, but resembling closely _Equus tau_, from Mexico. This
tooth probably belongs to _Equus littoralis_.
Besides the horses of the genus _Equus_, there have been found at or
near Arcadia the 3–toed horse _Hipparion ingenuum_. Whether this is to
be referred with the great majority of the fossils found in this region
to the Aftonian fauna of the first interglacial or to the Nebraskan
stage it is impossible to say.
21. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—Numerous remains of extinct horses have
been found here, but they always consist of single bones or teeth,
sometimes in fine condition, sometimes somewhat water-worn. The remains
occur in both deposits, designated as No. 2 and No. 3, but in the latter
the materials are more fragmentary and not specifically identifiable.
Sellards has figured some of the teeth in his seventh Annual Report
(1915, pp. 110, 111, figs. 40–43). In his eighth report, on page 149, he
has recognized the occurrence here of 3 species, _Equus complicatus_,
_E. leidyi_, and _E. littoralis_.
The writer has examined a large canine tooth found in the stratum of
sand, No. 2. From its size it is referred to _Equus complicatus_. Its
fore-and-aft diameter is 14 mm. Another tooth from the stratum, an upper
right third true molar, finely preserved and retaining some of the
cement, is regarded as belonging to _E. leidyi_. Two lower teeth from
No. 2 are water-worn, but retain their structure. The fore-and-aft
diameter of each is 21 mm. They must have belonged to the little horse
called _E. littoralis_. A fragment of an upper tooth is referred to this
species. It is not water-worn, but has been split from the crown to the
root. A hinder first phalangeal bone found in the canal (No. 1802 of the
Florida Geological Survey) is 96 mm. long. This indicates a horse as
large as our ordinary domestic horses and it probably belonged to _Equus
complicatus_.
22. _Labelle, Lee County._—In 1889 (Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p.
17), Leidy stated that Mr. Joseph Willcox had obtained, from a Pliocene
shell-bed on Caloosahatchee River, some remains of a fossil horse,
consisting of two cervical vertebræ and a part of a lower jaw, which
contained the first and second molar teeth. These teeth are probably
what would be called premolars 2 and 3. Leidy referred the remains to
his _Equus fraternus_ (=_E. leidyi_).
Dall (Bull. No. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 129) stated that _Equus
fraternus_, _Bison latifrons_, and _Elephas columbi_ were found in
Pliocene beds on the Caloosahatchee, but Sellards (8th Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 102) corrects this error as to the age.
The writer has received a letter from Mr. Willcox in which he states
that the fragment of lower jaw was found about 2 or 3 miles below
Labelle.
23. _Palm Beach, Palm Beach County._—In 1916 (8th Ann. Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 105), Sellards wrote that Mr. J. L. Hayes had secured
for the Florida State Geological Survey, from the Palm Beach Canal,
teeth of _Elephas columbi_ and _Equus complicatus_ and a femur of a
species of _Bison_.
ALABAMA.
(Map 17.)
1. _Newbern, Hale County._—In August 1914, there was received at the U.
S. National Museum, from Mr. J. W. White, of Newbern, a lower left first
incisor of a horse. This, with a lower molar of a species of _Bison_,
had been found in a creek. The incisor is somewhat worn, but still
retained a part of the cup. The grinding-face is 14 mm. from side to
side. The species can not be determined.
2. _Bogue Chitto, Dallas County._—In the U. S. National Museum is an
upper right true molar, first or second, of a horse, found at this place
in 1883, by L. C. Johnson, of the U. S. Geological Survey. The tooth is
identified as that of _Equus leidyi_. The enamel is much crenated. At
the same place was found a tooth (a lower molar) of _Elephas imperator_,
and teeth of _Mammut americanum_. It seems to the writer that the
presence of these species indicates that the deposits along Bogue Chitto
belong to the early part of the Pleistocene, about equivalent to the
Aftonian.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 17.)
1. _Orizaba, Tippah County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 1907) is
a fossil tooth of a horse, a third or fourth right premolar, found
apparently not far from this little town. It is labeled as having been
picked up at Lander’s mill, 9 miles south of Ripley, on Cane Creek, out
of débris of Cretaceous marl, and given to Dr. T. E. Stanton. How it
came to be mingled with the marl is not known. The tooth is only
moderately worn, the height being 75 mm. The length of the
grinding-surface is 28 mm., the width 27 mm. It has the enamel unusually
strongly folded. The tooth is referred provisionally to _Equus leidyi_.
2. _Natchez, Adams County._—Elsewhere will be found an account of the
discovery of fossil vertebrates near Natchez by Dr. M. W. Dickerson (p.
390), among which were found horse-teeth, referred to two species. One
of these horses, represented, as supposed, by 12 teeth, was at first
called by Leidy _Equus americanus_ (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1847,
vol. III, p. 265, plate II); but later _Equus complicatus_ (Proc. cit.,
1858, p. 11). In 1901 (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. XIV, p. 109,
fig. 7), Gidley selected one of the teeth, that of Leidy’s plate II,
figs. 1, 6, referred to above, as the special type of the species _Equus
complicatus_. These Natchez teeth are now in the collection of the
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.
Some of the teeth from Natchez were described by Leidy in 1860 (Holmes’s
Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina, pp. 100–105, plate XV, figs.
11–15, plate XVI, figs. 24–26, 30, 31) as _Equus complicatus_. Others
(pp. 100105, plate XV, figs. 17, 18, plate XVI, fig. 27) were referred
to a hitherto unrecognized species _Equus fraternus_.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 17. Figure 23.)
1. _Rogersville, Hawkins County._—In the U. S. National Museum (No. 520)
is a single horse-tooth found many years ago in a crevice in a marble
quarry at this place. It is referred by the writer to _Equus leidyi_
(Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 84). With it were sent a canine
tooth and a few bones of a peccary, described as _Mylohyus setiger_ (p.
394).
2. _Whitesburg, Hamblen County._—In 1885 Mr. Ira Sayles collected at
this place a lot of bones and teeth of vertebrates, described by the
present writer (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 87). Among them is
an upper right second premolar of a horse, identified as _Equus leidyi_.
A list of the species will be found on page 395. _E. littoralis_ also is
present.
3. _Lookout Mountain, Hamilton County._—In the American Museum of
Natural History, New York, is an upper second molar tooth brought from
Lookout Mountain (Gidley, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. XIV, p.
121). Under what conditions this tooth was found have not been recorded.
It belongs probably to the species _Equus littoralis_.
4. _Nashville, Davidson County._—From William Edward Myer, of Nashville,
Tennessee, the writer received, June 26, 1920, some fossils collected
near Nashville, about 300 yards upstream from Lock A, in Cumberland
River, at a depth of nearly 30 feet beneath a bank of gravel. Below this
gravel is a bed of sand apparently 2 or 3 feet thick and this is
underlain by another bed of gravel apparently about 2 feet thick. This
itself lies on bed-rock at about the level of low water in the river. In
the lower gravel were found a lower molar of _Equus leidyi_, a part of a
left femur of a large horse, and an antler of a small undetermined and
probably undescribed deer. In the layer of sand were discovered a heel
bone of a camel, a part of a tooth of a young mastodon, and some
fragments of turtle bones. The equine tooth belongs to the right side.
It has a height of about 80 mm., a length of 28 mm. on the
grinding-surface, and a width of 16 mm. It is black, and like the others
thoroughly fossilized.
The fragment of femur appears to have belonged to a horse perhaps larger
than _Equus leidyi_. It begins at the lower border of the third
trochanter and descends to the lower part of the deep fossa for the
plantaris muscle. Immediately above the fossa the side-to-side diameter
of the bone is 50 mm., the fore-and-aft 60 mm. In a horse of medium size
these diameters are respectively 45 mm. and 53 mm.
Later there was discovered at the same locality the upper two-thirds of
the right metatarsal. The fragment is 230 mm. long. The upper articular
end is somewhat injured; 75 mm. below the upper end the fore-and-aft
diameter is 45 mm., the side-to-side diameter 38 mm. The latter diameter
was somewhat greater, as the bone appears to be slightly crushed. The
specimen is referred to _Equus complicatus_. Probably the femur
mentioned above belonged to this species.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 17.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—In their report published in 1831
(Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XX, p. 371), Cooper, Smith, and Dekay reported
they found in the collection from this place large teeth and bones of a
horse. They regarded these as being of equal antiquity with the extinct
animals associated with them. In 1847 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
vol. III, p. 263, 264) Leidy stated that there were in the Academy 10
permanent molars of a horse from Bigbone Lick. These he referred to
_Equus curvidens_. In 1853 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, p.
263) he wrote that several teeth supposed to have come from this
locality had possibly been obtained elsewhere.
In 1851 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., p. 140), he spoke of foot-bones
of the horse, a calcaneum and first phalanx, from the same place. In
1860 (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 104), Leidy
mentioned several horse-bones from Bigbone Lick presented to the
American Philosophical Society by President Jefferson. In Rochester
University are 2 hoof phalanges labeled from Bigbone Lick. Osborn (“Age
of Mammals,” p. 478) puts down _Equus_ from Bigbone Lick as being
doubtful. There appears to be no good reason for this.
The remains of horses from this locality appear all to belong to _Equus
complicatus_.
2. _Monday’s Landing, Mercer County._—From Professor Arthur M. Miller,
of the University of Kentucky, the writer has received for examination a
much-worn upper left molar or premolar of a horse found at the place
named. It was met with in a fissure filled with crystallized calcite,
near the bank of Kentucky River. The vein of calcite was about 6 feet
wide. Similar veins at this locality have been worked down to a depth of
200 or 300 feet. A part of a lower jaw of a deer-like animal was found
in one of these veins. The horse-tooth is badly worn, but it appears to
have belonged to a small species, the fore-and-aft length of the crown
being only 19 mm. The enamel of the anterior lake is considerably
complicated. It is impossible, from the lack of other fossil remains, to
determine the geological age of this horse.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE TAPIRIDÆ IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 19.)
1. _Port Kennedy, Montgomery County._—In 1871, Wheatley announced (Amer.
Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. I, p. 384) that he had discovered in the Port
Kennedy bone cave 2 species of tapirs (_Tapirus americanus_ and _T.
haysii_). In 1899 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., vol. II, p. 253), Cope
stated that remains of 35 or more tapirs had been discovered in this
cave. He referred all to _T. haysii_. These tapirs will be mentioned
again on page 312, where the geological relations of the cave and its
contents are considered.
2. _Frankstown, Blair County._—In 1908, Dr. W. J. Holland reported (Ann.
Carnegie Mus., vol. IV, p. 231) found in a bone cave at Frankstown the
third and fourth lower premolars of a tapir about the size of _Tapir
americanus_, which name is a synonym of _T. terrestris_. This will be
mentioned in the discussion of the geology of the region on page 321.
OHIO.
(Maps 19, 36.)
1. _New Salisbury?, Columbiana County._—Somewhere in the region probably
of the town named was found, about 1850, a jaw of a tapir, apparently
mentioned first by Louis Agassiz (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. V,
1851, p. 179), who referred to it as a jaw of a pachyderm. Leidy, in
1860 (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 107),
reported that he had studied a much-mutilated fragment of the lower jaw
of the smaller variety of the extinct tapir, which had belonged to
Professor J. Brainerd, of Cleveland. It had been found in the valley of
Yellow Creek, in Columbiana County, in an erosion of the coal series. It
was covered with 30 feet of clay, at a height of 186 feet above
low-water in Ohio River. Charles Whittlesey, in 1866 (Smithson. Contrib.
Knowl., vol. XV, art. 3, p. 16), stated that this specimen was taken
from “valley drift,” of Yellow Creek, in Columbiana County, by Mr. E.
White, C. E., in a cut of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Inasmuch as Yellow
Creek itself does not enter the county named, reference must be to what
is called, on the topographical sheet of the U. S. Geological Survey,
North Fork of Yellow Creek. The railroad follows this creek for many
miles in the county. The town of New Salisbury is taken as being
probably not far from the locality. It is not known what became of this
specimen, nor is it possible to say to which species it belonged. It is
to be referred probably to the Sangamon stage.
INDIANA.
(Map 19.)
1. _Evansville, Vanderburg County._—Tapir remains have been found at
only one place in Indiana, viz, in the banks of the Ohio River at the
mouth of Pigeon Creek, a short distance below Evansville. A single lower
hinder molar formed part of a collection made by Mr. Francis A. Lincke
and described by Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, p. 199).
This tooth was figured by Leidy in 1860 (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene Fossils
of South Carolina,” p. 107, plate XVII, figs. 9, 10) under the name
_Tapirus haysii_. Associated with the tooth were remains of _Megalonyx
jeffersonii_, a bison of probably an extinct species, the Virginia deer,
the horse known as _Equus complicatus_, and the large extinct wolf
_Ænocyon dirus_.
On page 32 is discussed the probable age of the bone-bed which contained
the animals named above. It is concluded that the age is possibly the
Aftonian, but more probably the Sangamon. This species of tapir has been
found at Bigbone Lick, Kentucky, between Louisville and Cincinnati, in
deposits containing _Equus complicatus_, 2 extinct species of _Bison_,
deer, etc. The deposits lie on Illinoian drift and are in part, at
least, of Sangamon age.
MARYLAND.
(Map 19.)
1. _Corriganville, Allegany County._—In a crevice in limestone rock, at
a point about 3 miles west of north of Cumberland, Mr. J. W. Gidley
found a tooth of a tapir. The tooth has never been specifically
identified. A list of the associated species, as far as determined, will
be given on page 350.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 19.)
1. _Ivanhoe, Wythe County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI,
p. 176), Cope announced the discovery of several lower molars of a tapir
in what he regarded as cave breccia, along New River. These teeth he
found to be somewhat larger than those of _T. terrestris_, the Central
and South American species, and he referred them to _Tapirus haysii_. A
list of the species found here is given on page 353.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 19.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—In 1860 (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene
Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 106, plate XVII, figs. 2, 3), Leidy
described briefly and figured 2 injured upper cheek-teeth of a tapir
found in the Pleistocene of Ashley River, and referred by him to
_Tapirus americanus fossilis_, on the supposition that they were not
different from those of the existing South American tapir, but larger.
The larger of the two teeth (fig. 2) appears to have had a fore-and-aft
diameter of about 29 mm. It seems, therefore, to belong to Leidy’s
species _Tapirus haysii_. Under the same name, _T. americanus fossilis_,
Leidy illustrated (figs. 11, 12) a lower molar found on Ashley River.
This appears to be too small to have belonged to _T. haysii_. Instead,
however, of referring it to _T. americanus_ (=_T. terrestris_) it may
possibly be found to belong to _T. veroensis_ Sellards, the lower molars
of which are not certainly known. The length of the tooth figured by
Leidy is that of a second molar of _T. terrestris_, but the width is
greater than in the latter.
In the Charleston Museum is a part of a left ramus of the lower jaw of a
tapir likewise referred to _T. veroensis_ Sellards. This fragment
contains all 3 of the true molars. The following measurements were
secured:
_Measurements, in millimeters, of lower molars of tapirs in the
Charleston Museum._
┌───────────────────────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
│ │ Tapirus │ │
│ │ veroensis? │Tapirus haysii.│
├───────────────────────────────┼───────┬───────┼───────┬───────┤
│ │Length.│Width. │Length.│Width. │
├───────────────────────────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┼───────┤
│Length of all 3 molars combined│66 │ │79 │ │
│First molar │20 │17 │25 │28 │
│Second molar │23 │18.5 │26 │31.5 │
│Third molar │24 │18 │28 │32 │
└───────────────────────────────┴───────┴───────┴───────┴───────┘
In the collection of Charles C. Pinckney, at Lambs, South Carolina, are
2 tapir teeth, one of which is an upper molar, not yet come into use,
apparently the last tooth of the right side. The length of the crown is
25.5 mm., the width in front 27.5 mm., behind about 23 mm. In front is a
pretty strong cingulum, but there is none behind. This tooth is referred
to _Tapirus haysii_.
In the Scanlan collection from Charleston, now the property of Yale
University, are various specimens of tapirs. An upper left second molar
is slightly worn. The length is 24 mm., the width 30 mm. The outer
border of the crown makes a right angle with the anterior border; in _T.
terrestris_ the outer anterior corner is considerably less than a right
angle. In the latter the hinder faces of the protocone and of the
hypocone are concave; in the tooth here described both hinder faces are
swollen, and the crests appear more depressed than in _T. terrestris_.
It is regarded as belonging to _T. haysii_.
In the Scanlan collection are 3 lower molars which the writer refers to
_T. haysii_. The following are the measurements:
_Measurements, in millimeters, of lower molars of tapirs in the
Scanlan collection._
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────┬───────┐
│ │Length.│Width. │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────┼───────┤
│Left third? molar, with the rear cingulum broken off│28± │22.5 │
│Left second molar │25.5 │21 │
│Right second molar │27 │21 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴───────┴───────┘
In the Scanlan collection is a fragment of the left maxilla with 4
teeth, the last premolar and the 3 molars. The specimen resembles figure
1 of Leidy’s plate XVII of Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene Fossils of South
Carolina.” The teeth of the Scanlan specimens are, however, less worn.
The hinder molar had not yet come through the gum. The specimen is
referred to _T. terrestris_. The following are the measurements:
_Measurements, in millimeters, of upper teeth of Tapirus terrestris._
┌─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┐
│ Tooth. │ Tapir from Charleston. │ T. terrestris, U. S. Nat. │
│ │ │ Mus. No. 238110 │
├─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┤
│ │ Length. │ Width. │ Length. │ Width. │
├─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┤
│ Pm^1 │19 │24.5 │19 │25 │
│ M^1 │20 │25.5 │21 │23 │
│ M^2 │22.5 │28 │23.5 │27 │
│ M^3 │24.5 │27.5 │25.5 │26 │
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘
The molar teeth have an acute angle between the anterior and the outer
borders, and the front and the hinder faces of the protocone and the
hypocone are not so swollen as in the tooth referred to _T. haysii_. In
apparently every respect the teeth of the fossil agree with the teeth of
_Tapirus terrestris_ from Brazil. It is to be hoped that before long a
good skull of the Pleistocene tapir whose teeth so closely resemble
those of _T. terrestris_ will be discovered. If the two prove to be the
same species it will seem that only the descendants of those which
migrated to North America perished during the Glacial period.
There is another tooth, an upper left second molar, of _T. terrestris_
in the Scanlan collection; also the rear half of an upper molar labeled
as coming from Bull River. Other fragments of teeth are recorded as
coming from Ashley River.
In the Charleston Museum (No. 13495) is a part of the left ramus of the
lower jaw with the 3 molars. On measurement it is found that the teeth
and jaw agree closely with those of _T. terrestris_.
GEORGIA.
(Map 19.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—In Bulletin No. 26 of the Geological
Survey of Georgia, Mr. J. W. Gidley published a list of species of
vertebrate fossils which belong to the State collection at Atlanta,
secured during some dredging operations at Brunswick. This list, with
modifications, is incorporated in that presented on page 370. Among the
fossils examined by Gidley, a tooth was recognized as that of _Tapirus
haysii_.
FLORIDA.
(Map 19.)
1. _Neals, Alachua County._—Through the kindness of Dr. E. H. Sellards,
State geologist of Florida, the writer has been permitted to examine
various teeth (No. 1186, Florida Geological Survey) taken from the T. A.
Thompson phosphate mines at Neals. Among these is a lower left milk
molar of a tapir. The length of the crown is 21 mm., the width at the
front lobe 14 mm., at the hinder lobe 12.5 mm. The buttresses are well
developed. The tooth may be provisionally referred to _Tapirus
terrestris_, yet living in Brazil. Although this tooth was found in
phosphate materials, it seemed to Dr. Sellards more probable that it was
an intrusion from Pleistocene deposits. The present writer refers the
Alachua clays to the Nebraskan stage of the Pleistocene. Sellards has
referred to this tooth in his Eighth Annual Report, 1916, p. 94.
2. _Archer, Alachua County._—In 1884 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1884, p. 119), Leidy briefly described a tooth of a tapir found by Dr.
J. C. Neal, of Archer, Florida. This is now in the U. S. National
Museum, No. 3329. The tooth is the third premolar of the left side,
implanted in a fragment of maxilla. The crown is 23 mm. long and 27 mm.
wide. Leidy stated that it differed neither in form nor size from the
corresponding tooth of the living _Tapirus americanus_ (_T.
terrestris_); but in a specimen of this the corresponding tooth is only
18.5 mm. long and 25 mm. wide. The fossil agrees in size with the same
tooth of _T. haysii_ from the Port Kennedy Cave in Pennsylvania (Hay,
Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXIII, p. 593). With this tooth had been found
teeth of a young mastodon, remains of several individuals of a species
of rhinoceros, some foot-bones of a llama, a calcaneum which Leidy
thought possibly belonged to the extinct _Cervus americanus_ (_Cervalces
scotti_), and vertebral centra of a small crocodile. The cervalces was
afterwards dropped from the lists. These remains had been found in a bed
of clay, occupying a ridge in a pine forest. The deposits are now known
as the Alachua clays, and they, as well as the contained fossils, will
be discussed on page 375. The tapir remains are not included in Leidy’s
list given in Bulletin 84 of the U. S. Geological Survey.
3. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—The writer has examined a number of tapir
teeth found in phosphate beds in Withlacoochee River, at Dunnellon. From
the Florida geological survey an upper left second premolar (No. 1440)
has been received which is considerably larger than the corresponding
tooth of _Tapirus terrestris_ and presents other peculiarities. It may
have belonged to _T. haysii_. An upper second true molar (No. 1440) has
the crown 23 mm. long, 27 mm. wide across the front lobe, and 23 mm.
across the hinder lobe. The corresponding dimensions of a specimen of
_T. terrestris_ from Surinam are 24 mm., 25.5 mm., and 21.5 mm. A tooth
(No. 1378) which appears to be the lower left second molar is 22.5 mm.
long, 19 mm. wide in front, and 20 mm. wide behind. The corresponding
measurements of _T. terrestris_ are 22.5 mm., 18.5 mm., and 17.5 mm. The
buttresses which descend from the outer ends of the crests of the fossil
tooth are not so strongly developed as in _T. terrestris_. Probably
these teeth belong to an undescribed species. An upper molar having a
length of 23 mm. has been shown the writer by Dr. L. W. Stephenson; it
was found in phosphate deposits at Dunnellon and sent to him by Sister
M. Catherine, of St. Joseph’s Academy, at St. Augustine.
4. _Near Ocala, Marion County._—Mr. J. D. Robertson, of Ocala, presented
to the National Museum a tooth of a tapir, found in phosphate deposits a
few miles from Ocala, section 5, township 15 south, range 23 east.
5. _Tampa, Hillsboro County._—In the collection of fossils, at
Vanderbilt University, made from the phosphate-producing beds in
Hillsboro County, is part of the left ramus of a lower jaw of a tapir
containing the first and second true molars. The first molar has a
length of 24 mm. and a width of 20 mm. in front. This is smaller than
the corresponding tooth of _T. terrestris_ and near that supposed to
belong to _T. veroensis_. The second molar has lost its hinder crest.
Under the first molar the jaw is 54 mm. deep and 37 mm. thick.
The writer (Fossil Turtles of North America, p. 361) reported the
finding of tapir teeth in Alafia River, in this county.
6. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—At this important locality remains of
tapirs have been found in the bed of sands known as No. 2, and likewise
in the bed of muck mentioned in discussions of the locality as No. 3.
From the latter have been secured parts of 2 lower jaws and a number of
detached teeth (Sellards, 8th Ann. Rep., p. 149). One at least of these
(No. 6943) appears to belong to _Tapirus haysii_. From No. 2 Dr.
Sellards has obtained a nearly complete skull of a tapir, described
(10th and 11th Ann. Rep. Fla. Geol. Surv., p. 57, plates I-IV) as
_Tapirus veroensis_. From the same stratum he (8th Ann. Rep., p. 139)
secured a part of a tooth which he referred with some doubt to _T.
haysii_.
7. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—Dr. Joseph Leidy (Trans. Wagner Free
Inst., vol. II, p. 19) stated he had examined 3 crowns of upper molars
and fragments of others. In no way did he find them differing from those
of the South American tapir, _T. americanus_ (_T. terrestris_). On page
380 will be found a list of the vertebrate fossils found in this
vicinity.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 19.)
1. _Natchez, Adams County._—In 1849 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol.
IV, p. 182), Dr. Leidy wrote that there was in the collection of the
Academy a tooth of a tapir discovered by Dr. M. W. Dickeson near
Natchez. It had been found in association with remains of the mastodon
and the horse _Equus americanus_ (=_E. complicatus_). The tooth was
pronounced a lower molar of the left side, apparently the third milk
molar, and was referred to _Tapirus americanus fossilis_; that is, it
was looked upon as a fossil tooth of the existing South American tapir.
The molar was mentioned by Leidy in 1860 (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene
Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 106). The writer has seen this tooth in
the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia.
In 1852 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VI, p. 148), Leidy called
the attention of the Academy to a fragment of a left lower jaw with 2
teeth of a tapir found in the Pleistocene near Natchez and sent to Leidy
by the geologist B. L. C. Wailles. It was referred to _Tapirus haysii_.
This specimen was figured and described by Leidy in 1860 (Holmes’s
“Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 107, plate XVII, figs. 4,
5). Wailles mentioned this jaw in his work (Agric. Geol. Mississippi,
1854, p. 285), and stated that it was found in a ravine on Pine Ridge,
which runs through townships 7 and 8, range 3 west, about 6 miles north
of Natchez.
In a list (furnished by Dr. Joseph Leidy) of fossil mammals found in the
Pleistocene of Mississippi, 2 species of tapirs are included, viz,
_Tapirus americanus_ (=_T. terrestris_) and _T. haysii_ (Wailles, op.
cit., p. 286; Hilgard, Agric. Geol. Mississippi, 1860, p. 196). The
associated species will be listed on page 391.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 19. Figure 23.)
1. _Whitesburg, Hamblen County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
collection of bones and teeth of several species of vertebrates, made in
what may once have been the floor of a cave, near the village mentioned.
On page 395 will be found a list of the species. Among the remains are
10 teeth, in fine preservation, of a young tapir, described by the
writer (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 88, plate III, figs. 4 to
11), and made the type of a new species, _Tapirus tennesseæ_.
2. _Dandridge, Jefferson County._—On the left bank of Dumplin (or
Dumpling) Creek, about 5 miles above its entrance into French Broad
River, and apparently about as many miles northwest from Dandridge, is a
cavern known as Zirkel’s Cave. Dr. H. C. Mercer briefly described (Dept.
Amer. and Prehist. Archæology, Univ. Penn., 1896) his investigation of
the cave. He reported the finding of remains of tapir, peccary, bear,
and small rodents; but these were not specifically determined.
3. _Lookout Mountain, Hamilton County._—In 1894 (Amer. Naturalist, vol.
XXVIII, p. 356), Mercer reported that he had found teeth of a tapir in a
cave on Lookout Mountain. Cope, on page 597 of the same volume,
identified these teeth as those of _T. haysii_. With them was found a
bone, thought to belong to a mylodon.
According to a letter received by the writer from Dr. Mercer, the tapir
specimen consisted of a lower right ramus, 1 left incisor, and 5 molars.
The teeth appear all to have been loose and the jawbone was broken into
about 8 fragments. The cave and its contents will be discussed on page
398.
4. _Bristol, Sullivan County._—In the U. S. National Museum are 2 tapir
teeth in a fragment of the left maxilla. These are the fourth premolar
and the first molar, both considerably worn. The size of these teeth
indicates that they belong to _Tapirus haysii_.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 19.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—The evidences for the occurrence of a
species of tapir at this place are not as convincing as might be
desired. In 1852, Dr. I. Hays (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VI, p.
53) presented to the Academy a tooth of a tapir which he had had in his
possession two years and which was said by him to have come from the bed
of a canal in North Carolina. This tooth was named by Leidy _Tapirus
haysii_ on page 106 of the volume cited and again on page 148, but
without description. It was again mentioned by him in 1853 (Jour. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, p. 201) and again without description. In
1860, Leidy (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 106,
plate XVI, figs. 7, 8) described and figured the tooth and stated that
it was supposed to have come from Bigbone Lick. Which of the statements
was correct the writer does not know.
2. _Stamping Ground, Scott County._—In 1910 the writer received for
examination from Professor Arthur M. Miller, professor of geology in the
State University at Lexington, Kentucky, a part of a lower jaw of
_Tapirus haysii_, found between the town named and Georgetown, in the
bottom of a filled-up sink-hole encountered in lead-mining operations,
on McConnell’s Run. In this specimen all the molars are complete and the
roots of the 3 hinder premolars are present.
3. _Yarnallton, Fayette County._—From Professor Miller there was
received with the specimen above described pieces of the jaws of
_Tapirus haysii_, discovered in an old stream-deposit at the place
named. A fragment of a lower jaw was sent; also a piece of a right
maxilla, with the anterior true molar complete and parts of the second
molar and of the hindermost premolar. Some other parts of the skeleton
were found, but they seem not to have been cared for.
FINDS OF RHINOCEROSES IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
FLORIDA.
1. _Archer, Alachua County._—Two species of rhinoceros have been
described from this locality. In 1884 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p.
118), Dr. Joseph Leidy reported the discovery, with other fossils, of
remains of a species of the genus _Rhinoceros_ in Alachua clays, but he
gave it no name. This was, however, done in 1885 (same Proceedings,
1885, p. 32). In 1896, after the death of Leidy, his unfinished paper,
completed and edited by Professor F. A. Lucas, was published (Trans.
Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. IV, p. 41 seq., with numerous figures).
This species is now referred to _Teleoceras_, as _Teleoceras proterus_.
In 1890 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1890, p. 94), Leidy described
another species which he called _Rhinoceros longipes_, from the same
place and deposit. This species is now called _Aphelops longipes_.
These species are usually credited to the Upper Miocene or Lower
Pliocene. The reader is referred to page 376, where the geological
position of these beds is discussed.
2. _Williston, Levy County._—In his list of 1892 (Bull. U. S. Geol.
Surv., No. 84, p. 129), furnished by Leidy, W. H. Dall included
_Rhinoceros proterus_ among the fossils found at Mixon’s, near the
village of Williston.
3. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—In 1913 (5th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 58), Dr. E. H. Sellards stated that some remains of a
rhinoceros had been found in the mines worked along Withlacoochee River,
in the region about Dunnellon. In volume VIII of the Florida Survey,
page 94, _Aphelops malacorhinus_ (=_A. longipes_) is included among the
fossils found in the Dunnellon formation. It is not included in his list
of Pleistocene species found in the Withlacoochee River (Florida Geol.
Surv., vol. VIII, p. 104). This was doubtless because he regarded it as
belonging to an earlier formation.
4. _Mulberry, Polk County._—In 1915 (7th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv.,
p. 72), Sellards stated that a tooth of _Teleoceras fossiger_ (in the
present work recognized as _T. proterus_) had been discovered in the
Bone Valley phosphate formation, at the place named. As in other cases,
the Bone Valley formation was referred to the Late Tertiary.
5. _Brewster, Polk County._—In the volume last referred to, on page 72,
Sellards mentions parts of jaws and teeth found in a phosphate mine at
Brewster which are different from those of _Teleoceras proterus_. Some
of these are figured by Sellards on his pages 107 and 108. They have not
been specifically or generically determined.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE PECCARIES IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
NEW YORK.
(Map 20.)
1. _Rochester, Monroe County._—In 1889 (Trans. Wagner Inst. Sci., vol.
II, pp. 33–40), Leidy described and figured a skull of _Platygonus
compressus_, purchased of Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, at
Rochester, and said to have been found in a gravel bank in a railroad
excavation, a few miles from Rochester. This skull was a part of 2
incomplete skeletons found lying together.
The writer received word from Professor Henry L. Ward, director of the
Milwaukee Public Museum, that he recollects that, when a small boy,
about 1873 or 1874, he went with his father, Henry A. Ward, to some
point on the New York Central Railroad, where peccary remains had been
found. He thinks the place was at or near Pittsford. Dr. F. A. Lucas,
director of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, then in
the employ of the elder Ward, writes that the place was at Pittsford,
and in a gravel bank being worked by the railroad company to obtain
materials for a fill. The exact depth at which the bones were found is
not recalled, but it was not great.
The locality, according to Fairchild’s plate 42 (Bull. 127, State Mus.,
New York), is on the predecessor of Irondequoit Bay, extending out from
Lake Iroquois. The peccaries possibly lived rather early in the late
Wisconsin stage; but more probably their time of existence was
considerably later, when the climate had become milder.
2. _Gainesville, Wyoming County._—From Mr. C. A. Hartnagel, assistant
State geologist of New York, the writer received notice of the
discovery, in 1914, of the remains of 2 peccaries at a point about
one-third of a mile northwest of Gainesville. The remains consist of 2
nearly complete skulls, parts of 5 ribs, 2 scapulæ, 2 metacarpals, 1
innominate bone, 1 ilium, 1 radius, 1 ulna, and 2 tibiæ. These have been
identified by Dr. John M. Clarke as belonging to _Platygonus
compressus_.
The manner of burial of these peccaries is puzzling and interesting.
They were found in a hill, or drumlin, which stands out on a plain of
considerable extent and whose long axis runs north and south. The
elevation is 1,625 feet above sea-level. The drumlin is about 600 feet
long, about 300 feet wide, and 40 feet high. It is composed of sand,
gravel, and stones up to a foot in diameter. The bones are said to have
been discovered by a contractor who was removing sand and gravel. The
bones were at the south end of the drumlin and buried in a considerable
pocket of sand. Those reporting the position of the bones place them at
least 10 feet from the surface, and perhaps as much as 30 feet. Mr.
Hartnagel thinks it is almost necessary to suppose that the skeletons
were there when the drumlin was built. To the writer it would appear
still more difficult to explain how they happened to be there at that
time.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 20.)
1. _Shark River, Monmouth County._—In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., vol. VII, p. 387), Leidy described a tooth of a peccary shown to
him by Timothy Conrad, but found by Dr. P. Knieskern, supposedly in a
Miocene formation of Shark River. Leidy expressed the conclusion that
the tooth resembled very closely a premolar of _Dicotyles nasutus_, now
called _Mylohyus nasutus_. It is very probable that the tooth had gotten
into Miocene materials by accident or that there was some error in the
history, and that it really belonged to a Pleistocene peccary.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 20.)
1. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1880, p. 347) reported _Dicotyles nasutus_ from the Crystal Hill
(Hartman’s) cave near Stroudsburg; but later (Ann. Rep. for 1887,
Pennsylvania Geol. Surv., p. 8, plate II, figs. 3–6) he described the
teeth and parts of the jaws as _Dicotyles pennsylvanicus_. This species
will be found on page 310 under the name _Mylohyus pennsylvanicus_, in
the list of fossils found in this cave. There too will be found a
discussion of the location of the cave and the probable age of the
remains.
2. _Port Kennedy, Montgomery County._—In the bone cave at this place
have been found 3 species of peccaries. Cope, in 1899 (Jour. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Phila., ser. 2, vol. II, pp. 259–263) described these under the
names _Mylohyus tetragonus_, _M. pennsylvanicus_, and _M. nasutus_. The
first was a new species, based on a damaged lower jaw with some of the
teeth (op. cit., plate XXI, figs. 3–3b). For the present the writer
refers it to the genus _Tagassu_, inasmuch as the interval between the
canine and the first premolar (pm^2) is only half the length of the
whole tooth row, and the molars have the structure found in _Tagassu_.
Some teeth belonging to an upper jaw were referred with doubt to this
species. They may have belonged to _Mylohyus pennsylvanicus_. Of the
species last named, Cope had fragments of 2 lower jaw’s with some teeth
in them and some teeth free from the jaws. Of _Mylohyus nasutus_, Cope
had from the cave only an upper canine and its reference to this species
is uncertain.
On page 312 will be found a list of the species of vertebrates found in
the Port Kennedy Cave; also remarks on their geological age.
3. _Milroy, Mifflin County._—In 1882, Leidy described (Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Phila., 1882, p. 302) a species of peccary found in a limestone
cave in the county named, but he gave no more exact information; nor did
he do so in his two subsequent references to it in 1889 (Trans. Wagner
Inst., vol. II, p. 49; Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania for 1887, p.
12, plate II, figs. 1, 2). The specimen is in the Academy of Natural
Sciences at Philadelphia. In the Pennsylvania survey, as quoted, the
giver is called John Schwarzer. The name of the species is _Platygonus
vetus_. The writer has been informed by J. C. Swigart, county surveyor
of Mifflin County, that the proper name of the donor of the specimen was
John Swartzell, a former surveyor who lived near Milroy and who was much
interested in geology.
From Professor Mosheim Swartzell, of Washington, D. C., son of John
Swartzell, the writer has received a letter in which are given this
son’s recollections regarding the finding of the specimen in question.
He states that it was discovered in Naginey’s limestone quarry, 1.5
miles south of Milroy. It came from a considerable, but now unknown,
distance from the surface and was first noticed in the débris of the
quarry. While Mr. John Swartzell was observing it, an ignorant workman
struck it with a tool and damaged it, exclaiming that it was only the
jaw of a hog. It was later sent to Philadelphia. Professor Swartzell
writes that there was a cave not far away, but that the jaw was not
found in it; it probably had fallen down into a crevice of the
limestone.
4. _Frankstown, Blair County._—In 1908 (Ann. Carnegie Mus., vol. IV, p.
231), Dr. W. J. Holland reported remains of a number of peccaries found
in a bone cave at the place named. He mentioned especially _Dicotyles
pennsylvanicus_, but thought it belonged properly in _Platygonus_. It is
probably to be referred to _Mylohyus_ as _M. pennsylvanicus_.
OHIO.
(Maps 20, 36.)
1. _Wilmington, Clinton County._—In the collection of the Archæological
and Historical Museum of the University of Ohio, at Columbus, are
considerable parts of the jaws, teeth, and other parts of the skeleton
of a specimen of _Platygonus compressus_ exhumed at a point about 4.5
miles north of west of Wilmington. The locality is given as being in the
northeast corner of Adams Township, south of the road running northeast
and southwest between Todd and Dutch Creeks; also about 0.6 mile south
of the north line of Adams Township and about 0.75 mile from the east
line. It would therefore be near the second northwesterly directed loop
of Todd Creek in that neighborhood.
2. _Columbus, Franklin County_.—In 1875 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci.,
vol. XXIII, Hartford, pp. 1–6; also in Cin. Quart. Jour. Sci., vol. II,
pp. 1–6), J. H. Klippart gave an account of the finding of about a dozen
skeletons of _Platygonus compressus_. These were buried in 2 “nests” not
far from each other. The bones were rather brittle and were damaged
somewhat in exhuming them. The place of burial was in the bank
(apparently the right) of Olentangy River, at the crossing of Olentangy
and Montgomery streets. The remains were here buried in a sand-bank. One
lot of 6 of the smallest animals was found in penetrating the sand bank
about 20 feet from the entrance and at a depth of 8 feet from the
surface. They were embedded in calcareous clay and sand. The other 6 and
largest animals were found about 6 feet farther in and about 4 feet
deeper. It appears that all the animals were lying with their snouts
directed toward the southeast. Klippart thought that they had been
destroyed suddenly and violently. It is, however, probable that they had
been frozen in their beds during a winter storm. Of these skeletons it
appears that half went to Professor O. C. Marsh, of Yale University, and
the present writer has had the privilege of studying them. The
geological age of the animals will be considered on page 330.
3. _Chalfants, Perry County._—In the collection of the Archæological and
Historical Museum at the University of Ohio are considerable parts of a
specimen of _Platygonus compressus_ found not far from Jonathan Creek,
about a mile northeast of Chalfants. The locality, as given the writer
by Professor W. C. Mills, is as follows: center of southwest quarter of
section 14, township 17 north, range 16 west. The name of the political
township is Hopewell. The locality appears to be on the area covered by
Illinoian drift. This fact makes it possible that the animals lived
during the Sangamon stage.
4. _Lisbon, Columbiana County._—In the collection just mentioned is the
left ramus of a lower jaw of a peccary which the writer referred with
doubt to _Mylohyus nasutus_ Leidy. It lacks so much of the front end
that only 18 mm. of the symphysis is present; also, the ascending ramus
is broken off. There are present the 3 milk molars and the first molar,
but this is yet in its cavity in the bone. A comparison with Leidy’s _M.
pennsylvanicus_ seems to show that the jaw did not belong to that
species. Of _M. nasutus_ no lower jaw is known.
_Table of measurements, in millimeters_.
┌─────────────┬───────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┐
│ Specimen. │ Lisbon jaw. │ M. penn. │
├─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┼─────────────┬─────────────┤
│ │ Length. │ Width. │ Length. │ Width. │
├─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┤
│ Dm_{2} │ 9│ 5│ 7│ 4.5│
│ Dm_{3} │ 12│ 8│ 11│ 7│
│ Dm_{4} │ 19.5│ 11│ 18│ 10.5│
│ M_{1} │ 16.5│ 12│ 16│ 13│
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘
This specimen was found near the southern edge of Lisbon, on Middle Fork
of Little Beaver Creek, in the northwest quarter of the northeast
quarter of section 24, township 18 north, range 3 west. The locality is
apparently outside of the glaciated area; and it is at present
impossible to determine the geological age of the animal beyond that it
undoubtedly belongs to the Pleistocene. The writer believes that
_Mylohyus nasutus_ did not survive the Wisconsin ice-stage. The specimen
was described and figured by the writer in 1914 (Iowa Geol. Surv., vol.
XXIII, p. 226, plate XXV, figs. 4–6).
MICHIGAN.
(Map 36.)
1. _Belding, Ionia County._—So far as the writer knows, no species of
peccary has been found in the State of Michigan, except at Belding. The
remains are in the palæontological collection of the University of
Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and belong to the species _Platygonus
compressus_ Le Conte. The remains are said to consist of bones of 5
individuals; and Mr. N. A. Wood, preparator at the university, informed
the writer there are 294 bones. The skull of one of the 5 individuals
was missing when the collection was made. The skeletons were found in a
peat-swamp, in 1877, and were sent to Professor Alexander Winchell by
Mr. A. Tuttle. A skull belonging to this collection was described in
1903 (Jour. Geology, vol. XI, p. 777, figs. 1–4) by Mr. George Wagner.
It seems probable that there, as in two or three other known cases, a
herd of these animals, asleep together, had succumbed to rigorous
weather, probably to a winter blizzard.
Belding is situated on Flat River, a tributary of Grand River. It lies
close to a part of the Charlotte moraine system, thought to be
correlated with the Valparaiso system. These peccaries could not have
lived in that region until after the Wisconsin ice had retired into Lake
Michigan, or nearly so. It is more probable that they lived there long
after this retirement, at a time when the climate had become much
warmer.
INDIANA.
(Map 36.)
1. _Gibson County._—The type specimen of _Mylohyus nasutus_ was found
somewhere in this county. The specimen was first mentioned by Leidy in
1860 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p. 416), but without other
designation than peccary. Leidy wrote that it had been sent to him by
Dr. David D. Owen, who informed him that it had been discovered in
Gibson County, in digging a well, at a depth of between 30 and 40 feet.
No more exact locality has ever been determined. The specimen consisted
of the front of the skull only. It was later described by Leidy (Proc.
same Academy, 1868, p. 230), under the name _Dicotyles nasutus_; and in
1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, p. 385, plate XXVIII,
figs. 1, 2) was further described and illustrated. The figures referred
to have been reproduced by the present writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv.
Indiana, vol. XXXIII, p. 607, text-figs. 42, 43), and again in 1914
(Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXIII, plate XXVI, figs. 1, 2).
It is unfortunate that Owen and Leidy did not more accurately establish
the locality where this jaw was found. In Gibson County there is a
considerable variety of geological deposits, even considering only those
belonging to the Pleistocene and Recent. The eastern and the
southeastern portion lies outside the drift-covered region. A strip
along the Wabash is occupied by alluvial deposits belonging to the
Recent epoch. Outside of this is another strip covered mostly by
Illinoian drift.
The Patoka Quadrangle, described in Folio No. 105 of the U. S.
Geological Survey, published in 1904, covers nearly the whole of Gibson
County. An examination of this folio shows how complicated are the later
geological features of the region. It is fair to suppose that a well
from 30 to 40 feet in depth was dug, especially at that time, in the
higher parts of the county, where the elevation is somewhere near 500
feet above sea-level. Here such a well would probably go through the
rather scattering Wisconsin deposits of various kinds or through the
loess referred to the Iowan stage, reaching perhaps the Sangamon; or
through later Illinoian or early Sangamon lake deposits and Illinoian
glacial accumulations into pre-Illinoian deposits. The folio cited notes
(p. 3) the presence of deposits supposed to belong to the beginning of
the Illinoian stage. These contained zones of black muck and other
organic materials; and in places were found logs and what were thought
by the well-diggers to be “black-oak” leaves. All these might have been
of Aftonian age; and in deposits of that time might have been found the
jaw of _Mylohyus nasutus_.
This species has been reported from a number of other localities; but
the remains have been of so imperfect character that the identifications
may have been erroneous. Professor Cope reported in 1869 (Proc. Amer.
Philos. Soc., vol. XI, p. 176) that he had found several molars and
canine teeth of this animal in cave breccia in Wythe County, Virginia.
The breccia appeared to be very old, and in them were found a species of
_Megalonyx_, _Equus complicatus?_, _Tapirus haysii_, _Ursus amplidens_,
and many other extinct species.
Cope in 1899 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. XI, p. 263) announced
this species from the Port Kennedy cave in southeastern Pennsylvania. In
this case there were found only a canine and 4 molars; hence not too
much reliance must be placed on the identification. A large majority of
the numerous species found in the Port Kennedy cave are extinct. Among
these are species of _Megalonyx_, a mylodon, a bear, 2 species of
saber-tooth tigers, a tapir, 1 or 2 species of horse, and 3 species of
peccaries. One can hardly doubt that the animals belonged to the early
part of the Pleistocene. The indications are that the known examples of
_Mylohyus nasutus_ belonged to the first half of the Pleistocene; that
is, to the Sangamon stage or to the Aftonian.
2. _Near Williams, Lawrence County._—In the collection of the University
of Indiana are some peccary remains found in Rock Cliff quarry, not far
northwest from Williams. These were described by the writer in 1912
(Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXIII, pp. 596, 605). The remains were
secured by Professor J. W. Beede. A part of a lower jaw which contained
a first true molar and impressions of the second and third molars was
referred to Leidy’s species _Tagassu lenis_. A large last upper molar
(op. cit., p. 605, plate IV, fig. 2) was referred with some doubt to
_Platygonus vetus_.
These remains, together with some bones of one or the other of these
species and a carapace of the box-tortoise still living in that region,
were inclosed in masses of stalagmite which appear to have pretty
completely filled an old cave in the limestone, encountered in quarrying
operations. According to Professor Beede, the cave had, when he saw it,
been all quarried away except one corner. This was from 20 to 30 feet
below the general surface at that place. It was about 100 feet above the
present level of White River, about on a level with the highest terrace
along that stream. The probabilities are that the peccaries and the
box-tortoise belong to one of the earlier Pleistocene interglacial
stages. Professor Beede is inclined to believe that the cave was filled
during the Illinoian glacial stage by streams carrying in mud and sand
and gravel. If this view is correct the inclosed remains would be at
least as old as the Yarmouth.
The species _Tagassu lenis_ is closely related to the peccary which now
lives in southwestern Texas and Mexico, and it has been regarded as
identical with it; but there appear to be reasons why it should be
retained under its own name. It was first described from teeth found
among materials coming from the phosphate deposits about Charleston,
South Carolina. Certainly many of the species found there lived during
the early part of the Pleistocene.
It is possible that certain teeth referred by Cope (Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci., Phila., 1867, p. 155) to the existing peccary belonged to _T.
lenis_; but there is nothing known regarding their exact geological age.
Other teeth found in the lead region of Illinois were identified by
Wyman as those of the existing peccary. They too may have been those of
_T. lenis_. The writer regards the animals found in the lead crevices as
belonging to rather late Pleistocene, possibly to Peorian or Sangamon
times. As to the remains found in the cave in Lawrence County it is
probable that they date back to the Sangamon stage.
3. _Laketon, Wabash County._—In the Fourteenth Annual Report of the
Geological Survey of Indiana, page 20, Cope and Wortman stated there was
in the Survey’s collection the symphyseal portion of the lower jaw and a
large part of the left ramus with all the premolar teeth, except the
last. This had been found at Laketon, in Wabash County. There were given
no further details, and the writer failed to find the specimen in the
collection. In the collection of Earlham College, Richmond, are
photographs of probably this specimen and of a part of the upper jaw.
The latter bone shows 3 premolars and the first molar; the lower jaw
presents the symphysis, the right canine, and the 2 anterior premolars.
The photographs are labeled as those of _Platygonus compressus_,
determined by Cope, and as made from the Wabash County specimen.
All the region about Laketon is covered with Wisconsin drift or
materials derived from it. The peccary found must have lived after the
retirement of the border of the glacier beyond the Wabash River. It was
probably long after this and when the climate was perhaps warmer than it
is now.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 20, 38.)
1. _Galena, Jo Daviess County._—In 1848, Dr. John L. Le Conte (Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. V, pp. 102–106) described what he regarded as 5 new
species of fossil mammals from the lead region of Illinois. These had
been secured by Mr. Wm. Snyder, of Galena, in a lead crevice 50 feet
below the surface, filled with a mixture of clay and sand cemented by
oxide of iron into a hard mass from which the specimens could not be
removed without great injury. The species described were called
_Platygonus compressus_, _Hyops depressifrons_, _Protochœrus
prismaticus_, _Procyon priscus_, and _Anomodon snyderi_. The last was
regarded as related to the moles. _Procyon priscus_ resembled closely
the existing _P. lotor_. The 3 species first mentioned are now regarded
as belonging to a single species, which takes the name _Platygonus
compressus_. It may be remarked that the original spelling of the
generic name was due perhaps to a lapsus calami or to a printer’s error.
In the complete paper published shortly afterward the name was spelled
_Platygonus_. It is to be added that the teeth which served as the type
of the so-called species _Protochœrus prismaticus_ were found at a
locality 15 miles from the place where the other remains were obtained;
but as to where this place was nothing is said.
In 1848 (Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, Sci., vol. III, pp. 257–274, plates I to
IV) _Platygonus compressus_ was more completely described. Various teeth
and parts of the skull and some limb-bones were figured. In this article
it is stated that the remains described had been found in a lead crevice
a few miles from Galena. A portion of the bones had been preserved by
the miners and had at length found their way into the hands of Mr.
Snyder, a merchant in Galena.
In 1852 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VI, pp. 3–5) _Hyops
depressifrons_ and _Protochœrus prismaticus_ were further described, the
first being placed in the genus _Dicotyles_. Both of these are now
regarded as belonging to _Platygonus compressus_.
The writer has considered it as probable that the peccary remains, as
well as _Procyon priscus_ and _Anomodon snyderi_, are of Late Wisconsin
age; but it is possible that they are somewhat older. The reader is
referred to page 343, where the Pleistocene of the lead region is
discussed.
2. _Alton, Madison County._—In the McAdams collection, of which a
general account has been given on page 339, is a part of a lower canine
tooth which apparently differs in no way from the corresponding canine
of _Platygonus cumberlandensis_, found by Mr. J. W. Gidley in a
limestone fissure near Cumberland, Maryland. On page 350 will be found a
list of the species found in this fissure and their geological age.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 20.)
1. _Bluemounds, Dane County._—In 1862, Professor J. D. Whitney reported
(Geol. Surv. Wisconsin, vol. I, pp. 135, 136) that he had discovered in
a crevice at Bluemounds, accompanied by bones and some teeth of the
mastodon, a buffalo, and a wolf, several fragments of jaws and some
teeth and other bones of a peccary, in an excellent state of
preservation. At the top of his page 134 Whitney indicates that these
remains belonged to the species now called _Platygonus compressus_. On
page 422 of the same volume Jeffries Wyman, in reporting on the
vertebrate remains collected in the lead region, mentions only 3 teeth;
and these, he said, differed much from either of the fossil species and
agreed with the existing peccary. From Whitney’s note at the bottom of
his page 135 we may suppose that these 3 teeth were found in Iowa, near
Dubuque. It is probable that the teeth found at Bluemounds belonged to
_Tagassu lenis_.
In 1866 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. I, p. 162), Whitney stated that from
a crevice near Bluemounds he got peccary bones and teeth which were
supposed to be identical with the animals now living. Leidy (Jour. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, p. 384) stated that he believed that teeth
found in Wisconsin belonged to _Dicotyles lenis_. One can not be certain
regarding the age of these animals found in this lead region. They are
probably pre-Wisconsin. The age will be discussed on page 343.
MARYLAND.
(Map 20.)
1. _Benedict, Charles County._—More than 50 years ago Cope (Proc. Nat.
Sci. Phila., 1867, p. 155) reported the finding of peccary jaws mingled
with remains of Miocene vertebrates collected by James T. Thomas, near
his residence in Charles County, not far from Patuxent River, near
Benedict. Cope recognized that the peccary and a part of a jaw of
_Grison macrodon_ (referred by Cope to _Galera_) belonged to the
Pleistocene. The peccary was referred to the existing species _Dicotyles
(Tagassu) torquatus_; likewise their similarity to the remains described
by Leidy from Charleston, South Carolina, was noted. They are assigned
here to _Tagassu lenis_. The jaws from the Patuxent locality are now in
the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia.
2. _Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County._—Mr. William Palmer, of the U. S.
National Museum, has shown the writer 3 teeth of a peccary secured at
the place named. These will be mentioned in the discussion of the
geology of the locality. A left third premolar is 10.3 mm. long and 6.2
mm. wide. A left second molar is 12 mm. long and 10 mm. wide. These
apparently belonged to _Tagassu lenis_.
In March 1921, Dr. Adolph H. Schultz, of the Johns Hopkins Medical
School, presented to the U. S. National Museum a part of the left ramus
of the lower jaw of a peccary found at Chesapeake Beach. This fragment
contains the first and second molars and the sockets of the fourth
premolar and the third molar. This jaw and the teeth have been compared
with the corresponding parts of a specimen of _Tagassu angulatus_ (No.
35815, U. S. Nat. Mus.), secured along the boundary between the United
States and Mexico. In size the fossil teeth differ little from those of
_T. angulatus_; the first molar is, however, somewhat wider; the conule
between the two hindermost cones, the hypoconulid, is much smaller than
in the existing peccary used for comparison. The inner face of each
tooth is not so flat in the fossil as in the other species. In the
fossil the height of the jaw at the second molar is 28 mm.; in _T.
angulatus_ 35 mm. The specimen is referred to _Tagassu lenis_.
3. _Corriganville, Allegany County._—In a rock crevice 3 miles west of
north of Cumberland, J. W. Gidley found abundant remains of peccaries.
These were described by him in 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVII,
pp. 651–678, plates LIV, LV, 13 text-figs.). He recognized 4 species, 2
belonging to _Platygonus_ and 2 to _Mylohyus_. The new species,
_Platygonus cumberlandensis_ and _P. intermedius_ and _Mylohyus
exortivus_, are based on materials found in the fissure. With the other
materials he recognized a part of a lower jaw, which he referred to _M.
pennsylvanicus_.
4. _Cavetown, Washington County._—In 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol.
LVII, pp. 96–109), the writer described a collection of fossil
vertebrates made at Cavetown by the officers of Phillips Academy,
Andover, Massachusetts. Among the species are 6 which belong to the
group of peccaries, as follows: _Mylohyus nasutus_ (Leidy), _M.
exortivus_ Gidley, _M. obtusidens_ Hay, _Tagassu? tetragonus?_ (Cope),
_Platygonus vetus_ Leidy, _P. cumberlandensis_ Gidley.
These and the associated species apparently lived here during
approximately the Middle Pleistocene, probably the Sangamon stage. A
list of the species found in the fissure and their geological relations
are presented on page 348. The specimen above referred provisionally to
_Tagassu tetragonus_ was called, in the paper cited above, _Platygonus
tetragonus_. It appears, however, to be nearer _Tagassu_. It may even
belong to an unnamed genus.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 20.)
1. _Ivanhoe, Wythe County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI,
p. 176), Cope reported he had found several molar and canine teeth of
_Dicotyles nasutus_, in cave breccia on New River, with remains of many
other species of vertebrates. This now bears the name _Mylohyus
nasutus_. A list of the species is given on page 353, where the
Pleistocene geology of Virginia is discussed.
2. _Augusta County._—In 1857 (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI, p.
104), Leidy stated he had examined a fragment of a lower jaw of a young
individual of _Platygonus compressus_, found in the county named. The
jaw contained the last milk molar, unworn. The first true molar had not
yet begun to protrude. The writer has seen this specimen in the
collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia. No other
information regarding its place of origin has been secured.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 20.)
1. _Renicks, Greenbrier County._—In 1920 (Rep. Smithson. Inst, for 1918,
p. 288, plates I-VI), J. W. Gidley reported on a visit he had made to a
cave situated on Greenbrier River, near Renicks. The cave was discovered
during quarrying operations in limestone. The greater part of the bones
had been destroyed before the workers appreciated their value. Only a
part of a skull of a peccary was secured, probably of the species
_Platygonus intermedius_ (Gidley, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVII, p.
669). It has the catalogue No. 8003 of the U. S. National Museum. This
animal is to be referred to the Middle Pleistocene.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 20.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—In 1860 (“Holmes’s Post-Pliocene
Fossils of South Carolina,” p. 108, plate XVII, figs. 13, 14), Leidy
reported the finding of teeth of a peccary in the Ashley River deposits.
These teeth, a lower third molar and probably a lower second molar, were
described under the name _Dicotyles fossilis_ and were said to have the
size and form of the corresponding teeth of the collared peccary,
_Dicotyles torquatus_ (=_Tagassu tajacu_). Fragments of some upper teeth
were said to have the size of those of _D. labiatus_. In 1869 (Jour.
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 2, vol. VII, p. 384), the fossil teeth just
mentioned were referred, with some others, to the new species _Dicotyles
lenis_. The principal character distinguishing the teeth of this species
from those of the existing peccaries mentioned is the absence of
accessory tubercles. This is shown also in an upper hindermost molar of
the same species, described by the writer (9th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Sur., 1917, p. 48, plate III, fig. 2) under the name _Tayassu lenis_.
The name should have been _Tagassu lenis_.
In the Pinckney collection, at the Pinckney residence, Lambs, South
Carolina, near Charleston, the writer examined a tooth of a peccary,
which apparently belongs to another species. It is taken to be a lower
hindermost molar. A part of the anterior crest and a part of one side
are broken off. The heel is relatively large, consisting of a hinder and
2 anterior tubercles; between the anterior tubercles is another minute
one. In the middle of each cross-valley is a tubercle. The length of the
fragment is 20.2 mm., the width 9.5 mm. This was evidently a larger
animal than _Tagassu lenis_.
FLORIDA.
(Map 20.)
1. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—Apparently 2 species of peccaries have been
found in the deposits along the drainage canal, near Vero, in the
uppermost stratum (No. 3). One, represented by a canine tooth, has not
been determined (Hay, Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., vol. IX, p. 50). It
appeared to be too large to belong to _Tagassu lenis_.
The other remains belonged to a small peccary and have been referred to
_Tagassu lenis_. In 1916 (Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VIII, p. 149),
Sellards reported the finding of 2 cheek-teeth and a tibia. One of the
teeth was taken from the stratum called No. 2; the other teeth and the
tibia had washed out of the bank and it was uncertain from which stratum
they had come. In 1917 (Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., vol. IX, pp. 45, 48,
plate III, fig. 2), the writer reported the finding of a hindermost
molar of a small peccary, believed to be _T. lenis_, in stratum No. 2;
also the discovery by Isaac M. Weills of a small canine of _T. lenis_ in
stratum No. 3 (op. cit., plate III, fig. 3). On page 50 of the same
paper the writer referred provisionally to _T. lenis_ the tibia above
mentioned.
2. _Palma Sola, Manatee County._—From this place have been sent to the
U. S. National Museum many specimens of fossil vertebrates, a list of
which will be found in the discussion of the Pleistocene geology of
Florida (p. 379). Some of these belong to the Pleistocene, others
apparently to the Miocene. Among the specimens is a right astragalus of
a peccary. While it is possible that the original possessor of this
astragalus lived during the Miocene, it does not seem probable. It may
have belonged to _Tagassu lenis_. The length of the bone is 32 mm., the
width across the lower end 19 mm.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 20. Figure 23.)
1. _Rogersville, Hawkins County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a part
of a lower left canine tooth of a peccary found near the place
mentioned. With it came an upper molar of _Equus leidyi_. The tooth
lacks most of the crown. It has been described by the writer under the
name _Mylohyus setiger_ (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 84, plate
III, figs. 21–23). The root of the tooth is 93 mm. long, measured along
the convexity of the curve. A little of the tip of the root is missing.
The size of the tooth indicates a very large animal.
2. _Whitesburg, Hamblen County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
considerable collection of bones and teeth made in 1885 near Whitesburg.
This locality and the accompanying species will be discussed on another
page. Among the remains are 3 upper canine teeth, referred by the writer
(Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 90, plate III, figs. 12–13) to
_Mylohyus nasutus_ Leidy. A list of the associated species will be found
on page 395.
3. _Dandridge, Jefferson County._—In 1896 (Dept. Amer. and Prehist.
Archæol. Univ. Penn.), Dr. H. C. Mercer reported he had found remains of
the tapir, peccary, bear, and small rodents in Zirkel’s Cave. The cave
is situated on the left bank of Dumplin Creek, about 5 miles above its
entrance into French Broad River. The species to which the peccary
remains belonged was not determined.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 20.)
1. _Rockcastle County._—In 1853, Dr. Leidy (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc.,
vol. X, p. 331, plates XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, figs. 5–8, 17, 19) described
under the name _Euchœrus macrops_, a fine skull of a peccary which had
been lying for 47 years in the collection of the society. It had been
sent there by Dr. Samuel Brown, of Lexington, Kentucky, and was said to
have been found in one of the nitrous caves of that State. The writer is
informed by Dr. Arthur M. Miller, Professor of Geology in the University
of Kentucky, that it is unlikely that the skull came from any of the
caves in the region about Lexington, as he had never heard any of them
had been worked for saltpeter. In the Transactions of the American
Philosophical Society for 1804 (vol. VI, pp. 235–247) is a paper by
Samuel Brown, in which he describes a cave in what is now Rockcastle
County. In this and some other neighboring caves were found immense
quantities of saltpeter. Probably the skull which Leidy afterward
described from this region was brought to light. It appears to have been
mentioned by Dr. B. S. Barton as early as 1806 (Phila. Med. and Phys.
Jour., vol. II, plate I, p. 158). It is now in the collection of the
Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia. It was recognized by Leidy
as belonging to _Platygonus compressus_.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE CAMELIDÆ IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 21.)
1. It is not certain that any fossil camel remains have ever been found
in Pennsylvania. In 1899 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 2, vol. XI,
p. 264, plate XXI, figs. 4, 4_a_) Cope described _Teleopternus
orientalis_ and referred it to the Camelidæ. This was found in the Port
Kennedy cave, and whatever its relationships it belongs to the early
Pleistocene. Matthew (Osborn, Age of Mamm., p. 469) suggested that its
affinities might be with the musk-oxen.
FLORIDA.
(Map 21.)
1. _Archer, Alachua County._—In 1886 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1886, p. 12), Dr. Joseph Leidy briefly described three species of the
genus Procamelus from materials collected near Archer by Dr. W. H. Dall.
The teeth and bones had been found in what has been called the Alachua
clays, and were associated with a considerable number of species of
vertebrates. The list will be found on page 375, where the Pleistocene
geology is considered. The three species of camels were called _Auchenia
major_, _A. minor_, and _A. minimus_. They are now referred to the genus
_Procamelus_. In 1896 they were (Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. IV,
pp. VII-XIV, 15–61, with plates) described in more detail and
illustrated by Leidy and Lucas. The error of calling _P. minor_ by the
name _P. medius_, first introduced by Cope, was followed in the paper
just mentioned; and some authors have continued this practice. Dr. W. H.
Dall included these camels in his list (Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 84,
p. 129). Authors have in general referred to the Tertiary the deposit
which furnished these camels; the present writer believes that the
Alachua beds belong to the first glacial stage. The matter is further
discussed on pages 376 to 378.
2. _Williston, Levy County._—In 1892 (Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv., No. 84,
p. 129), Dr. W. H. Dall published a list, furnished by Joseph Leidy, of
the vertebrate fossils found at what was then known as Mixon’s bone-bed.
The species, with some additions, are listed on page 375. Among others
is _Procamelus major_. The species were found in the Alachua clays, and
these clays are referred by Sellards to the Upper Miocene or Lower
Pliocene.
3. _Ocala, Marion County._—In 1889 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1889,
p. 31; Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. II, pp. 13–17), Leidy
mentioned the discovery of a tooth of a camel, regarded by him as
belonging to _Procamelus_, in a limestone quarry at Ocala. With it were
described the saber-tooth tiger _Machairodus floridanus_. Teeth were
found also of a horse which is referred to _Equus leidyi_. A list of the
species found at this locality is on page 378. In the Philadelphia
Academy paper Leidy called the camel _Auchenia minor_. In the next paper
cited he regarded it as _A. minimus_.
4. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—In 1916 (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., pp. 94, 104), Dr. Sellards presented a list of the species of
vertebrates discovered in the Dunnellon formation at Dunnellon and
vicinity. Among the species is the camel _Procamelus minor_. This,
however, he did not include among the Pleistocene animals.
Undetermined teeth of a camel are mentioned by Sellards as found in the
phosphate mines at Dunnellon (5th Ann. Rep. Fla. Geol. Surv., p. 58).
5. _Hernando, Citrus County._—Sellards (5th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 58) reported a discovery of teeth of an undetermined species
of camel in a phosphate mine at Hernando. These probably are of the
genus _Procamelus_.
6. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—Some remains of a camel have been found in
the stratum at Vero known as No. 2, the one immediately overlying the
bed of marine marl. Sellards (8th Rep., p. 149) states there had been
secured up to that time two upper cheek-teeth, a distal end of a
cannon-bone, and a phalanx. The latter, a hinder first phalanx, is
figured (plate XXX, fig. 5). It resembles considerably the bone figured
by Leidy and Lucas (Trans. Wagner Free Inst., vol. IV, plate XVIII, fig.
8), but it presents important differences.
The anterior phalange figured by Leidy and Lucas is 85 mm. long; a
hinder phalange of the same animal would have been shorter. The hinder
phalange found at Vero is 104 mm. long. The probability is that its
owner was an animal considerably larger than Leidy’s _Procamelus
minimus_. The phalanx referred by Leidy and Lucas to _Procamelus medius_
(=_P. minor_) has exactly the length of that of _P. minimus_, but is a
much stouter bone, the side-to-side diameter at the middle of the length
being one-half greater. The Vero camel appears, therefore, to be
distinct from any of the Pliocene camels of Florida. It probably belongs
to the genus _Camelops_.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 21. Figure 23.)
1. _Nashville, Davidson County._—From Mr. W. E. Myer, of Nashville, the
writer has received for examination a right calcaneum of an undetermined
species of camel, belonging probably to the genus _Camelops_. This was
found near Nashville, in the bank of Cumberland River. At the same
locality were found part of a tooth of a young mastodon, a tooth of
_Equus leidyi_, a fragment of a femur of a probably larger horse, an
antler of a young deer, a tooth of _Mylodon_, and some fragments of
turtle bones. However, the horse remains and the antler are said to have
been lying in a layer of gravel, while the camel and mastodon were in a
bed of sand just above the gravel. Over these beds are nearly 30 feet of
gravel.
The total length of the calcaneum is 138 mm., the greatest height 67
mm., and the thickness at the rear of the articular surface for the
astragalus, 45 mm. From the rear end to the surface for the astragalus
is 85 mm. The surface for union with the cuboid is 19 mm. wide,
considerably narrower than in the dromedary and in an astragalus from
Denver, Colorado, which apparently belongs to _Camelops huerfanensis_.
The outer face of the bone is considerably less concave than in either
of the two species referred to. The tuberosity is relatively thicker at
the middle of its length than is either of the species mentioned; its
height at its middle is relatively less than in the Denver specimen. It
is believed that the age of the beds containing these fossils is about
that of the Aftonian interglacial.
FINDS OF PLEISTOCENE DEER OF THE GENUS ODOCOILEUS IN EASTERN NORTH
AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 22.)
1. _Toronto._—In the Guide Book No. 6, issued by the Ontario Bureau of
Mines in 1913, and prepared by Professor A. P. Coleman, it is recorded
on page 18 that in the Don beds at Toronto, supposed to belong to the
Sangamon stage, had been found bones of a deer resembling those of the
Virginia deer. On page 29 deer bones are reported as found in other beds
situated in the western part of Toronto. The age of these is uncertain;
they may be older than the Don beds or younger than the Scarboro beds.
In these same beds have been found also a lower jaw of a bear, possibly
_Ursus americanus_; an atlas of a bison, a part of an antler of
_Cervalces borealis_, and some parts of either a mastodon or a mammoth.
The geology of the Pleistocene in the region about Toronto is treated on
pages 281 to 283, figure 3.
NEW YORK.
(Map 22.)
1. _Orange County._—Emmons, in 1858 (Geol. Surv. North Carolina, East.
Counties, p. 201), stated he had found, in a fresh-water marl-bed in
Orange County, a horn of an extinct deer, associated with remains of
mastodon. The exact locality is unknown.
2. _Greenville, Greene County._—In 1846 (Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., vol.
V, p. 390), James Hall mentioned the finding of a jawbone, with teeth,
of a deer in Greene County. It was associated with remains of a
mastodon.
3. _Cuba, Allegany County._—In 1843 (Geol. 4th Dist., p. 367), Hall
reported that an engineer of the Genesee Valley Canal informed him that
near New Hudson, 4 miles from Cuba, several antlers of deer and one of
an elk had been found 12 feet below the surface, in a muck deposit. New
Hudson appears to be about 10 miles north of Cuba, and not on the canal.
The locality is said to be at the summit of the canal.
4. _Hinsdale, Cattaraugus County._—James Hall (op. cit., pp. 364, 366)
stated that a tusk, supposed to belong to a mastodon, with some horns of
deer, had been found at Hinsdale in sand and gravel, 16 feet below the
surface. Clarke (Bull. 69, N. Y. State Mus., p. 933) suggested that
these may have been antlers of the elk.
There appear to be no good reasons for suspecting that any of the deer
remains found in New York are older than Late Wisconsin.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 22.)
1. _Woodstown, Salem County._—In the palæontological collection at Yale
University is a fragment of an antler of a deer, most probably of
_Odocoileus virginianus_, discovered in Salem County. It is not
accompanied by any information as to the exact locality where found or
as to the conditions of burial. The fragment of the shaft is 135 mm.
long, and from it springs a tine, the partial length of which is about
45 mm.
2. _Vincentown, Burlington County._—In the collection of the Academy of
Natural Science at Philadelphia are some fragments of antlers labeled as
having been found at Vincentown.
In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., vol. VII, p. 376), Dr. Joseph
Leidy stated that remains of the deer had been found in Burlington and
Monmouth Counties, but no exact localities were mentioned. Many of the
specimens seem to have been found, as accidental occupants, in marl-beds
of Cretaceous age. In the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia
there are specimens from Pemberton.
3. _Deal, Monmouth County._—In the Academy’s collection, at
Philadelphia, there is a specimen labeled as having been found at this
place. No details are recorded.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 22.)
1. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—In 1889 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Pennsylvania for 1887, p. 6), Dr. Joseph Leidy reported on a collection
which many years before had been found in Hartman’s Cave, near
Stroudsburg. Nearly all the species still exist, but in the collection
was included _Castoroides_ and _Rangifer_. Among the fossils were
jawbones, with teeth, and broken bones of the Virginia deer. It seems
possible that the remains had collected there at the close of the
Pleistocene; but some may belong to the Recent.
2. _Frankstown, Blair County._—In 1908 (Ann. Carnegie Mus., vol. IV, p.
231), Dr. W. J. Holland reported the discovery of remains of a deer,
possibly _Odocoileus virginianus_, in a cave at Frankstown. With this
deer were many other species of mammals. A list is presented on page
321.
OHIO.
(Map 22.)
1. _New Knoxville, Auglaize County._—In his “History of Ohio and of
Auglaize County,” 1905, on page 338, C. W. Williamson, in describing the
finding of a skull of _Castoroides_ near New Knoxville, stated that some
bones of the deer had been found in what was believed to have been the
house of the giant beaver. They were supposed to have been brought there
by carnivorous animals; but the deer may have died there before the
house was covered up.
MICHIGAN.
(Map 22.)
1. _Adrian, Lenawee County._—In 1880 the U. S. National Museum received
from Professor Kost, then of Adrian College, a skull of _Castoroides
ohioensis_ discovered at the place named above. In his communication he
wrote that at the same place there had been found previously a mastodon
and bones of an elk and of a deer. The place was in a marsh, in Adrian,
and the fossils were at a depth of 4 feet.
2. _Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County._—In 1908, Russell and Leverett (Folio
155, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 9) reported the discovery of bones of deer
and elk in a peat-swamp, 3 miles south of Ann Arbor. In the same swamp
had been found, at a depth of 5 feet, a skull of _Castoroides
ohioensis_. The bones of the deer and elk were at a somewhat higher
level, so that it is not wholly certain they belong to the Pleistocene.
The specimens found both at Adrian and Ann Arbor lived there after the
retreat of the Wisconsin ice.
INDIANA.
(Map 22.)
1. _Evansville, Vanderburg County._—In a collection of bones and teeth
made at the mouth of Pigeon Creek, a short distance below Evansville,
and described by Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1854, pp.
199–200) were included remains of the Virginia deer. With these bones
were parts of the skeleton of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, a bison of
probably an extinct species, a cervical vertebra of the horse known as
_Equus complicatus_, a tooth of a tapir, and the type upper jaw of the
extinct wolf _Ænocyon dirus_.
On page 32 is discussed the age of the bone-bed. It is concluded that it
belonged possibly to the Aftonian stage, but more probably to the
Sangamon. Although this species of deer yet exists, abundant remains of
a species not yet distinguishable from it are found in early Pleistocene
deposits in Florida and elsewhere. According to D. D. Owen (Smithson.
Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. V, p. 7), this deer was found associated
with megalonyx bones a few miles below Henderson, Kentucky. Also, these
two species, together with _Equus complicatus_ and an extinct species of
_Bison_ and other extinct species of mammals, have been exhumed at
Bigbone Lick, halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati, on the Kentucky
side.
Under this number may be considered the deer _Odocoileus dolichopsis_,
which Cope described in 1878 (Amer. Naturalist, vol. XII, p. 189). This
was represented by a left ramus of the mandible, found, as reported by
the State geologist, John Collett, in a late lacustrine deposit in
Vanderburg County. In the same deposits was found an ulno-radius of a
species of _Bison_. The deer jaw was further described and figured by
Cope and Wortman in 1884 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XIV, p. 22, plate
ii). Here, in quoting Cope’s description found in volume IV of Bulletins
U. S. Geological Survey, page 379, the authors substituted Harrison
County for Vanderburg County. In 1912 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI,
p. 615), the present writer accepted Cope and Wortman’s statement as to
the county; but it appears that the locality was really in Vanderburg
County. Cope and Wortman’s plate was reproduced by the writer in 1912
(Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 615, plate VI, figs. 2, 2_b_).
Figure 1 of the plate represents a part of an upper jaw which may or may
not belong to the same species. It was supposed to have been found in
the same deposits.
2. _Harrisville, Randolph County._—In the collection at Earlham College,
Richmond, Indiana, the writer has examined some bones which apparently
belonged to the Virginia deer, _Odocoileus virginianus_. The distal end
of the radius, a right calcaneum, and a sacrum have been identified.
These were found in a swamp known as “The Dismal,” situated about 6
miles nearly east of Winchester. This would not be far from the village
of Harrisville. In this swamp were collected the fine specimen of the
giant beaver, preserved at Earlham College, and the bones of an elk. The
swamp is located near the Union City moraine, and the animals buried
there must have lived at some time after the retirement of the Wisconsin
ice-sheet; probably the time was long enough after that retirement for
the climate to become relatively mild.
3. _Roann, Wabash County._—In 1892 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XVII, p.
241), Elrod and Benedict reported that in 1882 a Mr. Rantz, while
digging a ditch on the farm of William Runkle, 3 miles north of Roann,
unearthed, at a depth of 9 feet, the antlers and part of the skeleton of
the deer _Odocoileus virginianus_. The locality is evidently north of
Eel River and near the southern border of the great moraine which runs
parallel with this stream and north of it. Undoubtedly this deer lived
after the Wisconsin ice had withdrawn from the vicinity. In similar
situations in that region have been found several mastodons. It is
probable, therefore, that the deer belonged to the late Pleistocene.
From Mr. B. E. Galtry, of Roann, the writer learns that Mr. Runkle
informed him that none of the bones found has been preserved. There were
many found, shin-bones, ribs, and antlers, from 3 to 4 feet below the
surface. Large numbers of poles were found, and the ditch diggers got
the notion that these poles had formed a bridge.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 22, 38.)
1. _Niantic, Macon County._—In 1873, Worthen, State geologist of
Illinois, reported (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. V, p. 308) that he had
found some deer bones in a bog near Niantic; with them were remains of
the mastodon, buffalo, and elk. What is known regarding the locality and
the geology is here recorded on page 102. All these remains were
probably buried near the close of the Wisconsin glacial stage.
2. _Whitewillow, Kendall County._—In Netta C. Anderson’s list, page 11.
E. S. Riggs, assistant curator of palæontology in Field Museum of
Natural History, reported that in 1902 Mr. John Bamford, in enlarging a
spring in a bog, encountered a layer of about 2 feet of bison, deer, and
elk bones at a depth of about 5 feet. With these were found skulls of at
least 6 mastodons. From Mr. George Langford, of Joliet, the writer has
received a base of a large antler and a nearly complete small antler of
the right side. These are not to be distinguished from those of _O.
virginianus_. Mr. Langford wrote that the mastodon bones were mingled
with the other bones to the bottom of the pit dug. In the same
excavation were found remains of mastodon, _Cervalces_, the existing
moose, the elk, the buffalo, and the cannon-bone of a large sheep-like
animal. The exact levels in which these bones occurred is not known. The
reader may consult page 109.
3. _Ottawa, La Salle County._—J. D. Caton (“Antelopes and Deer of North
America,” p. 227) tells of having found a nearly complete skeleton and
three antlers of the Virginia deer in the valley of Fox River, near
Ottawa. These remains were in a stratum of gravel at a depth of more
than 16 feet. Over this was the surface loam, then sand, sand and clay,
then more sand. It seems probable that these deposits belonged to the
Late Wisconsin.
4. _Evanston, Cook County._—Dr. Frank C. Baker (Univ. Ills. Bull, XVII,
pp. 4, 86) presented a geological section taken in the Toleston beach at
Evanston. This beach was laid down after the withdrawal of the Wisconsin
ice. At the depth of about 9 feet was found a bone of a deer. In 1891,
W. K. Higley (Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci., vol. II, No. 1, p. XIV) reported
that a pelvis, referred to a deer, had been found in Late Wisconsin
deposits at Evanston. He had in mind the bone found in Toleston beach.
At the same place was found a femur of a deer at a depth of 9 feet
(Leverett, Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci. Geol. Nat. Hist. Surv., II, 1897,
pp. 76, 77). Apparently the femur and the pelvis had been discovered by
Dr. Oliver Marcy in 1864, from whom both Leverett and Baker quote the
geological section.
5. _Lemont, Cook County._—Dr. F. C. Baker (op. cit., pp. 56, 89)
reported the finding of a portion of a skull of _Odocoileus virginianus_
and a skull of the muskrat in the Des Plaines Valley, at Lemont, in a
bed of peat.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 22.)
1. _Lead region._—In 1862 (Geol. Surv. Wisconsin, p. 421), Jeffries
Wyman, in his report on the vertebrate animals found by J. D. Whitney,
stated that there was a series of several molar teeth which, in form and
size, corresponds exactly with those of the red deer (_Cervus
virginianus_). He mentioned also various bones which seemed to belong to
the same species, but some were larger than those of the Virginia deer.
In 1876 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XI, p. 49), Allen described as a new
species _Cervus whitneyi_, basing the name on a left humerus, a left
radius, and a right metatarsal found in the Whitney collection. It
appears probable that these bones are those mentioned by Wyman as being
larger than the existing Virginia deer and the mule deer. Allen does
not, however, mention what Wyman wrote. Allen’s species is now referred
to the genus _Odocoileus_. It is not stated by either Wyman or Allen
even from what State the remains were secured. It is most probable that
it was Wisconsin.
From the Pleistocene of that region two species of _Odocoileus_ are
therefore known, _O. virginianus_ and _O. whitneyi_.
2. _Menomonie, Dunn County._—In a letter to the author dated January 21,
1917, Dr. S. Weidman, State geologist of Wisconsin, noted that a
vertebra of a deer had been found in brick clay at Menomonie. It was
sent to the American Museum of New York and identified by Dr. W. D.
Matthew. This clay is at present regarded by Dr. Weidman as probably
belonging to the Sangamon interglacial.
MARYLAND.
(Map 22.)
1. _Oxford Neck, Talbot County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol.
XI, p. 178), Cope reported that fragments of antlers not distinguishable
from those of the Virginia deer, _Odocoileus virginianus_, had been
found on the farm of Lambert Kirby, in Oxford Neck. These, with remains
of other vertebrates, were placed in the Baltimore Academy of Sciences.
2. _Cavetown, Washington County._—In 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol.
LVIII, p. 104), the writer described the distal end of two radii found
at Cavetown in a fissure in a limestone quarry. These were associated
with remains of 24 other species of vertebrates, mostly mammals. The
radii appeared to be those of _Odocoileus virginianus_. Another deer,
_Sangamona fugitiva_, was found in the same fissure.
A list of the accompanying species is given on page 348.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 22.)
1. _Saltville, Smyth County._—Mr. O. A. Peterson (Ann. Carnegie Mus.,
vol. XI, p. 474, fig. 7) reported the finding of an astragalus of some
deer-like animal at Saltville. He states that the bone agrees with that
of _Odocoileus virginianus_, but is larger. To the present writer the
bone is not only too large to be that of the Virginia deer, but is
relatively too narrow, it being assumed that Peterson’s figure is
correct. In both the Virginia deer and the elk the width of the bone is
about 70 per cent of the greatest length, while the figure given is only
60 per cent as wide as long. It is not improbable that the animal
belonged to another genus.
2. _Ivanhoe, Wythe County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI,
p. 176) Cope stated that molars and other fragments of _Cariacus
(Odocoileus) virginianus_ were abundant in the cave breccia which he
examined. A list of the accompanying species will be found on page 353.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 22.)
1. _Wood County._—In 1835 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXIX, p. 147),
Hildreth stated that bones of a deer had been found in this county, then
a part of Virginia, involved in the travertine on the floor of the cave.
No facts are known that give any clue to the geological age of these
bones. They probably belong to some early or middle stage of the
Pleistocene.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 22, 39.)
1. _On Neuse River, Pamlico County, 16 Miles below Newbern._—According
to both Croom (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXVII, 1835, p. 168) and Harlan
(op. cit., vol. XLIII, 1842, p. 143), remains of deer had been found at
this locality. For want of more exact information we may refer them to
_Odocoileus virginianus_. On page 359 will be found a list of the
species collected here.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 22.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—Numerous fragmentary remains of
_Odocoileus_ have been found in the region about Charleston. F. S.
Holmes, as early as 1859 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1859, p. 177),
announced the discovery of remains of deer in the vicinity of
Charleston. Leidy (Holmes’s Post-Pliocene Foss. South Carolina, p. 109,
plate XX, figs. 1–4) stated that the collections of Professor Holmes and
Captain Bowman contained fragments of antlers, portions of jaws, and
teeth which had been found in the Post-Pliocene beds of Ashley River.
Leidy concluded these remains did not differ from the corresponding
parts of the existing white-tailed deer (_O. virginianus_). Many
fragments of antlers belong in the Scanlan collection at Yale
University. They are thoroughly fossilized and are hard and heavy.
In the Charleston Museum (No. 1047) is an anterior cannon-bone of a
deer, but no definite locality is recorded. It is black and apparently
phosphatized, as are the numerous fragments of antlers found in the
private collections at Charleston. The cannon-bone mentioned is 188 mm.
long.
While the materials so far discovered do not enable us to distinguish
the deer remains found about Charleston from _Odocoileus virginianus_,
it is not improbable that they belonged in reality to another species,
some perhaps to the Floridan Pleistocene species _O. sellardsiæ_.
Antlers of the white-tailed or Virginia deer are common in the
collections about Charleston. In the Scanlan collection are bases of
antlers of adult bucks and two simple spikes of young deer. One base is
different from the others in being much flattened in one border,
probably the one on which the first tine arose. It is possible that it
represents a distinct species.
2. _Darlington, Darlington County._—In 1848, Tuomey (Rep. Geol. South
Carolina, pp. 177–180) stated that on the land of a Rev. Mr. Campbell,
somewhere in the vicinity of Darlington, he had found fragments of the
horns of a deer. He regarded the beds as belonging to the Pliocene. In
the neighborhood, in a similar deposit, had been found molars of
_Mastodon maximus_ (=_Mammut americanum_). Both species may belong to
the early Pleistocene.
FLORIDA.
(Map 22.)
1. _Pablo Beach, Duval County._—Dr. Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 106) reported remains of _Odocoileus_ found at station
120 of the Inland Waterway Canal, about 5 miles south of Pablo Beach.
Further mention is made of this on page 374.
2. _Neals, Alachua County._—In his eighth report (page 94) Sellards
stated that at Neals, near Newberry, teeth had been collected which
probably belonged to a species of _Odocoileus_. These were found while
phosphate rock was being mined; but they, with a tooth of a tapir and
one of _Equus littoralis_, doubtless belong to the early Pleistocene.
3. _Archer, Alachua County._—In 1896 Leidy (Trans. Wagner Free Instit.,
vol. IV, p. X), in a note on the species of vertebrates found in the
Alachua clays, included among these a tapir, a mastodon, and a
megatherium. In his list furnished for Dr. W. H. Dall’s report (Bull. U.
S. Geol. Surv. No. 84, p. 129), is included _Cervus virginianus?_. The
tapir, the deer, and the megatherium have been regarded as Pleistocene
fossils which became mixed with those of the Pliocene. For that reason
_Odocoileus_ is here credited to Archer. See also Sellards’s conclusion
(6th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 162). It is not certain exactly
where the species above named were found. One locality mentioned by
Leidy is 10 miles south of Archer, now Williston; another is 10 miles
north of the same town, now Newberry. For the geological age of the
species found at Archer, consult page 375.
4. _Ocala, Marion County._—From a fissure in a limestone rock at Ocala,
Sellards (8th Ann. Rep., p. 103) secured some remains of _Odocoileus_,
but it was not determined to what species they belonged.
5. _Dunnellon, Marion County._—The writer (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 43, plate VIII, figs. 3–5) described some teeth of a deer
found near Dunnellon, in the “Cullens river mine.” These were referred
provisionally to the species or subspecies now living in that region,
_Odocoileus osceola_.
6. _Palmetto, Manatee County._—In a small collection of fossil
vertebrates sent from this place by Mr. Ernest Leitzel to the U. S.
National Museum for identification were some fragments of antlers of
_Odocoileus_.
7. _Palma Sola, Manatee County._—From Mr. Charles T. Earle the U. S.
National Museum received, in 1921, many fragments of antlers found on
the beach at Palma Sola, about 10 miles below Palmetto and on the south
side of Manatee River. With these came teeth of _Equus leidyi_, _E.
complicatus_, _E. littoralis_, teeth and bone of _Bison latifrons?_, a
tooth of _Elephas columbi_, and a fragment of the beak of a ziphoid
porpoise. The last and various sharks’ teeth probably originated in
Miocene deposits not far away. A list of the species found at this place
and believed to belong to the Pleistocene is presented on page 379.
8. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—In 1889 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila.,
1889, p. 96; U. S. Geol. Surv. Bull. No. 84, p. 129), Leidy reported the
discovery of antlers of deer, _Odocoileus (Cervus) virginianus_, at
Arcadia. These may have belonged to _O. osceola_ or _O. sellardsiæ_. In
1884 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. VI, p. 428), Mr. S. T. Walker reported
the finding of fossils, among them fragments of deer antlers, on
sand-bars in Peace River, from a point about where the town of Hull now
is to a point 8 miles by land above Fort Ogden, apparently not far from
the present town of Owens. On this matter see Sellards (8th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., p. 109). This locality and its fossils are further
described on page 381.
9. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—Numerous remains belonging to one or two
species of _Odocoileus_ have been found at Vero. Fragments of various
parts of the skeleton and some teeth have been found in the two upper
strata, No. 2 and No. 3, which lie above the marine marl. The writer
(9th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., 1917, pp. 50–57, plate III, fig. 3)
referred some of these bones to the new species, _O. sellardsiæ_.
Possibly only this species is represented at that locality, but probably
some of the bones belong to _O. osceola_. Lists of the species found in
the two deposits bearing fossil vertebrates will be found on pages 381
to 383.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 22.)
1. _Natchez, Adams County._—Dr. Leidy wrote (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.,
Phila., 1854, p. 199) as follows:
“Fossil bones of a deer not larger than the _Cervus virginianus_
have been found in association with bones of the _Megalonyx_,
_Mastodon_, etc., in the vicinity of Natchez, Mississippi. In the
cabinet of the Academy mentioned there are several specimens from
the locality, consisting of a portion of a lower jaw, a fragment of
an antler, and the posterior and inferior portions of two crania.”
The geology of this important locality is discussed on pages 389 to 393.
2. _Aberdeen, Monroe County._—In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., ser. 2,
vol. VII, p. 376), Leidy stated that remains of a deer had been found at
this place in a railroad cutting. No details were given.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 22. Figure 23.)
_Whitesburg, Hamblen County._—In 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Museum, vol.
LVIII, pp. 85–95), the writer described bones and teeth of Pleistocene
animals which had been found at Whitesburg. A list of the species is
given on page 395. In the collection are 21 teeth which were referred to
_Odocoileus virginianus_, but their small size suggests that they may
belong to another species of deer.
_Nashville, Davidson County._—On page 201 is presented an account of a
collection made at Nashville. Among the fossils was an antler of a deer
which is referred by the writer to an undetermined species of
_Odocoileus_ (p. 399).
KENTUCKY.
(Map 22.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—The bones and teeth of the Virginian
deer have been reported with some doubt from Bigbone Lick; even if found
it is not certain that they belonged to Pleistocene deposits.
2. _Bluelick Springs, Nicholas County._—In the collection made in
cleaning out Bluelick Springs, in Nicholas County, remains of a deer
were secured. The geological age of these can not be determined with
certainty, but they were probably of Late Wisconsin time. For a list of
the associated species see page 405.
3. _Henderson, Henderson County._—In a letter to Dr. Joseph Leidy,
published by the latter (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. 5, p.
7), Dr. D. D. Owen stated that many antlers and bones of deer had been
found about 6 miles below Henderson, associated with bones of _Megalonyx
jeffersonii_.
FINDS OF CERVUS CANADENSIS IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 23.)
1. _Hamilton, Wentworth County._—On Burlington Heights, near Hamilton,
many years ago antlers of the elk were found associated with a jaw of a
beaver. They were discovered 30 feet from the surface and at a level 7
feet higher than the jaw of _Elephas columbi_ described on page 147. The
age of all these bones is late Pleistocene. The elk had, therefore,
spread over the northern part of our country before the close of the
Wisconsin stage.
The geology of this locality and the species found there are considered
on pages 284–285.
2. _Near Strathroy, Middlesex County._—In 1901 (Ottawa Naturalist, vol.
XV, pp. 95–97, fig.) L. H. Smith wrote on the occurrence of the elk in
Ontario. None had been known to exist there since the settlement by
white men. The writer of the article had a number of specimens of
antlers collected in the neighborhood of Strathroy and the neighboring
county, Lambton. A fine pair of antlers and a part of a skeleton of an
elk had been discovered in a boggy spring in lot 15, 12th concession,
township of Lobo. It was evidently not deeply buried. This and the
others, notwithstanding shallowness of burial, may have been buried in
Late Pleistocene times; but there is no assurance that they did not live
during the early Recent.
3. _Kingston, Frontenac County._—In 1898 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol.
IX, p. 377), Robert Bell stated that remains of the elk had been found
in shell marl in at least two places near Kingston.
VERMONT.
(Map 23.)
1. _Grand Isle, Champlain Lake._—In 1840 (Rep. on Quadrupeds,
Massachusetts, p. 82), Emmons reported the finding of an antler on this
island, which he concluded belonged possibly to a young elk. It had been
thrown out by the plow from an elevated piece of ground, near a spring
of water. He concluded that it was the antler of the second year, and
stated that it had no branches. It was somewhat curved and had a total
length of 849 mm. The diameter just above the burr was given as 183 mm.;
but this is much greater than that in any specimens of young elks at
hand. Possibly some other species is represented and it may not have
belonged to Pleistocene.
NEW YORK.
(Map 23.)
1. _Racket River, St. Lawrence County._—J. E. De Kay, in 1842 (Zool. N.
Y., Mamm., p. 120, plate XXIX, fig. 1), described a part of a skull, to
which were attached the damaged antlers of an elk, which had been dug up
near the mouth of Raquette River. This must have been not far from the
town of Racket River. Nothing appears to be known regarding the
conditions under which the skull was found. Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat.
Sci., Phila., vol. VII, 1869, p. 377) refers to the specimen. It was at
one time in the Lyceum of Natural History, New York, but is probably no
longer in existence.
2. _Seneca Castle, Ontario County._—Mr. E. Hitchcock (Science, vol. VI,
1885, p. 450) reported the finding of an antler of an elk at this place.
It was associated with supposed remains of a mastodon, in a peat morass,
near Flint Creek. It is to be credited to the Late Wisconsin.
3. _Farmington, Ontario County._—James Hall, in 1887 (6th Ann. Rep.
State Geologist, New York, p. 391), reported the discovery of about
two-thirds of the skeleton of an elk at the place named, in a cedar
swamp, buried in peat at depths of from 6 to 18 inches. The antlers had
projected above the surface and had been gnawed by rodents. Hall
remarked that the elk had not been known to live in that region since
the coming of the white race. The skeleton may or may not have been
deposited there during the late Pleistocene.
4. _Livingston County._—In the collection at Princeton University is a
calvarium of an elk labeled as found in Livingston County. The finder
had, with a tool, chopped off the antlers and otherwise hacked the
skull. One can not be certain as to the geological age of the specimen.
5. _Cuba, Allegany County._—In 1843, James Hall (Geol. 4th Dist., p.
367) reported that several horns of deer and one of an elk had been
found at the summit of the Genesee Valley Canal. The place given was New
Hudson, 4 miles from Cuba; but this town is about 10 miles from Cuba and
apparently not on the canal. The antlers were found at a depth of 12
feet, in muck.
6. _Jamestown, Chautauqua County._—Hall (op. cit., p. 365) stated that
Dr. Emmons had in his possession a tooth which he regarded as belonging
to this species. De Kay (Zool. N. Y., Mamm., p. 120, plate XXIX, fig. 4)
describes and figures this tooth. Emmons, in 1840 (Rep. Quadrupeds of
Massachusetts, p. 82), first mentioned the tooth and said it had been
found in a clay bed with several others. The tooth may belong to the
Pleistocene, but this can not be proved. It is of value, as are the
other cases, as showing the former distribution of the species.
7. _Boonville, Oneida County._—In 1884 (Trans. Linn. Soc. N. Y., vol.
II, p. 46), Dr. C. Hart Merriam reported that Mr. Calvin V. Graves, of
Boonville, had parts of elk horns, plowed up in an old beaver meadow.
These may have belonged to very late Pleistocene time or to any part of
the Recent.
8. _Third Lake of Fulton Chain, Herkimer County._—In the publication
just referred to and on page 45, Merriam stated he had seen a number of
elk antlers, found in a bog near the place mentioned. Their geological
age can not be determined any more closely than in the preceding case.
9. _Steele’s Corners, St. Lawrence County._—On page 46 of the paper just
cited, Merriam reported that Dr. C. C. Benton, of Ogdensburg, had parts
of antlers discovered at the place named. No details as to mode of
occurrence were given. The antlers were discarded by their owners some
time after the clearing away of the Wisconsin drift.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 23.)
1. _Deal, Monmouth County._—In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol.
VII, p. 377), Leidy stated that there were in the museum of the
Philadelphia Academy portions of two antlers of the elk obtained in the
earth just above the Cretaceous greensand near Deal. No further
information was furnished. Deal is about 5 miles south of Long Branch.
The antlers may have belonged to the Pleistocene or to the Recent.
2. _Trenton, Mercer County._—In 1911 (Papers Peabody Mus., vol. V, p.
123), Mr. Ernest Volk detailed the finding of a fragment of an antler of
an elk in the glacial gravels at Trenton, at a depth of 5.5 feet. For
the geology of this locality see page 304.
Cope (Cook’s Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 742) wrote that this species has left
antlers and bones in various parts of the State in the gravel drift, but
he mentions no localities.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 23.)
1. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—In 1899 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.,
Pennsylvania, for 1887, p. 6), Leidy reported the discovery of various
fragmentary remains of this species in the Crystal Hill (Hartman’s)
Cave, near Stroudsburg. This cave and its contents will be considered on
page 310.
2. _Riegelsville, Bucks County._—From Durham Cave, situated near
Riegelsville, there was sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia, about 70 years ago, a collection of bones. They were
examined by Leidy, who reported on them (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1880, p. 349). In this list the elk was not mentioned. In 1889 (Ann.
Rep. Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, 1887, pp. 18, 19), further attention was
given to the collection, and the elk was included. The bison, which was
mentioned in the first list, was omitted in the second.
MICHIGAN.
(Map 23.)
1. _Adrian, Lenawee County._—In 1880, Professor J. Kost, of Adrian
College, sent to the U. S. National Museum a skull of _Castoroides
ohioensis_ and a jaw of a mastodon found in a marsh in the town of
Adrian, at a depth of 4 feet. At the same place another mastodon,
together with bones of a deer and of an elk, had previously been
secured. These belong to a late period in the Wisconsin.
2. _Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County._—In 1908 (Folio 155, U. S. Geol. Surv.,
p. 9), Russell and Leverett told of the finding of bones of elk and deer
in a peat-swamp, 3 miles south of Ann Arbor. In the same swamp, at a
depth of 5 feet, a skull of _Castoroides ohioensis_ had been discovered.
The bones of the elk and deer were at a somewhat higher level. While
they are probably of late Pleistocene age, one can not be wholly sure of
it.
INDIANA.
(Map 23.)
1. _Cambridge City, Wayne County._—In the collection of Earlham College,
at Richmond, Indiana, is a part of the skull of an elk (No. 5070)
labeled as found a mile northwest of Cambridge City, and as presented by
Lee Ault, superintendent [of schools?]. It is recorded on the specimen
that it was found in Little Simond’s Creek and lay partly exposed in a
bed of gravel 4 rods below the mill-dam, and 0.25 mile from where the
creek empties into the West Fork of Whitewater River. The specimen is
pretty thoroughly mineralized and stained with iron oxide. The
geological age of the skull is uncertain, but it has the appearance of
being old. Found in that region, it must, however, be younger than the
Shelbyville and Bloomington moraines, which are nearby.
2. _Fountain City, Wayne County._—In Earlham College is the rear of the
skull of an elk recorded as found on Nolan’s Fork, near the border of
the Bloomington moraine. It has the No. 5069 and is credited to Mr.
Isaac Thomas. The remark made in the preceding paragraph about the age
of the specimen from Cambridge City may be repeated here.
3. _Harrisville, Randolph County._—In the collection at Earlham College,
Richmond, are some bones which belong to _Cervus canadensis_ and
reported found in May 1893, by Messrs. Shoemaker, Graves, and Moore, in
a ditch or canal being put through the swamp known then by the name of
“The Dismal,” apparently about 6 miles east of Winchester, near the town
of Harrisville. It was here that was found the fine specimen of
_Castoroides ohioensis_ which is at Earlham. Just at what depth the elk
bones were found is not known. With them came some bones of the
white-tailed deer, _Odocoileus virginianus_. Of the elk there are a
dorsal and two lumbar vertebræ, most of the sacrum, some pieces of ribs,
the articular end of the scapula, a complete humerus, most of the right
side of the pelvis, most of the left pubis, the left cubo-navicular
bone, the distal end of the left cannon-bone, and three phalanges.
We can not be certain that the animal lived at that place during
Pleistocene times. At most, it lived after the Wisconsin ice had
withdrawn from that vicinity. Dr. A. J. Phinney (Geol. Surv. Indiana,
vol. XXI, p. 181) stated that in draining swamps in this county elks’
antlers had been found, but no details were given. At any rate, in that
region all such remains would belong to a time following the middle of
the Wisconsin stage.
4. _Pennville, Jay County._—McCaslin, in his report on the geology of
Jay County (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XII, p. 169), stated that the
bones of the mastodon and post-glacial deer, or elk, had been frequently
met with. “The gigantic antlers of the latter have been found in size
indicating an animal 8 or 9 feet high and 10 or 11 in length. These have
been picked up in a bog north of Camden.” Making proper allowances for
miscalculations, we must conclude that these antlers belonged to the elk
(_Cervus canadensis_). The antlers had probably been laid out so as to
give their maximum extent. This township (24 north, range 12 east) is in
the northwest corner of the county. The name Camden no longer appears on
the maps, being apparently a former name for Pennville. The bog referred
to was evidently north of the Salamonie River and close to or on the
moraine bearing the same name. The elk must have lived there after,
probably a long time after, this moraine was laid down.
5. _Wabash County._—Elrod and Benedict reported in 1892 (Geol. Surv.
Indiana, vol. XVII, p. 240) that a Mr. Longnecer had unearthed the head
and antlers of an elk in a swamp on his farm “near the west county
line.” The antlers measured 8 feet from tip to tip. In this case they
probably were given their greatest possible span. It is to be regretted
that no more definite locality was given. For those in that region who
might be interested, it would be possible to learn the location more
accurately by searching the office of the county surveyor or of the
county clerk. At any rate, the animal lived there in Late Wisconsin
time.
6. _Foresman, Newton County._—In the State Museum at Indianapolis is the
left antler of an elk said to have been found in 1884, at Foresman. It
is credited to D. E. Howe, and the writer has not been able to get any
additional information. Foresman is on Iroquois River; and, according to
Leverett’s map (Monogr. LIII, plate VI), the region about there is
occupied by clay of a glacial lake bottom. The antler may be of the
Recent period, but more probably of Late Wisconsin times.
7. _Rensselaer, Jasper County._—In the State collection at Indianapolis
just mentioned is a part, about 16 inches long, of the antler of an elk,
presented by Dr. Loughridge, of Rensselaer, but no additional
information is furnished. The animal may have lived at any time during
or since the Late Wisconsin stage.
8. _Lake County._—In the Twenty-second Annual Report of the State
Geologist of Indiana, page 90, Blatchley stated that antlers of the elk
had been found in this county, but no details were given.
9. _Kouts, Porter County._—In the report just cited, on page 90,
Blatchley, State geologist, reported antlers of a large elk found close
to teeth of a mastodon. This was somewhere near Kouts.
The reports of fossil remains of _Cervus canadensis_ in Indiana are not
very satisfactory. In few cases has any effort been made to record
anything like exact information as to the locality and the depth of
burial and the nature of the deposit and to preserve the specimens.
Nevertheless, in most instances at least, it is quite certain that the
remains referred to this species were really such. While, again, some of
the remains have possibly belonged to the Recent period, probably most
of them date back to late Pleistocene; that is, Late Wisconsin times. In
many cases the remains have been found at a depth of several feet in
swamps that were being drained. It is certain that these swamp deposits
accumulated with exceeding slowness. Not infrequently fossil mastodon
bones and teeth have been found within a few inches of the surface. In
the case of none of the finds of elk materials is there any indication
of an age beyond that of the Late Wisconsin.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 23, 38.)
1. _Niantic, Macon County._—in 1873 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. V, p.
308), A. H. Worthen reported the discovery of remains of mastodon, elk,
buffalo, and deer in a bog near Niantic. The exact locality and the
conditions are described on page 102. In that account it is concluded
that the mastodon remains went to the museum of C. F. Günther, of
Chicago, and from there to the collection of the Chicago Academy of
Sciences. What became of the bones of the elk, the buffalo, and the deer
is not known. As no record appears to have been kept of the depths at
which each of the species was found, we do not know whether or not the
others were as old as the mastodon. However, it is certain that these
old ponds and marshes left on the surface of the Wisconsin drift filled
up very slowly.
2. _Near Whitewillow, Kendall County, 5 miles west by north of
Minooka._—Dr. E. S. Riggs, of the Field Museum of Natural History,
informed the writer that he had found here bones of the elk. These were
also reported by him in Netta C. Anderson’s list (Augustana Coll. Publ.,
No. 5, page 11). Mr. George Langford, of Joliet, has likewise found elk
antlers here and remains of _Cervalces_ and _Alces americanus_.
For the location of this place and its geological situation page 337 may
be consulted. All the species found are without doubt of Late Wisconsin
age. Riggs’s statement referred to appears to indicate that the elk,
buffalo, and deer bones found are of more recent age than those of the
mastodons, but Mr. Langford writes that the antlers were mixed up with
the mastodon bones.
3. _Palos Park, Cook County._—This place is on the Wabash Railway, about
20 miles southwest of Chicago. Dr. E. S. Riggs wrote the author that in
October 1915, the Field Museum of Natural History had received a fine
head and antlers of the elk from the Sag Drainage Canal near Palos Park.
It was found in peat at a depth of 13 feet. One can hardly doubt that
the animal lived there during the latter part of the Wisconsin stage.
4. _Batavia, Kane County._—Dr. E. S. Riggs, writing April 3, 1916,
informed the author that he had picked up the jaw of an elk along a
ditch, somewhere about Batavia, in which mastodon bones had been found.
At what depth the bones had been buried could not be determined. In this
case all that can be said is that the animal lived there after the
Wisconsin ice had retired from that place.
5. _Union Grove, Whiteside County._—In the U. S. National Museum, No.
7335, is a right astragalus of an elk found near Union Grove, 3 feet
below the surface of a bed of peat, in an old channel of the Mississippi
River. This astragalus was presented by Mr. Leo B. Lincoln, of Chicago,
through the peat expert of the U. S. Geological Survey, Professor
Charles A. Davis.
The locality is said to be in the southeast quarter of the southeast
quarter of section 7, Union Grove Township, apparently township 21
north, range 4 west. This section appears to be about 5 miles away from
the present bed of the river. Although the area is outside of the
Wisconsin drift-sheet, it is not probable that the elk antedates the
Wisconsin stage. Its age is more probably Late Wisconsin.
6. _Lead Region of Illinois._—In 1876, J. A. Allen (Amer. Jour. Sci.,
vol. XI, p. 48) stated he found in a collection made in this region by
J. D. Whitney an imperfect radius that seemed not to differ at all from
that of a young male _Cervus canadensis_. This collection is that
reported on by Jeffries Wyman in 1862 (Geol. Surv. Wisconsin, vol. I,
pp. 421–423). It is impossible to say whether the specimen was found in
Wisconsin, Iowa, or Illinois.
As elsewhere stated, the writer formerly regarded the vertebrate fossils
found in that region as belonging mostly to the Late Wisconsin; but it
now appears possible they lived during a pre-Wisconsin time.
7. _Beecher, Will County._—Mr. George Langford, of Joliet, Illinois, an
intelligent collector of the fossils of that region, informed the author
that he obtained an antler of the _Cervus canadensis_ at a place along
Trim Creek, about 3 miles north of east of Beecher. The fragment
included the base and two tines. The exact locality and the geological
conditions are discussed on page 107. Mr. Langford reported that the
antlers were above the mastodon bones. At the same place was found a
fragment of an antler of _Cervalces_. All these species belonged
probably to very late Pleistocene time.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 23.)
1. _Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County._—In the Public Museum of Milwaukee are
parts of both antlers of an elk found at Miller’s brewery, in Wauwatosa,
at a depth of 4 feet.
Wauwatosa is a suburb west of Milwaukee, on the Menomonie River,
situated principally on one of the moraines laid down just before the
Wisconsin ice-sheet retired into Lake Michigan. The elk must have lived
there since that withdrawal of the ice. It is possible that the antlers
were found in marsh deposits of Recent age along the Menomonie River.
2. _Pewaukee, Waukesha County._—This town is situated about 20 miles
north of west of Milwaukee. In the Public Museum at Milwaukee is an
antler which was plowed up somewhere about Pewaukee by Stanley G.
Haskins and presented by him to the museum. Probably the antler belongs
to the Recent epoch.
3. _Whitehall, Trempealeau County._—From Dr. S. Weidman, State geologist
of Wisconsin, the writer received a tibia found near Whitehall and which
he identifies as belonging to _Cervus canadensis_. The following account
of the discovery has been furnished by Dr. Weidman:
“The gully (fig. 2) in which the tibia was found is eroded out of
stratified sand, containing fragments of local sandstone and cherts.
The stratified sand, with local small fragments of sandstone, is, of
course, pre-loessial in origin, but the erosion of the lower terrace
is post-loessial, and the gully is very recent. The tibia was taken
2 feet below the lower terrace, along the side of the gully about 5
or 6 feet deep at the lower end and 3 or 4 feet deep at the upper
end; length of gully 300 or 400 feet. The bone may possibly have
been inserted after the development of the lower terrace, but I
could see no indication of disturbance or change in the upper 2 feet
of the lower terrace further exposed by the gully at this point, the
upper 2 feet being essentially the same at this point as elsewhere
along the side of the gully. If the bone was deposited along with
the small fragments of sandstone in the stratified formation, the
fragments being usually flat, about 0.5 inch thick by 1 to 2 inches
wide, then the bone is evidently pre-loessial in age. I am inclined
to think the bone was deposited with the sandstone fragments during
the process of the filling up of the valley with the stratified
surface, long before the loess was deposited in the region, rather
than after the loess and the lower terrace was formed.”
[Illustration:
FIG. 2.—Diagrammatic section of gully near Whitehall, Wisconsin,
showing place of burial of elk bone.
]
According to this account the specimen belonged to the Peorian stage or
an earlier one.
MARYLAND.
(Map 23.)
1. _Oxford Neck, Talbot County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol.
XI, p. 178), Cope stated that a collection of vertebrate fossils had
been found on the farm of Lambert Kirby, in Oxford Neck, including parts
of antlers. These were not distinguishable from those of the elk and the
Virginia deer. They were placed in the Baltimore Academy of Natural
Sciences.
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Maps 23, 39.)
1. _On Neuse River, Pamlico County, 16 miles below Newbern._—On page
117, in discussing the occurrence of mastodons at this place, it is
stated that H. B. Croom had reported also the presence of elk remains. A
more competent witness was Richard Harlan, who included the elk in his
list of species (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLIII, 1842, p. 143). The reader
is referred to page 358, where the locality and the species are further
considered.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 23.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—Dr. Joseph Leidy does not seem to
mention the occurrence of the wapiti at Charleston. F. S. Holmes, in the
introduction to his work on Post-Pliocene fossils of South Carolina,
page 7, mentions the elk among the animals found in the Pleistocene beds
which still have living representatives.
In the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences, at Philadelphia,
are two teeth, labeled as from Ashley River and credited to Captain A.
H. Bowman. It is possible that Leidy did not mention them because he
regarded them as teeth of elk that lived within Recent times.
GEORGIA.
(Map 23.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—In a list of fossil vertebrates dredged,
probably, from the harbor at Brunswick, Gidley (Bull. No. 26, Geol.
Surv. Georgia, p. 436) announced the finding of some part, supposedly a
tooth, of a cervuline, “probably belonging to the genus _Cervus_.” That
_C. canadensis_ might have lived in that region during some part of the
Pleistocene is not at all improbable; that it lived there during the
time that _Megatherium_ existed we have not at present sufficient
evidence.
FLORIDA.
(Map 23.)
1. _Alafia River, Hillsboro County._—From the late Professor F. W.
Putnam the writer learned that he had obtained from Alafia River some
part of the elk. The present writer has not seen the specimen.
TENNESSEE.
(Figure 23.)
_Whitesburg, Hamblen County._—In a collection of fossil vertebrates
secured at Whitesburg and described by the writer in 1920 are some
fragments of teeth which were referred to _Cervus canadensis_ (Proc. U.
S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 92). A list of the species is presented on
page 395.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 23.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—In his report of 1831 on Bigbone Lick,
William Cooper (Monthly Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, p. 207) stated that
he had found remains of _Cervus canadensis_; but he did not appear to be
wholly certain of this. Shaler was likewise in doubt regarding the
presence of the elk (Geol. Surv. Kentucky, vol. III, n. s., p. 197).
Other authors have mentioned the elk as occurring here, but not in a
convincing way. Nevertheless, it is not at all improbable that this
species was represented here. The geology of this locality is considered
on pages 401 to 404 and a list of the species is presented.
2. _Bluelick Springs, Nicholas County._—In the collection of fossil
vertebrates secured by Mr. Thomas W. Hunter, living near Bluelick
Springs, were teeth, some bones, and fragments of antlers. This
collection had been secured in an attempt to clean out and restore the
failing springs. Whether or not these remains date back to the
Pleistocene is uncertain. They are reported to have been found above the
bones of the mastodon.
FINDS OF RANGIFER IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
GRINNELL LAND.
_Dumbbell Harbor._—In 1877 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. XX, p.
488), Fielden published a paper on the post-Tertiary beds of Grinnell
Land and north Greenland. In 1878 (Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., vol.
XXXIV, p. 566), Fielden and De Rance presented a report on the same
subject.
At a station in latitude 82° 30′ N., in beds at an elevation of 400
feet, there were secured meager remains of _Ovibos moschatus_ and _Phoca
hispida_. At another station, in latitude 82° 25′, there were obtained
remains of _Rangifer tarandus_, _Ovibos moschatus_, and _Phoca barbata_.
The invertebrate fauna was found to be identical with that now existing
there. In case the beds are Pleistocene they are probably those of a
late stage.
ONTARIO.
(Map 24.)
1. _Toronto, York County._—In 1899 (Ottawa Naturalist, vol. XII, p.
195), Coleman stated that horns of the caribou were common in the
Carleton Bar, just west of Toronto. This bar belonged to the Iroquois
beach. In the same bar near York, east of Toronto, mammoth teeth had
been found. In 1904 (Jour. Geol., vol. XV, p. 366), the same writer
states that antlers are very common at Toronto Junction. This is
probably the same locality as that spoken of as Carleton Bar.
In 1901 (Jour. Geol., vol. IX, pp. 290, 298), Coleman wrote that a shed
horn of a caribou had been found at Taylor’s brickyard. This is nearly a
mile north of the Gerard street bridge in Toronto (Amer. Geologist, vol.
XIII, p. 87). It was in a blue peaty clay, in which were found also
unios and wood. This clay is about 4 feet 6 inches thick and near the
top of the warm-climate beds. Notwithstanding the presence of the antler
of a caribou, the stratum is assigned by Coleman to the warm-climate
beds, because of the character of the vegetation. At present the caribou
is not known to come nearer than 150 or 200 miles to Toronto.
VERMONT.
(Map 24.)
1. _Woodbury, Washington County._—In 1910 (Rep. Geol. Surv. Vermont, p.
7), Professor G. H. Perkins stated that there are in the State Cabinet
at Burlington a fully developed antler and a part of the upper jaw, with
five molars, of _Rangifer caribou_ found at Woodbury in a peat-bog at a
depth of 7 feet. Probably the animal lived at about the close of the
Pleistocene epoch. The species has not been known in the State since
historical times.
CONNECTICUT.
(Map 24.)
1. _New Haven, New Haven County._—In 1875 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3,
vol. X), Professor J. D. Dana gave an account of the finding of a
humerus and a tibia of a reindeer in the Quinnipiac Valley, near New
Haven. The humerus was discovered in a bed of clay at a depth of 11
feet; the tibia at a depth of 7 feet. The two bones belonged to
different individuals. Marsh, as quoted by Dana, thought that the tibia
resembled more closely that of _Rangifer tarandus_ of Europe than it did
that of _R. caribou_, but that the humerus was more similar to that of
the caribou. Dana concluded that the clays had been laid down after the
glacier had retreated from the valley, but while it was yet near enough
to send down ice-floes. Woodworth (17th Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv., pt.
1, p. 978) was inclined to refer the clays to some pre-Wisconsin time.
NEW YORK.
(Map 24.)
1. _Ossining, Westchester County._—In 1859, Dr. Joseph Leidy (Proc.
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. XI, p. 194) read a letter from Dr. G. J.
Fisher, of Ossining (then Sing Sing), in which was reported the finding
of an antler of a reindeer in that vicinity, in excavating a peat-bed, 6
feet from the surface. The peat-bed had an area of about an acre, was
surrounded by high ground, and looked as if it had been the site of an
ancient lake. It is to be regretted that the situation of the place was
not more accurately given.
Woodworth (Bull. 84, New York State Mus., 1905, p. 187) remarked that he
did not know the circumstances under which the reindeer remains had been
found; but its occurrence there was consonant with his views of the
non-submergence of the lower Hudson valley. On the other hand, there
appears to be no good reason why the caribou might not have occupied
that region step by step as the glacier retired, and have remained there
long enough for its bones to become buried in mucks overlying the
deposits laid down in the Hudson while it was at sea-level.
2. _Racket River, St. Lawrence County._—In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., vol. VII, p. 377), Leidy mentioned the occurrence of caribou
(“_Cervus tarandus_”) remains at Racket River, basing his statement on a
remark of S. L. Mitchill (Cat. Organ. Remains, 1826, p. 26). On the same
page Leidy referred to Mitchill’s skull of the elk found at Racket
River, and to De Kay’s figure of it. In De Kay’s description (Zool. N.
Y. Mamm., p. 120) of the skull he stated that it bore a label in
Mitchill’s handwriting purporting that the skull belonged to the
reindeer. It looks, therefore, very much as if the crediting of the
caribou to this locality is due to an error of identification on the
part of Mitchill; on the other hand, it is barely possible that Mitchill
had remains of both animals from the locality.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 24.)
1. _Vincentown, Burlington County._—In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., vol. VII, p. 377, plate XXVIII, fig. 9), Leidy described and
figured a part of an antler of a reindeer found at Vincentown. It was
discovered 4 feet from the surface in soil overlying greensand.
According to Lewis and Kümmel’s geological map, the region about
Vincentown is occupied by Cape May deposits resting on Manasquan marl,
of Cretaceous age. It may be supposed, therefore, that this reindeer was
in that region during the prevalence of the Wisconsin glacial stage
(Geol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. VIII, p. 183). This antler is peculiar in
having no brow-tine, in having the bez-tine placed at an unusual height,
6 inches above the base, and in having no tine arise from the rear of
the shaft up to a height of about 2 feet from the base. Where the
last-mentioned tine might be expected is simply a sharp ridge. Leidy
thought that the antler resembled more closely that of the barren-ground
reindeer than that of the woodland reindeer. It may, however, belong to
a distinct but as yet unnamed species.
2. _Trenton, Mercer County._—In 1884 (17th Ann. Rep. Peabody Mus.,
Harvard Univ., for 1883, p. 372), Professor F. W. Putnam reported as
follows on a fragment of antler of _Rangifer_ found at Trenton by Dr. C.
C. Abbott: “A piece of worked antler, probably a handle to a stone
knife, from the gravel in the railroad cut where the human tooth (No.
27798) was found. Collected and presented by Dr. C. C. Abbott.”
This specimen is mentioned by Mr. S. N. Rhoads (Mamm. of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, 1903, p. 241) as belonging to _Rangifer grœnlandicus_.
From Dr. C. C. Willoughby, director of Peabody Museum, the writer learns
that this part of an antler is yet in that museum. He writes that it has
been a handle for apparently a steel knife and that he sees nothing
whatever about the specimen to indicate a prehistoric origin. It may, he
thinks, have been washed out of some recent Indian grave. In a personal
letter to Mr. S. N. Rhoads, Professor Putnam wrote that the fragment had
been identified by Dr. J. A. Allen as belonging to _Rangifer_. In 1883
(Jour. Franklin Inst., vol. CXV, pp. 366, 374), H. C. Lewis stated on
the authority of Dr. C. C. Abbott that remains of _Rangifer_ had been
discovered in the Trenton gravels.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 24.)
1. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—In Crystal Hill (Hartman’s) Cave, near
Stroudsburg, there was found, many years ago, bones and teeth of what
Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1880, p. 347) called _Rangifer
caribou_. In 1889 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania for 1887, p. 5)
the remains are spoken of as fragments of jaws and teeth.
2. _Riegelsville, Bucks County._—In his earliest mention of remains
found in Durham Cave, near Riegelsville, Leidy included the woodland
caribou (_Rangifer caribou_). In his list published in 1889 (Ann. Rep.
Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania for 1887, p. 18) this species is not included,
but the writer does not know why it was not.
ILLINOIS.
(Map 24.)
1. _Alton, Madison County._—In the collection of fossils made in the
region about Alton by William McAdams, a list of which will be given on
page 339, is a single upper right molar, the first or second, which
belongs to this genus. The tooth has McAdams’s No. 11. To the base of
the tooth a mass of very hard matrix adheres and a part of the
grinding-surface is covered by the same material. The tooth is likewise
somewhat shattered. The length of the tooth is 19 mm., the width across
the anterior lobe 13.5 mm.
From the materials at hand it is not possible to determine to what
species the tooth belonged. It is referred provisionally to _Rangifer
muscatinensis_. This tooth differs from other _Rangifer_ teeth observed
in having the front of the protocone, at its base, less fully rounded
out, and in that the mesostyle, on the inner face of the tooth, widens
more extensively as it approaches the base than in any other species
observed. Nevertheless, the width of the mesostyle varies in species and
individuals.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 24.)
1. _Menomonie, Dunn County._—From Professor S. Weidman, of the Wisconsin
Geological and Natural History Survey, the writer received a part of an
antler of a female or a young individual of some species of _Rangifer_.
Professor Weidman sends the information that this was obtained in a sand
formation just below the clays worked at Menomonie for brick. He regards
the brick-clays as being of Sangamon interglacial age. He states, too,
that a part of a leg-bone believed to belong to a mastodon had been
found in the clays; also bones of a fish, which have been identified by
Dr. Hussakof as the Mackinaw trout, _Cristivomer namaycush_ (Jour.
Geology, vol XXIV, pp. 685–689, figs. 1, 2).
Probably the caribou represented by this specimen lived in that region
at the beginning or at the close of some one of the glacial stages, when
the climate was yet severe. The supposed mastodon bone may have belonged
to _Elephas primigenius_. It is described on page 111.
At a later time Dr. Weidman sent the writer a large part of the beam of
an antler of a caribou which likewise had been found in the lacustrine
clay at Menomonie. It was met with in the red clay, near the top of the
lacustrine clay bed.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 24.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—The presence of reindeer bones at this
place appears first to have been mentioned by William Cooper (Monthly
Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, p. 207). He wrote that “antlers, jaws, and
other remains of _Cervus canadensis_, _C. virginianus_, _C. alces_, and
perhaps _C. tarandus_ are not very rare.” Shaler (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat.
Hist., vol. XIII, 1871, p. 167; Geol. Surv. Kentucky, n. s., vol. III,
p. 197) reported that antlers of the caribou had been found by him here.
A list of the species found at Bigbone Lick will be given on page 403.
FINDS OF MUSK-OXEN IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
GRINNELL LAND.
_Dumbbell Harbor._—In 1877 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. XX, p.
488), H. W. Fielden presented a paper on the post-Tertiary beds of
Grinnell Land and north Greenland. He reported the discovery of a bone
and a tooth of _Ovibos moschatus_ and a bone of _Phoca hispida_ in
deposits at an elevation of 400 feet. This was in latitude 82° 30′ N. At
another station, in latitude 82° 25′, Fielden procured fossil remains of
_Rangifer tarandus_, _Ovibos moschatus_, and _Phoca barbata_. A report
to the same effect was presented by Fielden and De Rance in 1878 (Quart.
Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., vol. XXXIV, p. 566).
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 25.)
1. _Trenton, Mercer County._—In 1900 (Ann. Rep. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.
for 1899, p. 16), Professor F. W. Putnam stated that Mr. Ernest Volk, of
Trenton, had found in the Trenton gravels a part of the scapula of a
musk-ox, now at the American Museum of Natural History, New York. The
part present is that bearing the glenoid cavity. This report is
reprinted on pages 248 to 249 of Volk’s “Archæology of the Delaware
Valley” (Papers Peabody Mus., vol. V). On page 111 of this work, Mr.
Volk gives an account of the discovery of the bone, and illustrates it
by plates LXXXVI and LXXXVII. The bone was identified by Putnam,
Matthew, Allen, Boas, Lambe, True, and Lucas. Inasmuch as the comparison
must have been made with the scapulas of _Ovibos moschatus_, the fossil
probably belonged to this species.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 25.)
1. _Pittston, Luzerne County._—In 1872 (Contrib. Ext. Fauna West.
Terrs., p. 255, plate XXVIII, fig. 8), Leidy briefly described and
figured a molar tooth which he referred to _Bison latifrons_. It had
been found along the bank of Susquehanna River at Pittston, associated
with the mastodon and a horse. Dr. J. A. Allen (Amer. Bisons, 1876, p.
12) expressed the opinion that the tooth belonged to some species of
_Ovibos_. The present writer agrees that the tooth is not that of
_Bison_. It seems to agree more nearly with teeth of _Symbos cavifrons_;
but it differs from the teeth of that species in some respects. The
writer has examined this tooth at the Academy of Natural Sciences at
Philadelphia. It is worn almost to the roots and is 34 mm. long and 32
mm. thick at the base of the hinder lobe. It agrees in form more closely
with the first molar of both _Ovibos_ and _Symbos_; but it is much
larger than the same tooth in _Ovibos moschatus_ and somewhat larger
than that of _Symbos cavifrons_. The inner face of the anterior lobe is
much more rounded than in _Symbos_, and the inner face of the hinder
lobe forms an angle with the hinder face, instead of rounding into it,
as it does in _Symbos cavifrons_. The teeth appear to have been packed
together more closely, on the lingual side, than in _Bison_, _Symbos_,
and _Ovibos_. The tooth is probably worthy of being given a new name.
Mr. S. W. Rhoads has examined this tooth and concluded that it belonged
to _Bison bison_. To this view it seems sufficient to say that in
_Bison_ teeth the outer face of each of the lobes is very convex and
column-like, while the parastyle and especially the mesostyle are
relatively small. In the Pittston tooth the mesostyle stands out beyond
the outer face of the hinder lobe, and the latter is nearly flat; this
is also the condition in _Symbos_. The writer will say further that the
accessory column is not always present in teeth of _Symbos_.
2. _Riegelsville, Bucks County._—Mr. Rhoads, as cited above, on pages
246 to 248, described a part of a horn-core of a bovine animal to which
he applied the name _Bison appalachicolus_. Later (Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci., Phila., 1897, p. 492) he concluded that the horn-core had belonged
to an animal of the genus _Ovibos_; and accordingly it bears the name
_O. appalachicolus_. Leidy had in 1889 called attention to a collection
of bones made in Durham Cave, near Riegelsville (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.,
Pennsylvania, for 1887, pp. 18–19). He recorded 20 species, all of which
lived there or at most, not far away, when the country was discovered.
These may have all entered the cave at a later period, but the musk-ox
may have antedated the others. A list of these fossils is presented on
page 311.
OHIO.
(Map 25.)
1. _Urbana, Champaign County._—At Urbana, Ohio, in the possession of Mr.
Charles McDarg, the writer has seen a skull of _Symbos cavifrons_ which
had been found on the farm of Ed. Jennings, while a ditch was being dug.
It was buried in mud at a depth of 10 feet. This region is covered by
the Wisconsin drift, and the animal must have lived not long after the
ice had withdrawn from the neighborhood.
2. _Youngstown, Mahoning County._—In the geological collection of the
Ohio State University is a part of a skull of _Ovibos moschatus_ secured
at Youngstown. The specimen shows the base of the skull and the
forehead. Between the bases of the horns is a narrow channel,
characteristic of _Ovibos_. The specimen shows the effects of abrasion,
the horn-cores being worn down to their bases. The specimen is said to
have been found in gravel at a depth of 60 feet. It appears to have been
presented in 1890 by H. McGinnis. It is probable that this skull was
found along Mahoning River, but the elevation was, unfortunately, not
given. The probability is that the deposits inclosing the fossil were
laid down during the Wisconsin stage.
According to Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., XLI, p. 149), the old
trough of Beaver River was filled with gravel during the Wisconsin
glacial stage, and this filling is now in process of excavation. The
same is probably true of its tributary, the Mahoning. If the skull was
buried in this gravel its age is thereby determined.
3. _Trumbull County._—In 1853 (Smith. Contrib. Knowl., vol. V, art. 3,
p. 16), Leidy stated that he had received, for inspection, from
Professor Samuel St. John, of Hudson, Ohio, a fragment of a skull, with
one horn-core attached, which had been found in Trumbull County. No
further details were given as to the locality or of the geological
conditions. The skull appeared to be much water-worn. It belongs to
_Symbos cavifrons_. Trumbull County is wholly occupied by Wisconsin
drift. The animal is, then, probably to be credited to the Late
Wisconsin. It is possible, however, that this skull was found in an
older deposit exposed in the valley of some stream.
MICHIGAN.
(Map 25.)
Up to the present time it appears that remains of musk-oxen have been
found in Michigan in only two localities, Manchester, Washtenaw County,
and near Moorland, in Muskegon County. These remains belonged to two
different genera, _Symbos_ and _Boötherium_.
1. _Manchester, Washtenaw County._—In No. 13 of the Occasional Papers of
the Museum of Zoology, pages 1–3, plates I, II, issued by the University
of Michigan, November 12, 1915, Dr. E. C. Case reported the finding of a
fine skull of _Symbos cavifrons_ at a place near Manchester. This was
given by Case as being about 3 miles northeast of Manchester, but Mr.
Schlicht, owner of the farm, has sent the writer a description and plat
of the section which show that the spot is situated about 0.5 mile
northwest of the town. It is near the center of the northwest quarter of
the northwest quarter of section 1, township 4 south, range 3 east. A
drain was being made in a swampy tract and the skull was found at a
depth of 4 feet, lying on a bed of clay. This was covered by a black
muck filled with plant remains and interrupted by a few thin layers of
fine gravel.
The skull was in fine condition, but lacked the lower jaw. The spade of
a workman struck the nose and injured the bones so that some parts were
lost. The teeth were almost perfectly preserved.
The locality which furnished this skull is in the valley of the Raisin
River. According to Leverett’s glacial map of Michigan (Monogr. U. S.
Geol. Surv., LIII, plate VII), this valley crosses, at this point, the
northern end of the Fort Wayne moraine. It is not improbable that this
musk-ox lived when the foot of the ice-sheet was not far removed. Even
in case the skull had gotten into a drainage channel it could not,
because of its fine state of preservation, have been moved far from
where the animal died. The circumstances appear to indicate that the
skull had been left on the clayey bottom of a shallow pond of a tundra
and become covered by the muck of a milder epoch.
2. _Moorland, Muskegon County._—In 1908 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol.
XXXIV, p. 683, plate LXXIX), J. W. Gidley described, as belonging to a
new species, _Boötherium sargenti_, a skull of a musk-ox found on the
farm of Mr. Charles McKay, reported to be near Grand Rapids. Further
inquiry showed that the farm is located near Moorland, in the northeast
quarter of section 16, township 10 north, range 14 west. The skull was
found in a marsh at a depth of 2 or 3 feet and lying beneath the pelvis
of a mastodon. It and the mastodon are now preserved in the Kent
Scientific Museum, at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 1915 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. XLVIII, p. 525, plate XXXI), the
writer redescribed the specimen. Dr. J. A. Allen, in 1913 (Mem. Amer.
Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. I, pp. 214, 215), referred to this skull and
concluded that it had belonged to the female of _Symbos cavifrons_. The
writer does not accept this opinion. He has examined more than 25 skulls
of _S. cavifrons_, some of which must have been females. In none did the
rough surfaces for the horns fail to meet at the midline as it does fail
in the Moorland specimen.
The Moorland marsh is surrounded by what Leverett has called the Lake
Border moraines. It is probable that this musk-ox existed there after,
but not long after, the ice had withdrawn into Lake Michigan. From what
is known about the habits of musk-oxen in general, we must conclude that
the climate was yet cold.
The fact that the mastodon remains were so closely associated with the
musk-ox skull does not prove that the animals lived there together. Near
Alma, in Gratiot County, the late Charles A. Davis found mastodon bones
in a peat-bog within a few inches of the surface. If by chance the
pelvis of a modern horse or cow had fallen on that spot, it might easily
have been pressed down into contact with those bones.
INDIANA.
(Map 25.)
1. _Wailesboro, Bartholomew County._—In the American Museum of Natural
History, New York, is a portion of a skull of a musk-ox which the writer
identifies as _Symbos cavifrons_. It is labeled as found along the East
Fork of White River, in 1904, near Wailesboro, Bartholomew County,
Indiana. This locality is about 45 miles east of south of Indianapolis.
The skull is reported to have been washed out of a bank composed of
alluvium which overlies from 10 to 20 feet of glacial gravel. It is also
said that out of the same gravel a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ had
been secured. It seems to be implied that the musk-ox skull came from
the gravel; but the record is not clear. It was presented to the museum
in New York by Dr. J. J. Edwards, of Columbus, Indiana. He is said to
have been interested to some extent in collecting palæontological
materials. It is likely that he depended on others for his knowledge of
the origin of the skull.
The specimen presents the brain-case to the rear of the orbits,
including the basioccipital bone and the bases of the horn-cores. It has
been rolled somewhat and many ridges and processes have been eroded off.
Measurements were given by the writer in his paper on the “Pleistocene
Period in Indiana and its Vertebrata” (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI,
pp. 638–639). Dr. J. A. Allen (Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. I, p.
201) has examined this skull and concluded that it is not specifically
determinable, but the writer, after re-examining the specimen, sees no
reason for changing his original conclusion.
This skull was found within the area of Illinoian drift; but the border
of the Wisconsin forms the high ground just east of the river. According
to Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana (Monogr. LII, U. S. Geol. Surv.,
plate VI), the valley of the river is filled with sands and gravels
resulting from glacial drainage, and this came mostly, if not all, from
the Wisconsin ice. Most probably the animal which possessed this skull
lived there at some time when the Wisconsin glacial ice was not far
away.
2. _Richmond, Wayne County._—In the collection at Earlham College,
Richmond, Indiana, is the brain-case of a skull identified as that of
_Ovibos moschatus_. This fragment was described and figured by the
writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 641, plate IX, fig.
2). The skull was unearthed by some workmen in the vicinity of Richmond
and put into the hands of Professor D. W. Dennis, who loaned it to the
writer. It is referred to _Ovibos moschatus_, the species now existing
in the Arctic region of North America. Possibly if we had more complete
remains specific differences might be found.
This animal probably lived in the region about Richmond at a time when
the Wisconsin moraine was yet lingering in Indiana and when the climate
was yet severe.
3. _Randolph County._—In the collection belonging to Earlham College is
the rear portion of the skull of a musk-ox, identified as belonging to
_Symbos cavifrons_. At what place in Randolph County it was found is not
known. It had been somewhat eroded and injured. Measurements
approximately correct were given by the writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv.
Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 638). We may suppose that the animal lived in
that region at some time during the last half of the Wisconsin stage.
4. _Beaver Lake, Newton County._—In 1870, F. H. Bradley (Geol. Surv.
Illinois, vol. IV, p. 229), reported that upon the bottom of Beaver
Lake, just east of the State line, since the lake had been partially
drained, skeletons of _Mastodon_ and _Boötherium_ had been found by Dr.
H. M. Keyzer, of Momence, Illinois, and others. Unfortunately, we do not
know what became of these valuable materials. Probably the
“_Boötherium_” was the animal now known as _Symbos cavifrons_, inasmuch
as it is far more abundant than any other species of musk-ox. If any
parts of the skeleton of this musk-ox were really found the loss is
great, inasmuch as very few bones have ever been discovered.
The time when the mastodon and the musk-ox lived about Beaver Lake must
have been after the withdrawal of the Wisconsin glacial sheet beyond
that region. For remarks on this locality see page 96. The name Beaver
Lake has disappeared from the maps, but it was in township 30 north,
range 9 west.
5. _Hebron, Porter County._—In the American Museum of Natural History is
a nearly complete skull of the musk-ox known as _Symbos cavifrons_,
collected about 6 miles east of Hebron. It was found by workmen while
making excavations for a railroad bridge. The exact location is given as
section 16, township 33 north, range 6 west, in the marshy lands just
north of Kankakee River. The depth was about 7 feet and the deposit was
described as a mixture of sand and clay. Doubtless the animal died near
the spot where its skull was found, inasmuch as this had undergone
little injury.
This skull was described and figured by the writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv.
Indiana, vol. XXXVI, pp. 635–638, figs. 49, 50) and in 1914 (Iowa Geol.
Surv., vol. XXIII, pp. 299–302, figs. 98, 99); also by Dr. J. A. Allen
(Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. I, p. 214, plates XVII, XVIII).
On Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana this region is represented as being
occupied by sand and gravel deposits resulting from glacial drainage.
The musk-ox must have lived after the foot of the glacier had withdrawn
nearly to the end of Lake Michigan.
ILLINOIS.
(Map 25.)
1. _Bondville, Champaign County._—In the collection of the University of
Illinois, at Champaign, is the rear portion of the skull with the
horn-cores of a specimen of _Symbos cavifrons_. It is reported as found
on the farm of John Busey, southwest of Champaign and 4 miles from
Bondville. Professor S. A. Forbes informed the writer that the locality
is in section 31, township 19 north, range 8 east. No details are known
regarding the conditions under which the skull was found. The region is
occupied by the Champaign moraine and it was after the retirement of the
ice from this moraine that the animal lived. It may, however, have been
not long after that time.
2. _Manito, Mason County._—Mr. John Wiedmer, of St. Louis, presented to
the U. S. National Museum (No. 7800) the rear half of the skull of a
specimen of _Symbos cavifrons_ found near Manito, at a depth of 5 feet,
by workmen who were cutting out peat. A tooth of a mastodon, _Mammut
americanum_, sent with the skull, is said to have been embedded in the
upper part of the sand which underlies the peat. The skull was reported
as found at about the same depth, but it was quite certainly not in the
sand.
The exact location of the skull was in section 22, township 23 north,
range 6 east, within the area of the Illinoian drift-sheet, but the
Wisconsin drift is not far away. The valley of the Illinois River in
this county is mapped by Leverett as occupied by sands and gravels of
Wisconsin age. Probably the animal lived when the Wisconsin ice-sheet
was not far distant.
The skull described apparently belonged to a rather small, perhaps not
fully grown individual. For purposes of comparison with other skulls, as
the one found at St. Louis, Missouri, and the one found at Hebron,
Indiana (p. 252), the following measurements have been taken of this
skull:
_mm._
From tip to tip of horn-cores 437
Height of rear of skull from bottom of condyles 168
Width across the mastoid region 183
Width between hinder ends of temporal fossæ 117
Width at space between bases of horn-cores and orbits 127
Width at the rear border of orbits 231
Length of rough surface of forehead, at midline 200
Fore-and-aft width of base of horn-core 98
Vertical thickness of base of horn-core 78
From front of foramen magnum to rear of nasal bones 260
The exostosis between the bases of the horn-cores is longitudinally
deeply excavated, the excavation being 50 mm. wide and 27 mm. deep. The
tips of the horn-cores come forward only even with the rear border of
the orbits. In some other cases the horn-cores come forward to the
front, or even in advance of the front border of the orbits. It is
possible that this Manito skull was that of a cow.
3. _Alton, Madison County._—In a collection of fossil mammals made at
Alton by William McAdams and now in the U. S. National Museum is a
single tooth, a lower left second molar, referred with some doubt to
_Symbos promptus_. The crown is 34 mm. long and 25 mm. wide at the base.
The tooth has been described briefly by the writer (Proc. U. S. Nat.
Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 115). A list of the species accompanying it will be
found on page 339.
WEST VIRGINIA.
(Map 25.)
1. _Mahan, Brooke County._—In 1902 (Science, n. s., vol. XVI, pp.
707–709, fig.), J. B. Hatcher reported the finding of a part of a skull
of _Symbos cavifrons_ at a point in Brooke County, somewhat over a mile
below Steubenville, Ohio. The locality is further defined as being the
sand-pit of the Steubenville Sand Company, on the Thomas Mahan farm, on
the east side of the Wheeling branch of the “Panhandle” Railroad. The
details regarding the locality were furnished by Mr. Sam Huston. The
sand-pit was located in the glacial terrace which rises about 70 feet
above low-water mark and from about 35 to 40 feet above high-water. The
river has never been known to rise as high as to the spot where the
skull was found. It had doubtless been brought down by the waters which
built up the terrace. These waters probably came from the Wisconsin
ice-sheet. The skull is now in the Carnegie Museum at Pittsburgh.
The interesting geology of this region is described on page 355.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 25.)
1. _Natchez._—The first notice of the occurrence of any species of the
Ovibovinæ at Natchez seems to be the inclusion of _Symbos (Boötherium)
cavifrons_ in Leidy’s list of fossil Mammalia found in the State of
Mississippi (Wailles’s Rep. Agric. Geol. Mississippi, 1854, p. 269), but
the locality is not mentioned. The occurrence of the species in the
State was not mentioned by Leidy in 1853 in his “Memoir on Extinct
Species of Fossil Ox” (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. V, art. 3).
Leidy’s list mentioned above was quoted by Hilgard in 1860 (Agric. Geol.
Mississippi, p. 196). In neither place was any statement made regarding
the part preserved. In his “Memoir on the Extinct Sloth Tribe of North
America,” published in 1855 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art.
5, p. 6), Leidy stated that _Boötherium_ had been found at Natchez. Five
years later (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1870, p. 73) Leidy reported
that an isolated tooth, a last lower molar not yet protruded from the
jaw, had been received from Natchez and was preserved in the museum of
the Philadelphia Academy. On comparison with a last molar in a jaw of a
supposed _Ovibos cavifrons_ received at the Smithsonian Institution and
found near Woodbine, Iowa, Leidy concluded that the Natchez tooth
belonged to the same species. Probably he had already based on this
tooth the announcement of the presence of this species at Natchez. At
least, the writer knows of no other parts of _Symbos cavifrons_ found at
Natchez, and he has seen neither the tooth from Natchez nor the jaw from
Woodbine, Iowa.
Leidy stated that the tooth in question had a height of 2.25 inches, a
length antero-posteriorly of 2 inches.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 25.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—In his account of Bigbone Lick and the
collections made there (Monthly Amer. Jour. Geol., vol. I, pp. 158–174,
205–217), William Cooper included in his list of species both _Bos
bombifrons_ (_Boötherium bombifrons_) and _Bos pallasii_ (_Symbos
cavifrons_). Already in 1818 Wistar (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., ser. 2,
vol. I, p. 379, plate XI, figs. 10, 11) had described, without
systematic name, the skull which later was made the type of _Bos
bombifrons_ by Harlan (Fauna Amer., p. 271). This skull was a part of
the collection made at Bigbone Lick by Governor William Clark for
President Thomas Jefferson. In the account presented by Cooper (p. 173)
he stated that in the Finnell (sometimes spelled Phinnell) collection,
made in 1830, he had found a second head of the species, but what became
of it is not known. Harlan, as cited (p. 272), stated that in the
collection of fossils made at Bigbone Lick by Major Long were teeth
which probably belonged to the musk-ox. They differed little from those
of the bison, but were thicker at the crown, more deeply grooved at the
sides, and altogether more robust. In 1870 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., p. 97), Dr. Leidy mentioned that in the Museum of Comparative
Zoology, in Cambridge, he had seen a skull of _Symbos cavifrons_ which
Professor Shaler had collected at Bigbone Lick. The present writer has
seen this skull. A list of the species found at this locality is
recorded on page 403.
2. _Bluelick Springs?, Nicholas County._—In the collection at Yale
University is the hinder part of a skull of _Symbos cavifrons_, bought
in 1876 from Henry Ward, Rochester, and labeled as found in the Bluelick
region. The locality is not more definitely known.
3. _Winchester, Clark County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a part of
the rear of the skull of _Symbos cavifrons_ labeled as found at
Winchester. It is credited to J. W. Fitch. It shows well the condyles,
some of the base of the skull, and the base of the right horn-core.
Besides the remains above described a part of a cranium of _Symbos
cavifrons_ from Kentucky is preserved in the Boston Society of Natural
History. Leidy (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. V, art. 3, p. 16) stated
that it had been found in the alluvium of Kentucky River.
FINDS OF EXTINCT BISONS IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 26.)
1. _Toronto, York County._—Through the kindness of Professor B. A.
Bensley, of the University of Toronto, the writer has had the
opportunity to examine a malar bone of a bison found in the Don
interglacial beds at Toronto. It is slightly water-worn and the edges
are somewhat injured. The bone has been compared with the corresponding
one of a large specimen of _Bison bison_, No. 22374 of the U. S.
National Museum, and with a complete skull of _Bison alleni_ from
Alaska. The Toronto bone is about one-third larger than that of the
_Bison bison_ and about one-tenth larger than that of _B. alleni_. The
projecting outer plate, immediately below the orbit, narrows little if
any from behind forward, while in both the other species referred to it
becomes much narrower toward the front. The bone quite certainly
belonged to an extinct species, but without the horn-cores it is
impossible to determine to which one.
In 1901 (Jour. Geol., vol. IX, p. 301), Coleman stated that a large
atlas vertebra of a bison which he thought might belong to _B.
americanus_ had been found in interglacial beds in Toronto. It is more
probable, however, that it belonged to one of the extinct species. It is
uncertain whether the deposits belonged to the Don series or the
Scarboro.
The geology of this region is treated on pages 281 to 283.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Pittston, Luzerne County._—In 1873 (Contrib. Ext. Fauna West.
Terrs., p. 255, plate XXVIII, fig. 8), Leidy described and figured a
tooth as that of _Bison latifrons_. This has been referred here to an
undetermined species of _Symbos_. In a paper on the distribution of the
American bison in Pennsylvania, Mr. S. N. Rhoads (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1895, p. 245) concluded that this tooth belonged to the existing
bison. He stated also that the Academy had two other teeth, lower
molars, from the same place, which Leidy had labeled as “_Bison
americanus_” and regarded as more recent than the figured tooth. Rhoads
thought the identification correct, but that they belonged to the same
individual as did the tooth figured by Leidy. The writer has not seen
these lower teeth and admits them here only provisionally. They were
found along Susquehanna River, in association with remains of _Mammut
americanum_ and _Equus complicatus?_ (“_E. major_”). If any of the
bovine teeth belong to Bison the species belonged to early or middle
Pleistocene and is now extinct.
2. _Port Kennedy, Montgomery County._—The presence of Bison in the
famous cave at this place was announced by Wheatley in 1871 (Amer. Jour.
Sci., ser. 3, vol. I, p. 384). Cope, in his account of 1899 (Jour. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. XI), does not mention the genus; but Mercer, on
page 280 of the same volume, credits Wheatley with having found remains
of three individuals of one undetermined species. He used the generic
name _Bos_.
A description of the Port Kennedy Cave and its contents and remarks on
the geological age of the fossils will be given on pages 311 to 320.
OHIO.
(Map 26.)
1. _Fincastle, Brown County._—In 1887 (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol.
X, p. 20), Horace P. Smith, curator of the society, described a fine
pair of horn-cores of _Bison latifrons_ found in Brown County and which
had come into the possession of the society. They were discovered at a
depth of 18 feet, in making excavations for the piers of a bridge across
Brush Creek. Inasmuch as nearly the whole of the course of this stream
is in Adams County, the locality must have been in the northeastern
corner of Brown County, near Fincastle, where the creek has its source,
and within the area of the Illinoian drift. Smith thought that the
horn-cores were in the drift; but, if so, the overlying materials must
have been washed down over them after their burial. It is improbable
that they were ever beneath or in the glacier. The animal probably lived
during the Sangamon interglacial stage; quite certainly before the
Wisconsin.
2. _North Fairfield, Huron County._—In the Norwalk Museum, at Norwalk,
are some skull-bones of a bison found at some point not known to the
writer, about 7 miles from North Fairfield, while search was being made
for bones of the megalonyx which belongs partly to the museum at
Norwalk, partly to the Niver family at North Fairfield. These bison
bones served as the type of _Bison sylvestris_, described by the writer
in 1915 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Museum, vol. XLVIII, p. 515, plate XXX). This
is the only species of extinct bison known that lived after the close of
the Wisconsin stage.
INDIANA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Evansville, Vanderburg County._—Many years ago Dr. Leidy (Proc.
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, pp. 199–200) described a collection of
mammalian remains made on the banks of Ohio River at the mouth of Pigeon
Creek, a short distance below Evansville. Among these materials was a
fragment of a cervical vertebra of a species of _Bison_, which Leidy
identified with doubt as _Bison americanus_, the existing bison, now
known as _Bison bison_. It would be impossible to determine to which of
our several species of the genus _Bison_ this bone belonged; but it
probably did not belong to B. bison. This species is not known from
times preceding the Wisconsin drift and the bone-bed at Pigeon Creek is
undoubtedly older. On page 32 is a discussion of the probable age of the
bone-bed. It may be as old as the Aftonian stage, but more probably it
belonged to the Sangamon.
The other species found at the locality named are _Megalonyx
jeffersonii_, the Virginia deer, the extinct horse known as _Equus
complicatus_, _Tapirus haysii_, and the extinct wolf _Ænocyon dirus_. At
Bigbone Lick, midway between Louisville and Cincinnati, on the Kentucky
side, have been found two extinct species of _Bison_, _B. antiquus_ and
_B. latifrons_. At the same place has been found _Equus complicatus_.
The beds there overlie the Illinoian drift and belong, in part at least,
to the Sangamon.
Under this number may be included mention of a bone of a species of
Bison which Cope reported in 1878 (Amer. Naturalist, vol. XII, p. 189)
from Vanderburg County. Cope stated that John Collett, then State
geologist of Indiana, had discovered in a late Pleistocene deposit a
number of fossils. One of these was the ulno-radius of a _Bos_ (now to
be referred to _Bison_); another was a part of the mandible of the deer
_Odocoileus dolichopsis_. In 1884 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol XIV, p. 22),
Cope and Workman, inaccurately quoting Cope’s original description of
the deer _Odocoileus dolichopsis_, state that this deer and the bison
bones were found in Harrison County.
By consulting the Patoka Folio, No. 105, of the U. S. Geological Survey,
it will be seen that the northern part of Vanderburg County, four
townships, Nos. 4 and 5 south, ranges 10 and 11 west, are included. The
two northern townships are largely occupied by lacustrine deposits which
the geologists Fuller and Clapp regarded as having been laid down in
lakes produced by the damming of the drainage by the Illinoian
ice-sheet. Farther south, along the streams emptying into Pigeon Creek,
are wide areas which are covered by “fine silts, mainly of pre-Wisconsin
age, but including some of more recent age.” Whether or not the bison
bone and the jaw of _Odocoileus dolichopsis_ were found in any of these
deposits we are unfortunately left in the dark. It is most probable that
the bison and the deer lived there after the Illinoian stage and before
the Wisconsin.
2. _Vincennes, Knox County._—In the geological collection of Earlham
College, Richmond, Indiana, is preserved the greater part of the skull
of a bison which belonged to the species known as _Bison antiquus_. This
skull was first described and figured by Mr. W. G. Middleton and
Professor Joseph Moore (Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. for 1899, pp. 178–181,
with a plate); afterwards by the writer (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol.
XXXVI, p. 651, figs. 50, 51).
This fine skull is said to have been found in 1896 by a Mr. Brower, a
few miles from Vincennes, in a ditch, at a depth of 6 feet. Beyond this
the writer has not been able to learn. It would be of value to know
exactly where this place was, for then some conclusion might be reached
as to the geological age of the animal. The greater part of the county
is occupied by drift of Illinoian age, which appears in some places to
have on it some loess, and doubtless its surface has been much modified
since the materials were laid down. Even in this area there may be some
deposits of later times, interglacial and glacial.
According to Leverett’s glacial map of the region, there are along
Wabash River sand and gravel terraces of Wisconsin age; while along
White River there are said to be alluvial terraces older than Wisconsin.
At present one can arrive at a conclusion only from general knowledge.
The writer knows of no extinct bison (except one rather peculiar
species) which lived after the Wisconsin glacial stage. It appears most
probable that the skull at Earlham College came from some interglacial
deposits laid down about the middle of the Pleistocene, most likely
during the Sangamon stage.
The writer has been informed that another skull of a buffalo was for
years on exhibition in a business house conducted by Mr. T. L. Cheney,
but it seems to have disappeared. Mr. J. Gimble, of Vincennes, informs
the writer that it was found in the bed of Wabash River, near St.
Francisville, Illinois, about 10 miles below Vincennes.
ILLINOIS.
(Map 26.)
1. _Alton, Madison County._—In the U. S. National Museum are four teeth
of an undetermined species of _Bison_ found somewhere in the vicinity of
Alton. They are part of a collection made many years ago by Mr. William
McAdams, and afterwards passed into the hands of Professor O. C. Marsh,
then vertebrate palæontologist of the U. S. Geological Survey. It now
belongs to the U. S. National Museum. Nearly all of these fossils were
originally inclosed, wholly or partially, in nodules of fine sand,
cemented together with carbonate of calcium. Where the teeth are exposed
to view they are shown in a beautifully white condition; but the
remaining matrix is so hard and adheres so strongly that it is
practically impossible to remove it without greatly damaging the teeth.
A list of the species found at Alton will be given on page 339; also a
discussion of their geologic age.
The bison teeth consist of four upper molars and the hinder half or more
of the left hindermost molar. They were described by the writer (Proc.
U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 115). They are somewhat larger than any
belonging to the existing buffalo measured. They are larger, too, than
those of the commonest extinct species, _B. occidentalis_. It is
impossible to say at present to which extinct species they belonged. One
naturally thinks of _Bison latifrons_, the bearer of the immense horns,
but teeth have not yet been found associated with the horn-cores of that
species.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 26.)
1. _Coon Valley, Vernon County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
well-fossilized tooth of a species of bison which was sent, in 1899, by
Rev. P. Moe, of Coon Valley. This tooth has been regarded as belonging
to _Bison bison_, but its fossilization seems to indicate that it
antedates the time of this species. It was found in section 26, township
14 north, range 6 west. This would be between the towns of Coon Valley
and Chaseburg. This locality lies within the “driftless area,” and it
would probably be difficult for the geologist, even on the ground, to
determine the age of the deposit, especially as no details were
furnished regarding the depth at which the tooth was found or the nature
of the inclosing materials.
MARYLAND.
(Map 26.)
1. _Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County._—Mr. William Palmer, of the U. S.
National Museum, collected at this place, in 1912, a fragment of a lower
last molar which apparently belonged to some species of _Bison_. A few
other remains have later been secured.
VIRGINIA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Saltville, Smyth County._—In the U. S. National Museum is an upper
second molar of a species of _Bison_, found at Saltville. It was sent in
1904 by Mr. H. D. Mount, of Saltville, with remains of _Elephas
primigenius_ and _Mammut americanum_. It is understood that all were
found in excavating for the water reservoir of the town. The bison tooth
is little worn, the height being still 46 mm. At the summit the crown is
34 mm. long, at the base 23 mm. long and 29 mm. wide. It resembles
closely that of _Bison bison_, but is slightly larger than the same
tooth in a large specimen of the existing species. The base of the skull
is present, with the occipital condyles. The latter are slightly larger
than in the specimen of _B. bison_ just mentioned. The species can not
be determined, but it probably was not _B. bison_. A list of the
associated species found at this locality is presented on page 352.
2. _Ivanhoe, Wythe County._—In 1869 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI,
p. 176), Professor Cope stated that he had found molar teeth of a bison
which he identified with doubt as _Bison antiquus_. The animal may quite
as well have belonged to any one of four or five other extinct species.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—In 1860, Leidy (Holmes’s Post-Pl.
Foss. South Carolina, p. 110, plate XVII, figs. 15, 16) described
briefly and figured a tooth of a bovine animal found in the Pleistocene
of Ashley River. This he suspected belonged to _Bison latifrons_, but he
added that it presented nothing to distinguish it from that of the
existing bison. Numerous teeth resembling those of the domestic ox and
the bison have been found on Ashley River and have been regarded as
those of the domestic animal. (See letter of Agassiz to Professor F. S.
Holmes in the Introduction to Holmes’s work cited above.) While the
teeth of our cattle may have been picked up along the shores of Ashley
River, it is highly probable that the great majority of similar teeth
belonged to some extinct species of _Bison_. Probably only the discovery
of horn-cores will lead to the determination of the species. Leidy
probably used the name _Bison latifrons_ in a very wide sense. In the
collection at Amherst College the writer has seen an upper molar of a
bison, apparently the second molar, which is 38 mm. long on the outer
face. This length is too great for B. bison and the tooth probably
belongs to _B. latifrons_. It was probably found in the region about
Charleston.
In the Charleston Museum the writer has seen an anterior cannon-bone of
_Bison_ which had quite certainly been found somewhere about Charleston.
The following measurements were secured, and corresponding measurements
of _B. bison_ are added for comparison:
_Measurements of anterior cannon-bones of bisons, in millimeters._
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┐
│ │Fossil bison.│ B. bison. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┤
│Length along the outer border │ 242│ 206│
│Width of upper articular surface │ 90│ │
│Side-to-side diameter at middle of length│ 64│ 52│
│Fore-and-aft diameter at middle of length│ 39│ 33│
│Width of lower articular surface │ 96│ 91│
└─────────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘
Other measurements may be found in J. A. Allen’s work, “The American
Bisons,” page 45. Apparently the bison which possessed the bone
described above had a height about one-eighth greater than the large
individual of the existing bison compared with it. Fossil remains found
elsewhere show that at least one large species of _Bison_ formerly
inhabited this country. _B. latifrons_ was a species with very large
horns, and its body may also have been larger than that of the existing
bison. To this species may have belonged the large cannon-bone described
above.
GEORGIA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—Remains of an undetermined species of
Bison were found at the time of excavating the Brunswick Canal, south of
Darien, in 1838–39. In a communication to the Academy of Natural
Sciences (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. I, pp. 216–217), Mr. J.
Hamilton Couper gave an account of the geology of the locality and
mentioned the fact that remains of _Megatherium_, _Elephas primigenius_,
_Mastodon giganteus_, _Hippopotamus_, horse, _Bos_, and _Sus americana_
had been secured. As was later determined by Owen (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1848, p. 93), the supposed hippopotamus incisor was a lower tusk
of a mastodon. _Sus americana_ was referred by Owen to his genus
_Harlanus_; but was afterwards found to belong to _Bison_. Owen (Jour.
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 2, vol. I, p. 20, plate VI) described and
furnished an excellent figure of the jaw. The jaw is now in the
collection of the Academy of Sciences at Philadelphia. Measurements show
that it is larger than the jaw of _Bison bison_, corresponding well with
the other bones of _Bison_ found at the same place. Leidy regarded it as
belonging to _B. latifrons_; but he used this name in a very wide sense.
In the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia is a part of the
right ramus of the lower jaw labeled “_Bison latifrons_, Darien canal,
Ga.” The teeth are badly worn. The jaw itself is larger than that of
_Bison bison_. The following measurements were taken:
_Measurements of bison jaws, in millimeters._
┌────────────────────────────────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┐
│ │B. latifrons.│ B. bison. │
├────────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┤
│Height of jaw just behind third molar │91 │83 │
│Thickness of jaw just behind third molar│36 │32.5 │
│Height of jaw in front of third molar │63 │52 │
│Thickness of jaw in front of third molar│31 │29 │
└────────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘
The jaw has the appearance of being much more massive than that of _B.
bison_.
In his work on the “Extinct Species of American Ox” (Smiths. Contrib.
Knowl., vol. V, p. 11), Leidy stated that Couper had presented to the
Academy in Philadelphia a tibia and a part of a humerus of _Bison_,
which bones he reported were larger than those of the existing American
bison, and he referred them to the species _Bison latifrons_. The tibia
was 456 mm. long and 87 mm. wide at the lower end; in a large _Bison
bison_ in the U. S. National Museum the tibia is 412 mm. long and 78 mm.
wide below.
Couper presented to the Boston Society of Natural History an atlas and a
metatarsus from the same locality. The atlas had a width of 247 mm.;
that of the existing bison just referred to is 220 mm. wide. The
metatarsal is said to have been 272 mm. long; that of the living bison
mentioned is 255 mm. A front cannon-bone at Harvard is 256 mm. long. In
a collection determined by J. W. Gidley (Bull. No. 26, Geol. Surv.
Georgia, p. 436) some bison remains, probably a tooth or teeth, were
referred with doubt to _Bison bison_. It is far more probable that they
belonged to an extinct species, and that _B. latifrons_.
2. _Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Chatham County._—On page 29 of
Joseph Habersham’s Memorandum, forming a part of William B. Hodgson’s
“Memoir on the Megatherium,” published in 1846, a portion of the humerus
of a _Bos_ is listed among the fossils found at Skidaway Island. This
bone is to be assigned to an undetermined species of _Bison_. The width
across the condyles is given as 4.5 inches, which is not greater than in
_B. bison_; but it is not probable that it was this species. Lyell
(Second Visit, etc., ed. 3, vol. I, p. 348) includes “a species of the
ox-tribe” among the fossils found at this locality.
For further remarks on the species of vertebrates found at Brunswick,
the reader may consult page 371, where also the geology of the locality
is discussed.
FLORIDA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Wade, Alachua County._—In the collection of the Florida Geological
Survey is an upper left last molar of _Bison_, found in the Buttgenbach
river mine, in Santa Fe River, 6 miles north from Wade. Although this
tooth was found in a phosphate mine, it certainly belongs to Pleistocene
time. The tooth is but little worn and is well fossilized. Its height is
45 mm., the length on the outer face 30 mm., the length at the middle of
the width 27 mm., the width at the base of the first lobe 24 mm.
There is another tooth in the collection, apparently the second upper
molar of the left side, from the same place and fossilized in the same
way. For a list of the species found at this locality and the writer’s
view regarding their geological age, the reader is referred to page 376.
2. _Pablo Beach, Duval County._—In the collection just mentioned there
are, from near Pablo Beach, three bones which apparently belonged to
some extinct species of _Bison_. No. 4444 is the left fibular bone; No.
4443 the left third cuneiform of the hinder foot; and No. 4442, a first
phalange of a hinder foot. These were found along the Inland Waterway
Canal, about 20 miles north of St. Augustine. The locality appears to be
about 5 miles south of Pablo Beach. At the same place have been found
_Mammut americanum_, _Elephas columbi_, and remains of a species of
_Odocoileus_.
3. _Ocala, Marion County._—Sellards (op. cit., p. 103) reported remains
of an undetermined species of _Bison_ found in a fissure in limestone
rock near Ocala.
4. _Dunnellon?, Marion County._—Sellards (op. cit., p. 104) presented a
list of Pleistocene vertebrates, found in or along Withlacoochee River,
but the exact localities are not given. Among these is an undetermined
species of _Bison_. Lucas (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. XXI, 1898, p.
767) stated that there is in the U. S. National Museum an imperfect
skull of _Bison latifrons_, obtained from Withlacoochee River. The
writer has not seen this skull. On page 376 the other species found here
are listed and their geological age discussed.
5. _Tampa, Manatee County._—In the Jarman collection, now in Vanderbilt
University, and made in the region about Tampa, is a right lower third
molar of _Bison_. It is well fossilized, but structurally does not
appear to differ from a tooth of the existing American bison. It
belonged, however, quite certainly to an extinct species. In the
American Museum of Natural History, New York, is a well-worn lower left
last molar of a bison, dredged up in Alafia River. With it were a
mastodon tooth, teeth of two or three extinct horses, and various
extinct tortoises. The reader is referred to page 379.
6. _Palmetto, Manatee County._—Mr. Ernest Leitzel, of Palmetto, sent
from that place to the U. S. National Museum some teeth for
determination. Teeth of the horses are described on page 379. With these
was a part of a lower right molar, possibly the last molar, of _Bison_.
From Palma Sola, on the south side of Manatee River and about 10 miles
below Palmetto, there has been sent to the U. S. National Museum, by Mr.
Charles T. Earle, the distal end of a metacarpal bone. This has a width
of 93 mm. It may have belonged to _Bison latifrons_. With it came teeth
of _Equus complicatus_, _E. littoralis_, and _E. leidyi_, a part of an
antler of a deer (_Odocoileus_), a part of a beak of a platanistid
porpoise, and a tooth of _Elephas columbi_. Probably the porpoise and
teeth of sharks came from Miocene deposits somewhere in the
neighborhood.
7. _Grove City, Charlotte County._—Leidy, in 1889 (Trans. Wagner Free
Inst., vol. II, p. 12), stated that Mr. Joseph Willcox had found, on
Rocky Creek, 30 miles north of Sarasota Bay, some remains of the great
extinct _Bison latifrons_. Sellards (8th Rep., pp. 103, 112) learned
that the locality was really Stump Pass, near Grove City. The horn-core
was lost by accident, but Leidy speaks of it as being huge. With it was
the proximal part of a radius whose upper end measured transversely 1.4
times that of an existing bison.
In a letter to the author, Mr. Willcox writes that, as nearly as he can
recollect, the diameter of the horn-core was about 5 or 6 inches.
8. _Vero, St. Lucie County._—Sellards (8th Rep., Florida Geol. Surv., p.
150) stated that an extinct bison is represented in the collection of
the Florida Geological Survey by a number of teeth, the distal end of a
humerus, and some foot-bones. They were supposed to have been derived
from stratum No. 2.
When in Vero in 1916, the writer secured a much-worn upper left premolar
3 of _Bison_ from the base of the muck layer No. 3. It is in some
respects different from the corresponding tooth of the existing bison.
For lists of the species found at Vero and for a discussion of the
geological age the reader may consult pages 381 to 383.
9. _Arcadia, De Soto County._—In the U. S. National Museum are some
teeth of _Bison_, obtained at or near Arcadia, on Peace Creek. In
general, these resemble closely the corresponding teeth of _B. bison_.
Leidy (Trans. Wagner Free Inst., vol. II, p. 22) mentioned a tooth and a
first phalanx of _Bison_ from Peace Creek. These are probably in the
collection of the Wagner Free Institute.
In the U. S. National Museum (No. 1989) is a hinder cannon-bone from
Arcadia. It resembles the corresponding bone in _B. bison_, but
doubtless belonged to a species now extinct. Lucas (Proc. U. S. Nat.
Mus., vol. XXI, p. 767) referred the teeth and the metacarpal to _B.
latifrons_.
In the same museum is a calcaneum labeled as collected on Peace Creek by
J. F. Le Barron. The reader may consult page 381 for further
information.
10. _Labelle, Lee County._—Remains of _Bison_ apparently have been found
at Labelle, or near there. Leidy, in Dall’s report (Bull. No. 84, U. S.
Geol. Surv., p. 129) referred this to _B. latifrons_. The bison,
_Elephas columbi_, _Equus fraternus_, and a mylodon were supposed to
have been buried in Pliocene deposits, but this opinion appears to be
erroneous. Sellards (8th Rep., p. 102) has shown that the elephant and
probably the horse were in Pleistocene marls. As shown on page 384, the
elephant is _Elephas imperator_.
11. _Palm Beach, Palm Beach County._—In his eighth report, Sellards (p.
105) stated that a femur of an undetermined species of _Bison_ was found
near this place, in the Palm Beach Drainage Canal. In the collection of
the Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Harvard University, are a front
cannon-bone, lacking the epiphyses, and the proximal end of a humerus.
The size of these indicates that they belong to _B. latifrons_. The
glenoid cavity measures 80 mm. by 60 mm. The neck of the humerus is 100
mm. wide.
ALABAMA.
(Map 26.)
1. _Newbern, Hale County._—In August 1914, there was received at the U.
S. National Museum, from Mr. J. W. White, of Newbern, a lower right last
molar of a species of bison reported found in a creek, and an incisor
tooth of a horse, which appear to be fossilized. The bison tooth had
just begun to wear. The fore-and-aft length of the crown is 37 mm. The
locality is somewhat outside of the range of _Bison bison_ as given by
Allen on his map (“American Bisons, Living and Extinct”). The fossil may
well belong to some extinct species and have lived in that region in
middle Pleistocene times.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 26.)
1. _Natchez, Adams County._—In Dr. M. W. Dickeson’s account of a
collection of bones and teeth made near Natchez (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1846, p. 106) he included remains of the genus _Bos_. To-day
these would be referred to the genus _Bison_.
In 1854 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. V, art. III, p. 9, plate II,
figs. 2–7), Leidy described and figured bovine teeth from Natchez, which
he referred to _Bison latifrons_. Two of these teeth had been found, as
Leidy stated, by M. W. Dickeson, in association with remains of
_Mastodon (Mammut), Equus_, _Ursus_, _Cervus (Odocoileus)_, _Megalonyx_,
and _Mylodon_. Three others had been presented by W. H. Huntington, who
discovered them in association with remains of _Mammut americanum_,
_Equus complicatus_, and _Felix atrox_. Three of the teeth were upper
molars, the others, lower molars. Leidy gave the measurements of most of
these. The following measurements are those of an upper second and an
upper third molar:
_Measurements of bovine teeth, in
millimeters._
┌────────────┬───────┬───────┬───────┐
│ Tooth. │Height.│Length.│Width. │
├────────────┼───────┼───────┼───────┤
│Second molar│ 67│ 37.5│ 27│
│Third molar │ 75│ 42.5│ 29│
└────────────┴───────┴───────┴───────┘
These teeth are considerably larger than those of _Bison bison_ and _B.
occidentalis_ (Geol. Surv. Iowa, vol. XXIII, p. 320).
KENTUCKY.
(Map 26.)
1. _Woolper Creek?, Boone County._—The type of _Bison latifrons_ is
usually regarded as having been found at Bigbone Lick, but Leidy (Jour.
Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. VII, p. 372) stated it had been found a
dozen miles or more north of Bigbone Lick, in the bed of a creek that
enters into the Ohio River. It seems probable that this creek is the one
named above.
2. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—It was at this place that was found the
horn-core and attached part of skull which forms the type of _Bison
antiquus_. It was a part of the Jefferson collection and was described
by Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., vol. VI, 1852, p. 117). Richard
Lydekker (Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit. Mus., pt. 2, p. 27) wrote that there is
in that museum a fragment of a right mandible, probably belonging to
_Bison latifrons_. However, the identification is hardly to be relied
on. Shaler (Geol. Surv. Kentucky, n. s., vol. III, p. 197) reported the
finding of bones of _Bison latifrons_, but it is doubtful in what sense
he used this name; and he did not indicate how these bones differed from
those of other bisons. He probably had in mind _B. antiquus_. Hence the
presence of the species with the widely spread horns at Bigbone Lick is
doubtful.
A list of the species of mammals collected at this place will be found
on page 403.
FINDS OF BISON BISON IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
ONTARIO.
(Map 27.)
1. _North Bay, Nipissing County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a
horn-sheath, found at this place. It was sent by Dr. Charles E. Cook, of
Lockport, New York, who himself saw it thrown out of a ditch, about 5
feet deep, which was being made from the shore of the lake. The horn was
found at a distance of 600 feet from the lake and in front of the Hotel
Queen’s. It certainly belongs to the existing species, _Bison bison_.
Whether the presence of the horn at that spot is due to the former
existence of the American buffalo there or to its introduction by man it
is impossible to say at present.
MASSACHUSETTS.
(Map 27.)
1. _Orleans, Cape Cod._—In 1920 (Jour. Mamm., vol. I, pp. 161–164, figs.
1–3), Dr. G. M. Allen presented an account of the discovery of a maxilla
containing the penultimate and the hindermost milk teeth of a calf of
_Bison bison_, at Orleans, Cape Cod. This specimen had been collected
about 20 years previously by Dr. A. W. Grabau and presented by him to
the Boston Society of Natural History. The bone and teeth were found
“wholly embedded in till about halfway up on a section of a glacial
moraine, situated on Town Cove and about 70 or 80 feet high.” With the
specimen were associated many fragments of the shells of the mollusk
_Venus_. Dr. Allen suggested that this bison calf had either come to its
end while wandering on the moraine or had more likely lived and died
during the preceding Peoria interglacial stage. It might be questioned
whether bones which had been buried and thereby become softened would
have endured the rough treatment of a glacial mill.
NEW YORK.
(Map 27.)
1. _Albany, Albany County._—Dr. John M. Clarke, State geologist of New
York, sent the writer some teeth of a species of _Bison_, probably _B.
bison_, for which he gives the assurance that they were found somewhere
in the vicinity of Albany, and in the “Albany clays.” These clays are
supposed to belong to the Champlain stage. While this is somewhat
further east than the bison has extended within historical times, it is
entirely reasonable to suppose that at some time in the not distant past
its range went to the Hudson. Indeed, Dr. G. M. Allen has recently shown
(Jour. Mamm., vol. I, pp. 161–164) that at some time during the late
Pleistocene a bison lived in the region of Cape Cod. The specimens sent
by Dr. Clarke must have occupied eastern New York late in the Wisconsin
stage.
2. _Syracuse, Onondaga County._—In 1890 (Amer. Naturalist, vol. XXIV, p.
953), Professor Lucien Underwood reported the discovery of a skull of a
bison in Syracuse, while a sewer was being excavated. Underwood stated
that it was found at a depth of 10 feet, in a black muck. Professor E.
D. Cope identified the skull as that of _Bison bison_. The present
writer, in 1914, examined the skull at Syracuse University. He also
talked with Mr. John Cunningham, who bought the skull from the finder, a
laborer, paying him one dollar. Mr. Cunningham stated that he went to
the spot and measured the depth from the surface, and found it to be 17
feet. Above the muck that inclosed the skull was what he regarded as
clay. Dr. Burnett Smith has examined the deposits in a cellar dug within
a few rods of the spot where the skull was found. The upper 7 or 8 feet
was a mixture of shells and clay, and had been used to make a kind of
cement. This discovery appears to make it certain that the bison lived
in New York shortly after the Wisconsin ice had retired from the Finger
Lake region.
3. _Jamestown, Chautauqua County._—In the American Journal of Science,
volume XXVII, 1835, page 166, is an account, by Knight, of the
discovery, at Jamestown, of what were probably two teeth of a bison in a
fragment of the jaw. These were encountered by John Hazeltine, in
digging for a foundation of a building at the outlet of Chautauqua Lake,
and at a depth of 10 feet. The soil was mostly gravel, but the jaw was
said to have been lying in black muck. It was sent to Yale College, but
was not recognized as belonging to _Bison_. Reasons were suggested why
it did not belong to a young mastodon. The measurements given of the
teeth agree well with the upper molars of an American buffalo. Joseph
Leidy (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., vol. VII, 1869, p. 371) quoted
Knight’s account as indicating a buffalo. The discovery is interesting,
taken in connection with the finding of the specimen at Syracuse.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 27.)
1. _Trenton, Mercer County._—Mr. Ernest Volk (Papers Peabody Mus., vol.
V, 1911, p. 209, plate CXX) reported the discovery of a part of a femur
of _Bison_ (probably _B. bison_) in the “yellow drift,” at Trenton, 2.5
feet from the surface. A first right upper molar, identified as that of
_Bison_, was found in another sand-pit at a depth of 9 feet (op. cit.,
p. 136). This appears to have belonged in the Trenton gravel, but at
that point the materials were apparently a mixture of sand and loam. The
reader is referred to page 304, where the geology of this locality is
described and a list of the species is given.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 27.)
1. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—In Crystal Hill (Hartman’s) Cave, near
Stroudsburg, was found a lower jaw containing the last molar, as noted
by Leidy (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1880, p. 347; Ann. Rep. Geol.
Surv. Pennsylvania for 1887, p. 5). Mercer (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1894, p. 98), mentions a tooth of the existing bison found in
Hartman’s Cave.
2. _Riegelsville, Bucks County._—From a cave near Riegelsville, was sent
to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, more than 70 years
ago, a collection of bones, reported on by Leidy in 1880 (Proc. Acad.
Nat. Sci., Phila., 1880, p. 349) and in 1889 (Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.,
Pennsylvania, 1887, pp. 18–19). In the contribution of 1880, Leidy
included _Bison_ among the animals represented, but this is not included
in the list of 1887. Why this was omitted is not known. If _Bison_
occurred there, the probability is that it was represented by the
existing buffalo.
INDIANA.
(Map 27.)
1. _Jasper County._—The only record known to the writer of the finding
of buffalo bones worthy to be regarded as fossil is that of the former
State geologist, John Collett (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XII, p. 73),
who makes the statement that in Jasper County bones of the buffalo, the
beaver, and the bear are common.
ILLINOIS.
(Map 27.)
1. _Sullivan, Moultrie County._—In 1875 (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. VI,
p. 186), the geologist George C. Broadhead reported that he had found
the skull of a bison on the west bank of Kaskaskia River, about 3 miles
southeast of Sullivan, on the land of John Purvis. The locality appears,
therefore, to have been somewhere near the south half of the eastern
line of township 13 north, range 5 east. The summit of the bluff here is
described as rising about 25 feet above the stream. At the height of
about 8 feet was a bench approximately 10 feet wide, and the skull was
found on this bench, “a few feet from the top.” The surrounding clay was
described as being a rich black loam.
Broadhead stated that the skull measured 12 inches across the forehead
above the eyes and the same between the roots of the horns. The latter
were short, thick, and slightly curved. In the Transactions of the St.
Louis Academy of Science, volume III, page XXIII, practically the same
account is given of the discovery. Here Broadhead expressed the idea
that the skull belonged to _Bison latifrons_, and said that the horns
were short, thick, and curved upwards and forwards. It is not known
where the skull now is. To the writer it appears most probable that the
skull was that of _Bison bison_. There is nothing in the description to
indicate any of the other known species. As to the age of the deposits,
the presumption is reasonable that they belong to the Late Wisconsin or
Recent, for the locality is north of the Shelbyville moraine. It is
possible that the bench belongs to the Illinoian; but the nature of the
material, “a rich black loam,” seems to show that the bench is an
alluvial deposit laid down since Wisconsin times.
2. _Homer, Champaign County._—In the collection at the State University
of Illinois, at Champaign, are the horn-cores and the rear of the skull
of _Bison bison_, reported to have been thrown out of a ditch near
Homer. The writer is informed by Professor R. M. Bagg, of Appleton,
Wisconsin, that the specimen was found in excavating a ditch, at a depth
of 4 feet, according to the report made to him. Homer is situated on a
part of the Champaign moraine and the bison in question must be not
older than Late Wisconsin. If it was really found at a depth of 4 feet
it would seem to date well back in the Recent, if not into the
Pleistocene.
3. _Niantic, Macon County._—Professor A. H. Worthen reported (Geol.
Surv. Illinois, vol. V, p. 308) the presence of bones of the buffalo in
an old filled-up marsh near Niantic. The situation is more particularly
described on page 102. With the bison bones were found those of the
mastodon, the elk, and the Virginia deer. The bones of these animals are
said to have been found under 4 feet of black muck, partly embedded in a
light-gray quicksand filled with shells of _Planorbis_, _Cyclas_, and
_Physa_.
Inasmuch as Niantic is situated near the border of the Shelbyville
moraine, all these remains probably belong to Late Wisconsin times. It
would be useful to know whether the bones of the buffalo, the elk, and
the deer were found above those of the mastodons or mingled with them.
4. _East of Whitewillow, Kendall County._—In township 35 north, range 8
east, probably in section 27, on land owned by John Bamford, in clearing
out a well in a bog, have been found the bones of mastodons and other
species of vertebrates. For a description of the locality and the
species found there see page 337. Mr. George Langford, of Joliet, has
reported the occurrence of bones of the existing bison there and has
sent to the writer a maxilla which contained finely preserved teeth.
Unfortunately, no thorough and systematic examination of the place has
yet been made. All of the species and the deposit belong to the Late
Wisconsin, that part of it following the withdrawal of the ice. Mr.
George Langford informed the author that he found the bison and deer
bones mixed up more or less with the mastodon bones. At a depth of about
4 to 5 feet the owner of the place began to strike bones of the bison,
which appeared very fresh, retaining considerable animal matter. From
about 6 feet down to gravel, about 13 feet, mastodon and other bones
were literally packed together.
5. _Batavia, Kane County._—Dr. E. S. Riggs, of the Department of
Palæontology, Field Museum of Natural History, wrote to the author that
he had picked up some bison bones along a ditch in which mastodon bones
had been found; but the depth at which they had been met with could not
be determined. At the same time bones of the elk were found. Undoubtedly
the mastodon remains belong to Late Wisconsin times; and it is probable
that the bison and elk remains are to be referred to the same.
6. _Galena, Jo Daviess County._—In the collection of the Academy of
Natural Science of Philadelphia is a lower hindermost molar collected in
a lead crevice somewhere near Galena. It was presented to the Academy by
Mr. Henry Green, of Elizabeth, a town near Galena. This, with a
metacarpal bone of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, had been found at a depth of
130 feet from the surface. It was described and figured by Leidy
(Contributions to Extinct Vert. Fauna, etc., 1873, p. 255, plate XXXVII,
fig. 4). Leidy thought that it might have belonged to _Bison bison_, but
not improbably to _B. latifrons_. J. A. Allen (The American Bisons,
etc., p. 13) concluded that it belonged undoubtedly to the existing
American species. The structure of the tooth will apparently not decide
this matter. It is probable that most of the animals found in those lead
crevices belong to pre-Wisconsin times; and the tooth in question may
belong to an extinct species. A list of the species found in the lead
region of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin is to be found on page 343.
7. _Mitchell, Madison County._—In “Records of Ancient Races in the
Mississippi Valley” (1887), William McAdams, of Alton, Illinois, stated
that in a large mound, square in shape, 300 feet on each side and 30
feet high, through which the railroads pass in the American bottom, at
Mitchell, had been found, in contact with a number of copper implements
and ornaments, a number of teeth of the buffalo. These McAdams had in
his possession. While these teeth can not be regarded at all as
belonging to Pleistocene times, the fact is of interest in connection
with McAdams’s statement that in all his explorations during a period of
more than 30 years, in no other case had he been able to find any
evidences of the buffalo associated with the remains of the ancient
people of this country. In this connection may be considered Shaler’s
views on the modern coming of the buffalo east of the Mississippi River.
On the other hand, account must be taken of the finding of a skull of a
buffalo deep in lake deposits at Syracuse, New York.
WISCONSIN.
(Map 27.)
1. _Bluemounds, Dane County._—In his report, made in 1862, on the
geology of the lead region of Wisconsin (Geol. Surv. Wisconsin, vol. I,
p. 136), J. D. Whitney recorded the finding of bison bones in a crevice
at Bluemounds. From the same crevice were obtained bones and teeth of
the mastodon and of a peccary, and bones of a wolf. It was supposed that
these remains were found at a depth of about 40 feet and embedded in the
red clay commonly found in such crevices. These bones were put into the
hands of Jeffries Wyman for identification, who, on page 421, stated
that the bison bones were all of the size of the same parts of the
existing buffalo and closely resembled them. J. A. Allen (Amer. Jour.
Sci., vol. XI, 1876, p. 47), in referring probably to the same bones,
speaks of “an extinct bison,” without, however, giving any reasons for
his conclusion. It is nevertheless possible that he was correct.
The writer formerly believed that the fossil vertebrates, collected in
the fissures in the lead region, had lived after the close of the
Wisconsin glacial stage. It seems now more probable that they belong to
a pre-Wisconsin time.
2. _Oshkosh, Winnebago County._—The writer has received from Dr. S.
Weidman, State geologist of Wisconsin, a humerus, found in a marsh near
Oshkosh, quite evidently that of _Bison bison_. Although stained by iron
on the outside, the remainder of the bone is white and full of animal
matter. The animal may have lived during the Recent period.
KENTUCKY.
(Map 27.)
1. _Bigbone Lick, Boone County._—Great numbers of individuals of _Bison
bison_ have been found at Bigbone Lick. Cooper (Monthly Amer. Jour.
Geol., vol. I, pp. 207, 211) reported numerous bones of buffaloes and
even an entire skeleton, but they appear to have been near the surface
or even on it. Lyell (“Travels in North America,” Murray’s ed., vol. II,
p. 65) stated that he had seen great quantities of remains of the bison
in a superficial stratum in the river bank; but he was left in doubt
whether or not the animals had been contemporaneous with the mastodon.
Shaler (Geol. Surv. Kentucky, n. s., vol. III, p. 197) found abundant
remains of the buffalo at this place; but the bones were not found at
any great depth, except in the bog about the spring. He regarded it as
proven that the musk-ox and the caribou did not come into contact with
the recent buffalo, but were extinct before it came. Some of the bison
materials collected by Shaler were described by Dr. J. A. Allen, in 1876
(Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. IV; Mem. Geol. Surv. Kentucky, vol. I, pt.
2). It may be difficult to prove that any of the bison bones and teeth
found here are of Pleistocene age; but there appears to be no good
reason why this species might not have reached that region at the close
of the Wisconsin ice-stage. A list of the species of mammals found here
is given on page 403.
2. _Bluelick Springs, Nicholas County._—In the mass of materials
collected in the spring at Bluelick Springs by Mr. Thomas W. Hunter,
were skulls and parts thereof, teeth, limb-bones, and vertebræ. The
actual geological age of these remains can not be established; but they
were of probably late Wisconsin age.
FINDS OF CASTOROIDES IN PLEISTOCENE OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
NEW YORK.
(Map 28.)
1. _Clyde, Wayne County._—A skull of the giant beaver was found, about
the year 1846, near Clyde, on the farm of Gen. W. H. Adams. The locality
and the geological conditions were described by James Hall (Proc. Boston
Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. II, 1846, p. 167; Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., vol. V,
p. 385). The region is on the divide between the streams flowing north
into Lake Erie and those flowing southward into Clyde River. The actual
spot was at the head of a shallow stream which flows into Lake Ontario.
At this point the Sodus Canal was cut and ran in a north-and-south
direction. The farm was only partly swampy. Hall’s section is as follows
from above downward:
1. Vegetable soil, 2 feet or more.
2. Fine sand, with some alternating layers of clay, containing twigs,
leaves, etc., 2 to 3 feet.
3. Muck, or peaty soil, with decayed wood, bark, leaves, and even
trunks of large trees, about 4 feet.
4. Fine sand, with fresh-water shells, 2 to 3 feet.
5. Drift, with boulders; depth unknown.
The skull was found at the bottom of No. 3, at a depth of 8 feet. It is
evident that this animal lived here near, or after, the close of the
Wisconsin stage, and after the old Lake Iroquois had withdrawn from the
region.
2. _Canastota, Madison County._—In 1914, Dr. Burnett Smith, of Syracuse
University, reported (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXXVIII, p. 463) the
discovery, at this place, of an incisor tooth of the giant beaver. The
exact locality is given as about 225 paces northwest from the southeast
line of lot 10, town of Lenox, on Cowaselon Creek, otherwise known as
the “State ditch.” The tooth was found at a depth of 9 feet, in a sticky
blue clay, containing a few fresh-water shells. Just above this, at a
depth of 7 feet, is a layer made up principally of shells, with some
vegetable matter. This animal could not have lived here until after the
withdrawal of Lake Iroquois, and therefore not till near the close of
the Wisconsin stage.
PENNSYLVANIA.
(Map 28.)
1. _Stroudsburg, Monroe County._—In 1889, Dr. Joseph Leidy reported
(Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, 1887, p. 14, plate II, figs. 7–20)
the discovery of teeth of _Castoroides ohioensis_ in Hartman’s (or
Crystal Hill) Cave, about 3 miles southwest of Stroudsburg and 5 miles
from Delaware Water Gap. Its elevation is about 800 feet above the level
of Delaware River. The species associated with this giant beaver will be
listed on page 309. The parts figured by Leidy are a portion of a
palate, with the molars and some of the premolars, and both rami of the
lower jaw, showing the three temporary molars and the first true molars,
with some incisors and the permanent canines.
OHIO.
(Maps 28, 29, 36.)
1. _Nashport, Muskingum County._—In 1836 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol.
XXXI, pp. 79–83), S. P. Hildreth, in an unsigned article, gave an
account of the finding of remains of the type specimen of the giant
beaver, in association with remains of mastodon and of a supposed fossil
sheep, at a point 2 miles north of Nashport. A canal, now abandoned, was
being constructed, which followed two small streams, one of which flowed
into Licking River, the other into Wakitomika Creek. The land traversed
was flat and swampy. The distance from Nashport to Wakitomika Creek is
nearly 4 miles, so that in saying that the spot was on this creek
Hildreth spoke in general terms. The bones of the mastodon and the right
halves of the lower jaws of two giant beavers were found resting on a
bed of gravel at a depth of 14 feet. Foster (2d Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv.
Ohio, 1838, p. 80) stated that a molar and a tusk of an elephant had
also been found here. Hildreth concluded that the jaws and teeth were
perhaps those of an animal of the beaver family; “or, from the grooved
outer surfaces of the incisors, a marine animal of the walrus or seal
race, and a borderer of the ancient ocean.” It was afterwards described
by J. W. Foster (2d Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Ohio, 1837, p. 80, figs.)
under the name of _Castoroides ohioensis_. The remains described
consisted of the front end of one side of a lower jaw with its incisor,
an upper incisor, and a radius. They showed signs of some attrition; but
in a region like that they could not have been transported any
considerable distance.
In the mud in which the canal at this point was cut, there were found
three skulls of a species of sheep, which Hildreth thought were
different from those of the domestic sheep and to which he gave the name
of _Ovis mamillaris_. They are said to have been discovered at a depth
of 8 feet. It seems quite possible that they had been lying on or near
the surface and had made their way to the side of the canal by the flow
of the mud, which gave much trouble by filling up the canal during the
night. Most, if not all, of the differences thought to separate these
skulls from the domestic sheep disappear on comparison. The specimens of
both _Castoroides_ and of the sheep have probably been lost. They appear
not to be at Zanesville. On page 82 of the article above cited, Hildreth
stated that he had received, from some point on Wills Creek, a portion
of a tooth similar to the one found at Nashport; the place was said to
be about 40 miles east, apparently, of Zanesville. This would seem to be
in Noble County. The tooth was described as being embedded in
dark-colored carbonate of lime and as having fallen from a calcareous
rock which lies near the tops of the hills, 150 feet above the bed of
the creek. It is very probable that this was not a tooth of
_Castoroides_. It may have been the spine of a palæozoic shark.
2. _Wilmington, Clinton County._—From Professor W. C. Mills, of the Ohio
State University, the writer in 1913 obtained information that a fine
skull of _Castoroides_, without the lower jaw, had been found on the
farm of Mr. J. M. Richardson, on the western border of Wilmington.
Nothing more has been learned about the discovery. The locality is north
of the Hartwell moraine, and the animal must have lived there after the
withdrawal of the ice-sheet from that region.
3. _Germantown, Montgomery County._—One mile east of Germantown, Edward
Orton, State geologist of Ohio, found along Twin Creek a large tooth
which (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. L, 1870, p. 54) he compared with
the tusk of a hog. It was later identified by J. S. Newberry (Proc. Lyc.
Nat. Hist. New York, vol. I, 1870, p. 83) as belonging to _Castoroides_.
It was found in a bed of peat which is overlain by from 50 to 100 feet
of glacial drift. One might conclude that the animal had lived there at
some time between the Illinoian and Wisconsin stages. However, opinions
have differed.
The geology along Twin Creek has been studied by Orton, Wright, and
Leverett. The last named published his views in 1902 (Monogr. U. S.
Geol. Surv., XLI, pp. 363–365, plate XIV, fig. 1). He states (p. 365)
that there seem to be good reasons for believing that the peat-bed
indicates the lapse of a considerable interval of deglaciation. Whether
the interval preceded or followed the formation of the early Wisconsin
moraine is yet to be determined. That seems to mean that the interval
may be mid-Wisconsin or pre-Wisconsin. Wright thought that but a few
hundred years had elapsed between the deposit of the till below the peat
and that above. Orton’s description of the locality was published in
1870 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. L, p. 54).
4. _West Sonora, Preble County._—In 1893 (Amer. Geologist, vol. XII, p.
73), Professor Joseph Moore reported that a fragment of an upper incisor
of _Castoroides_ had been found at West Sonora. It was associated with
remains of a mastodon. West Sonora is on the Englewood moraine.
5. _Greenville, Darke County._—In 1883 (Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol.
VI, p. 238), F. W. Langdon described a tooth of _Castoroides_, found at
a depth of 4 feet, in a swampy locality near Greenville. In 1893 (Amer.
Geol., vol. XII, p. 73), Joseph Moore stated that this tooth belonged to
Dr. J. W. Jay, of Richmond. It may now possibly be in the collection of
Earlham College. Moore said that it had been found associated with
mastodon.
In the public library at Greenville is a fragment of an upper incisor of
_Castoroides_, found in making a ditch along Bridge Creek, in 1889, by
Mr. Leo Katzenberger, who writes that the place is in the northwest
corner of section 1, township 11, range 2 west, 1.5 miles southwest of
Greenville. These animals likewise lived on or near the Sidney moraine.
6 _New Knoxville, Auglaize County._—In C. W. Williamson’s “History of
Ohio and Auglaize County,” 1905, on page 338, with a figure, is an
account of the finding of a skull of _Castoroides ohioensis_ in section
29 of Washington Township, which is in township 6 south, range 5 east,
and near New Knoxville. The discovery had been made that beneath a bed
of humus there was a stratum of gravel of a quality for road making. In
removing the upper peaty layer, the head of the giant beaver was
discovered, near the south margin of the pond. Williamson stated that
the house of the animal was uncovered. It was between 3 and 4 feet high
and about 8 feet square; the poles of which it was constructed were
about 3 indies in diameter and were laid after the manner of the houses
of modern beavers. Apparently the beaver died in the house, and it was
thought that after the death of the beaver wolves or other carnivorous
animals had inhabited the house, since bones of deer and other animals
were strewn over the floor. It is to be regretted that the house, if
such it was, was not taken up in a way that it might have been
accurately reconstructed. Williamson’s account is reproduced in Bulletin
16, Geological Survey of Ohio, 4th series, 1912, page 39.
In Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, the writer has seen a very large
skull of _Castoroides_, labeled as found at Wapakoneta, but it is quite
certainly the one found at New Knoxville. Both incisors are broken off
close to their insertion in the skull. Williamson’s figure represents at
least the left one present.
MICHIGAN.
(Map 28.)
1. _Berrien County._—In the American Museum of Natural History, New
York, is a nearly complete skull with the left ramus of the lower jaw,
purchased from Mr. George A. Baker. The exact place in the county where
it was found is unknown, and the writer has been unable to get into
communication with Mr. Baker.
As to the time in the Pleistocene when this individual lived, we may be
sure that it was after the Wisconsin glacial ice-sheet had abandoned
this county. How long after this retirement it is impossible to say. It
is to be noted that both mastodons and mammoths have been found in this
county, in what appear to be deposits of the same age.
2. _Adrian, Lenawee County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a skull of
_Castoroides_ (Cat. No. 197), of which the lower jaw is missing. This
was received June 10, 1880, from Professor J. Kost, then of Adrian
College, Michigan. In his letter Professor Kost wrote as follows:
“Found in fresh-water marsh, 4 feet under, in Adrian, Lenawee Co.,
Michigan. In same place as the Decker mastodon, now in Adrian
College; also of lower jaw of smaller mastodon (sent in this
consignment), with various bones of elk, deer, etc.”
The mastodon jaw referred to is in the U. S. National Museum (No. 188).
The present writer has not been able to learn exactly where all these
bones were obtained. It would be interesting to know whether
all–mastodons, giant beaver, elk, and deer–were found in the same
excavation. It is probable that they were at least in nearly the same
spot. For remark on the age of the deposits at Adrian see page 81.
3. _Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County._—In the collection of the Department of
Geology in the University of Michigan is a skull which lacks the lower
jaw and is otherwise slightly injured. A report of this specimen was
made in 1914 by Mr. N. A. Wood (Science, n. s., vol. XXXIX, p. 759).
This was found several years ago in a peat-bog on the farm of Professor
J. B. Steere, 3 miles south of Ann Arbor, at a depth said to have been
about 3 feet. Beneath the peat and muck is a gravelly marl. According to
the Ann Arbor Folio (No. 155, U. S. Geol. Surv.), there is, running
south from the city, a strip of low ground designated as occupied by
peat and muck. This borders on the east a part of the Fort Wayne
moraine, and must have provided an ideal spot for colonies of these
great beavers. Naturally these specimens must be credited to the Late
Wisconsin stage.
4. _Attica, Lapeer County._—In the collection of Alma College, Alma,
Michigan, is a fragment of an upper incisor, found at a depth of 7 feet,
in digging the tail-race of a mill in Attica. The statement was made
that at the same place there were often found what appeared to have been
beaver dams made of wood. This wood crumbled on coming to the air. In
cases like this there is a fine opportunity to determine whether or not
the wood had been gnawed by the broad incisors of _Castoroides_ or by
the narrower ones of the existing beaver. The wood might easily be
prevented from crumbling by replacing the water with a solution of gum
arabic or even of glue.
Attica is situated some distance outside of the beaches of old Lake
Maumee, and on low ground between morainic tracts left by the Saginaw
lobe in its retreat. These gigantic beavers must, therefore, have lived
near the close of the Pleistocene.
5. _Owosso, Shiawassee County._—In the collection of the University of
Michigan (No. 3109) is the greater part of a lower jaw of a giant
beaver, found somewhere near Owosso, in a swamp deposit. An account of
this specimen was given in 1914 by Mr. N. A. Wood (Science, n. s., vol.
XXXIX, p. 758). It was received from Mr. A. G. Williams in 1892.
According to Leverett and Taylor’s glacial map of Michigan, Owosso lies
a few miles outside of the beach of old Lake Saginaw. This is supposed
to have come into existence about the close of the period of Lake
Maumee. The earliest time when this beaver might have existed, leaving
out the question of the climate, would coincide closely with the time
when the one found at Attica might have lived. It is most probable that
both lived at a time when the glacier front was farther away.
INDIANA.
(Maps 28, 30.)
1. _Vanderburg County._—In 1884 (14th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, pt.
2, p. 37), in a footnote written probably by John Collett, State
geologist, it is stated that remains of _Castoroides ohioensis_ had been
found in this county. Inasmuch as this county lies outside of the drift
region, and as no details as to place and depth were given, we can
arrive at no conclusion as to the stage of the Pleistocene in which the
possessor of this tooth lived. The reader may consult page 258.
2. _Richmond, Wayne County._—About 2 miles east of Richmond, where a
farmer was scooping out wet earth for a fish-pond, there was found by
Joseph Moore (Amer. Geologist, vol. XII, p. 73) a fragment of an upper
incisor of this species. With it were sound and decayed teeth of the
mastodon. Most probably this fish-pond was being excavated in low ground
where a marsh had existed. Richmond is situated just south of the
Bloomington moraine, on an area which is undulating and more or less
morainic. The animal must have lived at some time after the culmination
of the Wisconsin stage.
3. _Greenfield, Hancock County._—In 1893 (Amer. Geologist, vol. XII, p.
73), Joseph Moore mentioned the fact that some remains of _Castoroides_
had been found near Greenfield and that these were in the possession of
Dr. M. M. Adams. In 1900 (Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. for 1899, p. 171, plates
I, II), Moore presented figures of the skull and made some brief
statements regarding it. At that time the skull had come into the
possession of Earlham College. If restored this skull would have had a
length of 13 inches. Nothing is known as to the exact place where it was
found, but it can not be doubted that the animal lived after the
Wisconsin ice had retreated further north.
4. _Jamestown, Boone County._—In the State Museum at Indianapolis is a
lower jaw of a giant beaver which has all of the molars, but whose
incisors are broken off at the border of the bone. This specimen was
presented by Mr. A. E. Deatley, of Lizton, Hendricks County, who found
it in earth thrown out by a dredging machine, but the exact locality was
not stated. Jamestown is situated on Eel River where it crosses the
Champaign moraine. The geological age of the animal is therefore Late
Wisconsin.
5. _Summitville, Madison County._—In the State Museum at Indianapolis is
an upper right incisor of the giant beaver in its premaxilla, labeled as
presented by Mr. J. F. Cartwright. Nothing more is known of the history
of the specimen.
Summitville is surrounded by plains of Wisconsin drift. It is about 12
miles from the place where was found the fine mounted specimen of
_Elephas primigenius_ now in the American Museum of Natural History, New
York.
6. _Union City, Randolph County._—Here was found the nearly complete
skeleton of _Castoroides ohioensis_ at Earlham College, Richmond,
Indiana. This was secured by Professor Joseph Moore, who described and
figured it. It was discovered on the farm of John M. Turner, about 8
miles nearly east of Winchester. Mr. Turner has informed the writer that
the farm is a part of section 15, township 17, range 1.
The bones occurred in a layer of fine-grained marly silt from 2 to 3
feet thick, overlain by from 3 to 4 feet of dark loose mold abounding in
fragments of shrubby stems and vines in various stages of decay. Under
the silt containing the bones were coarser and finer drift gravels which
formed the bottom of the ditch. In the silts were found fresh-water
gasteropods and bivalve shells. Along the same ditch, within a distance
of 30 rods, other fragments were found which were supposed to indicate 9
individuals of _Castoroides_. As this region is covered by Wisconsin
drift, the animal evidently lived after the Wisconsin ice-sheet had
retired from the Union City moraine, possibly a long time thereafter.
7. _Fairmount, Grant County._—Near Fairmount were found some limb-bones
and other parts (but no skull) of the giant beaver. These were obtained
not far from where the large specimen of _Elephas primigenius_ was
discovered which is mounted in the American Museum of Natural History in
New York. The remains of this _Castoroides_ are in the Field Museum of
Natural History. No details regarding the find have been published. It
was stated that near the bones were parts of trees, as though a dam had
been built there; but this interesting matter appears not to have been
investigated.
The elephant mentioned above was found on the farm of Dora C. Hitt, in
the southeast quarter of section 23, township 23 north, range 8 east.
8. _Carroll County._—In 1884 (14th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, pt. 2,
p. 37) the State geologist, John Collett, wrote that _Castoroides_ had
been found in this county; but nothing was added to this statement. On
the map the number is placed arbitrarily.
9. _Logansport, Cass County._—In the U. S. National Museum is a fine
skull of _Castoroides_, without lower jaw, which, according to the
newspaper report accompanying it (dated January 30, 1894), was found 2
or 3 miles north of Logansport, by Mr. S. L. McFadin, who sold it to the
National Museum. It lay at a depth of 7 feet on a fine sand, above which
was a foot of solid gravel, then 3 feet of solid clay, and at the top 3
feet of alluvium. According to Leverett and Taylor’s map of the region
(Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. LIII, plate VI), this place would be on
the moraine which lies north of the Wabash River, the meeting-place of
the ice-lobes coming from Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Saginaw Bay.
10. _Macy, Miami County._—From Mr. C. F. Fite, Denver, Indiana, the
writer received a photograph of a tooth of _Castoroides_, apparently the
lower right incisor. This was found in Allen Township. Mr. Fite gives as
the exact locality section 23, township 29, range 3 east. This would be
not far from Macy. It lies, therefore, on or near the northern border of
the great moraine which extends from Delphi, Indiana, to the
northeastern corner of the State.
11. _Kosciusko County._—As in the case of Cass County, we depend for our
knowledge of the discovery of _Castoroides_ in Kosciusko County on the
statement made by John Collett, in the place there cited.
12. _Grovertown, Starke County._—From Dr. E. S. Riggs, of Field Museum
of Natural History, the information has been received that there is at
that museum a fine skull, with the right half pf the mandible, of a
giant beaver which was found 1.5 miles west of Grovertown, in making an
excavation for the abutment of a bridge, 6 feet below the surface in
township 34 north, range 1 west. This is within the region of the
Pleistocene Lake Kankakee.
ILLINOIS.
(Maps 28, 38.)
1. _Shawneetown, Gallatin County._—In the collection of the Academy of
Natural Science of Philadelphia are a part of one incisor, two molars,
and two petrous bones which were many years ago obtained by a Dr.
Feuchtwanger, from a well at a depth of 40 feet. These were mentioned by
Le Conte in 1852 (Proc. Acad. Phila., vol. VI, p. 53). Leidy has figured
the incisor (Holmes’s “Post-Pliocene Fossils of South Carolina,” 1860,
plate XXII, fig. 5; Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, 1887, plate II,
fig. 10). Leverett (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. XXXVIII, p. 65)
states that at Shawneetown a boring for gas and oil penetrated 112 feet
of alluvial and other deposits before reaching rock. His map (plate VI)
indicates that here the valley of the Ohio is composed of sand and
gravel plains of Wisconsin age. Under the conditions it seems impossible
to form any certain conclusions regarding the geological age of this
specimen. It belongs possibly to the later half of the Pleistocene.
2. _Alton, Madison County._—In the McAdams collection, described on page
338, is a part of a large upper incisor, in two pieces, of a specimen of
_Castoroides_, with McAdams’s Nos. 209, 210, and a small fragment of
another incisor. All three specimens are more or less enveloped in
nodules of hard materials. In 1883 (Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sci., vol.
IV, p. LXXX) McAdams stated that he had seen, both in true and modified
drift, remains of rodents large and small, but one, an extinct beaver,
was of monstrous size.
For conclusions as to the age of the fauna secured by McAdams see page
339.
3. _Charleston, Coles County._—In 1867 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., p.
97), Leidy briefly described a skull of _Castoroides_, sent to him for
examination by Professor A. H. Worthen. It lacked both zygomatic arches
and the incisor teeth. The length of the skull was 10.5 inches. This
skull had been found by someone while he was plowing in a field near
Charleston. The region about Charleston is covered by the Shelbyville
lobe of the early Wisconsin drift. The animal must have lived at some
time after the deposition of that drift.
4. _Naperville, DuPage County._—H. M. Bannister (Geol. Surv. Illinois,
vol. IV, p. 113) reported a skull and other parts of the skeleton of
_Castoroides_, found by a farmer in a slough not far from Naperville.
The skull went to Colonel Wood’s Museum in Chicago, and it was probably
destroyed in the great fire of 1871. This animal quite certainly lived
after the retirement of the Wisconsin ice-sheet.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
(Map 28.)
1. _Charleston, Charleston County._—In 1860, Dr. Joseph Leidy (Holmes’s
Post-Pl. Foss. South Carolina, p. 114, plate XX, figs. 6–8) recorded the
fact that fragments of the teeth of the giant beaver had been found in
the Pleistocene deposit of Ashley River.
In the Pinckney collection is an upper cheek-tooth, the fourth premolar.
The height of the tooth is 37 mm., the length is 16 mm., the width 11.5
mm. It was found in the vicinity of Charleston.
In the Scanlan collection, the property of Yale University, and made in
the vicinity of Charleston, are five more or less injured teeth. One is
a left upper molar, either the second or the third. The length of the
grinding-surface is 12 mm., the width 13 mm. Two fragments of upper
right incisors are interesting. One of these, 140 mm. long, bears the
oblique excavated surface worn by the lower incisors. Each diameter of
the tooth is 25 mm. The other fragment is 123 mm. long and comes from
the middle of the tooth. The two diameters of this tooth are, as in the
other one, 25 mm. Both of these teeth appear to be more strongly curved
than the teeth of more northern specimens. Also, the striation on the
outer face of the tooth is finer, finally becoming hair-like lines as
the rear face is approached. More of the larger ridges in the front of
the tooth are directed obliquely and terminate along a front groove than
in specimens hitherto observed. It is possible that an undescribed
species is indicated. The two teeth present some differences between
themselves. Another fragment, 103 mm. long, has a diameter of 20 mm. At
the base is seen a part of the pulp-cavity.
GEORGIA.
(Map 28.)
1. _Brunswick, Glynn County._—In a small collection of vertebrate
fossils made during dredging operations at Brunswick not many years ago,
and which now belongs to the Geological Survey of Georgia, Gidley found
a fragment of an incisor tooth of _Castoroides ohioensis_. The
accompanying species will be recorded on page 370. Gidley’s list is
found on page 436 of Bulletin No. 26 of the Geological Survey of
Georgia.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Map 28.)
1. _Natchez, Adams County._—James Hall, in 1846 (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat.
Hist., vol. II, p. 168; Jour. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. V, p. 380),
announced that remains of this animal had been found in the neighborhood
of Natchez. The exact locality is unknown and likewise the conditions
under which the specimens were discovered. This species is not included
by Leidy in his list of fossil mammals found in Pleistocene deposits in
Mississippi up to 1854 (Wailles, Agri. Geol. Mississippi, p. 196).
A list of the species found in the vicinity of Natchez is presented on
page 392.
TENNESSEE.
(Map 28. Figure 23.)
1. _Memphis, Shelby County._—In 1850, Dr. Jeffries Wyman reported (Proc.
Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. III, p. 281) that a part of a lower jaw of
_Castoroides_ had been found at Memphis. With it were a toe-bone of
_Megalonyx_, a tooth of a young mastodon, and a part of the lower jaw of
a beaver. It was thought that these remains had been buried in the
deposits laid down by Mississippi River. It is to be regretted that the
locality and the height above the river were not more exactly specified.
The specimen of _Castoroides_, a right ramus of the lower jaw, is now in
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
ON THE PLEISTOCENE GEOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICA AND ITS RELATION TO ITS
FOSSIL VERTEBRATES.
ONTARIO.
For a knowledge of the Pleistocene of Canada, the student ought first to
read Dr. J. W. Dawson’s “Canadian Ice Age,” published in 1894. In this
will be found references to the earlier literature of the subject. For
the results of more recent studies the reports of the Canadian
Geological Survey are to be consulted, as well as papers published in
the scientific journals. For the more important of these papers the
reader may consult the list published by Dr. H. L. Fairchild in 1918
(Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XXIX, pp. 229).
To state the matter briefly, one may say that almost everywhere in
Ontario are deposits of glacial drift of Wisconsin age. In a few
localities have been discovered beds which belong to earlier glacial and
interglacial epochs. On the other hand, around Hudson Bay, around the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, along St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, and the Bay
of Fundy are marine deposits, laid down after the Wisconsin ice had
retired from those localities and while the region which had been
occupied by this ice-sheet was depressed so much that the sea could
enter the basins named.
The most interesting locality in Canada for the student of vertebrate
palæontology is doubtless Toronto, because of the presence there of
Pleistocene deposits belonging to more than one stage, and because of
the discovery of several species of extinct vertebrates and of many
mollusks, insects, and plants. For an understanding of the geology of
the region Coleman’s papers must be studied, as well as those of authors
cited by him. On the interglacial deposits three of Coleman’s papers may
be especially cited (Jour. Geol., vol. IX, 1901, pp. 285–310; 10th
Internat. Cong. Geol., 1906, Mexico, pp. 1237–1258; Bull. Geol. Soc.
Amer., vol. XXVI, 1915, pp. 243–254).
According to Coleman’s figure 1 of the first paper cited, the known
interglacial deposits in that region extend from the mouth of Humber
River eastward beyond the mouth of Rouge River, a distance of about 22
miles, and away from the lake a distance of about 8 miles. Deposits have
been found even 14 miles north of Toronto (Coleman, 1915, p. 246).
Coleman’s sketch map of the region, taken from his paper of 1901, is
here reproduced (fig. 3).
According to Coleman (paper of 1915, p. 243) there are known at Toronto
five well-defined sheets of boulder clay, with four sheets of
interglacial sand and clay separating them. So far as the writer knows,
only the lowest of these beds have been described with any
particularity. These lowest beds constitute the Toronto formation, and
it is these which have furnished nearly all the fossil animals and
plants discovered in that region. This Toronto formation is divisible
into two portions, and these have been designated as the Don beds and
the Scarboro beds. They are regarded as having been deposited in the
valley of an ancient river running from Georgian Bay to Scarboro. Of
these the Don beds are the older. Sections of these are found in Toronto
and outside, especially along Don River. They have been laid down
usually on a boulder clay, 1 to 9 feet thick, which itself reposes on
Hudson River shales. At one point along the Don an interglacial river
had cut through both the boulder clay and the shale to a depth of 16
feet. The Don deposits consist of varying layers of sands, gravels, and
clays. At one point the section obtained amounted to about 27 feet; but
this, combined with another, made up about 44 feet. At one place trunks,
12 or 15 feet long, of trees have been found, which were flattened into
the surface of the boulder till; also shells of unios, which are
embedded in clay close to the boulder till.
[Illustration:
FIG. 3.—Region about Toronto, Ontario, showing location of Toronto and
Scarboro Heights Pleistocene beds. From Coleman.
]
In 1913 (Ontario Bur. Mines. Guide Book No. 6, pp. 15–18), Professor
Coleman presented a list of the species found in the Don beds. Of the
plants 32 species of trees had been secured, among them the pawpaw, the
red cedar, and the osage orange; 41 species of fresh-water mollusks were
listed, of which 12 were Unionidæ.
As bearing on the climate, it may be said that there are 12 species of
the genus _Unio_ listed, of which 4 species are now known only from
localities south of the St. Lawrence drainage; while 3 other species
live in Lake Erie, but not in Lake Ontario. The plants are mostly trees;
and several species, as the osage orange and the pawpaw, are now found
only considerably farther south. One species of maple no longer exists.
Penhallow gave it as his opinion that the flora points conclusively to
the existence of climatic conditions of a character more nearly like
that of the middle United States to-day. The unios now missing from that
region give evidence to the same fact. For these reasons the Don
deposits are spoken of as the warm-climate beds.
The Scarboro beds are finely displayed at Scarboro heights, a few miles
east of Toronto. The thickness of the clay here amounts to about 94
feet. In these deposits have been found possibly mammoth or mastodon and
caribou, but there is some uncertainty about these. Only 14 species of
plants have been secured and these are trees; but apparently no mollusks
have been reported. As an offset there are great numbers of beetles. Of
these there have been described 72 species, and all are extinct except
2.
The trees, according to Penhallow, indicate a climate somewhat cooler
than that now prevailing in that region. The same conclusion was reached
by Scudder from his study of the insects. In his paper of 1901, Coleman
took the view that the Toronto formation had been laid down in the
interval between the Iowan and the Wisconsin glacial stages, that is,
during what is now known as the Peorian. In the address of 1906, page
44, he appears to have been inclined to accept Leverett’s view that at
least the Don beds belonged to the Sangamon stage. By 1915 (paper cited,
p. 252) he had about concluded that the Toronto beds were as old as the
Aftonian stage.
Dr. G. F. Wright, in 1912 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XXV, pp.
205–218), accounted for the deposits and fossil animals and plants found
at Toronto in a different way. At a certain time in the Pleistocene the
region about Toronto was occupied by some species of animals and plants
now found only considerably further south. An ice-sheet from the
Keewatin center extended thither and laid down the Don beds. Later the
Labrador glacier pushed into that region and deposited the Scarboro
beds. According to this view the whole succession of events would be
much shortened.
The writer is disposed to accept Leverett’s estimate of the geological
position of the interglacial beds at Toronto. The presence there of
_Elephas primigenius_, _Mammut americanum_, and the probable _Ursus
americanus_ hardly counts in the determination of the geological age,
for all these animals appear to have continued on from at least the
Aftonian interglacial to the close of the Wisconsin. There are no
specimens that show that either _Rangifer_ or _Cervalces_ existed during
the Aftonian, although one can hardly doubt that they did then exist. In
order to show that the Toronto formation belongs to the Aftonian, it
would be necessary to produce satisfactory stratigraphical evidence or
to find there genera and species of mammals which characterize the
Aftonian, such as camels, _Elephas imperator_, and those horses which
belong to the early Pleistocene. If the deposits belong to the Sangamon
stage, such horses as _Equus complicatus_ and _E. leidyi_ ought in time
to be discovered there.
Coleman has discussed the interglacial beds that occur elsewhere in
Canada (10th Internat. Geol. Congr. 1906, Mexico, pp. 1237–1258; Bull.
Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XXVI, 1915, pp. 243–254). He refers to Chalmers’s
account of interglacial deposits along Lake Erie; but so far as the
writer has been able to determine, most of the deposits referred to are
of Late Wisconsin age. However, as he says, Spencer found interglacial
materials near Niagara Falls. Other beds have been discovered along
Moose River, south of James Bay; but their geological position has not
been definitely determined, and the fossils discovered there, mostly
proboscideans, are not referred with certainty to the interglacial
deposits.
Most of the vertebrate fossils found in Ontario, excepting many of those
found at Toronto, belong to the Late Wisconsin stage; and in studying
their geological relations one must, as in the States of New York, Ohio,
Indiana, and Michigan, take into consideration the history of the Great
Lakes after the Wisconsin ice-sheet began to retire. According to
Leverett and Taylor’s maps (Monogr. LIII, U. S. Geol. Surv., plate XIV),
as early as the time when the glacial ice had just begun to withdraw
from Lakes Michigan and Erie, a considerable area of land had become
cleared of ice in the peninsula bounded by Georgian Bay, Lakes Huron,
Erie, and Ontario. We can hardly suppose, however, that any mastodons or
any elephants, except possibly _Elephas primigenius_, could have made
their way to that area. Even the last-mentioned species would have had
to travel over many miles of glacial ice. Conditions were hardly more
favorable when Lake Whittlesey had come into existence (op. cit., plate
XVI). At a later stage (op. cit., plate XVII) the ice-free parts of the
peninsula could have been reached only by crossing the lakes or over
wide stretches of glacier. It is possible that some of the mastodons and
elephants that have been found had crossed over into Ontario at about
the stage represented by plate XIX of the work cited, but it is more
probable that they lived there at a later time.
Brief mention is here made of the fossil vertebrates found in Ontario
and their localities. More detailed statements will be found on the
pages cited.
Beginning in the west, a mastodon has been found at Blythewood, Essex
County (p. 45). In Elgin County a mastodon has been met with at St.
Thomas (p. 45), and a mastodon (p. 45) and an undetermined species of
elephant at Highgate (p. 45). A little farther back from the lake, at
London, Middlesex County, has been found a mastodon (p. 45). At Marburg,
not far from the shore of Lake Erie, Dr. H. M. Ami exhumed a mastodon
(p. 45). The writer has not learned how this locality is related to the
ancient beaches. At Dunnville, Haldimand County, a mastodon has been
secured (p. 46). It could hardly have lived there before the lake had
assumed nearly its present level. The same remark will apply to the time
when the mastodon (p. 46), _Elephas columbi_ (p. 147), and possibly _E.
primigenius_ (p. 166) lived at St. Catharines. From Hamilton, at the
extreme western end of Lake Ontario, have been described remains of
_Elephas columbi_ (p. 147), _E._ sp. indet. (p. 166), elk, _Cervus
canadensis_ (p. 235), and the beaver. _Elephas primigenius_ has been
found at Toronto, (p. 130); also _Cervalces_, a bison (p. 256), and a
reindeer (p. 244). The same elephant has been discovered at Amaranth, in
Dufferin County (p. 130). The elk, _Cervus canadensis_, has been
reported from Strathroy, Middlesex County, and Kingston, Frontenac
County (p. 235). At Smith’s Falls, Lanark County, the humpback whale,
_Megaptera boöps_, has been discovered (p. 17). White whales,
_Delphinapterus leucas_ and _D. vermontanus_, have been found at
Pakenham, Lanark County (p. 17), at Cornwall, Stormont County (p. 18),
Nepean Township (p. 17), Ottawa East, Carleton County, and Williamston,
Glengarry County (p. 18). At Ottawa has been discovered an assemblage of
species, as listed on page 287.
The geology of the Hamilton locality has been described by Logan (Geol.
Canada, 1863, p. 914), by Spencer (Canad. Naturalist, vol. X, 1883, pp.
222–230, 306–308), and by Coleman (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XV,
1904, p. 351). The remains mentioned were found in deposits forming what
is called Burlington Heights. Here Dundas Valley opens into the extreme
western end of Lake Ontario. The valley is about a half mile wide.
Across this had been formed a bar, interrupted only at its northern end,
with a height of 108 feet above the level of the lake and a width
varying from a few hundred yards to less than a half mile. Its height is
almost that of the Iroquois beach found on the south shore of the lake
and continuing on the northern shore. Many years ago a canal was cut
through the narrowest part of the bar, and it was in the construction of
this that the elephant (p. 166), elk (p. 235), and beaver bones were
found. It is evident that the bones were deposited there while the bar
was being built and at a time when it lacked 38 feet of being as high as
it now is. The elephant jaw is in good condition, and this indicates
that the animal died near the spot.
Coleman (op. cit., p. 352) stated that afterwards a railroad cut had
been made across the southern end of the bar, exposing 30 feet of coarse
stratified gravel, followed below by 2 feet of brown clay (evidently an
old soil) and 8 feet of blue till. In the old soil were found quantities
of decayed wood, as well as bones of mammoth and other animals. About a
mile farther west, pits were opened for clay, sand, and gravel. Coleman
gives the following geological section at this place. The column at the
right gives the heights above the lake level.
_feet._ _feet._
Clay making red brick 6 78
Gravel 30 72
White sand 5 42
Hard pan 4 37
White sand with mammoth tusks and bones 33
Covered to level of the bay 0
The mammoth tusks and bones were not water-worn. It will be observed
that they were found 83 feet below the top of the Iroquois beach (116
feet above the present lake), while the jaw was only about 45 feet below
the beach. Both Coleman, as cited, and Fairchild (Bull. Geol. Soc.
Amer., vol. XXVII, p. 247) regard the formation of the bar at Hamilton
as showing that during Iroquois times the lake became flooded to a
height of about 82 feet.
Besides the interglacial species found at Toronto, which have already
been mentioned, there may be noted a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ (p.
130), a cast of which was reported by Winchell. Whether this was derived
from interglacial or late Wisconsin beds is not known. Coleman, as
elsewhere cited, reported the finding of remains of one of the elephants
on the Iroquois beach. On the same beach have been collected antlers of
reindeer (p. 244). These animals must have lived there not earlier than
the time when that beach was forming, perhaps later.
[Illustration:
FIG. 4.—Eastern Ontario, showing limit of fresh-water beaches and
marine fossils. Redrawn from Coleman.
]
In a buried gorge extending in a northwestern direction from the
whirlpool at Niagara to the Niagara escarpment, Dr. J. W. Spencer (Bull.
Geol. Amer., vol. XXI, p. 433) has discovered what he regards as
deposits equivalent to the Toronto formation, while older glacial and
interglacial beds are found below and more recent ones above. No fossils
were met with except wood. At Amaranth have been secured considerable
parts of a skeleton of _Elephas primigenius_ (p. 130). This elephant
must have existed rather late in the Wisconsin stage. About Kingston in
Frontenac County, at two places, have been secured remains of the elk
(p. 235), but lack of details as to places and conditions precludes
certainty as to their geological age. The fact that they were found in
shell marl is favorable to the idea that they belonged to the
Pleistocene. Here may be mentioned again the bison horn of uncertain
geological age which was found on the north shore of Nipissing Lake (p.
266). In Algoma County, on the banks of Moose River, was found a part of
a skull of a mastodon, but there is uncertainty whether it had been
buried in interglacial deposits or in marine Champlain beds. The region
in the extreme eastern end of Ontario is interesting because it
furnishes a considerable fauna belonging to the Champlain stage. During
the last glacial stage the region on which the Wisconsin ice-sheet was
resting became depressed to such an extent that when this ice retreated
beyond the St. Lawrence River, marine waters occupied the basin nearly
to the eastern end of Lake Ontario and Ottawa River as far as Lake
Coulonge. Coleman’s figure of the region (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol.
XII, pp. 129–146, fig. 1) is here reproduced (fig. 4) to show the
western limits of the marine waters, so far as known, and the
corresponding fresh-water beach along the north shore of Lake Ontario.
Figure 5 from Coleman shows how the Champlain Sea was limited on the
south. Marine fossils, especially mollusks, have been found along the
upper St. Lawrence as far as Brockville, Quebec, and on the opposite
side of the river, in New York. On Coleman’s map the present elevations
of the old beaches at important localities are marked, that at Ottawa
having an elevation of 450 feet and at Coulonge 370 feet. According to
Johnston, who has described the Pleistocene geology in the vicinity of
Ottawa (Mem. 101, Canad. Dept. Mines, 1917), there is a point about 8
miles northwest of the city where a marine terrace is found at a height
of 690 feet above sea-level. The marine beds at Ottawa are divided into
the Leda clays at the base and Saxicava sands above. The former have a
maximum thickness of about 200 feet, the Saxicava sands, a thickness of
about 40 feet. The fossils occur mostly in the Leda clays. In 1897, Dr.
H. M. Ami (Ottawa Naturalist, vol. XI, pp. 20–26), and again in 1901
(Geol. Surv. Ann. Rep., XII, G, pp. 51–56), published lists of the
fossils found in the Ottawa Valley, nearly all of them in the vicinity
of Ottawa. There were listed 26 species of plants, about 13 species of
marine mollusks, and the following vertebrates:
Mallotus villosus, capelin.
Cyclopterus lumpus, lump-sucker.
Osmerus mordax, smelt.
Artediellus atlanticus (Cottus uncinatus), sculpin.
Gasterosteus aculeatus, stickleback.
Phoca vitulina, common seal (p. 22).
Phoca grœnlandica, Greenland seal (p. 23).
Tamias striatus, chipmunk.
[Illustration:
FIG. 5.—South shore-line of ancient Champlain sea. Redrawn from
Coleman.
]
The aquatic forms are all species existing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
and along the northern Atlantic coast. The chipmunk lives at Ottawa.
Specimens of feathers of birds also have been found in nodules, but the
species have not been determined. The remains of the chipmunk were
probably washed in by some fresh-water stream.
According to Johnston’s paper just cited, there are deposits of glacial
drift underlying the marine Champlain beds, but they have furnished no
fossils. The marine deposits extend up the Ottawa Valley at least as far
as Coulonge Lake, and here has been found _Mallotus villosus_. At
Welshe’s, 3 miles north of Smith’s Falls, Lanark County, have been found
some remains of the humpback whale, _Megaptera boöps_ (Dawson, Amer.
Jour. Sci., vol. XXV, 1883, p. 200). It was met with (p. 17) at an
elevation of 440 feet above present sea-level. It appears to have been
left there during the time when the Saxacava sands and gravels were
being laid down (Coleman, Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XII, p. 133).
QUEBEC.
The Pleistocene of Quebec was described by Logan in 1863 (Geol. Canada,
pp. 917–926) and by J. W. Dawson, 1894, in his “Canadian Ice Age.”
Dawson divided the epoch, as represented in Canada, into the early
Pleistocene, the mid-Pleistocene, and the later Pleistocene. He did not
accept the glacial theory as it is now understood, admitting only great
local glaciers. His early Pleistocene deposits embraced the great bulk
of the boulder clays. His mid-Pleistocene represents an interglacial
period, during which were deposited the marine Leda clays, Saxicava
sands, and their fresh-water equivalents. The climate was supposed to be
milder than at present. During the later Pleistocene there was to some
extent a recurrence of local glaciation and of deposition of boulder
clay. This stage was followed, according to Dawson, by the Early Modern,
which he regarded as the age of the mammoth and mastodon.
Mr. J. Stansfield has described with some detail the Pleistocene and
Recent deposits of the island of Montreal (Mem. 73, Geol. Surv. Canada,
1915). The boulder clay is of variable thickness and does not appear to
be divisible into beds of different epochs. The Leda and Saxicava
deposits are present. When the latter were laid down the region about
Montreal was depressed about 600 feet below its present elevation. This
has been confirmed by Goldthwait (Summary Rep. for 1913, p. 211). Later
it began to rise; and Stansfield thinks that when the elevation had
reached about 100 feet less than that of the present the water of the
St. Lawrence at that point had become fresh. He found some apparent
evidences of a recurrence of glaciation after the Champlain stage, but,
on the whole, left the question undecided. He published a list of about
85 species of marine invertebrate fossils, collected from the Leda clay
about Montreal, and 22 species obtained from the Saxicava sands. Besides
the invertebrates secured from the Leda clays at that place, there are
two vertebrates, _Phoca grœnlandica_ (p. 22) and _Delphinapterus
leucas_, or _D. vermontana_ (p. 18). At Rivière du Loup, in Temiscouata
County, whale remains were reported in 1894 (p. 18), which were thought
to belong to _Delphinapterus leucas_. At Metis, Rimouski County, a
jawbone of a whale has been discovered in the shelly marl of the lower
terrace (p. 19); whether or not it belonged to _Megaptera boöps_ is not
certain. The specimen of the former species was described by Leidy in
1856.
According to Logan’s report of 1863 (Geol. Canada, p. 920), the single
bone was found in a brickyard. At the same place was found some vertebræ
of the whale. At Bic, Rimouski County, has been found a nearly complete
skeleton of a walrus, at an elevation of more than 100 feet (p. 21).
Dawson (Canadian Record Sci., 1895, vol. VI, p. 352) described a nearly
complete skeleton of the whale which had been found at Montreal in the
Leda clay, 22 feet below the surface. This Leda clay was supposed by
Dawson to have been deposited at a depth of from 50 to 80 fathoms, which
depth, he said, corresponded approximately to the marine shore-lines at
Montreal at an elevation of about 470 feet above sea-level, and to the
sea-beach at Smith’s Falls, above referred to. Hence at the time that
the whale was buried the mountain at Montreal was only a rocky islet in
the sea which prevailed then over the region from the Laurentian hills
on the north to the highlands of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence.
At Tétreauville, in Ottawa County, on Ottawa River, have been found some
bones, supposed to belong to the harbor seal, _Phoca vitulina_.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NOVA SCOTIA, AND CAPE BRETON ISLAND.
All three of these regions were involved in the glaciation of the
Wisconsin stage. According to Goldthwait (Summary Rep. for 1913, pp.
244–250), New Brunswick was the center from which the ice flowed out
over the other two lands. From this center it moved southward over the
western end of Nova Scotia, more and more southeastward over the rest of
the peninsula, while over Cape Breton Island the direction was eastward
and northeastward. Some indications were observed of an earlier
glaciation. As regards post-glacial submergence, Goldthwait found that
at St. John, New Brunswick, this had amounted to about 190 feet, while
on Cape Breton Island no signs of any submergence were found. Robert
Chalmers had arrived at similar conclusions; and these agree well with
the theoretical isobases drawn by Taylor for that region (Monogr. U. S.
Geol. Surv. LIII, 1915, p. 503). G. F. Matthew in 1879 (Geol. Surv.
Canada, Rep. for 1877–78, EE, pp. 1–36) described the geology of
southern New Brunswick. Few fossil vertebrates of Pleistocene age have
been discovered in these countries. On Cape Breton Island mastodon
remains have been found in two places, Middle River and Baddeck (p. 46).
As long ago as 1874 remains supposed to belong to _Delphinapterus_ were
found near the mouth of the Jaquet River, in the northernmost part of
New Brunswick; but Professor G. H. Perkins has shown that the animal was
probably the narwhal, _Monodon monoceros_. The discovery is discussed
here on page 19. At the southern extremity of New Brunswick, along
Mace’s Bay, Charlotte County, a jaw supposed to belong to a species of
_Delphinapterus_ was found, which had been buried in the Leda clay (p.
19). Near Fairville, at the mouth of St. John River, there has been
discovered some bones of the seal _Phoca grœnlandica_ (p. 21). In the
Academy of Sciences at Philadelphia is a skull of a walrus (p. 21) found
apparently in the water near Sable Island about 50 years ago. It is not
certain that it is a Pleistocene fossil.
NEW ENGLAND.
Inasmuch as relatively few vertebrates belonging to the Pleistocene have
been discovered in the New England States, it will not be necessary to
enter into details regarding the geology of the glacial period in this
region. Nevertheless, the subject is one of great interest and one which
has engaged the attention of many geologists. For those who wish to
enter on the study, the writer recommends first a paper written in 1906
(Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XVIII, pp. 505–556) by Frederick G. Clapp,
entitled “Complexity of the Glacial Period in Northeastern New England,”
which gives a brief history of the development of the idea that in the
region mentioned there are evidences of more than one glacial and of
more than one interglacial stage. There are also citations of the
principal papers written on the subject. Among the writers cited are
Shaler, Woodworth, Fuller, Upham, Stone, and Tarr. Clapp concluded that
New England had been invaded by at least three ice-sheets and that these
invasions had been separated by two interglacial intervals of long
duration. On account of the greater thickness of the drift and because
of fewer favorable exposures, due to the rocky nature of the coast and
other causes, many difficulties are encountered in studying the
deposits. He regarded absolute correlations as not yet possible. The
last glaciation he accepted as corresponding closely with the Wisconsin,
as displayed in States further west. What is known as Montauk drift,
forming a part of the Gay Head interval of Woodworth, appeared to Clapp
to correspond possibly to the Illinoian. Still older drifts would seem
to have their place nearer the pre-Kansan (Nebraskan) than to the
Kansan. What have been called “Leda clays” are found from Boston north
into the St. Lawrence Valley. Clapp divides them into the “high-level”
and the “low-level” clays. The former are the older and regarded as
being about the equivalent to the Iowan stage. The “low-level clays” are
referred to the Wisconsin stage. Another body of clays named by Fuller
(Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XVI, p. 375) the Gardiner clays, from
their type locality, Gardiner Island, near the east end of Long Island,
lies beneath the Montauk till and has been referred by Fuller to the
Yarmouth interglacial.
In his paper cited Clapp presents (pp. 520–523) a list of the fossils,
mostly mollusks, which have been collected in the Pleistocene deposits
from New Brunswick to New York.
Along the New England coast are evidences of uplift which followed the
retirement of the Wisconsin ice. Katz (Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., vol.
VIII, 1918, p. 410) reported elevations of 155 feet at Stratham, New
Hampshire, and 300 feet at Pawnal, Maine. Fairchild (Bull. Geol. Soc.
Amer., vol. XXIX, p. 214) records the elevations at various localities
in Maine.
A brief interesting account of the Pleistocene epoch as recorded in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island may be found in an article by B. K.
Emerson (Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv., No. 597, pp. 134–149). It deals in
part with the geology of the valley of the Connecticut River.
Goldthwait (Appalachia, vol. XIII, pp. 1–23) and Foshay (Amer. Jour.
Sci., ser. 4, vol. XXXVIII, pp. 345–348) have found evidences of an
early Pleistocene glaciation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Vermont is interesting especially on account of the Pleistocene history
of Lake Champlain. This history has been recently discussed by Professor
H. L. Fairchild (Rep. State Geologist Vermont, vol. X, 1916, pp. 1–41,
with maps and views), who presents (pp. 40–411) a list, 37 in number, of
the more important papers relating to the subject.
While the Wisconsin ice-sheet was resting upon Canada and the northern
part of the United States, the land thus occupied, and probably a
considerable area beyond the ice, became depressed. The valleys of the
St. Lawrence, the Ottawa, the Hudson, and the Connecticut had been
pressed down to such an extent that, as the ice-sheet retired these
valleys became filled with water standing at sea-level. When at length
the glacial front had retreated beyond the St. Lawrence, sea-water
entered Lake Ontario and passed up Ottawa River far above the city of
Ottawa (Leverett, Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., LIII, plate XXI). South of
the St. Lawrence, marine waters occupied what is now Lake Champlain and
as much of the surrounding land as was then at or below sea-level. In
his account Fairchild makes use of the plate which is here reproduced
(map 31) from his article of 1917 (Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XXVIII,
p. 279, plate XI). This geologist believes that the Hudson formed for a
while a connection with Lake Champlain, although the Hudson waters may
not have been actually saline. But in Lake Champlain the presence of
fossil marine mollusks and at least one whale skeleton shows that its
waters were salt. The lines crossing the plate obliquely are the
isobases which show the amount of elevation which has taken place along
those lines since the end of the Pleistocene. South of New York City
this is zero. At the northern end of Lake Champlain the elevation is 800
feet. This means that the north end of the lake for a while stood 800
feet lower than now. Marine fossils have, however, been found at an
elevation of only about 300 feet. The waters which first occupied the
lake and stood at the highest level were of glacial origin and fresh.
When the ice-front had receded so as to open the St. Lawrence and admit
sea-water, the northern end of the lake had been uplifted about 500
feet. It was then that the marine animals entered.
Other important papers to be consulted in this connection are as
follows: One by J. B. Woodworth (Bull. 84 New York State Mus.); one by
Charles E. Peet (Jour. Geol., vol. XII, 1904, pp. 415–469; 617–660), and
two by Professor Fairchild (Bulls. 105, 127, New York State Mus.).
It is proper to say that certain glacial geologists maintain that the
depression in the New England States has been less than supposed by
Fairchild, and that the isobases curved around toward the north as the
New England coast was approached, somewhat as represented by Taylor
(Monogr. LIII, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 503). Fairchild, in a later paper
(Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol. XXIX, 1918, pp. 187–244), has reached the
same conclusion and presented a map on which are drawn the isobases, or
lines passing through points affected by the same amount of post-glacial
uplift; from this map 32 has been prepared. On his map the location of
the heavy or solid lines is regarded by Fairchild as being based on
clear evidence. Where the lines become thin the evidence is less
trustworthy; where the lines are broken their positions are
hypothetical. The numerals on the lines show the amount of uplift along
those lines. Two points of importance are brought out on the map. The
first is that Newfoundland formed an independent center of glaciation
and of subsequent uplift, a conclusion based on good geological
evidence. The second point is that the center of the Wisconsin
glaciation was located southeast of James Bay, considerably farther
south and west than is usually supposed. The confirmation of this is
left to the future.
It does not seem to have been demonstrated that there are in Connecticut
any Pleistocene deposits older than those laid down by the Wisconsin
ice-sheet. In case Fuller (U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 82) is correct
in his determination of beds of the early, middle, and late Pleistocene
on Long Island, it is to be expected that beds of corresponding ages
will yet be recognized in Connecticut. Woodworth (17th Ann. Rep. U. S.
Geol. Surv., pt. 1, p. 978) mentions deposits of clay at Berlin and at
New Haven that may be older than the Wisconsin.
While the correlations recorded above of the Pleistocene of the New
England States with the glacial and interglacial stages of the
Mississippi Valley may be subject to modifications, it is interesting to
learn that the presence of Middle and Early Pleistocene deposits in the
Eastern States has received the recognition of so many students of
glacial geology. The hope is awakened that in New England there may yet
be found interglacial deposits which will furnish remains of Pleistocene
vertebrates, as these have come to light from Throg’s Neck, New York, to
southern Florida. It is possible that the astragalus of an equine animal
(p. 183), found at Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, belongs to a species of
_Equus_ of early Pleistocene age.
In order to illustrate still further the events connected with the
history of the Pleistocene in the region of the Great Lakes, three
additional figures are introduced. One of these (map 33) shows J. W.
Spencer’s conception of the drainage of the region in preglacial times.
The areas now occupied by the lakes were then traversed by rivers. It
will be observed that the rivers above Pittsburgh now discharging into
the Ohio then emptied northward into the Erigan. This is shown also by a
map (fig. 6) taken from Leverett (U. S. Geol. Surv. Monogr. XLI, p. 89).
Figure 5, on page 287, shows the position of the shore of this Champlain
Sea.
The number of Pleistocene vertebrates found in the New England States is
limited, and most of them have been mentioned.
Somewhere on the coast of Maine have been found specimens of the fish
_Mallotus villosus_ (Gould, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. III, 1848,
p. 67). At Charlotte, Vermont, a white whale, _Delphinapterus
vermontanus_, was found many years ago (p. 19). Some bovid teeth were
found many years ago at Gardiner, Maine, and referred to _Bison bison_,
but it is now believed that they are teeth of the domestic ox. However,
Dr. G. M. Allen has reported from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, teeth of a
young bison (p. 266). At Woodbury, Washington County, Vermont, at a
depth of 7 feet, an antler and a piece of the upper jaw with five molars
of _Rangifer caribou_ (p. 244) have been discovered (Rep. Geol. Surv.
Vermont, vol VI, p. 7). Mastodons have been discovered in Massachusetts
at Coleraine and Shrewsbury (p. 47). Many years ago a tooth and a tusk
and some bones of an elephant were found at Mount Holly, Vermont (p.
148); the writer refers the animal to _Elephas columbi_. An undetermined
elephant has been found in Vermont at Richmond (p. 167). Walrus remains
have been recovered at Addison Point (p. 23), Andrews Island (p. 23),
Gardiner (p. 23), and Portland (p. 24), all in Maine; off Portsmouth,
New Hampshire (p. 25); and on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts (p. 25).
At the latter place a tooth supposed to belong to the hooded seal (p.
26) was found long ago. With respect to the specimens found at this
place there is some doubt as to their geological age. With the exception
that the reindeer bones (p. 244) found near New Haven may be of
pre-Wisconsin age, no Pleistocene vertebrate fossils older than Late
Wisconsin appear to have been discovered anywhere in Connecticut. As
shown elsewhere (p. 48), there were found long ago at Sharon, Litchfield
County, remains which were identified as those of mammoth, but these
have since been regarded as those of the common mastodon. Only a single
vertebra was preserved.
[Illustration:
FIG. 6.—Probable preglacial drainage of the Upper Ohio. From Leverett.
]
Mastodons have been found in four other places, Cheshire, New Britain,
Bristol, and Farmington (pp. 47, 48). The animals which left their bones
at those places certainly lived after the last glacial sheet had
withdrawn from the State. As mentioned on page 291, Fairchild has found
reasons for believing that, while the Wisconsin ice-sheet was
withdrawing from the Hudson and Connecticut Valleys, the whole region
was so depressed that these valleys became occupied by water at
sea-level. In these waters there were laid down thick deposits which now
stand at levels much above tide, varying, in Connecticut, from nearly
200 to about 300 feet. Map 31, reproduced from Professor Fairchild
(Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., vol XXVIII, 1917, plate XI) is intended to show
how wide an extent of territory along the Connecticut Valley was then
submerged. It is probable that the emergence of these deposits was not
accomplished until after the glacier had retired beyond the State.
It will be observed (map 6) that the localities just mentioned, where
the mastodons have been found, lie very close to or on the areas covered
by the deposits mentioned. The pond in which the Farmington mastodon
(fig. 6, No. 3) was buried is in a range of hills which must have stood
as an island in the Connecticut inlet. While it is possible that
mastodons lived on this island while the land was depressed, it is more
likely that they lived there after it had been more or less elevated.
Judging from the topographical maps, one may conclude that the mastodons
that have been found at Cheshire (fig. 6, No. 1) and New Britain (fig.
6, No. 2) were buried in deposits that overlie those laid down at
sea-level. Their time of existence must have been near the end of the
Pleistocene. Too little is known about the mastodons reported from
Bristol and Sharon to form any definite opinion about the stage of the
Pleistocene when they lived; but it was probably after the withdrawal of
the last ice-sheet.
NEW YORK.
From the geologist’s point of view there is hardly, if at all, another
State which presents for solution more numerous or more interesting
problems connected with the Pleistocene than does New York. Among these
are the geography and topography of the State at the beginning of the
Pleistocene; the number and identity of the glacial stages which
affected its surface; the origin and development of the bordering Great
Lakes, of the numerous interior lakes, and of the river courses, actual
and abandoned. For a knowledge of these one must consult the various
reports issued by the Geological Survey of the State; above all, the
numerous and instructive papers that have been published by Professor H.
L. Fairchild, of the University of Rochester.
For the student of Pleistocene vertebrate palæontology, the State of New
York is not so attractive as some others; but it is far from being
devoid of interest. Few species of vertebrates of Pleistocene age have
been found in its deposits, and these, with one exception, belong to the
latest episodes of the last glacial stage. So far as the writer is
aware, the following list comprises all of the Pleistocene vertebrates
known to have been found within the borders of the State; those marked
with an asterisk (*) are now extinct:
*Equus sp. indet (p. 183).
*Platygonus compressus (p. 212)
Bison bison (pp. 266, 267).
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 226).
Cervus canadensis (pp. 235, 236).
Rangifer caribou? (p. 245).
*Mammut americanum (pp. 48–63).
*Elephas columbi (p. 149).
*Elephas primigenius (pp. 131, 132).
Castor canadensis.
*Castoroides ohioensis (p. 272).
Deposits of materials belonging to Pleistocene stages older than the
Wisconsin are apparently of rare occurrence in the State. If existing
they are usually concealed beneath the widely spread Wisconsin drift. On
Long Island, Fuller (U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 82) has described
beds of gravels, sands, and clays, which he regards as belonging to the
Nebraskan, Aftonian, Yarmouth, and Illinoian. None of these has
furnished any vertebrate fossils. However, in 1866 (Smithson. Contrib.
Knowl., vol. XV, art. 3, p. 16), Whittlesey reported that he had a tooth
of a horse (p. 183) found at Fort Schuyler, Throg’s Neck, 18 feet below
the surface. This must have been lying beneath the Wisconsin drift.
Inasmuch as Fuller has found the Manhassett formation, regarded as
equivalent to the Illinoian, around Manhassett Bay, within 4 or 5 miles
of Throg’s Neck, it seems entirely reasonable to suppose that deposits
of similar or earlier age exist at Throg’s Neck.
With the exception of small areas, the whole of the State was at one
time covered by the ice-sheet of the Wisconsin stage. The glacial ice
filled the basins of the Great Lakes, and overrode even the peaks of the
Adirondack and Catskill Mountains. Only along the southern side of Long
Island and in the loop formed in Cattaraugus County by Allegheny River
does the ice-sheet appear to have been absent.
Nearly everywhere, even on the southern coast of Long Island as outwash,
it left its burden of clay, sand, gravel and boulders, usually many feet
in thickness; in the mountainous regions this drift material is present,
at least in the valleys. At the extreme southern edge of the glacial
sheet there was laid down the terminal moraine, which, more or less
distinctly determinable, has been traced from the eastern end of Long
Island to the southwestern corner of Cattaraugus County, and onward into
Pennsylvania. This moraine is shown here on maps 3 and 6–A.
As the ice-sheet withdrew toward the north, the surface which it had
occupied was, for many reasons, very uneven, and in the depressions
there were formed numerous lakelets and lakes. Into the smaller lakes
and ponds especially, were swept, by running water and blown by winds,
coarse materials and dust, so that they began at once to fill.
Water-loving plants in due time took possession of their borders, and in
time marshes were formed. In some of these bodies of waters are now
found deposits of shell marl, which show that for a long period the
lakes and ponds were inhabited by fresh-water mollusks. Sometimes below
this marl, but usually above it, is found a layer of peat, the product
of the partial decay of the vegetation. It is in such peat-bogs,
sometimes buried in the peat, sometimes in the marl, that have been
found most of the bones and teeth of the fossil animals recovered.
Inasmuch as such deposits lie upon the Wisconsin drift, it is certain
that these animals lived, at the localities where found, after the
retirement of the glacier from that locality; how long afterward one
usually can not be certain.
It is in such Late Wisconsin deposits that have been found the numerous
remains of mastodons on Long Island, on Staten Island, around New York
City, and especially in Orange County (pp. 48–54). This county has
furnished some of the most complete skeletons of mastodons ever
discovered. Whether or not the conditions for their existence were more
favorable in this region than in that between this county and the Finger
Lake region may be regarded as doubtful; but it is certain that the
conditions for the preservation of skeletons were extremely favorable.
A remarkable case is presented at Cohoes, where a part of a skeleton of
a mastodon was found in one of the great pot-holes existing there, and
another part of the same skeleton in a neighboring pot-hole. The case is
discussed below.
In the western half of the State, after the foot of the glacier had
retired beyond the divide between the present northward and southward
flowing streams, bodies of water began to collect between the divide and
the foot of the glacier. To these bodies, regarded as lakes, changing
from time to time their dimensions and their outlets, have been given
various names. At first, the waters that collected in the Finger Lake
region found their outlet southward through the Susquehanna River; later
through the Mohawk and Hudson; then westward into the Mississippi
drainage; afterward through a channel leading around west and north of
the Adirondacks and into Lake Champlain and down the Hudson; and
finally, as now, into the St. Lawrence River (map 34).
The waters of the Erie basin, for most of the time, found their outlet
toward the west into the Mississippi; but at a later time they escaped
for a while eastward through central New York into the Mohawk. For
information regarding these lakes one must consult Leverett and Taylor
(Monogr. LIII, U. S. Geol. Surv.) and Fairchild (Bulls. 127, 160, N. Y.
State Mus.).
From a study of the geological history we may arrive at some
approximately correct ideas as to the time when the mastodons,
elephants, horses, giant beavers, etc., lived within the limits of the
State. Of these animals, apparently none of the specimens discovered up
to this time belongs to any pre-Wisconsin stage, except the horse whose
tooth was found at Throg’s Neck (p. 183). The history of our extinct
horses and the depth at which the specimen was found indicate that the
animal had lived either during the first or the second third of the
Pleistocene.
We may be certain that none of the mastodons (p. 49) which have been
reported from Long Island lived there while the northern border was
occupied by the glacier, and the remainder by the ocean. Not until the
land had risen to about its present level could mastodons have become
buried in the muck-filled ponds where they have been met with. Where the
glacier front was when mastodons got foothold on the island we can not
tell certainly; but it required perhaps hundreds or probably thousands
of years for the elevation of the island to the extent of about 100
feet. We can hardly doubt that the mastodon lived on up to near,
possibly into, the Recent period (see map 34).
It is interesting to speculate on the time and manner of entombment of
the skeleton, described on page 56, which was found at Cohoes, part in
one pot-hole, part in another not far away. Hall adopted the theory that
the carcass of the mastodon had been frozen in the glacial ice and, on
the thawing of this ice, had been dropped into the pot-holes. In fact,
he thus explained the frequent presence of mastodon skeletons in swamps.
We have, however, no evidence that mastodons were ever thus frozen up in
the ice of the glacier; but there is a possibility that this happened
sometimes. If a skeleton should thus have been engaged in the moving
stream of ice it is not probable that it would ever have emerged in a
recognizable condition. In the production of cracks and crevices in the
glacial ice, of which Hall spoke, the bones would have been broken up
and scattered, if not ground to powder. If a cadaver had been frozen in
the ice for any considerable time it would certainly have come out in
such a waterlogged condition that it would hardly have floated. Weighted
down by its heavy tusks, it would have drifted against rocks and at
least the tusks would probably have been broken off. If we exclude the
idea that the mastodon had first been frozen in the glacier, the writer
sees no reason for denying that it might thus have been transported for
some distance; but little is gained by granting it. The animal could as
well have lived near Cohoes as farther up the Mohawk.
As stated on another page, James Hall concluded that the pot-holes
belonged to some preglacial time. Professor H. L. Fairchild has
expressed in a letter to the present writer the following opinion:
“When the ice-sheet melted from Cohoes the locality was 355 feet
lower than it is to-day. Deep estuary deposits partially filled the
Hudson Valley and buried the Cohoes district. The Mohawk channel at
Cohoes is excavated through marine sediments. There is no suggestion
of any river channel there previous to the present river work. The
pot-holes are post-glacial, but they probably represent a more
copious and vigorous flow than that of the present river. That was
supplied by the diminishing Iromohawk, the latest outflow through
the Mohawk Valley of the Iroquois water. In this view the pot-holes
were drilled by the latest glacial waters.”
It appears that, when the mastodon skeleton fell into the pot-holes,
these had been drilled long before; for the principal one had become
filled with gravel to a depth of at least 10 feet. They were, therefore,
probably well above the stream-level, except in times of high-water.
However the carcass reached the locality, it must have arrived in a
complete state. Had it already attained an advanced stage of decay, some
limbs or the feet or the lower jaw, probably the whole head, weighted
down as it was by the heavy tusks, would have dropped off. It may be
assumed that the skeleton was lying on land or in some pond not far
above the pot-holes. The flesh was not wholly decayed, and the bones
were held together by the ligaments. While the skeleton was in this
condition the river rose and swept it over the first pot-hole, where the
right leg dropped off; and then onward over the second, where more of it
was deposited. Some unimportant parts may have been carried farther, and
some of the missing bones may have decayed in the pot-holes. After the
bones were deposited there the pot-holes became slowly filled up,
probably mostly during times of high-water, with muck and branches and
trunks of trees of several species (Hay, Science, n. s., vol. XLIX,
1919, p. 378).
The retreat of the Wisconsin ice-sheet far beyond the St. Lawrence and
the rise of the land to its present elevation, 350 feet above the sea at
Cohoes, belong to the closing chapter of Pleistocene history. When the
Cohoes mastodon was buried the ice-sheet was probably already north of
the St. Lawrence and, as Professor Fairchild writes, 150 feet of the
rise of the land had already occurred. The time could, therefore, not
have been long before the beginning of the Recent epoch. If these
animals lived at such a late time at Cohoes they doubtless existed at
the same time in all parts of the eastern region where their remains
have been discovered. They may have been able to occupy Long Island a
little earlier than places further north, but the interval would be
geologically inconsiderable.
The writer has learned of no discoveries of mastodon bones in materials
laid down by the marine waters that occupied Lake Champlain, the St.
Lawrence Valley, and that of Ottawa River, or in deposits overlying
these marine beds.
On the basis of one of Professor H. L. Fairchild’s plates (Bull. 127, N.
Y. State Mus., plate XXXV) the writer has prepared map 34, which is
intended to show the position of the Wisconsin ice-sheet in New York
after it had retired somewhat north of the divide. This divide is marked
by a line of dots. The area then occupied by the ice is stippled. Lake
Erie was already nearly free from ice and was discharging its water by
way of the Mississippi. Impounded waters from the melting glacial ice
were collecting in the region of the Finger Lakes, forming Newberry
Lake, and escaping down the Susquehanna. The Mohawk afforded outlet for
the water from the southeastern lobe of ice. Fairchild’s plates 36 to 42
show the successive positions occupied by the ice-front as it retired
northward and the various lakes that were formed.
Although not many species of vertebrate animals have been found in the
Pleistocene deposits of New York, a large number of localities have
furnished remains of the mastodon, _Mammut americanum_. These localities
are recorded and brief descriptions of the remains and their geological
environment have been presented on pages 48–63. The localities are
indicated on map 34. It will be seen that several specimens have been
found on Long Island and many in Orange County, in the southeastern
corner of the State. In the western half of the State most of the finds
occur within the area once occupied by the successive lakes. The animals
could have lived there only after the ice-sheet and the lake waters had
disappeared. It will be seen that a few finds have been made close to
the shores of the present lakes. The animals must have lived there at
the very end of the Pleistocene, if not within the Recent epoch.
The finds of other vertebrates are recorded on the following pages:
_Equus_ sp. indet. on page 183; _Platygonus compressus_ on page 212;
_Bison bison_ on page 266; _Odocoileus virginianus_ on page 226; _Cervus
canadensis_ on page 235; _Rangifer caribou_ on page 245; _Elephas
columbi_ on page 149; _Elephas primigenius_ on page 131; _Castor
canadensis_ on page 272; _Castoroides ohioensis_ on page 272.
In 1850 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. II, pp. 255–256), W. C.
Redfield reported that he had received remains of a fox of the genus
_Vulpes_ from Gulf Summit, Broome County. The lower jaw and other bones
had been discovered in a cutting of the New York and Erie Railroad, 40
feet below the natural surface. The deposit above these bones was
evidently the Wisconsin drift. The fine clay inclosing the bones may
have belonged to the Sangamon, or even some older interglacial deposit.
It is impossible to say whether this fox was _Vulpes fulvus_ or _Urocyon
cinereoargenteus_.
NEW JERSEY.
(Map 6–A.)
In the consideration of the problems of Pleistocene geology and
palæontology, New Jersey is one of the most important States. Its
northern part is occupied by glacial drift deposits, while the southern
two-thirds is covered more or less completely by materials laid down
beyond the limits of the glaciers. The glacial materials appear to
belong to two widely separate epochs. The geologists who have been
connected with the geological survey of New Jersey recognize in the
materials composing the Pleistocene deposits south of the glacial region
three formations, the Bridgeton, oldest; succeeded by the Pensauken; and
the Cape May, the youngest. The geologists of Maryland recognize in New
Jersey three formations which correspond to the three of Maryland, the
Sunderland, the Wicomico, and the Talbot. However, the author of the
Maryland Pliocene and Pleistocene volume, Professor Shattuck, insists
that parts of Salisbury’s Bridgeton, Pensauken, and Cape May all enter
into the Sunderland; parts of the Cape May, Pensauken, and possibly of
the Bridgeton, into the Wicomico; and parts of the Pensauken and Cape
May into the Talbot.
There are wide divergences in the views of the two groups of geologists
regarding the manner in which the materials have been laid down. The
Maryland geologists hold that their three terraces represent three
epochs of submergence, and that the gravels, sands, and clays were
deposited in the salt waters of the ocean or of estuaries. Salisbury and
Knapp (Geol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. VIII, 1917, p. 3) adopt the view
that the formations are partly of subaerial and partly of marine and
estuarine origin, with emphasis on the subaerial mode. Of the Bridgeton,
the authors referred to say (their p. 18 ) that the accessible parts are
primarily of terrestrial origin. A part of what remains may be marine or
estuarine, and part of what has been removed may have been so. No
palæontological evidences of marine deposits of this epoch are found in
the State. The writer records his dissent from the theory that the
terraces and the deposits called the Sunderland, Wicomico, and Talbot
have been the product of marine submergence. A part only of the Talbot
can be referred to deposition in the sea.
Of the Pensauken, Salisbury and Knapp say (p. 87): “There is nothing in
its constitution to negative the hypothesis of the whole formation being
river work; nor is there anything, as now understood, to prove it.” As
to the deposits which they refer to the Cape May, the authors quoted say
(p. 162) that the southern part of the State seems to have stood a few
feet (30 to 50) lower than at present; but that it could not have stood
long at this height, for sea-cliffs are essentially wanting. At one
point, near Millville, Cumberland County, marine fossils are met with at
an elevation of about 10 feet above tide.
The Cape May was, according to Salisbury and Knapp, laid down during the
last glacial epoch, the Wisconsin (p. 162). This determination of age
would doubtless gain the acceptance of the Maryland geologists and their
adherents, although the latter would include under this name many local
deposits which Salisbury puts in the Pensauken.
It is remarkable that, so far as the writer knows, no remains of
Pleistocene vertebrates have ever been discovered in that portion of New
Jersey which is mapped as occupied by the Cohansey sands, an area
including nearly half the State. It lies southeast of a straight line
which would run from Navesink River to Salem. The reason for this lack
of fossil vertebrates does not occur to the writer. A large portion of
this region is mapped as being covered with deposits of all three of the
Pleistocene formations, Bridgeton, Pensauken, and Cape May. On or near
to the line of outcrop of the Cretaceous deposits from Salem to Raritan
Bay, not fewer than ten localities are known where mastodon remains have
been discovered, besides two localities which have furnished horses and
two which have furnished elephants. Since the southeastern part of the
State has yielded no vertebrate fossils and little else to throw light
on the age of its deposits, we shall dismiss it from consideration.
The glacial geology of the State has been studied by Professor Rollin D.
Salisbury, of the University of Chicago, and his assistants, Henry B.
Kümmel, Charles E. Peet, and George N. Knapp. The results of their
studies on the glacial-drift deposits have been published in volume v of
the final report of the State geologist, 1902.
The Quaternary formations of the southern part of the State are
described in volume VIII of the final report. A more succinct
description of the events of the Quaternary period is found in Bulletin
14 (1915) of the New Jersey Survey. The authors are J. Volney Lewis and
Henry B. Kümmel.
In the vicinity of Perth Amboy is a heavy glacial moraine which may be
traced eastward through Staten and Long Islands. West of Perth Amboy it
turns northward, and swinging around it reaches Springfield. Thence it
runs northwestward to Rockaway, and continues west by south to Delaware
River, at Belvidere. This moraine marks, in New Jersey, the southward
limit of the last ice-sheet, the Wisconsin. All the drift deposits of
the State north of this moraine are regarded as belonging to the
Wisconsin stage. It is to be supposed that this is, at least to some
extent, underlain by older drift deposits.
South of the moraine just described are scattered deposits of glacial
drift and other evidence of glacial action which are referred to a much
older ice-sheet, one supposed to correspond to the Kansan drift of the
Mississippi Valley (Salisbury, Geol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. V, p. 781).
On the other hand, it is sometimes referred (Chamberlin and Salisbury,
Geology, vol. III, pp. 383, 384) to the first glacial (sub-Aftonian).
As has been said, three formations are recognized which were laid down
otherwise than by glacial ice-sheets, the Bridgeton, the Pensauken, and
the Cape May. The deposition of the Cape May is regarded as being
contemporaneous with the Wisconsin ice-sheet (Salisbury and Knapp, New
Jersey Geol. Surv., vol. VIII, p. 162; Lewis and Kümmel, Bull. 14, p.
120). The Pensauken formation is believed to be much older than the Cape
May; it may (Salisbury and Knapp, op. cit., p. 78) be older than the
extra-morainic drift, mentioned above as being of about Kansan times;
but it may have coincided in part only with the Kansan. According to
Lewis and Kümmel (op. cit., p. 111) the old, extra-morainic, Jerseyan
drift was coincident with at least the later stages of the Pensauken.
Hence, we may believe that the Pensauken corresponds somewhat to the
Aftonian stage of Iowa. The Bridgeton formation is still older than the
Pensauken and, being Quaternary, must be referred either to the early
part of the first interglacial or to the first glacial; but the New
Jersey geologists are not specific on this point.
It is unfortunate that nowhere in New Jersey has any considerable number
of species of Pleistocene vertebrates been found buried together. We are
thus deprived of one means of estimating the age of the species and of
the beds. Most of the specimens found, as the mastodon and the two
elephants, belong to species which lived during the whole or a large
part of the Pleistocene and hence do not testify definitely to the age
of the deposits in which they occur. Too often the information we have
regarding the place and conditions of burial is extremely meager.
In Salem County a mastodon has been found in Mannington Township, at
Chestnut Hill (p. 63); and a deer, probably _Odocoileus virginianus_, at
Woodstown (p. 226). Although the geological map shows that in Mannington
Township Cape May Pleistocene prevails, while about Woodstown there is
Pensauken, one can not well conclude that the animals are of
corresponding age.
In Gloucester County _Mammut americanum_ has been found at Harrisonville
(p. 63), Mullica Hill (p. 64), and Woodbury (p. 64); _Equus_ at
Swedesboro (p. 184). As to the former species, we can not be certain of
the age, either from our knowledge of the age of the deposits inclosing
the remains or from the history of the species. As to the horse found at
Swedesboro, one may, from the history of the genus in this country,
arrive at some conclusion; but this will be deferred to page 303.
In Camden County, so far as the writer has knowledge, no vertebrate
remains have been found except in the Fish House beds, along Delaware
River, just above Camden; but the horse remains (p. 184) are of great
importance. These beds were originally supposed to be of Cretaceous age,
but in 1869 (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XIV, p. 250), Cope
expressed the conviction that they belonged to the Pliocene period. He
presented a geological section (fig. 7) of the beds which shows a thin
stratum of soil above, then from 8 to 15 feet of light-brown sand,
followed below by a blackish clay about 25 feet in thickness. Near the
bottom of the latter was found a layer containing shells of several
species of _Unio_ and _Anodonta_. Just above this bed of unios there was
discovered a large part of a skull of an extinct horse which Cope
referred to _Equus fraternus_. This was deposited in the collection of
the Academy at Philadelphia, but later disappeared.
[Illustration:
FIG. 7.—Geologic section of Fish House beds, Camden, New Jersey.
Redrawn from Cope.
]
In 1897 (Rep. State Geologist, New Jersey, for 1896, pp. 201–247, plates
X-XIV) Woolman published a paper on the stratigraphy of the Fish House
beds and described and illustrated other horse-teeth which he referred
to _Equus complicatus_. These teeth were found at a depth of 12 feet
below the top of the black clay; 6 feet of surface gravels had been
removed from the clay. The teeth are now in the collection of the
Academy, at Philadelphia. Woolman stated that in the same collection are
a patella and a fragment of a long bone of a horse found in the black
clay, in 1892.
Woolman regarded the clay in question as belonging to Pensauken times.
Salisbury and Knapp (op. cit., p. 104, fig. 49) state that there is here
20 feet of black clay overlying Pensauken sand and that the clay is
overlain by Pensauken gravel. If this judgment of the geological age of
the clay is correct, the horses probably lived during the first
interglacial (Aftonian) or the beginning of the second glacial stage
(Kansan). There are, however, those who insist that these Fish House
clays belong really to the Cape May formation. This would make the
geological age of the horse about that of the Wisconsin drift.
Besides the horse remains, only some bones of a wolf have been found in
the clays mentioned, and these too have disappeared. They probably would
have thrown little light on the age of the beds. We must reach
conclusions from other data.
This fact seems to be pretty certain: Had horses lived at Fish House
during the deposition of the Cape May they would (as did the mastodon,
_Elephas primigenius_, and _E. columbi_) quite certainly have spread out
over northern New Jersey and over the grassy plains of New York and
Ohio; and their remains would somewhere have been found, as are those of
the other species just mentioned, in old swamp and lake deposits
overlying the Wisconsin drift; but no horse remains have ever been
reported from such deposits. Furthermore, in all the digging that has
been done at Trenton, in deposits acknowledged by all to belong to
Wisconsin times, no trace has been found of horse remains.
Near the bottom of the Fish House clay bed, just below the level of the
horse remains, there is found a layer which contains river clams
represented by the genera _Unio_ and _Anodonta_. Ten species of _Unio_
have been recognized and two of _Anodonta_. When these were first
studied the beds were believed to belong to the Cretaceous.
Nevertheless, the close resemblance of the shells to still living
species was recognized; and to them were given names differing from
those of the related existing forms by the ending _oides_. The species
were described by Lea and Whitfield and have been restudied by Dr. H. A.
Pilsbry, of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. The species
are probably identical with forms yet living; but half of them no longer
exist in the region of Delaware River. Pilsbry (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Phila., 1896, pp. 567–570) stated that five of them have no longer any
representatives in the Atlantic drainage south of the St. Lawrence River
system. It is probable that these species had, when they lived at Fish
House, spread into other rivers south of the Delaware and thus were not
trapped in this river by the Wisconsin ice. It seems certain, therefore,
that a longer period of time and a longer series of vicissitudes must
have intervened to produce such changes in geographical distribution.
According to C. T. Simpson’s work, “Descriptive Catalogue of the
Naiades,” 1914, _Unio (Quadrula) subrotundus_ now inhabits the Ohio,
Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers; _U. (Lampsilis) anodontoides_ occupies
the Mississippi River and Gulf drainage regions; while _Anodonta
corpulenta_ is found in the Upper Missouri region. The Wisconsin
ice-sheet and the short period of time since its disappearance are
hardly sufficient to explain this wide dispersion of species, while
others have been able to retain their place in the Delaware.
Opposed to this view regarding the identity of the unios of the Fish
House beds, see Ortmann (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol LII, p. 280,
1913) and Baker (Univ. Ills. Bull., XVII, p. 205, 1920). These writers
contend that the species have no especial relationship to western forms.
According to Baker the deposits are older than the earliest glacial
stage. On the other hand, according to Dr. E. W. Berry (quoted by
Baker), who has studied the plants, the beds belong to the late
Pleistocene.
We have, then, these reasons for holding that the Fish House clays are
of early Pleistocene age: (1) Competent geologists have determined them
as belonging to the Pensauken formation, laid down at or before the time
of the Kansan stage; (2) the presence of remains of horses, evidences of
whose existence during or after the Wisconsin have not been produced;
(3) the presence of many species of naiades, some of which yet live in
that region, but the majority of which now live only in far-distant
regions.
We may confidently conclude that the horse remains which were found at
Swedesboro belonged likewise to the Pensauken.
In Burlington County mastodons have been found at Pemberton ( p. 64),
but one can not be certain of their geological age. A reindeer has been
unearthed at Vincentown (p. 64). It seems highly probable that it lived
there while the Wisconsin ice-sheet occupied the northern part of the
State; but there is a possibility that it is older. In the Academy of
Natural Sciences at Philadelphia are some remains of _Odocoileus_ found
at Vincentown (p. 227).
In the vicinity of Trenton, Mercer County, scant remains of six species
of Pleistocene mammals have been reported. These are _Mammut americanum_
(p. 64), _Elephas primigenius_ (p. 132), Bison bison (p. 287), _Ovibos
moschatus_ (p. 248), _Cervus canadensis_ (p. 237), and _Rangifer
caribou?_ (p. 248). All are known to have existed elsewhere during late
Pleistocene times, and three indicate a cold climate. The presence of
fossil vertebrates here is of special interest because many evidences
have been found of man’s occupation of the region in apparently late
Pleistocene times.
At and in the vicinity of Trenton are found both Pensauken and Cape May
deposits, the latter overlying the former (Salisbury and Knapp, op.
cit., pp. 120, 165). The Cape May rises about 60 feet above sea-level.
At various places the Pensauken protrudes through the mantle of Cape May
and rises to a height of as much as 130 feet above sea-level. Its base
is about 20 feet above sea-level. The materials consist of sand, gravel,
and cobblestones. So far as the writer knows, no fossils have been found
in the Pensauken about Trenton.
The Cape May at Trenton is held to have been laid down principally
during the presence of the Wisconsin ice-sheet in the northern part of
the State; and naturally it consists mostly of sands, gravels, coarse
and fine, and some boulders. In the localities where excavations have
been made for sand and gravel for building purposes, for sewers, and for
railroads, and in search for relics of man, two principal divisions are
recognized. Below are strata of clays, sands, gravels, and boulders
which are believed to have been deposited by the floods of varying
intensity which issued from the glacial moraine then about 60 miles
above Trenton (figs. 8, 9). Over this lies a bed of what is called
yellow drift, which reaches a thickness of about 3 feet. It consists
mostly of fine sand, but there are many pebbles and occasionally some
large boulders. It is everywhere characterized by wavy red bands. While
some geologists have held the opinion that this deposit had been
produced by winds, it appears to be definitely determined that it was
waterlain (Wissler, Scient. Monthly, vol. II, p. 237). This “yellow
drift” is overlain by about a foot of black soil which belongs to the
Recent epoch and is the result of cultivation by whites. For details
regarding the Trenton gravels and the yellow sands above it the reader
should consult Ernest Volk’s work, “Archæology of the Delaware Valley”
(Papers Peabody Mus., vol. V, 1911).
All the species mentioned above have been reported from the beds known
as the Trenton gravels. A femur of a bison was found also in the yellow
drift (see p. 287).
Monmouth County has furnished more fossil vertebrates of the Pleistocene
than any other county. Mastodons have been discovered at Englishtown,
Freehold, Marlboro, Long Branch, Manasquan, and in the Navesink Hills
(pp. 65, 66). Many specimens, as those about Freehold and Long Branch
and Manasquan, are in such superficial positions in peat that they do
not seem to be very old, probably of Cape May age; and yet of this one
can not be wholly certain. The discovery of a heel-bone of a megatherium
(p. 31) at Long Branch appears to indicate the presence there of early
Pleistocene deposits. At Englishtown the remains had apparently become
mixed with marl, and they may belong to an older stage of the
Pleistocene. In the Navesink Hills, according to Leidy, the mastodon
remains were associated with those of an extinct horse (p. 184). If so,
both species probably were buried in Pensauken deposits. In this same
region there was found long ago a tooth of _Elephas columbi_ (p. 149);
but it is useless to speculate on its geological age. At Long Branch (p.
26), damaged skulls of walruses, probably of the existing species, have
been met with. It seems natural to associate this southward migration,
which extends to South Carolina, with the Wisconsin epoch; but it is
possible that it was earlier. At Deal (p. 227) have been found remains
of a deer, probably _Odocoileus virginianus_.
[Illustration:
FIG. 8.—Sketch of vicinity of Trenton, showing distribution of Trenton
gravels. Redrawn from Salisbury and Knapp.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 9.—Sections taken at Trenton, New Jersey.
Upper figure taken along the line 3 of Fig. 8.
Lower figure taken along the line 2 of Fig. 8.
The black represents the glacial gravel. A, the crystalline rock of
the region; T, Trias; K, Cretaceous; Pp, Pensauken; O, sea-level.
]
Somewhere about Shark River, a tooth of a peccary (p. 213) was found, as
was supposed, in Miocene marl. Leidy could not distinguish this tooth
from that of _Mylohyus nasutus_. So far as our evidence goes, this
species belongs to the early and middle Pleistocene.
Near North Plainfield a tooth was found which is referred to _Elephas
primigenius_ (p. 133). The locality is very close to the moraine of the
Wisconsin ice-sheet, and the animal probably lived there when the
Plainfield outwash plain (Salisbury, Geol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. V,
1902, p. 738) was being laid down.
Near Schooley’s Mountain, but west of Musconetcong River and in Warren
County, remains of a mastodon (p. 67) were encountered in excavating the
Morris Canal. It is probable that these were buried in a swamp left over
from the Wisconsin times; but Lewis and Kümmel’s map of 1910–1912
indicate in this region only drift older than the Wisconsin.
The mastodons found at Hackettstown and Hope, in Warren County, are
probably of Late Wisconsin origin (pp. 67, 68).
Near Mount Hermon, about 5 miles northeast from Delaware, in Warren
County, and about 2 miles northwest of Hope, was found the splendid
skeleton of the moose _Cervalces scotti_, which forms one of the
treasures of Princeton University (Scott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1885, p. 174). It was discovered in a bog. All this region is
(Salisbury, Geol. Surv. New Jersey, vol. VIII, plate XXVIII) occupied by
Wisconsin drift and the bog doubtless rested on this drift. It seems
certain, therefore, that this stately relative of our existing moose
lived after the disappearance of the Wisconsin ice-sheet.
A mastodon (p. 68) which was found at Greendell in Sussex County quite
certainly lived there after the last glacial stage.
Berry (Torreya, vol. X, p. 261) has studied a collection of nine species
of plants which had been obtained in peat from near Long Branch. Only
three of these now range north of Long Branch. He concluded that the
last glacial stage had been followed by a period of climate warmer than
the present climate. This is in accord with views which the present
writer has held. It ought not, however, to be assumed with too much
confidence that the peat-bed is of Late Wisconsin origin.
PENNSYLVANIA.
About half of the area of Pennsylvania lies outside of the region which
was glaciated. Figure 10 is a map taken from Folio 172 of the U. S.
Geological Survey, published in 1910 and compiled by Dr. W. C. Alden in
1901. A broad strip along the southern part of the State, being
non-glaciated, is not represented. The areas shaded by parallel ruling
and stippling are those which present evidences of glacial action.
The glaciated area consists of two principal portions. One of these,
that subjected to the action of the Wisconsin ice-sheet, is represented
on the map by means of oblique parallel lines coming down to an
interrupted heavy line. This line, representing the Wisconsin terminal
moraine, starts on Delaware River north of Easton, runs northwestward to
Potter County, thence into New York, thence back into Pennsylvania, in
Warren County, and then enters Ohio north of the Ohio River. The course
of this moraine was worked out especially by H. C. Lewis and G. F.
Wright and was described in report L of the Pennsylvania Geological
Survey, in 1881. The moraine crosses the Delaware at Belvidere, New
Jersey, and passes through the following counties: Northampton, Monroe,
Carbon, Luzerne, Columbia, Sullivan, Lycoming, Tioga, Potter, Warren,
Crawford, Venango, Butler, Lawrence, and Beaver.
South of this moraine are two areas which, on this map, are represented
by stippling. These are occupied by drift materials, usually forming a
considerably thinner covering, which are believed by most glaciologists
to belong to an older Pleistocene stage, probably about as old as the
Kansan. Especially in the valleys these older drift deposits may reach
thicknesses of 200 or 300 feet. These old glacial deposits are
represented also by terraces along the margins of the valleys. Some of
these in the vicinity of Warren stand at a height of about 1,400 feet
above the sea. Figure 17 is taken from Shaw and Munn (Folio 178, U. S.
Geol. Surv., p. 12). The uppermost gravels are supposed to represent the
Kansan stage. A few small patches lying in the angle of the unglaciated
area are of doubtful age, as indicated on the map. It must be stated,
however, that there is some dissent from this conclusion as to the age
of this outer drift. Professor E. H. Williams has published a number of
papers in which he takes the position that this drift is a deposit laid
down by the same ice-sheet that later on built up the Wisconsin moraine
(Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLVII, 1894, pp. 32–36; Science (n. s.), vol.
XXXVII, pp. 447–450; Pennsylvanian Glaciation, first phase, 1917, pp.
1–101). Professor G. F. Wright appears to take the same view. The writer
sees no sufficient reason for distrusting the opinions of Dr. Alden and
his colleagues.
It must not be assumed that an animal whose remains have been found
within the area occupied by the Wisconsin drift lived during or after
that stage. Even within this area there may occur fossil-bearing
deposits of an older Pleistocene time. These older deposits may underlie
the Wisconsin drift or they may occur as old terraces high up on the
sides of the valleys of rivers. Cases of the latter kind are found along
Allegheny River (Leverett. Monogr. XLI, U. S. Geol. Surv., pp. 229–252;
Shaw Jour. Geol., vol. XIX, 1911, pp. 140–156; folio 178, U. S. Geol.
Surv., p. 8). On the other hand, an animal of very late Pleistocene age,
or even of the Recent, may be buried in deposits which overlie an old
Pleistocene deposit. It is necessary, if it can be done, to determine
the actual age of the deposit containing the remains; otherwise one must
depend on the geological age of the species involved, or be content to
wait for further information. Unfortunately, but few of the quadrangles
in the glaciated area have had their geological structure studied and
reported on. At present the U. S. Geological Survey has published only
Folios 92 (Gaines) and 93 (Elkland and Tioga), lying mostly in Tioga
County, partly in Potter; also Folio 172 (Warren), occupying a part of
Warren County. Information may sometimes be secured from the numerous
volumes which have been published by the Geological Survey of
Pennsylvania and from articles in the scientific journals.
[Illustration:
FIG. 10.—Glaciated areas of northern Pennsylvania. From W. C. Alden.
]
The Pleistocene deposits which lie outside of the glaciated areas have
been mostly laid down along rivers. Some of the materials were
transported by the streams which carried away the drainage from the
glaciers; in other cases the materials were brought down from the higher
lands and laid down along the lower and less sloping parts of the
streams. In the unglaciated area many of the quadrangles have been
surveyed by the U. S. Geological Survey and the folios aid in
determining the age of deposits which contain fossil vertebrates.
Important collections have been made in a few localities, and these will
now be considered:
At Pittston, in Luzerne County, on Susquehanna River, have been found
teeth of the horse _Equus complicatus_ (p. 184), remains of mastodon (p.
68), and of a musk-ox (p. 248). The presence of the horse makes it
evident that the deposit containing the fossils belongs to a stage older
than the Wisconsin, although the locality is within the area of the
Wisconsin.
We consider now the contents of a cave found near Stroudsburg, Monroe
County. The Hartman (or Crystal Hill) Cave was discovered in 1880 and
explored first by Mr. T. Dunkin Paret, of Stroudsburg. It was soon
afterward examined by Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia, and Dr. Thomas
C. Porter, of Easton. Leidy published the first description of it in
1880 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., pp. 346–348) and presented a list of
the species of animals which had been secured by Mr. Paret. In 1889
(Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, for 1887, pp. 1–18, plates I, II),
a more detailed report was made by Leidy, including descriptions and
illustrations of some of the vertebrates and of certain artifacts which
had been discovered.
In 1894, Dr. H. C. Mercer made a re-exploration of the cave and gave a
more extended description of it (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., pp.
96–104).
Combining the statements of Leidy and Mercer with data obtained from the
Delaware Water Gap topographical sheet issued by the U. S. Geological
Survey, one finds that the cave is situated on Crystal Hill, about 3.5
miles in a straight line southwest of Stroudsburg and close to the
village of Stormville. Crystal Hill is a part of an anticlinal fold,
Godfrey Ridge, of the Helderberg limestone. South of the fold runs
Cherry Creek; north of it, Mt. Michaels Creek. On the northeast the hill
is cut off from the rest of the ridge by a valley about 300 feet deep.
Mercer’s account states that the cave is on the top of the hill, about
0.25 mile from Cherry Creek, but the topographical map locates the top
of the hill about 0.75 mile away from this stream. Mercer also wrote
that the cave was 800 feet above Delaware River, 5 miles away. However,
the hill has an elevation of somewhat less than 840 feet above
sea-level, while the river at the nearest point is somewhat more than
280 feet above sea-level. Inasmuch as the cave is probably somewhere on
the southern slope of the hill, it is about 500 feet above the Delaware
and about 300 feet above the bed of Cherry Creek.
The opening of the cave in the rock was wide (Mercer, p. 96, fig. 1),
but had become almost wholly choked by débris. Nevertheless, a hole
large enough for adventurous boys to enter remained (Leidy, op. cit.,
1880, p. 346). After a few feet descent the cave extended nearly
horizontally more than 100 feet. It had become filled nearly to the roof
by various deposits. Excavations showed that on top was a layer, about a
foot, of “black friable earth mingled with animal and vegetal remains”
(Leidy). Mercer describes it as a “top layer of limestone roof-splinters
and down-slidden outer talus thinning inward into less stony cave
earth.” Beneath this layer was a thin stratum of stalagmite. Further
digging showed that below this stalagmite flooring the cave was filled
to a thickness of as much as 14 feet in one place. This deposit is
described by Mercer as being a continuous homogeneous bed of exquisitely
fine clay deposited in thin laminæ rarely sprinkled with sand pockets
and underlain with a thin film of sand. Neither in this deposit nor in
the stalagmite was there found a trace of any formerly living thing. All
the remains of animals and all the artifacts were discovered in the
uppermost layer.
It should be noted at this point that this cave is situated about 5 or 6
miles north of the Wisconsin moraine.
The following is a list of the species of vertebrates identified by
Leidy. When his names differ from those now in use they are inclosed in
parenthesis.
_List of species of vertebrates._
Chelydra serpentina.
Terrapene carolina (Cistudo clausa).
Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris (M. gallopavo).
Equus sp. indet. (p. 185).
Mylohyus pennsylvanicus (Dicotyles) (p. 213).
Rangifer caribou (p. 246).
Odocoileus virginianus (Cervus) (p. 237).
Cervus canadensis (p. 237).
Bison bison? (B. americanus) (p. 267).
Marmota monax (Arctomys).
Tamias striatus.
Sciurus carolinensis.
Castor canadensis (C. fiber).
Peromyscus leucopus (Hesperomys).
Neotoma magister (N. floridana).
Microtus pennsylvanicus (Arvicola riparius).
Erethizon dorsatum.
Castoroides ohioensis (p. 272).
Sylvilagus floridanus (Lepus sylvaticus)
Myotis subulatus (Vespertilio).
Eptesicus fuscus (Vespertilio).
Scalopus aquaticus (Scalops).
Procyon lotor.
Mustela noveboracensis (Putorius ermineus).
Mephitis putida (M. mephitica).
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Canis virginianus).
Canis lycaon? (C. lupus).
Lynx canadensis (Felis).
Besides these vertebrates, there were reported by Leidy the land snails
_Helix albolabris_, _H. alternata_, and _H. tridentata_; also a pair of
valves of the river mussel _Margaratina margaritifera_ and a fragment of
another valve. Leidy regarded these as showing that this mussel formerly
lived in Delaware River; whereas in his view it no longer existed there;
but specimens of it from Philadelphia are in the U. S. National Museum.
An examination of the list shows that nearly all of the species of
vertebrates are yet in existence and most of these still living in that
general region. _Rangifer caribou_ lives now far to the north and _Lynx
canadensis_ has its range somewhat further north. The two indicate a
colder climate, especially the reindeer. Both got into the cave probably
after the glacial front had withdrawn from that vicinity. The remains of
_Castoroides_ may have been carried in there at about the same time. The
type specimen of _Mylohyus pennsylvanicus_ was found in this cave. Cope
referred specimens of a peccary found in Port Kennedy Cave to the same
species with doubt. Undetermined species of the genus were recognized by
Barnum Brown in his collection made in the Conard fissure in
northwestern Arkansas. Dr. W. J. Holland reported _Mylohyus
pennsylvanicus_ from the cave at Frankstown, Pennsylvania. The type of
the genus, _M. nasutus_, was found in Indiana. Beyond the testimony
furnished by the Crystal Hill Cave, we have no evidence that the genus
_Mylohyus_ existed after the Wisconsin stage; the possibility exists
that this species got into the cave before this stage.
The specimen of _Equus_ is still more doubtful. It consisted of two
isolated first and second milk molars of a very young colt. Leidy was in
doubt whether the colt belonged to the domestic horse or to an
indigenous species. The specimen had been collected with no record as to
the part of the cave or of the depth in the upper layer of soil where it
was buried. A fragment of a jaw of a colt might easily have been carried
into the cave by some carnivorous animal since the coming of the whites.
A fragment of the lower jaw of a bison also was found which had in it
the last molar; and this was referred by Leidy to the existing buffalo.
It can hardly be doubted that this cave was hollowed out before the
Wisconsin ice period. It may have been formed during the early
Pleistocene. The fact that it was filled to a depth of 14 feet, in some
places, with a fine laminated clay devoid of all traces of organic
beings seems to indicate that for ages it had been shut off from the
outer world, and that streams charged with fine sediment were permitted
to pass through it. During possibly some glacial stage preceding the
Wisconsin, erosion may have opened the cave so that the horse remains,
those of a bison, and of _Castoroides_ were dragged into it. The
evidence for these suppositions is slender, but so too is that for a
late Wisconsin indigenous species of horse in Pennsylvania. It is
probable that most of the species found in the cave belong to the late
Pleistocene or even to the Recent.
Fossil vertebrates found in a cave in Bucks County require our
attention.
In 1880 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1880, p. 349), Leidy presented a
list of vertebrate remains which had been lying unstudied for 40 years
in the collection of the Academy. These had been found in Durham Cave,
somewhere near Riegelsville, in Bucks County. It is not improbable that
the cave took its name from the village of Durham, about 2 miles
southwest of Riegelsville. Leidy stated that the cave appeared to have
been obliterated in the quarrying of limestone. In 1889 (Ann. Rep. Geol.
Surv. Pennsylvania, for 1887, pp. 18–19) Leidy published a list of the
species which he had identified.
_List of fossil vertebrates from Durham Cave._
Acipenser sturio.
Ameiurus nebulosus (Amiurus atrarius).
Thamnophis sirtalis (Eutænia).
Chelydra serpentina.
Terrapene carolina (Cistudo clausa).
Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris (M. gallopavo).
Rangifer caribou (p. 246).
Cervus canadensis (p. 237).
Alces americanus (Alce).
Odocoileus virginianus (Cervus) (p. 227).
Erethizon dorsatum.
Marmota monax (Arctomys).
Sciurus carolinensis.
Castor canadensis (C. fiber).
Neotoma pennsylvanica (N. floridana).
Ondatra zibethica (Fiber).
Sylvilagus floridanus (Lepus sylvaticus).
Ursus americanus.
Procyon lotor.
Mephitis putida (M. mephitica).
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Vulpes virginianus).
This list differs in its species from Leidy’s list of 1880 only in the
exclusion of the bison and the inclusion of the elk, _Cervus
canadensis_. All the species are still in existence, most of them in
that region. The presence of the reindeer, the moose, and the porcupine
suggests a cooler climate than now prevails there. These animals may all
have become buried in that cave during the latest times of the Wisconsin
stage or even during the Recent.
We are now to study a case which furnishes us with a store of knowledge
regarding the life of the Pleistocene. In 1871 there was found at Port
Kennedy, Montgomery County, a cave which was worked for its fossils by
Charles Wheatley and later by Dixon, Mercer, and Cope, the latter having
devoted himself to the description of the vertebrates. First of all will
be given a list of the species of vertebrates, mostly mammals which have
been recognized in the materials found in the cave. When Cope’s names
differ from those employed here they are put in parenthesis.
_List of species of vertebrates found in Port Kennedy Cave._
Ranidæ:
Rana sp. indet.
Emydidæ:
Clemmys insculpta.
C. percrassa.
Terrapene eurypygia (Toxaspis anguillulatus).
Colubridæ:
Coluber acuminatus (Zamenis).
Meleagridæ:
Meleagris superbus (M. altus).
Megatheriidæ:
Megalonyx (p. 31).
M. scalper (p. 31).
M. tortulus (p. 31).
M. wheatleyi (p. 31).
Mylodon harlani? (p. 31).
Equidæ:
Equus complicatus (E. fraternus) (p. 185).
E. pectinatus (E. f. pectinatus) (p. 185).
Tapiridæ:
Tapirus haysii (p. 203).
Tagassuidæ:
Mylohyus nasutus (p. 213).
M. pennsylvanicus? (p. 213).
Tagassu tetragonus (Mylohyus) (p. 213).
Camelidæ?:
Teleopternus orientalis (p. 224).
Cervidæ:
Odocoileus lævicornis.
O. virginianus?
Bovidæ:
Bison sp. indet. (Bos) (p. 256).
Elephantidæ:
Mammut americanum (Mastodon) (p. 69).
Sciuridæ:
Sciurus calycinus.
Castoridæ:
Castor canadensis (C. fiber).
Cricetidæ:
Peromyscus leucopus? (Hesperomys).
Anaptogonia hiatidens.
Sycium cloacinum.
Microtus dideltus.
M. diluvianus.
M. involutus.
M. speothen.
Zapodidæ:
Zapus hudsonius?
Erethizontidæ:
Erethizon dorsatum?
Ochotonidæ:
Ochotona palatina (Lagomys).
Leporidæ:
Sylvilagus floridanus (Lepus sylvaticus).
Talpidæ:
Scalopus sp. indet. (Scalops).
Soricidæ:
Blarina simplicidens.
Vespertilionidæ:
Myotis? sp. indet. (Vespertilio).
Ursidæ:
Ursus americanus.
Arctotherium haplodon.
Mustelidæ:
Taxidea taxus (T. americana).
Mephitis fossidens.
M. leptops.
M. obtusata.
M. orthostica.
M. putida.
Osmotherium spelæum.
Pelycictis lobulatus.
Mustela diluviana.
Gulo luscus.
Lutra rhoadsii.
Canidæ:
Canis priscolatrans.
C. dirus? (C. indianensis).
Urocyon cinereoargenteus.
U. latidentatus.
Felidæ:
Machairodus gracilis.
Smilodontopsis mercerii (Smilodon).
Felis eyra.
F. inexpectata (Uncia).
Lynx calcaratus.
Into this list there are admitted 60 species, of which 54 are mammals.
Of these, 41 are extinct, not counting the doubtful species unless there
is good reason for it. There are, therefore, 68 per cent of the species
extinct.
No remains of _Rana_ were mentioned by Cope in his list of 1899. One
species unnamed was recorded by Wheatley in his lists of 1871 and by
Mercer in his paper of 1899. The turkey (_Meleagris superbus_) was not
included by Cope in 1899, but it was included by Wheatley and Mercer and
Cope in their papers of 1871 and in that of Cope in 1896 (p. 378).
Mercer (1899, p. 280) mentions a leg-bone of a turkey, with spur, found
by Wheatley. Remains of _Megalonyx_ were abundant, but of _M. loxodon_
only a single tooth was met with. _Mylodon_, believed to be _M.
harlani_, was found only by Wheatley and was represented, as stated by
Cope, by only a claw phalanx. The horse remains were originally (Cope,
1895, p. 447) referred to _Equus major_ (=_E. complicatus_). Mercer, in
1899, in his figure 9, following Cope’s nomenclature, uses the name _E.
complicatus_. In 1899, Cope concluded that the equine remains
represented two races of _Equus fraternus_, _E. f. fraternus_ and _E. f.
pectinatus_. The present writer believes that the teeth referred to the
subspecies _fraternus_ are too large to belong to the species which was
called _E. fraternus_, but which is now called _E. leidyi_. Only a
single species of tapir, _Tapirus haysii_, was recognized. Cope (1895,
p. 447) stated that it was the most abundant of the larger mammals. Cope
(1899, p. 257) reported that 18 individual peccaries were represented by
teeth, while bones were numerous. He recognized the presence of three
species. The identifications of _Mylohyus nasutus_ and _M.
pennsylvanicus_ were uncertain. A new species, _M. tetragonus_, was
based on a ramus of a lower jaw. Milk molars were yet present and the
third molar had not appeared. Cope spoke of the long diastema; but, to
judge from his figure, the diastema equals only about the length of the
milk molars and the first molar.
Cope, in 1899, described _Teleopternus orientalis_, basing it on a few
teeth which belonged to three individuals. He was doubtful about the
family position of the animal, but put it provisionally in the Camelidæ.
In many respects the teeth resembled those of the Cervidæ. Matthew
(Osborn, Age of Mammals, p. 469) has suggested its affinity to _Ovibos_.
Two species of deer were found in the cave, of which one was not
distinguishable from _Odocoileus virginianus_. In Wheatley’s second list
of 1871 and that of Cope of the same year there was recorded an
undetermined species of _Bos_ (_Bison_). Mercer (1899, p. 280) recorded
from the Wheatley collection remains of three individuals of one species
of the same genus. In Cope’s paper on the remains of this cave nothing
is said about the genus; but in 1872 (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., XII, p.
96) he stated that _Bos_ was represented by a part of a femur and some
other bones. Hence in the list given above an undetermined species of
_Bison_ is included.
Abundant remains of the mastodon occurred in the cave, but none of any
of the elephants. One need not, however, on that account conclude that
elephants were not living in that region at that time.
It will be observed that a considerable number of rodents is included in
the list. One species of porcupine is recognized. This was at first
regarded by Cope as an extinct form and called _Erethizon cloacinum_;
but in 1899 he referred all the remains, with some doubt, to the
existing species, _E. dorsatum_. Cope found remains of about 50
individuals of a species of rabbit which he determined as _Lepus
sylvaticus_, but this is now called _Sylvilagus floridanus_. In the
Wheatley collection a species of bat was recognized and put in
_Vespertilio_. Probably it belonged to _Myotis_.
Bears were abundantly present in the cave. One species, _Arctotherium
haplodon_, was larger than the grizzly bear and represented by parts of
about 25 individuals. A smaller bear, indicated by 8 individuals,
appeared to be in no way different from the existing black bear, _Ursus
americanus_. Of skunks there are listed 7 species, belonging to 3
genera, all the species being extinct except a supposed _Mephitis
putida_. Besides these mustelids, there have been identified remains of
the existing badger, the existing glutton, an extinct weasel, _Mustela
diluviana_, and an extinct otter, _Lutra rhoadsii_. Remains of true dogs
were not abundant in the collection. Cope recognized, however, 2 species
of the genus _Canis_, one of about the size of the more common form of
the existing wolf; the other exceeding in size the largest wolf known to
him. This he thought might belong to Leidy’s _Canis indianensis_ (=_C.
dirus_ Leidy). There were present 2 foxes, the existing gray fox
(_Urocyon cinereoargenteus_) and an extinct species, _U. latidentatus_.
Of the cat family a species, thought at first to be a hyæna (_Crocuta_),
received the name _Felis inexpectata_. It had the size of the jaguar,
and was represented by teeth and various bones. An extinct lynx, much
like _Lynx ruffus_, was present. Another cat was identified as _Felis
eyra_. Of this species G. S. Miller (Bull. 79, U. S. Nat. Mus., p. 116)
remarks that its type locality is Paraguay and that it is supposed to
range north to Central America. It appears somewhat doubtful, therefore,
that the fossil remains belong to this species. Nevertheless, the
progenitors of the species, in their wandering from Asia or Alaska to
Central America and Paraguay, might have sent a colony into
Pennsylvania, later to become extinct. Cope stated (1899, p. 250) that
there was an isolated calcaneum in the collection which was of the
proper size for _Felis eyra_, but which differed from that of this
species. Two species of saber-tooth cats were found, _Smilodontopsis
gracilis_ and _S. mercerii_. The former is represented by various bones
and teeth, especially by a damaged skull which presents the dentition.
The crown of the great canine is 113 mm. long.
Besides the species included in the list given above, there are a few
whose presence for one reason or another is doubtful. In both of his
lists of 1871 Wheatley reported the presence of _Crotalus_, _Coluber_,
and _Tropidonotus (Natrix)_. Cope (1871, p. 98) said that the reptiles
included three or four serpents, but in 1895 (p. 447) he wrote that two
species of _Ophidia_ were recognized. In his final paper he mentioned
only his _Zamenis acuminatus_, here referred to _Coluber_. Wheatley
(1871, p. 255) recorded an unidentified snipe as belonging to
_Scolopax_. Cope (1871, p. 98) wrote that a snipe was one of two species
of birds present. Mercer (1889, p. 280) recognized the same remains as
belonging to a species of _Gallinago_. Wheatley in his last list (1871,
p. 384) and Cope (1871, p. 98) reported _Scalopus (Scalopus)_ as being
represented by an undetermined species. It is catalogued by Mercer in
the same way. Cope (1895, p. 447) stated that the raccoon was very rare;
but it was not mentioned in any of his later papers. On the same page he
wrote that there were fragments of teeth closely similar to those of
_Bassariscus astutus_; but the species was not mentioned afterward.
As already said, there are admitted into the list given above, as
identified in a reasonably good manner, 60 species, of which 54 belong
to the Mammalia. It is a matter of interest to compare these with the
species of mammals which were living in that general region before the
fauna was disturbed by the arrival of the whites. The number of species
of the existing mammals, as shown in the second column, is obtained from
Rhoads’s “Mammals of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.” The subspecies are
not included.
_Families of land mammals represented in Port Kennedy Cave and those
that have lived in that region within Recent times, together with the
number of known species in each family at each of the two epochs._
┌──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┐
│ Families. │ No. of species, Port │ │
│ │ Kennedy. │No. of recent species.│
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┤
│Megatheriidæ │ 5│ │
│Didelphidæ │ │ 1│
│Equidæ │ 2│ │
│Tapiridæ │ 1│ │
│Tagassuidæ │ 3│ │
│Camelidæ? │ 1│ │
│Cervidæ │ 2│ 2│
│Bovidæ │ 1│ 1│
│Elephantidæ │ 1│ │
│Sciuridæ │ 1│ 6│
│Castoridæ │ 1│ 1│
│Cricetidæ │ 7│ 9│
│Zapodidæ │ 1│ 2│
│Erethizontidæ │ 1│ 1│
│Ochotonidæ │ 1│ │
│Leporidæ │ 1│ 2│
│Soricidæ │ 1│ 5│
│Talpidæ │ 1│ 3│
│Vespertilionidæ │ 1│ 8│
│Procyonidæ │ ?│ 1│
│Ursidæ │ 2│ 1│
│Mustelidæ │ 11│ 9│
│Canidæ │ 4│ 3│
│Felidæ │ 5│ 3│
└──────────────────────┴──────────────────────┴──────────────────────┘
In the column of fossils there are 54 species; in that of the Recent
there are 58 species. Of two families represented at present in the
region, but not included in the Pleistocene column, Didelphidæ and
Procyonidæ, the latter named has had remains referred to it with doubt.
Without doubt members of both families existed there at that time.
Of the families of the Pleistocene column two no longer live anywhere
near the region; four nowhere on the continent; one nowhere on the
earth. Even of such families as the Ursidæ and the Felidæ important
elements, as _Arctotherium_ and the saber-tooths, are extinct. Of the 54
species admitted in the Pleistocene column 40 are extinct; that is, 74
per cent.
If we consider the sizes of the animals in question we gain this result:
Only 15 of the existing species are of any considerable size, ranging
from that of a raccoon to that of a bison, about 26 per cent. Of the 54
fossil species of mammals, about 30 vary in size as indicated, about 57
per cent. It is hardly to be doubted that this preponderance is due to
the poorer chances which the smaller skeletons had of preservation and
of rescue from the matrix. Had the smaller fossil species been preserved
and collected in the same proportion that the smaller existing ones have
to the larger, the cave ought to have furnished twice as many species of
mammals as it did. It is, of course, possible that the larger species
are more liable than the smaller ones to become extinct as time passes
on. We can hardly doubt, in any case, that when the Port Kennedy animals
were being buried in that cave there lived in that region a considerably
larger number of species than within Recent times. There must have
existed in that region more moles, more rabbits, more cricetids, more
squirrels, and many more bats. Certainly there is no adequate record of
the number of birds, snakes, turtles, and amphibians that must have
existed about Port Kennedy and have perished in that cave.
From the collection that has been made in the cave at Port Kennedy some
definite conclusions ought to be reached regarding their time of
existence. In his account of the cave and of the exhumation of the
animal and vegetable remains, Mercer (1899, pp. 269–286) has shown what
extreme care was taken in recording the position which each specimen
occupied in the deposits. In his figure 9 he has noted the levels which
the various species occupied. While the existence of four beds of
materials makes it evident that the deposition went on for some time, it
is noted that few or no differences exist in the character of the
species included. Possibly Mercer’s subdivision 1 is to be excepted in
this statement. Certainly no great changes went on in the fauna while
the cave was being filled; no such changes as occurred in the glaciated
region from the Aftonian interglacial stage up to the Late Wisconsin. It
appears more probable that the deposits in the cave and the animals
entombed there appertain to about a single Pleistocene stage. Is, then,
the stage the Late Wisconsin?
This cave is situated only about 55 miles south of the Wisconsin
moraine. At the time the species found in the cave existed they must
each have occupied a wide extent of territory. It is not to be doubted
that the range of nearly every species extended northward far beyond the
moraine mentioned. Why, then, in deposits overlying the Wisconsin drift
have there never been found any remains of the four Port Kennedy species
of _Megalonyx_, of _Mylodon_, of the two species of horses, of the
tapir, of the three species of peccaries, of the deer _Odocoileus
lævicornis_, of the five extinct species of cricetids, of _Ochotona_, of
the extinct species of _Blarina_, of the great bear _Arctotherium_, of
the six extinct species of skunks, of the extinct otter, of the extinct
dog, of the extinct fox, of any species of saber-tooth tiger, or of the
extinct cats _Felis inexpectata_ and _Lynx calcaratus_? The absence of
so many species of animals, most of them of large size, from deposits so
well adapted to preserve bones and teeth, render it very certain that
the animals no longer existed there.
Did the extinct species which are referred to above exist in eastern
Pennsylvania at some time during the Wisconsin glacial stage and perish
before the close?
A few of the species found in the cave and still existing are at present
inhabitants of regions somewhat more northerly than Port Kennedy. Such
are _Erethizon dorsatum_ and _Gulo luscus_; but the great majority,
living and extinct, indicate a climate at least as warm as that of the
present; many of them suggesting a still milder condition. Within
historical times both of the species just named have inhabited the
Alleghany Mountains at least as far south as Port Kennedy. Cope, in 1871
(Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XII, p. 99), concluded that he had then
identified in the cave remains of 11 neotropical species. It appears,
therefore, wholly improbable that this assemblage of animals lived in
that region, so close to the foot of the glacier, during the Wisconsin
stage. These animals must have had their time of existence previous to
this inhospitable epoch. It seems to the writer that the proportion of
extinct species, three-fourths, and the history of many of the genera
and species, indicate a time about equivalent to the Aftonian.
Professor A. Heilprin (Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1895, p. 451)
expressed himself as being inclined to refer this cave fauna to the
Pliocene. An examination of this opinion would show that it is no more
tenable than the opinion that the fauna is of the Wisconsin stage. It
will not be discussed here beyond saying that deposits containing a
similar fauna are found along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey to the
Gulf, and that at one place at least, Vero, Florida, these are underlain
by abundant Pleistocene sea-shells.
Besides the vertebrates which have been listed, a number of beetles were
found and about 10 specifically determined plants. Wheatley (1871, p.
385) presents a list of the beetles as determined by Dr. G. H. Horn, but
the names were not accompanied by descriptions. When later (Trans. Amer.
Entom. Soc., vol. V, 1876, pp. 241–245) Horn came to describe them he
reduced the number of species and, in some cases, gave them other names.
The following is a list as given in Horn’s paper just cited: _Cychrus
wheatleyi_, _C. (minor)_, _Pterostichus_ (spp. indet.) _Cymindis
aurora_, _Chlænius punctulatus_, _Dicælus alutaceus_, _Choeridium?
ebeninum_, _Phanæus antiquus_, _Aphodeus precursor_. All of these, as
the writer is informed by Dr. E. A. Schwarz, of the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, are regarded as extinct, but as closely allied to species
now living in that general region. The plants, as reported by Mercer,
are _Quercus palustris_, _Q. alba_, _Q. macrocarpa_, _Fagus ferruginea_,
_Corylus americana_, _Pinus rigida_, _Carya porcina_, _C. alba_,
_Ampelopsis quinquefolia_, _Cratægus crus-galli?_, and all still
flourish in eastern Pennsylvania.
[Illustration:
FIG. 11.—Section of Port Kennedy bone cave at time of first
exploration, 1871. Redrawn from Mercer.
M, M, Triassic shale; AL, Triassic shale; B, black clay, with leaves,
etc.
]
Mercer (1899, p. 269) has given a description of the cave found in
quarrying operations. It was located on the right bank of the Schuylkill
River, at the village of Port Kennedy and about 2 miles below Valley
Forge. Wheatley (1871, p. 236) gave a map which showed the position of
the quarries. A comparison of this with the topographical map of Folio
162 of the U. S. Geological Survey shows that they were situated about
800 feet away from the river and facing the valley of an unnamed
streamlet. None of the descriptions give the elevation of the cave above
the river or above the sea. The river at that place is apparently about
70 feet above sea-level. The 100–foot contour-line runs along near the
location of the quarries, but these may have extended back to a higher
level. Putting all of the statements together, it appears probable that
the mouth of the cave was, in Wheatley’s time, about 50 feet above the
level of the river. Originally the surface elevation may have been still
greater, but may have been reduced by erosion of the hill. The surface
rock here is red shale of the Stockton formation, belonging to the
Triassic, and is underlain by the Shenandoah limestone, a member of the
Cambro-Ordovician series. This limestone was being quarried in 1871,
when a cave was broken into, filled with incoherent materials and
exposing fossil bones in abundance. It was visited by Charles Wheatley,
who proceeded to make excavations and collect the fossils. In studying
the fossils he worked with Professor E. D. Cope and Dr. G. H. Horn. The
results were published in Wheatley’s two papers of 1871 and in two
papers by Cope in the same year (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XII, pp.
15, 73–102). According to Wheatley’s description and his figures, the
part of the cave seen was about 20 feet wide at the top, expanded below
to about 30 feet, and then narrowed at the bottom, as then recognized,
to about 10 feet. The depth was given as 40 feet, but Mercer thinks that
this was improbable and that Wheatley’s measurements were to some extent
guesses. Mercer (1899, p. 271) stated that this cave might be compared
to a bottle of unknown size. It had opened to the surface; and on his
page 283 Mercer spoke of it as forming a well-like hole that might have
been as much as 70 feet deep. Evidently Mercer here included that part
of it which he himself excavated. The materials filling it were,
according to Cope (1871, p. 73), the débris of the neighboring Triassic
strata. Figure 11 is taken from Mercer’s paper and is a reproduction of
a sketch made by Wheatley in 1871. After Wheatley had made his
collection the cave was covered over by débris from the quarry and
forgotten.
[Illustration:
FIG. 12.—Section of Port Kennedy bone cave at time of last
exploration, 1894. Redrawn from Mercer.
]
In the course of further quarrying operations the same cave was broken
into again in 1893. Excavations in the materials that filled the cave
were made in 1894 by Dr. Samuel Dixon, H. C. Mercer, and others,
resulting in the securing of the collection which formed the subject of
Cope’s paper of 1894 and his final report of 1899. At this time,
according to Mercer, the quarrying operations carried on from 1855 had
transformed a gently sloping hillside into an amphitheater several acres
in extent, walled with perpendicular escarpments of rock, sometimes a
hundred feet high. At this time the floor of the quarry had been lowered
and the cave was broken into at a level below that reached by Wheatley.
Figure 12, reproduced from Mercer’s figure 5, shows the relation of the
later excavations to those of 1871. As already stated, Mercer concluded
that Wheatley’s dimensions were probably results of guesses, inasmuch as
the top of Mercer’s exposure was not more than 30 or 33 feet below the
original level of the hilltop. According to Mercer’s figure 5, his own
excavation probably extended down about 16 feet below the level reached
by Wheatley; but other statements appear to make this somewhat greater.
Mercer wrote that the materials filling the cave had been stratified by
the action of water. He recognized four subdivisions, most of which
stood higher around the walls than at the center of the cave. Of these
subdivisions, the first and uppermost was supposed to mark the lowest
level attained by Wheatley. It consisted of fine clay and loam of black
color, intermingled with fine and coarse muck, in which were found some
remains of small mammals, just what species was not stated. On his
chart, his figure 9, a tapir is indicated as occurring in it.
Subdivision 2 was composed of from 4 to 11 feet of sandy clay, with
fragments of sandstone and limestone, from small ones up to about 2 feet
in diameter. In this matrix there were numerous bones and teeth of large
animals, but it lacked small ones and vegetal matter. Subdivision 3 was
a sandy clay, blackened by vegetable matter and containing numerous
bones of vertebrates, large and small. The lowest subdivision, 4, was a
zone which was followed down about 10 feet and which consisted of sand,
clay, and stones, all of a yellow color. In this were found remains of
the larger mammals, better preserved than in the upper subdivisions. At
the lowest depth reached the excavation appears to have extended below
the level of the Schuylkill River and the water came in so rapidly that
further descent was not practicable.
Mercer’s theory of the filling of the cave is expressed in these words,
on his page 277:
“Enough had been seen to convince us that a fresh-water flood,
rising to a level of from 15 to 20 feet above the present level of
the hilltop, hence a general inundation of the whole surrounding
country, bearing in its current the clay, stones, and earth of
neighboring levels, had tumbled into the fissure, carrying with it
the bones of creatures previously denuded of flesh and softened by
decomposition.”
And further, on page 284:
“Not unreasonably, therefore, we may suppose, not only that the
creatures had perished together, but also that they had perished on
the spot or at the chasm—not meeting this fate during a long
interval of time, and through a long series of chance tumbles, but
suddenly and by force of a common event.”
Are we to suppose that during some summer freshet animals in such
numbers were swept away that those that were found in the cave, and
doubtless many more which decayed utterly, were only the relatively few
that happened to pass over that 20–foot hole? Where, then, were picked
up all the other animals that must have burdened the swollen Schuylkill?
Or did it possibly happen that all the animals that were swept away were
in some unaccountable manner directed into that hole? If the current was
strong enough to sweep along stones up to 2 feet in diameter, how did it
happen to deposit there fine sand and clay, leaves, cones, seeds, and
sticks? It is difficult to accept the theory that the filling of the
cave was due to a cataclysm such as has been invoked. It seems far more
probable that the mouth of the cave was open for many hundreds of years,
possibly thousands of them, so that animals, plants, stones, and fine
and coarse earth could in various ways get into it. Animals wandering
about might inadvertently fall in or be pushed in by the herd. Doubtless
at some former time the Schuylkill flowed at a higher level than now,
and during times of unusually high-water might have risen to the level
of the mouth of the cave and carried into it at each rise some mud, some
vegetation, and some animals. The filling was quite certainly a slow
process.
To the writer the part of the cavern which was worked and pictured by
Wheatley has all the marks of an enormous pot-hole, such as those which
have been discovered at Cohoes, New York. While the latter appear to
have been drilled out in late Pleistocene times, the Port Kennedy hole
must have been fashioned during the early Pleistocene or even in the
Pliocene. One may suppose that, after the pot-hole had reached the depth
where the constriction was found, the water began to find its way out at
the bottom through fissures or passages in the limestone. When this
happened, the passages may have been enlarged mechanically or by means
of solution, resulting in the formation of the various lower caverns.
When the river had been lowered enough to reach only occasionally the
mouth of the pot-hole, the latter became choked first by the coarse
materials now found in subdivision 4, and afterwards by finer sand and
mud.
Some vertebrates of the late Pleistocene or early Recent observed at
Carlisle deserve consideration.
In 1850 (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. II, 1849, pp. 352–355)
Professor S. F. Baird gave an account of his explorations in the caves
in the region about Carlisle, Cumberland County. One of these caves was
near Carlisle, and in it Baird found a large number of animal remains. A
second cave, the situation of which was not given, was on the top of a
hill and was a vertical shaft 30 feet deep, which opened into a large
gallery. It furnished a skeleton of a bear, but this appeared to have
only recently fallen into the cave. Another cave was on the bank of the
Susquehanna, 0.5 mile below a railroad bridge. It was, therefore,
probably near Harrisburg. The entrance was in limestone rock, nearly
vertical, and 20 feet deep. Here Baird found many bones, embedded in
mud, but of these he obtained only a few. Another cave, apparently
nearby, which Baird spoke of as “the main cave,” furnished some of his
specimens. Still another cave, probably in the same neighborhood, was
the source of his most perfect specimens. This presented a series of
galleries near the roof and these were reached by ladders. These
galleries were filled with mud, and in this mud the bones were buried.
The number of species which he obtained, he reported, was nearly twice
the number living there at the present time. Of these fossil species he
estimated that about 5 per cent were extinct. Baird appears never to
have completed his study of his collection. His list designates the
animals only by their vernacular names. The mammals consisted of
panthers, lynxes, wolves, foxes, otters, bears, muskrats, deer, beavers,
and rabbits. There were bird remains in great quantities, and these
included wild turkeys, some of great size, swans, wild ducks, and
pelicans. There appeared to be 8 or 10 species of tortoises. Bones of
snakes were quite common; also scales and vertebræ of fishes, and a
lower jaw of a salamander. In the uppermost 2 or 3 inches of mud were
many relics of Indians.
Baird supposed that these bones had in most cases been washed in from
above through sink holes. This collection, or some of it, was brought by
Baird to the Smithsonian Institution; and they, or some of them, are in
the collection of mammals; but the bulk of the collection has apparently
been lost. All of these animals belong evidently to either the very late
Pleistocene or to the Recent period.
A cave at Frankstown has furnished fossils of about Middle Pleistocene
time. In 1908 (Ann. Carnegie Mus., vol. iv, pp. 228–233) and again in
1912 (Proc. Internat. Zool. Congr., Boston, 1907, pp. 748–752), Dr. W.
J. Holland gave an account of the discovery of vertebrate fossils in a
fissure in limestone rock at Frankstown, Blair County. This village is
situated on the Frankstown Branch of Juniata River, a little more than 2
miles north of east of Hollidaysburg. The fissure was excavated in a
Devonian rock known as the Lewistown limestone. The quarries are
reported to be in the village and on the top of a hill that rises about
400 feet above the banks of the Juniata. According to the Hollidaysburg
topographical sheet, the 920–foot line crosses the river just above the
village. The highest hill, 1,260 feet above sea-level, is 0.3 mile away
toward the northwest. In this hill, as Dr. Holland stated, there are
several small caves. The one which furnished the fossils appeared to be
about 40 feet in length, averaging from 6 to 8 feet in width, and at the
most was not more than 10 or 12 feet high. The floor was about 30 feet
below the top of the hill. The fissure appeared to have once continued
up to the surface, but the opening had been filled with fallen blocks of
limestone. The floor of the cave is described as being occupied by about
2 feet of red soil, everywhere traversed by bands and layers of dark
materials charged with organic matter. With the finer deposits were
mingled fragments of rock, some being large blocks. The fossil remains
appear to have been carefully collected, but were mostly fragmentary.
They were only cursorily studied at the time of Holland’s writing and
nothing has since been published on them. The number of species obtained
was estimated to be from 30 to 40. The following genera and species are
mentioned:
Meleagris sp. indet.
Megalonyx sp. indet. (p. 31).
Tapirus sp. indet. (p. 203).
Mylohyus pennsylvanicus (p. 214).
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 227).
Cervalces? sp. indet.
Bison sp. indet.
Mammut americanum (p. 69).
Sciurus sp. indet.
Ondatra sp. indet.
Erethizon sp. indet.
Lepus sp. indet.
Ursus americanus.
Arctotherium haplodon.
Mephitis sp. indet.
Canis sp. indet.
Felis? sp. indet.
After the foregoing had been put in type Mr. O. A. Peterson, of the
Carnegie Museum, sent the writer a revised list in which additions are
made. The following are the most important:
Cryptobranchus sp. indet.
Rana catesbiana?
Clemmys insculpta.
Blarina sp. indet.
Ænocyon dirus.
Canis priscolatrans?
Spilogale putorius.
Brachyprotoma putorius.
Boötherium bombifrons.
Equus sp. indet.
Besides these forms, remains belonging to bats, various birds, snakes,
and batrachians have been recognized. Of the fossils identified
generically or specifically those belonging to _Megalonyx_, _Tapirus_,
_Mylohyus_, _Cervalces_, _Mammut_, and _Arctotherium_ are certainly
extinct. Probably, too, the bison and the species of _Felis_ are
extinct. There are, therefore, pretty certainly close to 50 per cent of
the species which are no longer living. This percentage and the history
of some of the genera make it improbable that the assemblage belongs to
the Late Wisconsin stage. Some of them could hardly have been living
during the Wisconsin, when the foot of the glacier was within 100 miles
toward the northeast and northwest. On the other hand, there are no
species or genera present which make it necessary to refer the
collection to the first interglacial. The assemblage probably belongs to
the middle Pleistocene.
Coming now to the very southwestern corner of the State, we find that.
_Elephas columbi_ has been met with in the bed of Hargus Creek, 3 miles
above Rogersville, in Greene County (p. 150), and _E. primigenius_ on
Gray’s Fork of Ten Mile Creek, near Graysville (p. 133). In the
Rogersville Folio (No. 146, U. S. Geol. Surv.), Dr. F. G. Clapp
described the geology of this quadrangle. On his page 10 he briefly
discussed the meager Quaternary deposits of the area. These he referred
to the Carmichaels formation, and indicated his opinion that it belonged
to very early Pleistocene. On the geological map it is represented as
occurring along Ten Mile Creek at and just below Rogersville. The
occurrence of a tooth of _Elephas columbi_ just above this town and of
_E. primigenius_ just above Harveys (p. 133) renders it probable that
other patches of the formation exist further up the stream and along
some of its branches, and that the fossils were derived from that
formation. It is, of course, possible that small patches of a later
deposit exist there.
Reference has been made to the Carmichaels formation. The type locality
is found at Carmichaels, on Muddy Creek in Washington County. The
geological description of the locality has been presented by Marius R.
Campbell in the Masontown-Uniontown Folio (No. 82, U. S. Geological
Survey). The formation occurs extensively along Monongahela River and
other streams of western Pennsylvania. For information the reader should
consult the Geological Survey Folios Nos. 144, 146, 121, 82, and 177.
The deposits occur at levels considerably above the present streams and
are regarded as having been laid down in old and now abandoned river
channels and in tributaries of these. The time when this occurred is
believed by many, if not most geologists to belong to the early
Pleistocene, the Kansas stage, or possibly the Nebraskan. In the opinion
of some geologists the glacial ice dammed the streams and caused their
valleys to be filled with detritus. More recent Pleistocene deposits,
possibly of Wisconsin age, occur at lower levels in some places south of
the Wisconsin moraine; and perhaps the age of some of them has not yet
been recognized. When remains of vertebrate animals are discovered, it
is of great importance to determine, if possible, the exact levels of
their origin.
On another page mention is made of the finding of a tooth of _Elephas
primigenius_ at Lone Pine (p. 133), 7.25 miles south of southeast of
Washington. This village is on Little Ten Mile Creek. No details of the
discovery have been received. From Folio 144 of the U. S. Geological
Survey it is learned that patches of the Carmichaels formation are found
for several miles along Ten Mile Creek, near the southern boundary of
the quadrangle. It seems probable that there may be patches of the same
deposit along Little Ten Mile Creek, in the neighborhood of Lone Pine.
As detailed on page 70, a mastodon tooth was found many years ago about
1.5 miles south of the village of Hickory, Washington County, about
twenty miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Westland Run empties into
Chartiers Creek, and this into the Ohio at Pittsburgh. The geology of
Burgettstown and Carnegie Quadrangles has been described by E. W. Shaw
and M. J. Munn (Folio 177, U. S. Geol. Surv. 1911). No Pleistocene
deposits are mapped on the stream mentioned; but just a little lower
down, on Chartiers Creek, is a patch of the Carmichaels formation. Below
Hickory somewhere there must be a Pleistocene deposit of some kind, and
it is more probably early than late Pleistocene.
From the vicinity of Pittsburgh there have been reported remains of the
mastodon (p. 69), of _Elephas columbi_ (p. 150), and of an undetermined
species of elephant (p. 168). Neither of the elephants is certainly
determinable. The mastodon, represented by fragments of bones and teeth,
is said to have been found in the river bank, at the junction of
Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. It is impossible to determine the
Pleistocene stage to which any of these proboscidean remains belong. As
shown on the geological map of the Carnegie Quadrangle (Folio 177, U. S.
Geol. Surv.) there are indicated here Pleistocene deposits of early,
intermediate, and late stages.
Little information is furnished by a mastodon reported found on Dicks
Creek in Butler County. The statements regarding the finding of elephant
remains on French Creek near Meadville are vague and valueless (p. 168).
Some remains of _Elephas columbi_ have been found at Tryonville, at a
depth of 7 feet (p. 150). The town is on the Wisconsin moraine and the
elephant probably belongs to the Late Wisconsin.
Nearly a hundred years ago a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ was reported
from a place in Erie County, called Beaverdam (p. 133). From Mr. Clyde
C. Hill, civil engineer, Northeast, Erie County, the information is
received that Beaverdam is a cross-roads hamlet about 23 miles south of
the lake, near the prolongation of the western New York boundary line.
This is within the area covered by Wisconsin drift, and it is pretty
certain that the animal lived there after or near the close of the
Wisconsin stage.
Just west of Erie a mastodon tooth has been found along Chase Creek (p.
70). Unless there are some unrecognized pre-Wisconsin deposits along
this creek, the animal must have lived there at a time after the lake
had retired to about its present limits. This would be near the very
close of the Pleistocene epoch. The same conclusion must be arrived at
from a study of the proboscidean remains (supposed to be those of an
elephant) found at Girard.
Brief mention is made here of finds of fossil vertebrates in
Pennsylvania which have not yet been mentioned; also, the localities are
given where they are found, and citations of the pages where fuller
descriptions are furnished:
A horse has been reported from Rutherford, Dauphin County (p. 185), and
a peccary, _Platygonus vetus_ (p. 213), from Milroy, Mifflin County.
Mastodons have been reported from Tunkhannock, Wyoming County; Berwick,
Columbia County; Reading, Berks County; Jackson Township, York County;
near Reedsville, Mifflin County; Chambersburg, Franklin County, and
Bedford, Bedford County (see pp. 68, 69). _Elephas primigenius_ has been
met with at Brookfield, Tioga County (p. 133); and somewhere about
Chadd’s Ford, in Chester or Delaware County (p. 133).
OHIO.
(Maps 35, 36.)
The State of Ohio is partly glaciated, partly not. The unglaciated
portion forms the southeastern border and constitutes close to 28 per
cent of the whole surface. The glaciated area is mostly covered by the
Wisconsin drift, which makes up 60 per cent of the whole surface. The
remainder is covered by that part of the Illinoian drift-sheet which
projects beyond the edge of the Wisconsin. This occupies about 12 per
cent of the surface of the State. The unglaciated area contains
Pleistocene deposits along the streams, especially along Ohio,
Muskingum, Hocking, and Scioto Rivers. Probably the greater part of the
materials forming these deposits were brought down the rivers which
headed at the foot of the Illinoian and Wisconsin glacial ice-sheets.
However, all that part of the country which was not covered by glacial
ice was acted on by atmospheric agencies and suffered erosion. Hence
abundant materials of non-glacial origin were swept down those
tributaries of the Ohio which had their sources in the Alleghany region
and down those which flowed through the unglaciated part of the State.
Much of these materials was deposited along the banks of these streams
and mingled with the débris from the glacial ice-sheet. Doubtless such
deposits were being made during the whole Pleistocene epoch and were
mostly swept away; or they may have been covered up by subsequent
deposits; or the deposits of one stage may in many cases not be
distinguishable from those of other stages. A perusal of chapter V of
Leverett’s monograph of 1902 (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. XLI, 1902,
pp. 228–252) and of the papers there cited, also of others published
since that time, will impress the reader with the fact that an old
drift, probably of Kansan or pre-Kansan age, has left traces of itself
in Ohio just outside of the terminal moraine of the Wisconsin drift.
This is found especially in Columbiana County; but, according to Wright
(2d Geol. Surv. Pennsylvania, Z, p. 207) it extends as far westward as
Canton, Stark County.
It is shown in Leverett’s paper that the streams, especially the larger
ones, of southwestern New York, western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio
had, at some time preceding that of this old drift, been deeply
excavated into the underlying rocks, and that these ancient channels had
become filled by the outwash from the older drift. Furthermore, terraces
composed of this drift are now found along rivers of the region
mentioned, at heights varying from 150 to as much as 500 feet above the
present streams. Those old, deeply excavated valleys may therefore have
once been filled to the highest terraces and since that time have been
re-excavated to the level of the present streams. The ancient rocky
floors in many cases lie now from a few to some hundreds of feet below
the beds of the existing rivers. It is easily possible that the bones
and teeth of early Pleistocene animals may have been buried in such
valley fillings and such terrace deposits. Again, remains of such
vertebrates may have been buried beneath the glacial “fringe” that has
been mentioned. In such cases it may be impossible for one who is not a
glaciologist, perhaps not even for him, to determine the real age of the
fossils. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that a record be
kept of the exact spot where the fossil was found, so that at some
future time the geology of the locality may be studied by a competent
person. Naturally, other information, as that relating to the kind of
deposit, depth of burial, elevation of place of burial, and the like, is
valuable.
A discussion of the Illinoian drift-sheet, including that part found in
Ohio, forms chapter VI of Leverett’s work of 1902 (Monogr. cit., pp.
253–291). As shown by his plate II, Illinoian drift covers a small area
in the southwestern corner of the State, along Ohio River; then leaving
the river and running first in a northeasterly direction, then directly
north, it forms a narrow strip outside the border of the Wisconsin as
far north as Richland and Holmes Counties. If it extends further east
than this, it is concealed beneath the Wisconsin. It is to be expected
that Illinoian drift will be discovered here and there in the greater
part of the State beneath the Wisconsin where the latter shall have been
penetrated in digging wells, in borings, and where streams have cut down
through the later drift-sheet. In such places it will be possible to
find remains of animals and plants buried in interglacial deposits laid
down before the Wisconsin stage; that is, in either Sangamon or Peorian
or even more remote times. On page 269 of the work just quoted, Leverett
mentions a case near Lancaster, Fairfield County, where a black mucky
soil was found between the Wisconsin and the Illinoian drifts. On page
273 of the same work is mentioned the occurrence of logs and pieces of
wood at Bethel, Clermont County, in a gravel-bed beneath the Illinoian
drift. This might be interpreted as indicating a deposit belonging to
the earliest part of the Illinoian or to the Yarmouth.
The general aspects of the Illinoian drift are described by Leverett on
his pages 270 to 285.
Deposits of Illinoian age may occur beyond the border of the ice-laid
Illinoian drift and even beyond the Wisconsin as the result of outwash.
Leverett (op. cit., p. 285) mentions the occurrence of what appears to
be an Illinoian terrace along Sandy Creek, near Waynesburg, Stark
County, at 70 feet above the stream, while the Wisconsin terrace is
hardly 40 feet above the creek. High-level terraces are found along
Licking and Muskingum Rivers from Hanover, Licking County, to
McConnellsville in Morgan County, and are thought to be possibly of
Illinoian age, while lower ones belong to the Wisconsin. Illinoian
gravels and cobble are likewise met with along Hocking River (Leverett,
op. cit., p. 288); also along the Scioto from Chillicothe nearly to its
mouth. On lower-level terraces other deposits of Wisconsin age are to be
looked for. Again it is seen how important it is that accurate
information should be sought regarding the exact spot of interment of
any vertebrate remains, as well as the elevation, the depth, and kind of
materials passed through.
Map 35 has been prepared to show the distribution of the Wisconsin and
Illinoian drift-sheets in Ohio. The driftless area, shown without
shading of any kind, occupies the southeastern side of the State and
forms a broad tract somewhat parallel with Ohio River. The Illinoian
belt lies between this driftless area and the Wisconsin. Naturally it
passes beneath the Wisconsin drift and probably underlies most of it. A
part of the map is shaded by horizontal lines in order to show the
position and extent of former Lake Maumee. This lake was an early
predecessor of Lake Erie and emptied into Wabash River. The moraines
laid down by the Wisconsin ice on its gradual withdrawal from the State
are indicated by the stippled areas and by the letters at the sides of
the map. Most of the names applied to these moraines in Ohio differ from
the parts of the same moraines in Indiana. The Germantown, Eaton, and
Englewood correspond to the Bloomington of Indiana; the Sidney to the
Union City; the Loramie to the Salamanie; the Celina to the Wabash; and
the Lima to the Fort Wayne.
Map 36 shows the localities where Pleistocene mammals have been
discovered in the State and the relation of these localities to the
drift-sheets and the moraines.
It is to be supposed that any animal whose remains are found in deposits
overlying the Wisconsin drift lived there after the retreat of the
ice-sheet from that locality. Any mastodon (maps 5, 7) that has been
discovered within the area covered by the old Lake Maumee probably lived
there after that lake had subsided. However, it might be possible to
find along rivers, or deep cuts along railroads, animals that had lived
there during Sangamon times; but this may be supposed to occur rarely.
Mastodons, Nos. 34, 37, and 39 of map 7, probably lived and died after
later Lake Warren had shrunken into Lake Erie.
Most of the fossil vertebrates that have been found in Ohio belong to
the Late Wisconsin; that is, they lived in their respective localities
after the glacial ice had retired from those localities. A few fossils
may be credited to an interglacial stage, Sangamon or Peorian, which
intervened between the Illinoian and the Wisconsin. Inasmuch as in the
area occupied by the Illinoian drift this deposit may be cut through by
rivers or railroads, it is possible that pre-Illinoian fossils might be
discovered.
A tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ has been found at Waverly, Pike County,
on Scioto River, as recorded on page 134. Along that river there are
deposits of gravel and sand which were derived apparently from Illinoian
drift, while below these Illinoian deposits is a Wisconsin terrace. The
tooth above mentioned appears to have been found in a gravel-pit of the
Norfolk and Western Railroad about the year 1900. The writer has not
been able to secure any information as to the elevation of the pit. The
elephant remains observed by Whittlesey along Scioto River, as mentioned
on page 169, were probably buried in the Wisconsin terrace. A mastodon
has been found in Pike County (p. 70), but the more exact locality is
not recorded.
An important but apparently now lost and therefore indeterminable
specimen of elephant is that to which was given the name _Elephas
jacksoni_, described on page 168. It was found in the northwestern
corner of Jackson County, on Little Salt Creek, probably a short time
before 1838. The probability is that it was found in Wisconsin deposits,
but its age is possibly greater. According to Leverett (op. cit., pp.
120, 121, 289), there are in this valley deposits which were probably
laid down during the Illinoian stage. An elephant skeleton is reported
to have been dug up many years ago in the village of Beverly, Washington
County (p. 169), on Muskingum River. Leverett (Monogr. XLI, p. 157)
states that glacial deposits belonging probably to the Wisconsin stage
are found here at a height of 119 feet above the river. Inasmuch as the
greater part of the village is below this level, the elephant probably
belongs to Wisconsin time.
Further up the Muskingum, at or near Duncan Falls, there was found about
1857 a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_ (p. 135). The animal probably
lived and died there at a time when the Wisconsin glacier was not far
away. Other remains of the same species have been described from
Zanesville. The bed which contained these is said to be at a height of
37 feet above the river and 20 feet from the natural surface of the
ground. Inasmuch as drift outwash, believed to be of Wisconsin age, is
built up here to a height of 100 feet above the river (Leverett, op.
cit., p. 157), it is wholly probable that the elephant, like the one
just described, lived in the vicinity of the Wisconsin ice-front. At
Nashport have been discovered in swampy ground remains of _Castoroides_
(p. 273) and of _Mammut_ (p. 70). Although there is at Hanover, Licking
County, across Licking River, a great dam of supposed Illinoian age and
probably more or less hidden deposits of the same age along the river,
the giant beaver and the mastodon just mentioned may not be older than
the Wisconsin. Nevertheless, as they were found lying on gravel at a
depth of 14 feet, they may have been buried there during the Sangamon
stage. Along the eastern border of the State, in Columbiana County, on
Salt Creek, in the southwestern part of the county, there was found,
about 1845, a tooth of a horse (p. 186). It was discovered while a canal
was being excavated and at a depth not to exceed 12 or 15 feet. The
locality is apparently some miles south of the Wisconsin moraine. The
animal lived there evidently at some time preceding the Wisconsin drift
stage, possibly after the Illinoian, but quite as likely before the
Illinoian. Not far away from where the horse was discovered, apparently
on Little Yellow Creek, and probably not far from New Salisbury, there
was found, about 1850, a fragment of the lower jaw of a tapir (p. 203).
It probably lived at about the same time that the horse did. Near
Millport a tooth, referred to _Elephas primigenius_, has been found (p.
135). The locality is beyond the Wisconsin moraine, but it is impossible
to determine whether the beast lived there early or late in the
Pleistocene.
At this point may be mentioned the discovery of remains of a peccary,
supposed to be _Mylohyus nasutus_ (p. 215), and of _Mammut americanum_
(p. 70) in the southern edge of Lisbon, Columbiana County, apparently
along Middle Fork of Little Beaver River. This locality is on the border
of the Wisconsin drift-sheet, and the peccary and the mastodon might
well have lived there with the horse and the tapir mentioned above.
Not many localities within the area of the Illinoian drift in Ohio have
furnished vertebrate fossils.
Lyell in 1843, as stated on page 71, reported that teeth of mastodons
and of elephants had been found on the Cincinnati side of the river, on
the high terraces.
From Professor N. M. Fenneman the writer learns that Lyell’s reference
could hardly apply to any other locality than Terrace Park or Milford.
Here are found some fragments of an Illinoian terrace that would hardly
be spoken of casually as such, while the Wisconsin deposit is present as
an upper and a lower terrace.
In Hyde Park, as detailed on page 71, considerable parts of a mastodon
and some remains of a horse (p. 185), probably _Equus complicatus_, have
been discovered. The age of these remains certainly antedates that of
the Wisconsin; and it is not improbable that the excavation was carried
through the Illinoian drift into an older and probably interglacial
deposit. Professor Fenneman writes that this area is only thinly covered
by Illinoian drift and is also far beyond the limits of the Wisconsin
outwash.
The occurrence of _Bison latifrons_ near Fincastle, in Brown County (p.
257), must be noted. The fine pair of horn-cores now in the Cincinnati
Society of Natural History may have been buried in deposits of Sangamon
age. It is not, however, impossible that they were in an interglacial
bed below the Illinoian drift.
On page 135 there has been given an account of the finding of a skull of
_Elephas primigenius_, somewhat more than a mile east of New Burlington.
The locality is treated in proper detail in N. M. Fenneman’s paper
entitled “Geology of Cincinnati and Vicinity” (Bull. 19, Geol. Surv.
Ohio, p. 158). According to this account the skull was buried in a
lacustrine silt laid down probably when the Wisconsin glacier was not
far away from that region. The surrounding country is covered with
Illinoian drift. This skull is now the property of the U. S. National
Museum.
In the collection of the Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society
at Columbus there are remains of _Platygonus compressus_, jaws and good
teeth, which were found about a mile north of Chalfants, in Perry
County, and along Jonathan Creek. This place is within the area covered
by Illinoian drift. It is possible that the remains are as old as the
Sangamon, but it is also possible that they belong to the close of the
Wisconsin stage (p. 215).
The writer knows of no other fossil vertebrates that have certainly been
found within the area occupied by the Illinoian till as a surface
deposit.
As shown by map 36, by far the larger number of Pleistocene vertebrates
which have been discovered in Ohio have been met with within the region
occupied by the Wisconsin drift-sheet. One reason for this preponderance
is the greater area included. Another reason may be found in the fact
that the conditions were more favorable for the preservation of teeth
and bones. Much of the country was flat and swampy and the bones buried
in clay and muck have always been soaked with water. Also there has been
less erosion going on. Erosion leads to exposure and therefore to
destruction of skeletons.
On the map referred to are shown the various moraines that were left by
the Wisconsin ice-sheet in its retreat toward the north. Inasmuch as
most of the burials were in swamps resting on the drift, the animals
must have lived and died there after the ice had left that vicinity; how
long after one may not be able to determine. The mastodons and elephants
which have been found close to the shore of Lake Erie, especially if
buried near the surface, must have lived there at or after the time when
the waters had shrunken into Lake Warren. Such cases are furnished by
the mastodons and elephants found at Amboy (east of Ashtabula) (pp. 137,
150), at Cleveland (p. 79), and in Brownhelm Township, in Lorain County
(p. 79). The town of Amboy is about 130 feet above lake level and the
gravel-pit which there furnished _Elephas primigenius_ and _E. columbi_
was probably at about the same level. The writer has not been able to
confirm any case in which remains of proboscideans have been met with on
the south shore of the lake at a level lower than the Warren beach.
Mastodons may be traced to a lower level at the western end of the lake.
The one found in Springfield Township, Lucas County (p. 77), was buried
in deposits only about 45 feet above Lake Erie. As shown by the
topographical maps, the descent from this place and from Bowling Green,
Wood County, to the lake is a gradual one. It may become possible to
follow the presence of the mastodons, the elephants, and the giant
beaver in Ohio up to the time when the lake assumed its present level.
For information regarding the several interesting discoveries of the
giant beaver (_Castoroides ohioensis_) pages 273 to 275 may be
consulted.
It is hardly necessary to take up one by one all the cases of
vertebrates that have been met with within the area covered by Wisconsin
drift. With the few exceptions noted below, their geological age is
usually to be regarded as Late Wisconsin. Along the southern border of
this drift, where the remains are deeply buried, it is not unlikely that
they lie in a pre-Wisconsin interglacial deposit. Along Great Miami and
Muskingum Rivers there is always a possibility that the fossils may
occur in a terrace or in a deep valley deposit of Illinoian age.
About a mile east of Overpeck, Butler County, there has been found the
skull of an extinct bear, _Ursus procerus_ Miller (Hay, Geol. Surv.
Indiana, vol. XXXVI, 1912, pp. 772–776, figs. 71–73). It was found at a
depth of 28 feet and about 3 or 4 feet above the limestone rock of that
region. To the writer it seems quite certain that the Wisconsin drift
had been penetrated and that the skull was in either a Sangamon
interglacial deposit or something still older.
Columbus furnishes one of the rare cases in which horse remains have
been found within the Wisconsin glaciated area (p. 186). We are then
required to determine whether or not the horse, _Equus complicatus_, did
not live there after the close of the Wisconsin stage. As said on the
page cited, the first remains of horses discovered at Columbus were
reported as having been found in crevices of the limestone and in the
red clay filling such fissures. An examination of the Columbus Folio
(197, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 8) will show that in such crevices, south of
Scioto River, a red clay is found which antedates the Illinoian drift,
so that one might fairly refer the horse remains reported by Whittlesey
to a pre-Illinoian interglacial stage, possibly the Aftonian. The
horse-teeth found in the excavations at the penitentiary close to Scioto
River may be as old as those found in the rock fissures, or they may
have been buried in a post-Illinoian interglacial deposit. Such deposits
have been found at various places in the quadrangle (fol. cit., p. 9).
As to the peccaries discovered at Columbus (p. 214), the writer sees no
reason why they should not be regarded as belonging to the Late
Wisconsin.
MICHIGAN.
To understand the Pleistocene geology of the southern peninsula of
Michigan, it is indispensable to study Monograph LIII of the U. S.
Geological Survey, by Frank Leverett and F. B. Taylor. The whole
peninsula is overlain by glacial deposits laid down by the Wisconsin
ice-sheet. A glance at their glacial map (plate VII) will indicate to
the student the complexity of glacial problems in this region. The ice
invaded the State from three sides: on the west from Lake Michigan, on
the east from Lake Huron, and on the southeast from Lake Erie.
On the west, close to Lake Michigan, is a system of Lake-border
moraines. This system has been traced more or less satisfactorily around
to Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. A little farther out, in the southwestern
corner of the State, is Valparaiso moraine. This extends nearly to the
northern end of the peninsula, where it connects with Charlotte moraine
system. Farther in than the Valparaiso system is the Kalamazoo. This
extends northeastwardly from the Indiana line to Barry County, where it
turns east and at Jackson joins the Mississinawa system reaching
northeast from the northeastern corner of Indiana. The Valparaiso and
Kalamazoo moraines are in places closely associated. The attack on the
eastern side of the State came principally from a lobe which flowed
through Saginaw Bay. Nearest Lake Huron, following it around from Port
Huron to the northern end of the peninsula and then turning west, the
Port Huron moraine connected with the moraine along Lake Michigan.
Farther inland is the Charlotte system. On the north, just above
latitude 44°, this joins the Valparaiso moraine, runs southward west of
Lansing, then turns eastward, then northeastward, and connects with the
Defiance moraine, which passes around the western end of Lake Erie.
Reaching far out from the head of Saginaw Bay, and concentric with it,
to Hastings, 100 miles away, are many minor moraines.
Besides the Wisconsin drift which forms the surface deposit in Michigan,
there are, according to present indications, one or more pre-Wisconsin
drifts. Leverett (Monogr. LIII, p. 72) mentions several localities where
what appears to be more indurated till is encountered, sometimes at a
depth of 100 feet. Taylor (op. cit., pp. 289–290) states that “a till
older than that deposited by the Wisconsin ice-sheet seems to underlie
more or less continuously all of the later, or Wisconsin, drift in
Indiana and the southern peninsula of Michigan.” Along the western shore
of Lake Huron, north of Port Huron and along the streams, as reported by
Taylor (p. 290), there are several exposures of Illinoian till, in some
cases as much as 30 to 50 feet thick. In one case there is an old soil
at the top of this till. In such old soils it may be possible to find
fossil vertebrates of Sangamon or Peorian times, horses for example.
The fossil vertebrates found up to the present time in Michigan are not
numerous in species or individuals; all appear to belong to the middle
or late Wisconsin times. A peccary, _Platygonus compressus_, has been
found at Belding, Ionia County (p. 215). Two musk-oxen have been
discovered in the State. At Manchester, Washtenaw County, has been found
a fine skull of _Symbos cavifrons_ (p. 250). At Moorland, Muskegon
County, was obtained a skull which has been called _Boötherium
sargenti_.
Details regarding the mastodons which have been found in Michigan are
given on pages 80 to 88. Only two localities in the State have furnished
remains of _Elephas primigenius_. These are Three Oaks, Berrien County
(p. 137), and Eaton Rapids, Eaton County (p. 137). _Elephas columbi_ has
been encountered only once in the State, as far as is known; this was in
the northern part of Jackson County (p. 151).
Elephants belonging quite certainly to either _E. primigenius_ or _E.
columbi_, but for one reason or another not determined, have been found
in four localities. These are East Saginaw, Saginaw County; Macomb
County; Grand Ledge, Eaton County; and Buchanan, Berrien County. (See
page 171.)
The giant beaver, _Castoroides ohioensis_, found a congenial home in the
swamps of southern Michigan in the late Pleistocene. It has been met
with somewhere in Berrien County; at Adrian, Lenawee County; at Ann
Arbor, Washtenaw County; at Attica, Lapeer County; and at Owosso, Lapeer
County (pp. 275–276).
INDIANA.
(Map 37.)
Whoever wishes to gain a knowledge of the Pleistocene geology of
Indiana, as it is understood to-day, must study Leverett’s two great
treatises, forming Monographs XXXVII and LIII of the U. S. Geological
Survey. The first is entitled “The Illinois Glacial Lobe,” and was
published in 1899; the second has the title “The Pleistocene of Indiana
and Michigan and the History of the Great Lakes.” The portion of the
latter monograph which deals with Michigan was written by F. B. Taylor.
On pages 33 to 54 is a very full bibliography of the subject, consisting
of about 400 titles.
From the glacial map of Monograph XXXVIII, plates V and VI, the writer
has prepared map 37. This shows which part of the State has escaped
glaciation, which has been subjected to the action of the Illinoian
ice-sheet, and which has been covered by the last, or Wisconsin, glacial
ice. It will be seen that about one-sixth of the State, that forming an
irregular triangle whose apex is in Brown County and whose base is
formed by the Ohio River, has never been covered by glacial ice. North
of this is a bilobed area which is covered by till of Illinoian age. The
rest of the State (somewhat less than two-thirds of it) is overlain by
the débris left by the Wisconsin ice-sheet and subsequent deposits.
This northern area is to a great extent occupied by belts called
moraines, along which the materials are usually coarse, often full of
boulders, and frequently standing at a higher level than the surface on
each side of them. These moraines show where for long periods during its
retreat, or perhaps sometimes its advances, the ice-sheet paused and
piled up a part of its load of rocks, gravel, and sand. It will be
noticed that these moraines are somewhat concentric. On the right of the
map are seen those moraines which were left by the ice-lobe which came
down Lake Erie and later retired in that direction. Around the southern
end of Lake Michigan are the moraines laid down by the ice of the
Michigan lobe. The latter will be better seen on a glacial map of
Illinois (Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv. XXXVIII, plate VI). In their advance
the two lobes met and coalesced and produced more or less irregular and
anastomosing moraines.
On the right hand the moraines of the Erie lobe pass on into Ohio,
where, however, they have often been given other names. On the left the
moraines of the Lake Michigan lobe continue into Illinois and retain the
same names. Both groups of moraines are prolonged into the southern
peninsula of Michigan.
On account of the comparatively recent recession of the Wisconsin
ice-sheet, the surface has not become eroded sufficiently to drain away
the water which was left in depressions of the surface. A large part of
Indiana is, or has been until recently, covered by swamps, lakes, and
ponds, and in such localities the bones and teeth of vertebrate animals
are best preserved during the early stages of fossilization. For this
reason great numbers of teeth and bones, sometimes nearly whole
skeletons, are met with in draining these swamps.
The southern border of the Illinoian drift, beginning at Cincinnati,
follows Ohio River on the Kentucky side to Jeffersonville, then passes
west of north into Brown County, whence, turning southwest, it strikes
the East Fork of White River in Du Bois County; thence, following White
River a short distance, it crosses the Wabash in Posey County.
Northward, along this terminal moraine (map 37, figs. 1, 2) of the
Wisconsin drift, the Illinoian, passing beneath this, disappears from
the surface.
The surface of the Illinoian area is better drained than the Wisconsin
area. Fewer fossils are found, and on various accounts they are of less
value. Usually the exact locality and kind of deposit is not recorded.
They may be found washed out of river and creek banks and may have in
reality been buried in sediments that were laid down in Wisconsin times
by the streams that carried away the mud, sand, and gravel from the
glacier. The driftless area has been exposed for many geological ages to
the influence of physical and chemical agencies. Its surface is,
therefore, more diversified by hills and valleys and streams. In the
limestones of this region caves are likely to be found, and these now
and then furnish fossil bones and teeth.
During more than one of the glacial stages, perhaps during the earliest,
the Ohio has served as the drainage-way for the waters that escaped from
the glacial front. This subject is discussed by Leverett in Monograph
XLI of the U. S. Geological Survey. As a result of this conveyance of
glacial waters, the great trough of this stream may contain here and
there deposits of the Illinoian stage or even of older deposits. Remains
of _Megalonyx_ (p. 32) and of a horse (p. 186) have been found in the
right bank of the Ohio, at Evansville, Indiana. At Bigbone Lick,
Kentucky, close to the Ohio, horses have been discovered, _Mylodon_ and
_Megalonyx_. These seem to occur in Sangamon interglacial beds overlying
the Illinoian.
The Illinoian drift, probably everywhere in central and northern
Indiana, underlies the Wisconsin. For some miles back from its terminal
moraine the Wisconsin drift is thin; and possibly the Illinoian may. be
found exposed in creek or river banks, or in railroad cuts. Furthermore,
Leverett (Monogr. LIII, p. 72) writes:
“Probably a considerable number of the heavy deposits of drift in
central and northern Indiana are of pre-Wisconsin age, but as they
are largely sand and gravel, or loose-textured material, they can
not easily be discriminated from the Wisconsin.”
Such deposits are likely to be covered by only a thin layer of Wisconsin
till. In many places in Indiana there have been found, deep down in the
drift, old soils, muck beds, and vegetation in various forms. These beds
appear to indicate interglacial deposits, most probably the Sangamon.
Now, various genera of vertebrates, among them horses, tapirs, and
mylodons, are not known to have existed after the Wisconsin glacial
stage. If, however, remains of such animals should be collected in
central or northern Indiana, or Ohio, or in southern Michigan, they
might be reported as having been found in late Wisconsin beds, when
really they had been derived from pre-Wisconsin interglacial soils.
It is interesting to observe that when the Wisconsin ice-sheet began to
withdraw lakes began to form along its borders. One of these, Lake
Chicago, appeared at the south end of the present Lake Michigan and for
a long time discharged its waters down Illinois River. Another, Lake
Maumee, occupied the basin of Maumee River as far west as Fort Wayne,
and emptied down the Wabash. For details connected with the close of the
Pleistocene in the region of Lake Michigan the reader should consult
Frank C. Baker’s “The Life of the Pleistocene, or Glacial Period” (Univ.
Ill. Bull. XVII, 1920).
A brief mention will be made here of the principal Pleistocene
vertebrates that have been found in Indiana; also the localities where
found, together with citations of the pages where fuller information is
furnished.
The ground-sloth _Megalonyx_ has been collected near Evansville (p. 32).
With it were secured remains of an undetermined bison (p. 257), a
Virginia deer (p. 228), a horse (p. 186), a tapir (p. 203), and the dog
_Ænocyon dirus_ (p. 32). Peccaries have been found in Gibson County (p.
216), in Wabash County (p. 218), and two species at Williams, Lawrence
County (p. 217). At the same place was discovered the shell of a
box-tortoise. Remains of deer have been discovered somewhere in
Vanderburg County, including the existing deer and an extinct species,
_Odocoileus dolichopsis_; at Harrisville, Randolph County; and at Roann,
Wabash County. Bisons of an extinct species have been secured at
Vincennes (p. 258).
The existing bison appears to have been found in Jasper County (p. 268).
Of musk-oxen, _Symbos cavifrons_ has been collected at Hebron, Porter
County (p. 252); at Wailesboro, Bartholomew County (p. 251); somewhere
in Randolph County (p. 252); and probably in Beaver Lake, Newton County
(p. 252). The existing musk-ox, _Ovibos moschatus_, has been discovered
near Richmond (p. 252).
Mastodon remains are not uncommon, especially in the northern half of
the State. It is hardly to be supposed that these animals were more
abundant there during the late Pleistocene than in many other places in
the region east of the Mississippi. The conditions for their
preservation were evidently more favorable there than anywhere else,
unless in Orange County, New York. Burial in swamp mud kept the bones
from decay; and the imperfect drainage protected them from destruction
by erosion. The various finds are described on pages 88 to 100.
Elephants are less well represented in Indiana than are the mastodons,
but are not rare (pp. 138, 151, 171). Two species were present in the
State, _Elephas primigenius_ and _E. columbi_. Beavers were doubtless
abundant, but there appears to be no definite record of any find.
However, the giant beaver has been recorded from several localities (pp.
276 to 278).
The great extinct dog _Ænocyon dirus_ was first found near Evansville
(p. 32), and the coyote, _Canis latrans_, has been reported from Boone
County. The latter is said to have been found in association with the
mammoth (Cope and Wortman, 14th Ann. Rep. Geol. Surv. Indiana, p. 7).
ILLINOIS.
(Map 38.)
As a foundation for a knowledge of the Pleistocene geology of Illinois,
the student must take Leverett’s work entitled “The Illinois Glacial
Lobe.” This is Monograph XLVIII of the U. S. Geological Survey, a volume
of 817 pages, with maps and figures. For a knowledge of the changes
which occurred around the south end of Lake Michigan on the retirement
of the Wisconsin glacier, see Dr. Frank C. Baker’s work, “The Life of
the Pleistocene, or Glacial, Period” (Univ. Ills. Bull. XVII, 1920).
Illinois is eminently a glaciated State, as is to be recognized on
Leverett’s plate VI. A little triangle in the northwestern corner,
comprising about 600 square miles, and an irregular tract of perhaps
3,000 square miles at the southern end of the State constitute the whole
of the unglaciated area out of 56,650 square miles. Two glacial stages
are prominent, the Wisconsin and the Illinoian. The first was laid down
by the Lake Michigan lobe, which sent its icy mass southwestward as far
as Shelbyville. Westward the border moraine extends to Peoria, then
north to west of Princeton, then northeast to enter Wisconsin 55 miles
west of Lake Michigan. Eastward, of course, the deposits of till and the
moraines extend into Indiana. North of the Shelbyville moraine is the
Champaign. A more powerful moraine is the Bloomington, which forms a
loop through the State, extending from Danville, Illinois, through
Bloomington to Peoria, where it appears to have overridden the
Shelbyville and thence northward, forming the outer border of the
Wisconsin drift area. North of this moraine is located that called the
Marseilles, while sweeping around the south end of Lake Michigan into
Indiana and Michigan is the Valparaiso system.
South and west of the area of the Wisconsin drift is the Illinoian. At
Mount Vernon the border crosses the Wabash and traverses Illinois,
striking the Mississippi River at Carbondale. It then follows the
Mississippi north to a point above Keokuk, where it enters Iowa. It
reenters Illinois between Rock Island and Clinton and extends into
Wisconsin.
On Leverett’s map (Monogr. XXXVIII, plate VI) there is indicated in
northern Illinois, between the Illinoian and the Wisconsin, a tract
supposed to belong to the Iowan; but Alden (U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof.
Pap. 106, 1918, p. 173) holds that there is no good evidence that the
Iowan extends into southern Wisconsin and Illinois. The supposed Iowan
(op. cit., plate III) is mapped as Illinoian.
The glacial stage which preceded the Illinoian is the Kansan. This in
Iowa extends eastward to the Mississippi, and one might naturally expect
that it would be found underlying the Illinoian east of the river.
Leverett (Monogr. XXXVIII, p. 105) presents evidences of its presence in
western Illinois. Among these evidences is the presence in Hancock and
Adams Counties of another till sheet below the Illinoian and separated
from it by a black soil. This Kansan or some other pre-Illinoian till
sheet has been found in many places in Illinois (op. cit., pp. 107–118).
Animal remains are not likely to be inclosed in the materials of the
moraines or of the intermorainal till; but this is possible. A musk-ox
or a hairy mammoth might have died not far away from the foot of a
stationary or advancing glacier and its bones might have become
incorporated in the moraine. Furthermore, inasmuch as any glacial stage
began while the glacier was yet in the far north and ended only when it
got back there, many non-glacial deposits belonging to that glacial
stage were probably laid down south of it; and it would be difficult or
impossible to distinguish these from interglacial deposits. However, it
was these deposits which were laid down after the glacial ice had
withdrawn, whether glacial or interglacial, which are of more interest
to the palæontologist, because in them are to be found the fossil
remains of animals and plants.
The last of the interglacial stages, that which immediately preceded the
Wisconsin and followed the Iowan, is known as the Peorian. This takes
its name from a locality a few miles east of Peoria (Leverett, Monogr.
XXXVIII, p. 187). Here the Shelbyville till sheet is underlain by a bed
of fossiliferous loess from 8 to 12 feet in thickness. Beneath the loess
is fully 100 feet of Illinoian drift. This loess seemed to the
geologists who examined it to be a deposit of more recent date than the
Sangamon.
The Peorian interglacial stage and the preceding Iowan glacial stage
have received much attention within recent years. In 1917 (Geol. Surv.
Iowa, vol. XXVI, pp. 49–212), Alden and Leighton presented the results
of their studies on the Iowan drift and the loess associated with it. In
1918 (U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap. 106, pp. 1–356), Alden dealt with
the Quaternary geology of southeastern Wisconsin. The results of these
investigations have been to establish the fact that a sheet of till
intermediate between the Illinoian and the Wisconsin had been laid down,
that which had already been designated as the Iowan; furthermore, that
immediately following this there was deposited a covering of loess. It
was further concluded that this is the main loess deposit, much of what
has been regarded as Sangamon loess being really loess of a later stage,
the Peorian.
As no Iowan drift is known to be present in Illinois to separate the
loess of the Sangamon from the Peorian, it must be difficult, often
impossible in our present state of knowledge, to distinguish the one
from the other. The Sangamon loess was laid down probably long after the
Illinoian ice disappeared, so that there was time for the Illinoian
drift to become leached and otherwise modified and for the accumulation
of old soils and peat-beds.
On the other hand, the old soils of the Peorian stage are likely to
overlie the loess. Unfortunately, the desired indications of geological
age are not always present where bones and teeth are found; or, if
present, are not always observed. We must, therefore, make our
assignments of fossils to one stage or the other with great
circumspection or leave the decision in abeyance.
Reference has already been made to the presence of Kansan drift in
western Illinois and of black soils intervening between it and the
Illinoian. Such soils must be referred to the Yarmouth interglacial
stage. Whether or not still older glacial or interglacial deposits occur
in Illinois is problematic.
In Illinois any considerable number of species of fossil vertebrates are
rarely found together. The localities are widely scattered and a single
species or two in each is the rule (map 38). In later glacial deposits
around the south end of Lake Michigan have been discovered the dogfish
_Amiatus calvus_ and a sun-fish belonging to the genus _Lepomis_. Baker
(Univ. Ill. Bull. XVIII, p. 85) reported the humerus of the merganser,
_Mergus serrator_, from the same region. The ground-sloth _Megalonyx
jeffersonii_ (pp. 33–34) has been found at Urbana, Galena, and Alton.
The few horses are described on page 187. Peccaries have been found at
three localities (p. 218). For the specimens of deer that have come to
light, see page 229. A species of _Cervalces_ and the moose _Alces
americanus_ have been met with in Will County (p. 107). The reindeer has
been recognized from poor materials found at Alton. The prong-horn
_Antilocapra_ appears to have lived in the region of Galena, as shown by
Wisconsin specimens. The remarkable antelope _Taurotragus americanus_
has been found at Alton (p. 339). As to the musk-oxen and the bisons,
the reader may refer to pages 251, 259, 268; for the mastodons and
elephants, to pages 100, 140, 152, and 176.
Of the rodents, the muskrat has been found about Chicago; the pocket
gopher at Alton and Galena; the ground hog at the same places (p.
343). The beaver (p. 339) likewise occurs at Alton. The giant beaver,
_Castoroides ohioensis_, has been collected at four widely removed
places (p. 279). The rabbit, _Sylvilagus floridanus_, was included
among the animals found in the lead crevices of the region about
Galena, where also have been found an extinct species of raccoon,
_Procyon priscus_, what appears to be a large dog _Canis_ (or
_Ænocyon_) _mississippiensis_, the coyote, _Canis latrans_, and the
fox _Urocyon cinereoargenteus_. The bear, _Ursus americanus_, and the
common gray wolf, _Canis nubilus_, appear to have existed in the
middle Pleistocene at Alton.
A skull of _Felis couguar_, the yet existing panther or mountain lion,
has been found in Randolph County, in the bed of Kaskaskia River. It
probably belongs to the late Pleistocene.
A considerable fauna has been secured in the lead region about Galena,
in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The collectors and describers of this
were not careful to designate the localities, and in some cases these
can not at present be determined. These collections are discussed on
page 343, in the account of the geology of Wisconsin.
An interesting list of Late Wisconsin mammals has been secured near
Whitewillow, Kendall County. From Dr. E. S. Riggs, of Field Museum of
Natural History, and from Netta C. Anderson’s list, the writer learns
that at least six skulls of the common mastodon, together with many
other parts of the skeleton, has been taken from a well 10 feet in
diameter (p. 109). Above, there were bones of bison (p. 269), deer (p.
229), and elk (p. 240). It is stated that a layer of these about 2 feet
thick was encountered at a depth of about 5 feet.
Mr. George Langford, of Joliet, states that he made a collection of
bones 15 miles west of Joliet and 5 miles west by north of Minooka. The
more exact locality he gave as township 35 north, range 8 east, and
probably section 27, on the farm of John Bamford. Apparently both Riggs
and Langford obtained their materials at the same spot. The latter has
sent the writer some bones from this place, including those of
_Cervalces_, _Alces americanus_, and a leg-bone of some undescribed
species of sheep or goat. He also reported the finding of the elk. For
other remarks see page 269. This locality is in the region mapped by
Leverett as having been occupied, after the retirement of the Wisconsin
glacial ice, by temporary lakes. The presence of the moose here seems to
indicate a climate somewhat severer than that now prevailing in that
region. Since the occupancy of the country by the European race the
moose has not been known to come further south than northern Wisconsin.
The list of species obtained is as follows: _Mammut americanum_, _Ovis_
sp. indet., _Odocoileus virginianus_, _Cervus canadensis_, _Alces
americanus_, _Cervalces roosevelti?_.
A brief description of the bone referred to _Ovis_ is presented. The
lower epiphysis is missing, but an allowance is made for this (fig. 13).
_Comparisons of the metatarsals of a sheep, of a goat, of Næmorhedus,
and of Orvis sp. from Whitewillow, in millimeters, together with
indices in one-hundredths of the length._
┌──────────────┬───────┬─────╥───────┬─────╥──────┬─────╥───────┬─────┐
│ Measurements │ │ ║ Capra │ ║ │ ║White- │ │
│ taken. │ Næmo- │Indi-║hircus │Indi-║ │Indi-║willow │Indi-│
│ │rhedus.│ces. ║155623.│ces. ║Sheep.│ces. ║animal.│ces. │
├──────────────┼───────┼─────╫───────┼─────╫──────┼─────╫───────┼─────┤
│Length on │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ outer border│ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ of bone │ 170│ 100║ 120│ 100║ 152│ 100║ 185±│ 100│
│Side-to-side │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ width of │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ upper │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ articular │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ surface │ 36│ 21.2║ 23│ 19.2║ 23│ 15.1║ 37.5│ 20.3│
│Fore-and-aft │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ width of │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ upper │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ articular │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ surface │ 30.5│ 17.4║ 20│ 16.7║ 21│ 13.8║ 37.5│ 20.3│
│Side-to-side │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ width, at │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ middle of │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ length │ 23│ 13.5║ 15│ 12.5║ 14│ 9.2║ 19.0│ 10.3│
│Fore-and-aft │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ width at │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ middle of │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ length │ 17.5│ 10.3║ 11.5│ 9.1║ 13│ 8.6║ 20.0│ 10.8│
│Side-to-side │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ width at │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ lower end │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ just above │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ epiphysis │ 38│ 22.4║ 27│ 22.5║ 27│ 17.8║ 35.0│ 19.5│
│Side-to-side │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ width across│ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ lower │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ articular │ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ │
│ surface │ 41│ 24.1║ 27.2│ 22.5║ 25│ 16.4║ │ │
└──────────────┴───────┴─────╨───────┴─────╨──────┴─────╨───────┴─────┘
[Illustration:
FIG. 13.—Metatarsal of undetermined species of Ovis? From Kendall
County, Illinois.
]
From Alton, the U. S. National Museum has come into possession of a
collection which furnishes 15 species of fossil mammals. This was made
some time before 1883 by Hon. William McAdams, of Alton. It was briefly
mentioned by him at the Minneapolis meeting of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science in 1883 (Proceedings, vol. XXII, p. 268).
Apparently the collection was secured for the U. S. Geological Survey by
Professor O. C. Marsh and remained at Yale University until after his
death. The species were described by the writer in 1920 (Proc. U. S.
Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, pp. 109–117). This collection seemed especially
valuable because the species were found inclosed in supposed nodules of
loess. In our country the loess has furnished few such remains. The
following is the list of the species as determined. Those marked by a
dagger are extinct.
†Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 33).
†Equus sp. indet. (p. 187).
†Platygonus cumberlandensis? (p. 219).
†Sangamona fugitiva.
†Cervalces roosevelti?.
†Rangifer muscatinensis? (p. 246).
†Taurotragus americanus.
†Symbos cavifrons (p. 254).
†Bison sp. indet. (p. 259).
†Mammut americanum (p. 102).
Castor canadensis.
Marmota monax.
†Castoroides ohioensis (p. 279).
Geomys bursarius.
Ursus americanus.
Of these 15 species at least two-thirds are now extinct. This large
number might appear to indicate that the time of their existence was
rather early in the Pleistocene. However, it is quite certain that the
loess belongs somewhere about the middle of the Pleistocene; and there
are no species that require an earlier date.
After the writer’s descriptions of the fossils had been published, an
important paper on the geology of the locality was issued (Jour. Geol.,
vol. XXIX, 1921, pp. 505–514) by Professor Morris M. Leighton, who had
been commissioned by the Illinois Geological Survey to visit and study
the deposits involved. With the aid of Mr. John D. Adams, son of the
collector of the mammalian fossils, Professor Leighton succeeded in
finding the quarry in which most of the fossils had been collected.
At one quarry in Alton Professor Leighton obtained the following
geological section, the description of which is here somewhat abridged:
_Feet._
Soil loessial, dark brown, leached 1
Loess, brown above, grading below into buff, leached 4 to 5
feet, maximum thickness 20
Loess distinctly more reddish than that above; many fossil
snails, thickness about 30
Glacial till, reddish, with pebbles of Canadian rocks; more
oxidized than overlying loess; thickness 1–3
Mississippian limestone, about 100
The concretions which hold the mammalian fossils were found to lie
between the upper surface of the till and the overlying loess;
occasionally a concretion bears a drift pebble. The concretions have
resulted from the lime which in solution was brought down from the loess
and again precipitated so as to cement the loess materials around the
fossils.
Professor Leighton was not able to determine definitely the ages of the
till and of the two deposits of loess. As to the till, its geographic
location suggested that it belonged to the Illinoian, but it had many of
the characteristics of the Kansan. The latter is believed to be present
at St. Louis and other localities not far away. Before the overlying
reddish loess had been deposited the till had suffered weathering and
erosion, indicating a considerable lapse of time had intervened. The
lower reddish loess presented many evidences that it is a deposit
distinct from the upper buff loess; and there seemed to be some
indications of at least a short interval between them. Leighton’s
conclusion was as follows:
If the drift is Kansan in age, the reddish loess may be Sangamon; if, on
the other hand, the drift be Illinoian, the reddish loess probably is
Peorian. It is unlike any Peorian loess of which the writer knows, but
the color does not necessarily preclude that possibility.
As to the upper loess, Leighton thought it might be of early Peorian
age, but possibly of early Wisconsin. However, his final conclusion was
thus expressed:
“If the till proves to be Kansan in age, the weathering of the drift
may be credited to the Yarmouth interglacial epoch, the mammalian
fauna to late Illinoian or early Sangamon times, the reddish loess
probably to the Sangamon, and the buff loess to the Iowan....
However this may be, the Illinoian and Sangamon epochs are
post-mid-Pleistocene from the standpoint of duration of the
Pleistocene and the fauna represented by the McAdams collection may
be regarded as post-mid-Pleistocene.”
WISCONSIN.
The greater part of this State is covered by the drift-sheet which has
derived its name from the State, but in the southwestern corner is a
considerable tract which has never been subjected to glacial action. A
small part of this area extends southward into Illinois and another part
into northeastern Iowa. In Wisconsin it reaches eastward to Baraboo.
East of this driftless area is a tract lying along the southern border
of the State and reaching eastward about to 88° 40′ longitude, which is
covered by the Illinoian drift.
The most detailed geological survey of any part of Wisconsin, so far as
regards the Pleistocene, is that made by Dr. W. C. Alden, of the U. S.
Geological Survey, of the area comprised between the boundary of the
State on the south and 44 degrees of latitude on the north and between
Lake Michigan on the east and 90 degrees of longitude on the west. On
the western side it joins the Mineral Point Quadrangle, to be mentioned
further along. There is, therefore, a wide strip surveyed across the
whole State. The area treated by Alden is, of course, nearly entirely
covered by Wisconsin drift. In the southwestern corner a considerable
part of the driftless region is included. East of this, as already
stated, is a tract which the Wisconsin ice-sheet did not reach and which
shows Illinoian ground moraine and some terminal moraines of Illinoian
drift. This narrows as it approaches its eastward limit.
Alden (p. 166) informs us that at no place in the area subjected to
vigorous glaciation by the Wisconsin ice-sheet had soils or vegetal
deposits been found between the Wisconsin drift and the earlier drifts.
At several places, however, deposits have been discovered which probably
belong to earlier glacial stages. Just outside the area mapped by Alden,
in Calumet and Outagamie Counties, Lawson (Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc.,
vol. II, pp. 170–173) has recorded the discovery of much wood and other
vegetable matter. Baker (“Life of the Pleistocene,” p. 317) has referred
the deposits to the Sangamon. These interglacial deposits of uncertain
age need not be here noted further. In this Wisconsin area some remains
of mastodons and elephants have been met with, but all are relics of a
time after the partial or complete recession of the Wisconsin glacier.
Remains of two individuals of _Elephas primigenius_ have been found in
Milwaukee (p. 143). It is evident that they lived there after the
withdrawal of the Wisconsin ice-sheet. One of these was buried beneath
peat and clay at a depth of 10 feet or more and at a level of about 100
feet above the present level of Lake Michigan.
At Dover, in Racine County, in 1878, a proboscidean tusk and some bones
were found in a peat-bog. They have been identified as those of a
mastodon, but of this one can not be certain. The age of the deposits is
that of the Late Wisconsin stage, after the withdrawal from that
vicinity of the ice, but how long after one can not say. The Milwaukee
Public Museum has a tooth of a mastodon (p. 111), labeled as found at
Waukesha. Its geological age is that of the other remains here referred
to. In the collection of the University of Wisconsin is a large vertebra
of a proboscidean which was found in Lake Monona. Its time of burial
must have been late Wisconsin. Inasmuch as no remains of vertebrate
animals have yet been found in Wisconsin, in the area covered by the
Illinoian drift, it is not necessary to dwell on this region. It is not
certain that there is beneath it a still older drift; but there are,
according to Alden, some indications of such deposits.
For a knowledge of the driftless area, first of all, may be consulted
the report made by Chamberlin and Salisbury in 1885 (6th Ann. Rep. U. S.
Geol. Surv., pp. 199–322, with plates). Alden’s work above referred to
maps a part of the region. Grant and Burchard have studied the geology
of the Lancaster and Mineral Point Quadrangles (Folio U. S. Geol. Surv.
145). Their text-figure 1 is here reproduced, inasmuch as it shows the
relation of the region to the surrounding glaciated areas (fig. 14). The
topographical map of Folio 145 and that of Chamberlin and Salisbury will
show the uneven character of the surface. This has resulted from the
erosion undergone during the whole of the Pleistocene. Much of the area
is covered with a coating of loess. Along Mississippi River this may be
as much as 10 feet thick, but at a distance of from 30 to 40 miles it
becomes reduced to a few inches. Considering this erosion, one might
conclude that few vertebrate remains would be preserved; nevertheless
they are not wholly missing.
In 1862 (Geol. Surv. Wisconsin, vol. I, p. 136), J. D. Whitney stated
that he had found in a crevice at Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, remains of the
mastodon (p. 111), a peccary (p. 219), bones and teeth of a buffalo (p.
270), and a wolf which he referred with doubt to _Canis latrans_. The
depth was uncertain, but it may have been as much as 40 feet. The
fossils were embedded in reddish clayey loam, the usual crevice earth.
On page 422 of the same volume, Jeffries Wyman referred the wolf remains
to two distinct species, _Canis occidentalis_ and _C. latrans_. In 1876,
Dr. J. A. Allen (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 3, vol. XI, pp. 47–49) described
from the same lot of bones the species _C. mississippiensis_. This
apparently did not include jaws and teeth that Wyman had referred to _C.
occidentalis_. In Wyman’s paper, on page 422, he assigned three teeth to
_Dicotyles torquatus_, an existing peccary, without stating that it had
been found at Blue Mounds. In 1869 (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser.
2, vol. VII, p. 384), Leidy referred this peccary to his _Dicotyles
lenis_, an extinct species. Inasmuch as the peccaries found at Galena
were identified by Leidy (Whitney, vol. cit., p. 424) as _Platygonus
compressus_ (p. 218), it appears pretty certain the _Dicotyles lenis_
(_Tagassu lenis_) was among the fossils collected at Blue Mounds (p.
219). It must, however, be kept in mind that Whitney, on page 35, stated
that he had collected bones and teeth of the same animal near Dubuque,
Iowa. Allen regarded the buffalo as belonging to an extinct species; but
it is really undeterminable. Accordingly there may be credited to this
locality the following species: _Tagassu lenis_, _Bison_ sp. indet.,
_Mammut americanum_, _Canis nubilus_ (_C. occidentalis_), _C.
mississippiensis_, _C. latrans_.
[Illustration:
FIG. 14.—Relation of driftless region of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois
to glaciated areas. From Grant and Burchard. Unshaded area
represents driftless region.
]
In Whitney’s report, on page 133, he announced the finding of a large
quantity of bones of mastodons at Sinsinawa Mound (p. 111), but he did
not know at what depth they occurred. It seems probable that they had
been met with in one or more crevices.
It seems probable that the animals found in crevices in the lead region
of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa belong approximately to one geological
stage of the Pleistocene. The following appears to include all known to
have occurred in such situations:
Megalonyx jeffersonii?.
Platygonus compressus.
Tagassu lenis.
Odocoileus virginianus?.
Cervus canadensis.
C. whitneyi.
Antilocapra americana.
Bison sp. indet.
Mammut americanum.
Marmota monax.
Microtus sp. indet.
Geomys bursarius.
Sylvilagus floridanus? (Lepus sylvaticus).
Anomodon snyderi.
Procyon priscus.
Canis nubilus (C. occidentalis).
C. mississippiensis.
C. latrans.
The writer was at one time inclined to believe that these animals
belonged to the time succeeding the withdrawal of the Wisconsin
ice-sheet. Baker (“Life of the Pleistocene,” p. 353) thinks that they
belong probably to the Peorian, inasmuch as the region is covered by
Iowan loess, beneath which many of the bones have been found. It is
quite probable that those crevices were open during at least some part
of the Pleistocene and that animal remains collected in them. The
fossils are reported as being sometimes inclosed in a matrix of cave or
fissure materials which are cemented together by iron. The considerable
number of extinct species, certainly 7 out of about 18, makes it
probable that the fauna is not so recent as the Late Wisconsin.
It appears to be determined that the Iowan loess was formed immediately
after the retirement of the Iowan ice-sheet. It might, therefore, be a
question whether all of these animals might have got into those crevices
in time to be covered in by the loess. On the other hand, the Illinoian
drift was, for a long time, exposed to weathering and erosion before the
Iowan drift and loess were laid down. Also, the Sangamon interval was
probably much longer than the Peorian, so that the chances for the
accumulation of the fossils were greater. It seems, however, that we can
only say that the fossils are post-Illinoian and probably pre-Wisconsin.
Besides the vertebrate fossils referred to above, a few others,
especially mastodons (pp. 110, 111), have been found at other places,
but so little is known of the conditions of their interment that they
furnish little geological information.
A very interesting region is found in the western part of the State, in
Dunn and Pepin Counties. This has been examined with great care by Dr.
Samuel Weidman, State geologist of Wisconsin. About Menomonie there are
several brickyards, whose excavations furnish opportunities for studying
the formations at that point. Sections of one of these brickyards are
described and illustrated by Dr. E. R. Buckley, in Bulletin VII, part 1
(1901), page 194, plate XXXVII. A section and brief description is found
also in a paper by Dr. Hussakof (Jour. Geol., vol. XXIV, p. 688). In
that region are found outwash gravels which have been definitely
correlated by Weidman with Iowan drift. In some places this is overlain
by loess. These gravels vary from 10 to 20 feet in thickness at
Menomonie. Beneath the gravels are found lacustrine clays varying in
thickness from 20 to 40 and even 60 feet. These are stratified and
consist of layers from 1 to 12 inches in thickness, with intervening
thin layers of sand. Toward the bottom the sand increases in amount.
Beneath the clay-bearing formation is a bed of sand attaining a maximum
thickness of about 150 feet. This is underlain by coarse sand and
gravel. The lacustrine clays and the underlying sands and gravels are
included by Weidman in his Menomonie formation, and this is believed by
him to be of Sangamon interglacial age. In northwestern Wisconsin are
found other glacial deposits believed to belong to the Illinoian drift
epoch.
In the lacustrine clay at Menomonie have been found remains of the great
lake trout, _Cristivomer namaycush_ (Hussakof, as cited above), of a
deer (p. 230), a caribou (p. 247), and probably a mastodon. The deer is
represented by a single vertebra, identified by Dr. W. D. Matthew. The
supposed mastodon is indicated by the distal end of the right femur, the
caribou by an antler of a young and probably female individual and by
the shaft of a large individual.
At Woodville, in St. Croix County, about 20 miles west of Menomonie, has
been found a forest bed regarded as belonging to the Aftonian. This was
described by Arthur Koehler (Amer. Forestry, vol. XXVI, Feb. 1916, p.
92, 3 figs.). Wood was found that was identified as that of spruce.
In 1913 (Science, n. s., vol. XXXVII, p. 457), in a brief abstract,
Weidman reported that in Wisconsin he recognized drift deposits of
Wisconsin, Iowan, and Kansan ages and another still older. No localities
were mentioned, but his statements were doubtless based mostly on his
work in the western part of the State. The loess was found to be laid
down after the Iowan and before the Wisconsin. Interglacial deposits
were found between the Kansan and the Iowan.
In 1905 (Jour. Geol., vol. VIII, pp. 238–256) and in 1910 (Jour. Geol.
vol. XVIII, pp. 542–548), Dr. R. L. Chamberlain presented the results of
his investigations on the “Pleistocene Geology of the St. Croix Region
in Western Wisconsin.” His conclusion (p. 548) was that in that part of
the State there were present (1) a surface mantle of gray Wisconsin
drift deposited by a glacier from the Keewatin center; (2) red Wisconsin
drift deposited by a glacier coming from the Labrador center; (3) a red
drift left by an ice invasion from the Labrador center, its age
consistent with Illinoian; (4) a grayish-black till that had come from
the Keewatin center and whose age was probably Kansan.
MARYLAND AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
For obvious reasons the Pleistocene geology of the District of Columbia
is considered in connection with that of Maryland. This region is of
especial interest, because of the long time and the care which has been
bestowed on it by geologists and because the conclusions reached have
been applied to the geological study of States both toward the north and
toward the south.
The most complete exposition of the Pleistocene geology of the region is
to be found in the volume of the Maryland Geological Survey entitled
“Pliocene and Pleistocene,” published in 1906. The geological treatise
itself was written by George Burbank Shattuck and is illustrated by many
maps and text-figures. Included in this is a bibliography of the subject
which occupies 17 pages. There is a chapter by W. B. Clark, Arthur
Hollick, and F. A. Lucas, on the interpretation of the palæontological
criteria; another by F. A. Lucas on the mastodons and the elephants. The
Pleistocene mollusks found in the State, 40 species, were described and
figured by W. B. Clark; while the plants, also nearly 40 in number, were
described and figured by Arthur Hollick.
The history of the development of our present knowledge of the geology
of Maryland and the classification of its formations up to 1906 is given
by Shattuck in the volume just cited (pp. 25–40). This geologist
recognized in the superficial deposits of the State five formations
(fig. 15). These are, beginning with the oldest, Lafayette, Sunderland,
Wicomico, Talbot, and Recent.
[Illustration:
FIG. 15.—Diagram showing the ideal arrangement of the supposed
terraces in the Maryland Coastal Plain. From Shattuck.
]
The Lafayette is regarded as having been laid down during the Pliocene.
The Sunderland, Wicomico, and Talbot form three terraces, of which the
Sunderland is the oldest, most elevated, and farthest away from the
larger bodies of water. It is composed of clay, peat, gravel, and
boulders supposed to have been brought in by the ice. The coarser
materials appear to occupy usually the lower parts of the formation. The
elevation near Washington is about 200 feet, but southward it descends
gently, until in St. Mary’s County it is only about 60 feet. The
thickness varies from about 80 feet to nothing. According to Shattuck,
at the time of deposition of the Sunderland the coast was depressed to
an extent of about 200 feet, so that its materials were laid down either
in salt water or in that of wide estuaries. No deposits belonging to it
have been found in the eastern peninsula. In the western peninsula
considerable areas are recognized along the Potomac up to Washington and
along the Patuxent and Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore and Elkton. Except in
the southern part of this peninsula, the Sunderland is found only in
widely separated patches. No marine organisms are known to have left
their remains in the Sunderland, but forest trees of a number of
existing genera and several extinct species have been described by
Hollick in the volume cited.
The Wicomico formation is described as occupying a large portion of the
central and higher parts of the eastern peninsula; in the western it
forms a narrow and often interrupted fringe around the Sunderland. North
of Washington and Annapolis it occurs only in patches. Its materials are
very similar to those of the Sunderland. Its greatest elevation is about
100 feet above sea-level, and this, according to Shattuck’s view, marks
the amount of depression of the land at that time. The thickness may be
as much as 70 feet, but is usually much less. No marine fossils proper
to the period have been discovered in the deposits, but at a point in
Prince George’s County plant remains have been found in a deposit about
20 feet thick.
The Talbot formation forms a fringe, sometimes of great width, sometimes
narrow or interrupted, along all the large bodies of water in this State
and in Delaware. It is the lowest of the terraces. The greatest
elevation is about 45 feet; the thickness does not exceed 40 feet. The
materials noted are those of the other two formations—clay, peat, sand,
gravel, and ice-borne boulders. At several points along Chesapeake Bay
and on the lower part of Patuxent and Potomac rivers, deposits
containing plant remains have been discovered, including pines, cypress,
hickory, beech, elm, and black locust. In contrast with the other
formations, the Talbot has furnished many marine fossils, mostly
mollusks; but in all cases the localities are close to the present
coast.
The writer does not accept the theory that the materials forming what
have been called the Sunderland, Wicomico, and Talbot terraces have been
to any great extent laid down in the sea. Some part of the Talbot, that
lying near the present coast, has undoubtedly had such an origin. Nor
has the Coastal Plain suffered, so far as is determinable, any such
amount of depression as the theory mentioned requires. The materials of
the Sunderland and Wicomico have, in the writer’s opinion, been brought
down by rivers whose beds lay at levels nearly as high as those of the
real or supposed terraces. When the Talbot materials were laid down, the
rivers and estuaries of the coast had been cut down nearly to their
present levels, and this was not long after the beginning of the
Pleistocene.
The authors of the submergence theory admit that no satisfactory
evidence of the presence of marine organisms, vertebrate or
invertebrate, are to be found in the body of the assumed terraces,
except again in parts of the Talbot which immediately border the ocean
or the great estuaries. It is almost inconceivable that the ocean could
occupy the Coastal Plain from New Jersey to Mexico for thousands of
years and lay down great thicknesses of clay, sand, and gravel without
having left somewhere beds of molluscan shells in such situations that
they would have been discovered. While these marine fossils are lacking,
there are found on all these terraces from Maryland to Florida and to
the Rio Grande an abundance of land vertebrates such as elephants,
mastodons, horses, camels, peccaries, and many other forms. Nor do our
palæobotanists have difficulty in finding oaks, walnuts, hickories,
poplars, etc. On the theory of submergence there are missing all the
things that ought to be found and there are met with just the things
that would not be expected.
A figure is here reproduced (fig. 15) from the Maryland Pliocene and
Pleistocene volume, page 66, with the explanation there accompanying it.
The reader may judge for himself whether the sea could occupy the
Atlantic coast since Pliocene times without leaving any traces of marine
fossils, while at the same time there were preserved in those terraces
remains of land animals and land vegetation.
Another section (fig. 16) is reproduced from Folio 179 of the U. S.
Geological Survey, the authors of which are G. W. Stose and C. K.
Swartz. The uppermost terraces are by these authors supposed to belong
to the late Pliocene, the formation formerly known as the Lafayette.
These figures suggest that the one set of terraces have some connections
with the other set.
[Illustration:
FIG. 16.—Section across Potomac River near Big Pool, Maryland. Shows
gravel-covered terraces. Folio 179, U. S. Geol. Survey.
]
Beginning at the southern extremity of Maryland, we notice the
occurrence of remains of _Mammut americanum_ at or near St. Mary’s City.
Other remains of the same animal have been secured near St. Clements in
St. Mary’s County (p. 112). Both of the localities are situated on
territory mapped by Shattuck as Wicomico; but as remarked on page 112,
our knowledge of the conditions under which the fossils were found is
not sufficient to allow us to say more than that they belong to the
Pleistocene. The species existed from early to late Pleistocene and can
not be used to determine the age of the deposits.
Along Patuxent River, in Charles County, not far from Benedict, Cope
(Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1867, p. 155) recognized jaws and teeth
of _Grison macrodon_ and of _Tagassu lenis_ (p. 220). Both are extinct
species.
According to Shattuck’s map of 1906, this region is covered by the
Talbot formation; but inasmuch as the species named were obtained from
pits furnishing Miocene marl, one can not be sure that they are not
older than the supposed Talbot. It would probably require a search in
the land records in order to determine exactly where the objects were
found. The presence of _Elephas primigenius_ suggests that this animal
had been pushed down here during one of the glacial stages.
Nearly a hundred years ago an elephant tooth (p. 154) was found
somewhere in Queen Anne County, but it would probably be now impossible
to determine the locality. In case the elephant tooth was found near
Chesapeake Bay, as is very probable, there is no record of any
Pleistocene vertebrate having been found in the central and eastern
parts of the eastern peninsula.
In the eastern peninsula remains of Pleistocene vertebrates have been
recorded from only two localities, Oxford Neck, Talbot County, and an
undetermined locality in Queen Anne County. From Oxford Neck, Cope
(Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XI, 1869, p. 178) reported _Elephas
primigenius_, _E. columbi_, _Cervus canadensis_, _Odocoileus
virginianus_, _Chelydra serpentina_, and _Terrapene eurypygia_.
At Chesapeake Beach, William Palmer, of the U. S. National Museum,
discovered a few remains of Pleistocene vertebrates. One of these is a
tooth of an undetermined species of _Bison_, probably not the existing
one. Another species is probably _Equus leidyi_ (p. 189). Three teeth
appear to represent the peccary _Tagassu lenis_ (p. 220). In 1921, Dr.
Adolph H. Schultz, of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, presented to the
U. S. National Museum another specimen of _T. lenis_ which he had found
at Chesapeake Beach. Inasmuch as the fossils were picked up after having
fallen from their resting-place, it is impossible to say to which
formation they belonged. In the opinion of the writer, none of the three
species indicates a late Pleistocene time.
On the opposite side of the western peninsula, at Marshall Hall, Charles
County, there was found long ago a tooth which the writer refers to
_Equus leidyi_.
Coming north into the District of Columbia, we find recorded the
discovery of remains of horses and possibly at two different times.
According to Darton’s work (Folio 70, U. S. Geol. Surv.), there is some
later Columbia laid down along the route of the Chesapeake and Potomac
Canal above Georgetown. This would now doubtless be regarded as
belonging to the Talbot. It seems to follow that either the Talbot is
much older than has been supposed or that some of the extinct horses
continued on until a comparatively late time in the Pleistocene.
Within the limits of the city of Washington there has been found a tooth
of probably _Elephas primigenius_ at a depth of 35 feet, in the Wicomico
formation (see p. 178). On any theory of the origin of the terraces, the
presence of the tooth at that depth in the ground and at that elevation
appears to indicate a considerable geological age for the animal. To
what extent materials may have been washed down from the surrounding
higher land may be difficult to determine.
In Prince George County, near Mitchellville, have been found two teeth
of an extinct horse (p. 188). These are as yet unidentified. They are in
the U. S. National Museum, No. 8813.
Near Towson, in Baltimore County, a mastodon tooth has been found (p.
112); but beyond proving that there is at that locality some Pleistocene
deposit, it gives us little information.
In 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, pp. 96–109), the writer
described a collection of vertebrate fossils, collected in a cave or
fissure in limestone at Cavetown, Washington County, by anthropologists
from Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. The following is the list
of species that were found in the collection:
Crotalus horridus.
*Equus complicatus (p. 189).
*Equus giganteus? (p. 189).
*Mylohyus nasutus (p. 220).
*M. exortivus (p. 220).
*M. obtusidens, n. sp. (p. 220).
*Platygonus tetragonus? (p. 220).
*P. vetus? (p. 220).
*P. cumberlandensis (p. 220).
*Sangamona fugitiva.
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 231).
*Elephas columbi?
*Sciurus tenuidens, n. sp.
S. hudsonicus.
S. carolinensis.
Marmota monax.
Castor canadensis.
Ondatra zibethica.
Neotoma magister.
Microtus pennsylvanicus.
Erethizon dorsatum.
Sylvilagus floridanus.
Ursus americanus.
*Smilodontopsis mooreheadi.
Felis couguar.
Of the 22 species here recognized 12 are extinct. This large number of
itself indicates that their time of existence was not recent. Similarly,
the presence of 2 species of horses, several species of peccaries, and
of a saber-tooth tiger points to a rather ancient period. The writer
believes that the assemblage belongs to the Sangamon stage of the
Pleistocene.
[Illustration:
FIG. 17.—Generalized section across the Allegheny Valley at Parkers
Landing, West Virginia, showing various stages of erosion and valley
fill. U. S. Geol. Surv. Folio 178.
]
In Washington County, probably along Lane’s Creek, was found, in digging
a mill-race, the skull of a mastodon (p. 112). Further east, near Clear
Spring, and about a mile above the entrance of Conococheague Creek into
the Potomac, was discovered a tooth of a mastodon (p. 113). This had
been washed out of some deposit along this creek, probably not far away
from where it was found. As Stose has shown (Hancock Folio, No. 179, U.
S. Geol. Surv.), along the Potomac and its tributary streams there are
extensive Pleistocene deposits of sand and gravel, laid down when the
river was as much as 200 feet above its present level. It is probable
that such deposits date from the early Pleistocene (fig. 17). A more
important locality for Pleistocene vertebrates is that near
Corriganville, about 3 miles west of north of Cumberland, Maryland. The
cave is in Allegany County, west of Wills Creek and south of Jennings
Run, about 0.5 mile south of the village of Corriganville. An account of
this locality, with a list of the species determined up to that time,
has been published by Gidley (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. XLVI, 1913,
pp. 93–102). In cutting through a spur of limestone in making a
railroad, at a depth of about 100 feet there was exposed a cave or
fissure which contained many bones and teeth. Gidley secured some
hundreds of specimens belonging to about 35 species. Unfortunately
nothing has been published which shows the relation of this cave to the
terraces which are found along Potomac River and its tributaries.
Through the kind offices of Mr. F. S. Rowe, welfare agent of the Western
Maryland Railway, the writer has received from the division engineer,
Mr. P. Cain, of Cumberland, a topographic map of Allegany County and a
profile of the road extending through the rock cut. From these it
appears that the level of the track, at the fissure, is 837 feet above
sea-level. This seems, therefore, to be considerably above the highest
terrace along the Potomac in that region. It is to be supposed that the
fissure was formed long before the animal remains accumulated in it.
In a paper published in 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVII, pp.
651–678, plates LIV, LV, text-figs. 1–10) Gidley added to his former
list four species of peccaries, as follows: _Platygonus
cumberlandensis_, _P. intermedius_, _Mylohyus exortivus_ (all new), and
_M. pennsylvanicus_. In another communication he reported also a deer, a
wolverine, a beaver, a lynx, a badger, a marten, an eland, and a
crocodile or an alligator (Rep. Smithson. Inst. for 1918, pp. 281–287).
Many of the identifications are merely provisional.
_Provisional list of fossils found near Corriganville._
1. Alligator or Crocodylus sp. indet.
2. Blarina brevicauda?.
3. Vespertilio grandis.
4. Vespertilio sp. indet.
5. Myotis sp. indet.
6. Ursus vitabilis.
7. Ursus americanus?.
8. Canis armbrusteri.
9. Canis sp. indet.
10. Vulpes? sp. indet.
11. Mustela vison?.
12. Gulo luscus?.
13. Taxidea sp. indet.
14. Lynx sp. indet.
15. Mammut americanum.
16. Equus sp. indet. (p. 189).
17. Tapirus haysii? (p. 204).
18. Platygonus cumberlandensis (p. 220)
19. P. intermedius (p. 220).
20. P. vetus? (p. 220).
21. Mylohyus exortivus (p. 220).
22. M. pennsylvanicus (p. 220).
23. Odocoileus sp. indet.
24. Taurotragus americanus.
25. Ochotona princeps?.
26. Lepus americanus?.
27. Lepus sp. indet.
28. Sciurus hudsonicus.
29. Sciuropterus alpinus?.
30. Marmota monax?.
31. Castor sp. indet.
32. Neotoma sp. indet.
33. Microtus chrotorrhinus?.
34. Synaptomys borealis?.
35. Synaptomys sp. indet.
36. Peromyscus leucopus?.
37. Napæozapus sp. indet.
38. Erethizon sp. nov.
On account of the present unstudied condition of the collection, it is
difficult to reach conclusions that are satisfactory. It appears,
however, that there are at least 6 hitherto undescribed species,
one-fifth of the whole number. Another 6, if at all correctly
determined, indicate a wide removal from their ranges of the present
day. _Lepus americanus_ now lives well toward the north, coming down to
Saginaw, Michigan. _Ochotona princeps_ lives in the Rocky Mountains of
British America. _Synaptomys borealis_ is known only from the region
about Great Bear Lake, Mackenzie, Canada. _Microtus chrotorrhinus_ has
its habitat in Quebec and the northeastern United States. The species of
_Napæozapus_ are Canadian in their range, but descend to southeastern
Maryland and to North Carolina in the mountains. _Sciuropterus alpinus_
is found from Alaska to Hudson Bay, but descends on the Pacific coast to
southern California. This northern habitat of so many supposed species
suggests that the fissure received its contents during one of the
glacial stages, and this may be the case. However, it is not unlikely
that these species and some others are really undescribed ones. One may
reasonably expect to find in a fauna containing _Equus_ and _Tapirus_ a
much higher percentage of extinct species than Gidley has recorded.
The most remarkable member of the fauna is _Taurotragus americanus_, a
species closely related to the eland of southern Africa (Gidley, Smiths.
Misc. Coll., vol. LX, No. 27). Its presence in western Maryland gives a
vivid impression of the widely extended journey that some animals have
made from one continent to others. The same species has since been found
in collections made at Alton, Illinois (p. 339), and at Kimmswick,
Missouri (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, p. 113).
According to the author’s views, the fauna found at Cumberland, like
that of localities in western Virginia, belongs to a time somewhere
about the middle of the Pleistocene. Most of the species may be supposed
to have lived there during the warm Sangamon stage; others, as the
wolverine, at a somewhat earlier or later time when the climate was
cooler.
VIRGINIA.
For the student of Pleistocene vertebrate palæontology, as for the
geologist, Virginia may be divided into three physiographic regions, the
Coastal Plain, the Piedmont Plateau, and the Appalachian Mountains. The
line which divides the Coastal Plain from the Piedmont Plateau begins at
the southern boundary of the State, at about 77° 31′ longitude. The
towns on or not far from this nearly north-and-south line are Emporia,
Petersburg, Richmond, Hanover, and Fredericksburg. Near the latter the
line inclines slightly eastward and passes a few miles west of
Alexandria and Washington, D. C. The Coastal Plain is much less elevated
than the region west of it and consists of deposits of Mesozoic or
Cenozoic age, and much of it is covered by Pleistocene materials. The
Plateau region is elevated and consists mostly of Palæozoic rocks,
mostly metamorphosed into a crystalline condition. The Appalachian
region presents nearly parallel ranges of mountains and intervening
valleys.
For a knowledge of the Pleistocene geology of the Coastal Plain the
reader should consult Bulletin iv, 1912, of the Virginia Geological
Survey. The authors who discuss the physiography and geology of this
region are William B. Clark and Benjamin L. Miller. On pages 19 to 45
they present a very full bibliography of the geological literature
pertaining to this region. Additional valuable assistance may be
obtained from the various folios issued by the United States Geological
Survey, but unfortunately not many species of vertebrate animals have
been found on this Coastal Plain of Virginia.
In Bulletin IV, already mentioned, Clark and Miller recognize the
presence of three terraces belonging to the Pleistocene. To these are
given the names applied in Maryland and North Carolina to what are
regarded as equivalent terraces. The oldest of these, most elevated and
farthest from the coast, is the Sunderland; eastward of this lies the
Wicomico; the Talbot is the youngest and lowest and borders the coast.
Unfortunately, the geologists referred to did not map the areas occupied
individually or collectively by these terraces. They accept the theory
that these terraces were laid down in the sea. It is admitted,
nevertheless, that no marine fossils are found in deposits of the
Sunderland and Wicomico. In the Talbot, 26 species of marine mollusks
have been reported from Talbot deposits of the Dismal Swamp Canal, all
regarded as belonging to living species. It will be recollected that
Woolman (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1898, p. 414), in a study of
mollusks collected in the Dismal Swamp Canal, found 7 extinct species in
a collection of 49 species, equal to about 16 per cent. It is, however,
not unlikely that the collections had been dredged up from deeper
deposits.
In Bulletin V of the Virginia Geological Survey, on page 25, Sanford
stated that the Talbot had a width of 30 miles at the south. On
consulting Stephenson’s map of the superficial formations of the Coastal
Plain in North Carolina (North Carolina Geol. Surv., vol. III, plate
XIII) it will be seen that this corresponds quite exactly with the width
of the Pamlico formation at that line. For the writer’s views on the
terraces named the reader may consult page 346 on the geology of
Maryland.
On page 113 is recorded the discovery of a tooth of a mastodon in a
marsh near Disputanta, in Prince George’s County. Not enough is known
about the geology of the region to say more than that the deposit
belongs to the Pleistocene.
About 6 miles east of Williamsburg, a little more than 100 years ago,
remains which pretty certainly belonged to the genus _Mammut_ and
probably to the species _M. americanum_ (p. 113) were discovered, said
to have been found on the banks of York River; but by this was probably
meant the banks of the flood-plain. The bones were found in marsh mud
and were surrounded by roots of cypress trees. The adjacent bank was 20
feet higher than this level. The topographical map of the Williamsburg
Quadrangle shows that an abrupt rise of this amount is to be found only
about 10 miles away from the river. Whether the cypress roots were those
of trees that had grown within recent years or whether they were remains
of a Pleistocene forest, such as was exposed at Tappahannock, Essex
County (Bull. IV, p. 186), the writer does not know. The information at
hand about this case does not make it possible to pronounce on the
geological age of the mastodon.
On page 28 an account is given of the discovery of a skull of a walrus
on the Atlantic coast of Virginia, at Accomac. It had doubtless been
washed up by the sea from a Pleistocene deposit. It is easiest to
suppose that the walrus had been driven southward along the coast during
the Wisconsin glacial stage; but possibly this happened during an
earlier glacial time.
No vertebrate fossils of Pleistocene age appear to have come to light
anywhere on the Piedmont Plateau, and little or nothing is known about
its Pleistocene geology.
From the geological surveys we get little information about the
Pleistocene formations of the Appalachian region. At most, mention is
made of soils of undetermined age along the streams; and yet from this
region have been obtained a very considerable number of Pleistocene
vertebrates.
From Mr. Wyndham Robinson, of Abingdon, Washington County, the U. S.
National Museum received in 1869 a tooth of _Mammut americanum_ (p. 113)
and one of _Equus complicatus_ (p. 189). Nothing has been learned
regarding the conditions under which they were unearthed. The
horse-tooth points to an age preceding the Wisconsin drift.
From Saltville, in Smyth County, the following forms have been obtained:
Crocodylus sp. indet.
Megalonyx dissimilis (p. 34).
Equus sp. indet. (p. 190).
Odocoileus? sp. indet. (p. 231).
Cervalces sp. indet.
Bison sp. indet. (p. 259).
Mammut americanum (p. 113).
Elephas primigenius (p. 145).
That a crocodile should have lived in this region during the Pleistocene
is remarkable. _Megalonyx dissimilis_ is otherwise known only from
Natchez, Mississippi, from deposits which appear to be of about
Illinoian or Sangamon age. The horse-tooth points to about this time or
earlier, while the other species do not contradict this conclusion. The
astragalus referred to _Odocoileus_ probably belongs to some other
genus.
Mr. M. D. Mount sent to the U. S. National Museum remains of _Bison_ (p.
259), _Mammut americanum_ (p. 113), and _Elephas primigenius_ (p. 145).
These, he reported, had been found at a depth not greater than 8 feet in
excavating for the city reservoir. He has written that the valley of
Holston River at Saltville, within about 80 years, had been a lake, at
least at certain times of the year, and that the reservoir was excavated
at the margin of this low area.
Mr. O. A. Peterson (Ann. Carnegie Mus., vol. XI, 1917, pp. 469–474)
reported from this place the crocodile, the megalonyx, cervalces, the
supposed deer, the horse-tooth, and remains of mastodons. The bones were
found in a sink-hole, in a layer of coarse gravel, pebbles and
cobblestones, a fact indicating that a stream of some size had occupied
the place. Overlying this layer was one in which there were fragments of
large river shells. The bone layer appears to have been only about 4
feet from the surface. Peterson concluded that at the close of the
Pleistocene or later the remains had been moved and redeposited from
some place not far away, but this would not affect the geological age of
the fossils and it is evident that remains of vertebrates are widely
dispersed in that valley. All the species reported are extinct, but only
large forms were secured.
Professor Cope, probably in 1868, found the following 24 species. He did
not state the localities exactly, except that they were along New River,
in Wythe County. Two were on the land of Abraham Painter. The writer
applied to the surveyor of the county named and has been informed that
the farm which belonged to Abraham Painter is on New River, near the
town of Ivanhoe. The nomenclature of the species has been revised. The
species preceded by a dagger are extinct.
†Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 34).
Castor fiber.
Neotoma floridana?
Marmota monax.
Peromyscus leucopus.
†Tamias lævidens.
†Sciurus panolius.
Sylvilagus floridanus.
Blarina sp. indet.
Vespertilio sp. indet.
†Tapirus haysii (p. 204).
†Equus complicatus? (p. 190).
†Mylohyus nasutus (p. 221).
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 231).
†Bison sp. indet. (p. 260).
†Ursus amplidens.
Procyon lotor.
Spilogale putorius.
†Myxophagus spelæus.
Crotalus sp. indet.
Amyda sp. indet.
Terrapene sp. indet.
Cryptobranchus sp. indet.
At least 9 of the 24 species are extinct. None of the recorded species
requires us to refer the deposit to early Pleistocene times. _Ursus
amplidens_ was described from the deposits at Natchez. This and _Tapirus
haysii_, _Equus complicatus_, and _Mylohyus nasutus_ point to middle
Pleistocene, apparently about to Illinoian or Sangamon times.
Cope reported that the teeth and bones were found in a cave breccia.
This consisted of a number of irregular masses which occupied
“depressions and short galleries” in the southeast side of a line of
hills. When those masses were excavated from their beds the floor and
roof of a portion of a cave were exposed, with the stalactites,
stalagmites, and usual incrustations. It would appear, therefore, that
at some time in the early Pleistocene or in the late Pliocene the caves
had been formed through the effect of streams of carbonated waters on
the limestone; that in some way the bones and teeth of the animals
listed above had got into the cave; that by a change in the amount or
character of the water the caves had gradually filled up; and that
afterwards the limestone which contained these caves had undergone great
erosion.
Further north, in the valley of Jackson River at Covington, there is
evidently a deposit of Pleistocene clay, for in it at a depth of 12 feet
was found a tooth of a mastodon (p. 114). Another mastodon tooth was
found near Hot Springs, at the head of Wilson Creek, in Bath County,
possibly in similar deposits (p. 114). In Augusta County an unidentified
species of horse (p. 190) and the peccary _Platygonus_ (p. 221) have
been discovered.
WEST VIRGINIA.
So far as the writer has learned, vertebrate remains belonging to the
Pleistocene have been found in West Virginia in only eight places and
only seven species are represented: _Mammut americanum_ (p. 115),
_Elephas_ sp. indet. (p. 179), _Equus niobrarensis?_ (p. 190), _Symbos
cavifrons_ (p. 254), _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ (p. 34), _Odocoileus
virginianus?_ (p. 231), and a peccary (p. 221). The horse appears to
indicate an early Pleistocene time, possibly pre-Kansan, but all the
other species continued from at least the Aftonian stage through to the
Late Wisconsin. The specimens, therefore, do not help us to determine
the age of the deposits in which they are found.
No part of the State lies within the glaciated area; hence, during the
whole of the Pleistocene epoch its surface was subjected to weathering
and to the erosion of running water. At times the streams built up
deposits on their beds. Later they deepened their channels and left a
part of their former deposits as terraces. At a still later time the
deposition and deepening may have been repeated, and as a result there
is sometimes a series of terraces one above another. The age of these
terraces and their origin have been the subjects of a good deal of
controversy.
In the Masontown-Uniontown Folio (U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 82), M. R.
Campbell has discussed the terraces along the Monongahela River, which
occur at an altitude of about 1,000 feet above sea-level and perhaps 150
feet above the present river. Also more than 100 feet above the present
river are old abandoned river channels which are now partially filled
up.
In 1911 (U. S. Geol. Surv. Folio 178, pp. 11–13), E. W. Shaw and M. J.
Munn described the Quaternary of the Foxburg and Clarion quadrangles in
Pennsylvania, where the same Pleistocene problems are involved. They
present an account of the different views regarding the high-level
terraces and the abandoned channels. They concluded, as did Campbell,
that these terraces and channels dated back to the early Pleistocene and
probably to the Kansan stage. Figure 17 is a reproduction of Shaw and
Munn’s figure 10, on their page 12. It represents a section across
Allegheny River at Parker’s Landing, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The
uppermost gravels in the figure would be those of supposed Kansan age;
while the lowermost are those laid down during the last glacial stage,
the Wisconsin. In the materials of the high terraces one may expect to
find fossil vertebrates of the early Pleistocene, as in the case of the
mastodon reported from Stewartstown, West Virginia (p. 116). The
conditions of burial should, however, be carefully studied and recorded;
for it would be possible for remains to be left at a later time on such
a terrace and to be covered up by earth washed down from above.
On page 254 an account is given of finding a musk-ox skull near
Steubenville, Ohio, on a terrace about 75 feet above the low-water mark.
The region of the western part of West Virginia, western Pennsylvania,
and northeastern Ohio is interesting because of its history during the
late Pleistocene. The reader is referred to Leverett’s monograph, “The
Glacial Formations and Drainage Features of the Erie and Ohio Basins”
(Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. XLI, 1902, pp. 88–158, with figs.).
Leverett essays to show that the upper part of the Ohio River, the
Allegheny, and the Monongahela with its branches at one time emptied
into Lake Erie. The connection was made through Beaver River, which now
flows into the Ohio, and Grand River, in eastern Ohio, now emptying into
Lake Erie. When the Wisconsin ice filled Lake Erie and occupied its
southern shore the mouth of Grand River was dammed and the water could
escape only to the south. The flow was reversed, and after it had
reached the top of the divide it entered the stream that then
represented the head of the Ohio. When at length the mouth of Grand
River was reopened, the new channel had been cut so deep that most of
the streams of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia continued to flow
down the Ohio. Leverett’s figure representing the preglacial drainage of
the upper Ohio region is here reproduced (fig. 10).
NORTH CAROLINA.
(Map 39.)
Our knowledge of the Pleistocene geology of North Carolina is at present
confined almost wholly to the Coastal Plain of the State. The most
recent general discussions of the geology of this region are found in
volume III of the North Carolina Geological and Economic Survey, 1912.
The authors who contributed to this volume are William Bullock Clark,
Benjamin L. Miller, L. W. Stephenson, B. L. Johnson, and Horatio N.
Parker. L. W. Stephenson has furnished an article on the Cretaceous
deposits, and in his numerous geological sections he has referred to the
Pleistocene materials there found. Benjamin L. Miller wrote on the
Tertiary formations and likewise noted the Pleistocene materials found
in his sections. The most important part of the volume for the student
of the Pleistocene is Stephenson’s article on “The Quaternary
Formations,” which occupies pages 266 to 290. Clark, Miller, and
Stephenson united in a chapter on the “Geological History of the Coastal
Plain of North Carolina.” Clark, besides, deals with the “Correlation of
the Coastal Plain Formations.” In addition to numerous plates and
text-figures, a colored map shows the area covered by the surficial
formations of the Coastal Plain and another the distribution of the
formations exclusive of the surficial. Finally, Miller and Stephenson
presented a bibliography which includes 150 titles, occupying pages 44
to 73.
According to Clark and Stephenson, the Pleistocene of North Carolina
comprises five formations; the oldest is the Coharie, farthest removed
from the coast and lying back against the so-called Lafayette, itself
supposed, with some doubt, to belong to the Pliocene. Toward the coast
there come in, in succession of position and time, the Sunderland, the
Wicomico, the Chowan, and the Pamlico. These formations are described as
forming more or less well-defined terraces having higher and higher
elevations as they are followed back from the coast. The Pamlico nowhere
exceeds 25 feet above sea-level. The Chowan varies in elevation from
about 25 feet to about 50 feet. The Wicomico formation slopes from about
50 feet up to about 90 or 100 feet. The Wicomico may attain elevations
of from 140 to 150 feet at the western border. The Coharie varies from
about 160 feet along its eastern border to as much as 235 feet along its
western border. From its western border each formation sends up the
rivers prolongations into or across the next formation toward the west.
Each terrace may present along its coastward border an escarpment of
varying elevation and obviousness. The Coharie and Sunderland formations
are regarded by the authors named as being correlated with the
Sunderland of Virginia and Maryland, although the Coharie may be really
Pliocene. The Wicomico is equivalent to that called by the same name in
the States farther north, while the Chowan and the Pamlico together are
correlated with the Talbot of Virginia and Maryland.
The area occupied by the Pamlico is extremely narrow or absent along the
southernmost third of the coast of the State. At longitude 77° the
boundary between it and the Chowan turns and runs north, very slightly
to the east, striking the northern boundary of the State at about 76°
15′. Just south of Albemarle Sound its width east and west is nearly
equal to that of all the other Pleistocene formations at that latitude,
taken together.
Clark, Miller, and Stephenson (op. cit., p. 300) accept the theory of
McGee that during Lafayette times, probably in the late Pliocene, the
Coastal Plain was depressed some 500 feet below its present level and
covered by the sea. Into this sea were poured, by the rivers coming down
from the higher lands to the west, the clay, sand, and gravel, sometimes
boulders, which make up the so-called Lafayette. Somewhat later the
region was uplifted enough to expose the Lafayette deposits and they
suffered erosion. When the Coharie formation began to be laid down the
sea-level must have been about 160 feet higher than at present; it
continued to rise until it reached an elevation of about 200 feet. A
subsidence and a succeeding elevation occurred, during which the
Sunderland terrace was produced. In like manner the succeeding deposits
and terraces are supposed, by the geologists named, to have been
formed—the Wicomico, the Chowan, and the Pamlico.
One objection already offered (p. 346) to this theory to account for the
deposits belonging to the Lafayette and the formations of the
Pleistocene is that, instead of beds of sea-shells, remains of marine
fishes, porpoises, and whales, there are found scattered here and there
over this region the bones and teeth of elephants, mastodons, horses,
and other land animals. In maintaining this objection it is not
necessary to assume that the lower parts of the Pleistocene area have
never been submerged.
The writer has caused to be prepared a map showing the geographical
distribution of the five formations referred (in the work cited) to the
Pleistocene. It is based on the maps found in that volume. It shows also
the localities where fossil vertebrates have been discovered, and where
marine fossils and land plants have been secured (map 39).
One difficulty met with in our study of the distribution of the finds of
extinct vertebrates in North Carolina, as elsewhere, arises from
carelessness in recording and preserving proper data. In several cases
here to be considered, no more is known than that a fossil has been
found in a certain county. Happily, more is known in many other cases.
Examination shows that no fossil vertebrates are known to have been
found in North Carolina within the area of the Coharie formation, but
that mastodons have been met with in the areas of all four of the other
formations as laid down in Stephenson’s map, plate XIII of the work
cited above. Horse remains, too, seem to have occurred within all the
areas last noted. This does not mean necessarily that these remains were
buried in the corresponding formations. A mastodon may have lived long
after the Sunderland was laid down and his remains have become buried in
some isolated deposit, say of Pamlico times; or, the remains may be
found within the area of Pamlico, but really buried in underlying
Chowan. Each case must be decided on the evidence bearing on it.
Mention is made on page 155 of the finding of a tooth of _Elephas
columbi_ about 9 miles below Wilmington. Whether this was buried in
Pamlico deposits close along Cape Fear River, in Chowan deposits which
prevail there, or beneath these, in Wicomico, it is impossible to say. A
short distance below this place was found a tooth of _Mammut
americanum_.
On page 190 is given an account of the discovery of a tooth of _Equus
leidyi_ in what was supposed to be Miocene marl in the vicinity of
Elizabethtown, on Cape Fear River, in Bladen County. Miller (op. cit.,
p. 248) states that the Pleistocene about Elizabethtown rests usually
directly on the Cretaceous, but that south of the town are found some
patches of Miocene marls. The region about this town is mostly occupied
by the Sunderland formation, but the Wicomico extends up the river far
above the place. It is, however, mapped as lying mostly on the north
side of the river. It seems pretty certain that the horse-tooth occurred
in the Sunderland, probably at its base.
Mastodon remains, as stated on page 115, have been found in Pender
County, but where is not known. Along the coast is a narrow strip of
Pamlico. The southeastern half of the county is occupied by the Chowan,
the northwestern by the Wicomico.
Mastodon teeth have been found in Duplin County, but there is no record
as to exact locality, depth, or matrix. The southeastern two-thirds of
the county is covered by deposits of the Wicomico, the northwestern
third by Sunderland. The mastodon probably belongs to one or the other
of these. The Pleistocene deposits are, however, underlain by Tertiary
rocks, and possibly the mastodon came from these and belongs to a
different genus.
On page 116 will be found an account of remains of a mastodon, probably
_Mammut americanum_, which was found near Jacksonville, in Onslow
County. Three of the supposed Pleistocene formations are found near
Jacksonville. The Pamlico comes up the New River quite to the town.
Immediately at the town is (following Stephenson’s map) the Chowan. The
southeastern border of the Wicomico comes down nearly to the town. In
which of the three areas the teeth were discovered we do not know. A
case is here furnished which illustrates the need of most accurate
observation and record of locality, depth, and character of materials.
As stated on page 116, teeth and tusks of _Mammut americanum_ have been
obtained at Maysville, Jones County. The writer does not know exactly
the place where the remains were discovered. The region about Maysville
is occupied by the Chowan formation, but the Pamlico sends an extension
up White Oak River as far as Maysville.
Remains of both _Mammut_ and _Elephas_ have been reported from Carteret
County. In 1828 (see p. 117) Elisha Mitchell stated that remains of the
elephant and mastodon had been met with in digging the Clubfoot and
Harlow Canal. This canal passed from Neuse River to Newport River. In
1876 (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 35, 44th Congr., p. 17) S. T. Abert
transcribed, from an earlier report made by Professor Olmstead, a
geological section taken in this canal. The excavation went to a depth
of 16 feet. The uppermost of the four layers consisted of the peaty mold
usually found in the swamp. The next layer was made up of a
yellowish-brown potter’s clay. The third layer consisted of sand and was
full of sea-shells and fossil remains of “mammoths” (mastodons) and
elephants. The shells belonged to species now found near Cape Lookout,
principally conch, scallop, and clam. The layer below this was blue
clay. In the case here presented there can hardly be a doubt that the
stratum containing the shells and the bones belonged to a Pleistocene
formation older than that assigned to the Pamlico.
On page 145 is described a tooth of _Elephas primigenius_, dredged up in
Core Creek, forming part of the Inland Waterway in Carteret County. The
conclusion seems unavoidable that this boreal animal had been driven to
this southern latitude during one of the glacial stages, and one
naturally thinks of the latest one, the Wisconsin; but it may have been
at a much earlier time. A mastodon jaw has been secured in the same
canal.
Doubtless the locality in North Carolina, the most important to the
student of Pleistocene vertebrate palæontology, is that reported long
ago on the northern shore of Neuse River, 16 miles below Newbern. As
stated on page 117, in a mention of the mastodon bones discovered, H. B.
Croom seems first to publish a statement concerning the animal remains
found there. Some of his identifications were certainly wrong. According
to Harlan (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLIII, 1842, p. 143), there were
secured remains of elephant, mastodon, hog, elk, deer, horse, seal,
cetaceans, a tortoise, snake, fish, shark, and skate. As in another
case, Harlan may have mistaken worn teeth of _Bison_ for teeth of the
hog (_Sus_). For our purpose the most important animals of the list are
the elephant, the mastodon, and the horse. According to Croom, the
animal remains were found in a marl pit. He was informed by the owner
that in an upper layer there were found teeth of sharks and fragments of
bones of marine fishes, mingled with sea-shells. In a deeper layer, 20
to 25 feet below the surface, there occurred the remains of land
animals, together with sea-shells of great variety. Croom thought that
some teeth belong to the hyena, and Foster reported the hippopotamus;
but in both cases the identifications were wrong.
Conrad (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XXVIII, 1835, pp. 107–110; Proc. Nat.
Inst. Prom. Sci., vol I, pp. 191–192) reported that the bones of animals
found here were water-worn, black, and silicified. He concluded that
they had been brought down the Neuse River and mingled with sea-shells.
The fossiliferous stratum did not rise anywhere more than 10 feet above
the river. In the first publication quoted, Conrad published a list of
66 mollusks in this stratum, of which 7 were not yet known as living
species and 2 others are noted as new. According to this list, less than
90 per cent are recent. He referred the deposits to his newer Pliocene.
In the second publication cited he concluded that the stratum belonged
to the post-Pliocene. Stephenson (op. cit., p. 289) refers to the
investigations made at this locality. It is not improbable that the
deposit which furnished these fossils belongs to the earliest
Pleistocene stage, the Nebraskan. The same may be said about the coquina
rock mentioned by Stephenson which occurs at Old Fort Fisher, in New
Hanover County (op. cit., p. 289, plate XXVIII).
On page 115 the writer refers to a lower jaw of a mastodon found by the
geologist W. C. Kerr, near Goldsboro, and described by Joseph Leidy. The
jaw was reported to have been found in gravel overlying Miocene marl.
The writer believes that the mastodon belonged to the species _Mammut
progenium_. Goldsboro, on Neuse River, is near the western border of the
Sunderland formation, but the Wicomico is prolonged up the river far
above Goldsboro. According to Stephenson and Johnson (op. cit., p. 475),
Miocene sands and clays are found over a portion of the northern part of
the county (Wayne). The geological age of this mastodon depends more on
the age of the gravels in which it was found than on the age of the
terrace, although the writer is willing to concede an early Pleistocene
stage for the terrace.
A mastodon tooth has been found (see p. 117) somewhere in Wilson County.
The county is covered mostly by Pleistocene of Sunderland age, but a
small part of the western end is occupied by the Coharie; while,
according to Stephenson’s map, both the Chowan and the Wicomico follow
up Contentnea Creek into Wilson County. The geological age of the
mastodon is doubtful.
At Greenville, Pitt County, have been found remains of _Equus
complicatus_, perhaps also of another species of horse (see p. 191).
While supposed to have been found in Miocene marls, the tooth belonged
without doubt to the Pleistocene. Pitt County is occupied by four
Pleistocene formations, Pamlico, Chowan, Wicomico, and Sunderland. The
probability is that the horse-teeth were found in an early Pleistocene
deposit.
As indicated on page 117, remains of _Mammut americanum_ have been found
in Pitt County, possibly at Greenville.
As noted on page 117, a tooth of _Mammut americanum_ has been found at
or near Tarboro. Nothing more is known about its origin. At this place
are found deposits belonging to the Chowan, Wicomico, and Sunderland
formations; it is impossible to say from which the tooth was derived.
Emmons (Geol. Surv. North Carolina, 1852, p. 56) reported finding
mastodon bones in marl-pits on the farm of Mr. Knight, on the banks of
Tar River, in Nash County, 3 miles west of Rocky Mount. The same
Pleistocene deposits occur here as at Tarboro. The bones were supposed
to have been buried in Miocene marl, and this may have been true. If so,
they belonged to some other species of mastodon than _Mammut
americanum_.
On page 191 is given an account of the discovery of teeth of _Equus
leidyi_ which were washed up on the beach at Plymouth. This town is on
Roanoke River, several miles from Albemarle Sound, and on the border
between the Pamlico and the Chowan formations. Our determination of the
geological age of the teeth must be based on other evidence than that
furnished by the discoverers.
Elsewhere in this work is given an account of finding a part of a skull
of a walrus at Kitty Hawk. It was probably during the Wisconsin glacial
stage that this animal lived along the coast as far south as Charleston.
As to the geological age of the Pamlico formation, the geologists who
have contributed to the report of 1912, the volume cited, hold that it
belongs to late Pleistocene. The writer believes that the formation was
laid down at a much earlier time. The mastodon jaw and the tooth of
_Elephas primigenius_ found in the Inland Waterway Canal may have been
buried there during the prevalence of the Wisconsin ice epoch; but, on
the other hand, this may have happened during an older Pleistocene
stage.
It will be observed that the Pamlico becomes very narrow along the
southern third of the coast of North Carolina. In South Carolina it may
be represented by one of the older Pleistocene deposits recorded by
Sloan; in part possibly by the Wando clays or the Sea island sands. In
the author’s view, it is pretty certain that the Pleistocene molluscan
fauna which had been found in the Clubfoot and Harlow Canal and at the
locality below Newbern corresponds to the Wadmalaw in the vicinity of
Charleston. It seems to appear at the southeastern corner of the State,
at Southport, and again in the northeastern corner in Dismal Swamp.
According to Shaler (10th Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv., pt. I, 1890, p.
315), a collection of mollusks made near the northern border of the
swamp was submitted to Dr. W. H. Dall. There were 29 forms, of which 24
are yet existing, 5 extinct. There were, therefore, 17 per cent of
extinct forms. Dall regarded the deposits as belonging to the Pliocene;
the writer believes that they may be referred to the Nebraskan stage of
the Pleistocene.
From a study of mollusks collected later in the Dismal Swamp Canal,
Woolman (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1898, pp. 414–428) concluded that
they belonged to a time not earlier than late Pliocene and possibly as
late as the Pleistocene. Darton (U. S. Geol. Surv., Folio 80) referred
the deposits to the Pliocene. Stephenson (op. cit., p. 290) states that
recent investigations have led to the conclusion that the beds should be
referred to the Pleistocene. The parties in such a dispute may
compromise by referring the beds to the Nebraskan stage. It seems
probable that the Chowan formation belongs to a stage a little later
than these mollusk-bearing beds and represents a strip of old coast
marsh, inhabited by elephants, mastodons, horses, and various other
animals.
In discussing the causes which led to the production of Cape Hatteras,
Professor Shaler (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol XIV, 1872, p. 117)
remarked that the hard shelly limestone which comes to the surface just
above high-tide level along the shore of the mainland from Newbern to
the mouth of the Roanoke River looks much like the shell-bed found near
Charleston, South Carolina.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
To the reader who wishes to know what work has been done on the
Pleistocene geology of South Carolina, two papers may be recommended.
The first of these, historical in nature, was published in 1890 by
Professor Joseph A. Holmes (Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., vol. VII,
pp. 89–117), the second in 1905 by Dr. Griffith T. Pugh (Thesis,
Vanderbilt Univ., pp. 1–74). Those who have contributed most to a
knowledge of the palæontology of this formation are Tuomey, F. S.
Holmes, Leidy, Dall, Dall and Harris, Earle Sloan, and G. T. Pugh. J. A.
Holmes, Tuomey, F. S. Holmes, and Dall have made important contributions
to the knowledge of the invertebrate animals. For our knowledge of the
vertebrates we are indebted principally to F. S. Holmes and Joseph
Leidy. The author who has dealt most recently and in considerable detail
with the stratigraphy of the Pleistocene deposits is Earle Sloan, State
geologist (Bull. No. 2, ser. IV, South Carolina Geol. Surv., 1908, 479
pages). From these authorities we learn that, while the larger part of
the Coastal Plain may be to a greater or less extent overlain by
deposits referable to McGee’s Columbian, the deposits which bear fossils
are confined almost wholly to a narrow strip along the coast. In this
strip have been found the numerous mollusks listed and described by
Tuomey, F. S. Holmes, and W. H. Dall, as well as most of the species of
vertebrate fossils. The fossiliferous deposits do not usually extend
back from the coast more than about 10 miles.
Undoubtedly fossil-bearing Pleistocene deposits are to be found here and
there along all the rivers, perhaps to the western border of the Coastal
Plain. This is indicated by the discovery of remains of horses and
mastodons in Darlington and Richland counties. The thickness of the
Pleistocene deposits along the coast is said to amount to as much as 60
feet, but it is usually much less. Only a part of this is fossiliferous,
a bed that appears to vary in thickness from about 3 to 8 feet. This is
found as much as 8 feet above mean-tide level, sometimes below it. The
materials of this fossiliferous bed vary greatly. Sometimes they consist
almost entirely of shells of mollusks, in other cases of a blue mud or
sand, and with these may be mingled peaty materials, gravel, and again
rolled masses derived from the underlying deposits. The fossils
contained in the bed mentioned consist of mollusks, and in some places
bones and teeth of vertebrates occur in more or less abundance. The bed
is underlain often by deposits of Tertiary age. Bones and teeth of the
vertebrates, as fishes and cetaceans, that lived when those Tertiary
rocks were being deposited may occasionally have been washed into the
Pleistocene bed. Again, where the older and the newer beds are exposed
along the shores, fossils may be washed out of both and commingled on
the beach; then again, a great part of the fossils collected along this
coast of South Carolina have been rescued from the phosphate rock
gathered for commercial purposes. This has been to a great extent
dredged from the rivers; and thus remains of Pleistocene and of Tertiary
animals have been mixed indiscriminately together. It is often
impossible to determine to what formation a fossil may belong. To add to
the difficulty of the palæontologist, the vertebrate remains are
sometimes found washed out and mingled with bones or teeth of what
appear to have been domestic animals.
Beginning at the northern end of the South Carolina coast-line, the
first locality furnishing Pleistocene fossils is, or rather was (Pugh,
op. cit. p. 33), White (or Price’s) Creek, in Horry County. Here at a
height of about 5 feet above tide was found a bed approximately 6 feet
thick apparently thrown up on the shore by storms (Tuomey, Geol. Rep.,
1848, p. 187). No vertebrates have been reported from the locality. At
Laurel Hill, in the extreme northeastern corner of Georgetown County,
Tuomey (op. cit., pp. 187, 188) found a perpendicular bluff 30 feet
high, at the base of which was a bed 8 feet thick made up of sand and
broken shells. The top of the bed was 8 feet above tide, the highest
elevation reached by the bed along the South Carolina coast. Tuomey
mentions other localities around Georgetown where the fossiliferous bed
was discovered. One was on Santee River. No vertebrates appear to have
been met with in this region. In Christ Church parish, in Charleston
County, Tuomey discovered several exposures of the bed in question, and
this was sometimes so superficial as to be within reach of the plow.
Pugh (Pleistocene Deposits, etc., p. 34) quotes from F. S. Holmes a
section which was found at Goose Creek, north of Charleston, as follows:
Yellow sand 12 feet
Blue mud 29 feet
Ferruginous sand, containing bones, etc. 3 inches
Yellow sand 3 feet
Pliocene marl resting on Eocene white marl 12 feet
The bones occurred likewise in the blue mud, and such were especially
well preserved. Leidy (Holmes’s Post-Pl. Foss. S. C., p. 102) recounts
his observations at this locality; nevertheless, the only vertebrate
fossil that the writer finds credited by Leidy to this locality is a
tooth of _Equus fraternus_ (=_E. leidyi_), which he figured (plate XV,
fig. 8).
Dredging for phosphate rock has been carried on extensively in Cooper
River; but of Pleistocene vertebrate fossils secured here the writer has
record of only _Megatherium, mirabile_. This is represented in the
Charleston Museum by a portion of a lower jaw.
Wando River is situated northeast of Charleston, runs parallel with the
coast, and empties into Cooper River. From this have (according to the
writer’s knowledge) been secured only _Equus complicatus_ and a part of
a tusk of _Odobenus_. The latter is in the Charleston Museum. In most
cases no record has been kept of the origin of the specimens in
collections.
The Pleistocene bed along Ashley River is famous for the number of
fossil vertebrates which it has furnished. It has been described by F.
S. Holmes in various publications, especially in the Introduction to his
Post-Pleiocene Fossils of South Carolina, 1860, pages I-XII. In the same
work, on pages 99–100, Dr. Leidy briefly described the geological
character of the beds; and on subsequent pages he described the
vertebrate species found there. The principal beds were located on
Ashley River, about 10 miles above Charleston. According to Pugh
(“Pleistocene Deposits of South Carolina,” p. 34), the fossiliferous
deposits rest on Miocene marls. At the top are 4 feet of yellow sands
with bands of clay; below, is a foot or more of blue mud lying on the
Miocene. The bones are more numerous and best preserved in the blue mud.
The Pleistocene bed is elevated only a few feet above tide-level.
Inasmuch as nearly all the species of Pleistocene vertebrates which have
been found along the South Carolina coast have been secured along the
Ashley River, the few found elsewhere will be included in the following
list. Some of those marked found somewhere about Charleston may have
been collected in or along Ashley River. In this list the contractions
following the names signify as follows: A, Ashley River; B, the region
about Beaufort; C, somewhere around Charleston; C. r., Cooper River; E,
Edisto River; G. c., Goose Creek; J. i., John’s Island; S. r., Stone
River; W. r., Wando River; Y., Yonge’s or Young Island. The species
preceded by the dagger are extinct.
Odobenus rosmarus A., W. r. (p. 29).
Lynx ruff us C.
†Canis sp. indet. C.
Procyon lotor A.
†Arctodus pristinus A.
Ursus americanus C.
Sylvilagus floridanus? A.
†Hydrochœrus æsopi A.
†Hydrochœrus pinckneyi C. (p. 365).
†Castoroides ohioensis A. (p. 279).
Castor canadensis A.
Ondatra zibethica A.
†Elephas imperator C. (p. 162).
†Elephas columbi A., B. (p. 155).
†Mammut americanum A., B. (p. 118).
Mammut progenium (p. 118).
†Bison latifrons? A. (p. 260).
†Bison sp. indet. A. (p. 260).
†Alces runnymedensis C. (p. 364).
Cervus canadensis A. (p. 242).
Odocoileus virginianus? A. (p. 231).
Camelops sp. indet.
†Tagassu lenis A. (p. 222).
†Tagassu sp. indet.? A. (p. 222).
†Tapirus haysii A. (p. 204).
†Tapirus sp. indet. A. (p. 205).
†Equus complicatus A., W. r., B. (p. 192).
†Equus leidyi A., J. i., G. c., S. r., B. (p. 192).
†Equus littoralis C. (p. 193).
†Hipparion venustum A.
†Physeter vetus A.
†Trichechus antiquus A.
†Megatherium mirabile A., C. r., S. r. (p. 35).
†Mylodon harlani A. (p. 35).
†Megalonyx jeffersonii B. (p. 35).
†Didelphis virginiana J. i.
†Alligator mississippiensis A.
†Pseudemys sp. indet. A.
†Testudo crassiscutata? A.
Trichiurus lepturus Y.
†Istiophorus robustus Y.
†Ischyrhiza mira? A.
Lepisosteus osseus A.
Dasyatis hastata? Y.
Besides the species enumerated, the early collectors found remains which
were identified as belonging to such domestic animals as the dog, ox,
sheep, and hog. Leidy rejected these as Pleistocene species, while
Holmes and Agassiz accepted them as such. Possibly the supposed dog was
in reality a wolf and the supposed ox a bison. Small teeth like those of
cows are fossilized as are the teeth of extinct animals. At Bee’s Ferry
on Ashley River the fossiliferous bed has a thickness of 3.5 feet and is
at about high-water mark. It is overlain by from 15 to 20 feet of loose
sands.
By far the most of the species have been entered in the list on the
authority of Joseph Leidy. Only F. S. Holmes reported the elk (_Cervus
canadensis_), and the writer has seen two teeth of the species at the
Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia credited to Charleston.
Holmes also reported _Glyptodon_, but that is not included in the list.
_Lynx ruffus_, _Ursus americanus_, _Hydrochœrus pinckneyi_, _Elephas
imperator_, _Bison latifrons_, _Alces runnymedensis_, _Camelops_ sp.,
and _Equus littoralis_ are included on the evidence of specimens seen by
the writer in the Charleston Museum or in some of the other collections
made on the coast of South Carolina. Loomis has recently (Amer. Jour.
Sci., vol. XLV, 1918, p. 438) described a specimen of _Mammut progenium_
(as _Mastodon americanus_) from near Charleston and another from near
Beaufort.
_Alces runnymedensis_ was first briefly referred to in Year Book No. 14
of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1915 (1916), page 387. The
name is based on an upper right hindermost milk molar in the Charleston
Museum (No. 13534). It is the property of Mr. Charles C. Pinckney. Where
the tooth was found is not known, but it was somewhere near Charleston,
in the phosphate-bearing area. The specific name is that of the estate
of the owner. The tooth closely resembles the corresponding one of
_Alces americanus_, but is larger and has a flatter crown. Only the
crown of the tooth is preserved, and of this a part of the enamel of the
inner anterior cone is broken off; otherwise it is in fine condition.
The color is very black. The following measurements are given of this
tooth and of the corresponding one of _Alces americanus_, No. 117055 of
the U. S. Biological Survey. The two teeth are only slightly worn.
_Measurements of milk molars of Alces, in millimeters._
┌────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ Dimensions taken. │A. americanum.│A. runnymedensis.│
├────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────┼─────────────────┤
│Length of tooth near outer border │ 24.0│ 25.5│
│Length of tooth at middle width │ 21.5│ 23.0│
│Width of tooth along front border │ 23.0│ 23.0│
│Width of tooth from median style to │ │ │
│ base of inner hinder cone │ 21.0│ 24.0│
└────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────┴─────────────────┘
The angle between the outer and inner faces of the hinder half of the
tooth is 54° in the tooth of the existing species, 64° in the fossil
tooth. On the grinding-surface the fossettes are wider than in the tooth
of the existing moose.
It is interesting to find this moose in the region about Charleston. We
must suppose that it lived there during one of the glacial stages,
probably when the walrus occupied that part of the coast.
In the Pinckney collection is a tooth of a capybara that deserves
attention. A figure of it is here presented (fig. 18), a side view.
Exactly where the tooth was found is not known, but it was somewhere in
the vicinity of Charleston. The tooth is the upper left hindermost
molar. In the figure the front end is directed toward the left hand.
There are present 17 plates. None of the plates either in front or
behind are missing. The free edges of the plates are not turned
backward. The length of the tooth is 62 mm., the width is 17.5, the
height of the plates on the inner face 37 mm., but probably the less
calcified bases of the plates have been destroyed.
[Illustration:
FIG. 18.—Side view of upper last molar of _Hydrochœrus pinckneyi_ from
Charleston, S. C. ×1. Type.
]
On the grinding-surface the plates run obliquely from the inside outward
and backward. As seen on the inner face, the plates, as they pass to the
grinding-surface, lean backward. The corresponding tooth of a capybara
from Surinam has a length of 37 mm. The length of its skull from foramen
magnum to the front of the snout is 215 mm. In case the skull of the
fossil was long in proportion to the length of the tooth, the length as
given above would be 360 mm., about 15 inches.
To this fine large species I give the name _Hydrochœrus pinckneyi_, in
honor of Mr. Charles C. Pinckney, the owner of a collection of fossils
from the region about Charleston and the proprietor of the estate of
Runnymede, near Lambs, South Carolina.
In the same collection is a part of the lower jaw, right side, of a
rather large wolf. In this jaw there remain the complete fourth
premolar, the roots of the third premolar, and one root of the second
(fig. 19).
The following measurements are taken from the fragment mentioned; from
the corresponding part of a jaw of _Ænocyon dirus_, No. 8307, from La
Brea, California; from the gray wolf, _Canis occidentalis_, from Fort
Simpson, British America, No. 9001, U. S. National Museum; and from the
type of _C. floridanus_, in the U. S. National Museum.
_Measurements of jaws and teeth of wolves, in millimeters._
┌───────────────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬────────────┬──────────┐
│ Parts measured. │ │ │ C. │ C. │
│ │Charleston│ La Brea │occidentalis│floridanus│
│ │ jaw. │ jaw. │ jaw. │ type. │
├───────────────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼────────────┼──────────┤
│Height of jaw in front │ │ │ │ │
│ of pm_{4} │ 28│ 32│ 33│ 21.5│
│Thickness at front of │ │ │ │ │
│ pm_{4} │ 14│ 16│ 14.2│ 10.2│
│Length of pm_{4} │ 18.5│ 20.2│ 18.5│ 14.5│
│Thickness of hinder │ │ │ │ │
│ lobe of pm_{4} │ 9.5│ 11│ 9.5│ 7│
│Thickness of front lobe│ 8.5│ 9.8│ 8.5│ 6.4│
└───────────────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴────────────┴──────────┘
The measurements show that the fossil is much too large to belong to the
wolf now inhabiting Florida. It appears also to be too small to belong
to the wolf _Ænocyon dirus_, and _A. ayersi_ was but little if any
smaller. The lower teeth of the latter species are not known. The
accordance in measurements with those of _C. occidentalis_ makes it
probable that the fossil jaw found at Charleston belonged to a wolf not
greatly different. With the materials at hand it is impossible to refer
the jaw specifically.
[Illustration:
FIG. 19.-Part of the right side of the lower jaw of an undetermined
species of wolf, showing premolar. Charleston, S. C. ×1.
]
Within the city of Charleston the bed bearing vertebrate fossils is said
to be several feet below tide-level. At Young Island, Wadmalaw Sound,
nearly 20 miles southwest of Charleston, the top of the fossil-bearing
stratum is at tide-level. This locality is otherwise known in the
literature as Simmons’s. The only Pleistocene vertebrate fossils that
the writer finds reported from the place are the fishes _Lepisosteus
osseus_ and _Trichiurus lepturus_.
In the region about Beaufort, the same fossil-bearing stratum, having
about the same composition and the same elevation, is met with in many
places. A few species of fossil vertebrates and many invertebrates have
been secured. Here have been found _Mammut americanum_ (p. 118),
_Elephas columbi_ (p. 155), _Equus complicatus_ (p. 191), and _Megalonyx
jeffersonii_ (p. 35).
A brief notice will be taken of the few known localities where, away
from the immediate coast, vertebrate fossils have come to light.
Tuomey, in 1848 (Rep. Geol. South Carolina, p. 177), in describing marls
found near Darlington, on the farm of G. W. Dargan, and which he
regarded as belonging to the Pliocene, reported the discovery of two
perfect molars of a mastodon (p. 118). The locality was in a swamp, and
the bed of marl was covered with 3 or 4 feet of black mud. The teeth
were immediately below the mud and enveloped in the marl. These teeth
belonged to _Mammut americanum_ and had been deposited at some time
during the Pleistocene. At another place fragments of the antlers of a
deer were found in the marl. In such cases the marls formed at one time
the surface of the ground, or more probably the bottom of a swamp; and
the Pleistocene bones and teeth might have been trampled down into the
marl by living animals. On page 119 is given an account of another
mastodon tooth discovered in the same county; and the teeth of a horse
have been reported as having been found, associated with those of the
mastodon (see p. 193).
In Lee County, adjoining Darlington County on the southwest, at a
locality “near Concord church,” between Lynch’s Creek and Black River,
Tuomey (op. cit., p. 178) found a bed of Pliocene marl about 4 feet
thick. From an excavation in this marl had been taken a tusk which
Tuomey regarded as that of a mastodon, but this may have belonged to an
elephant. In Berkeley County, at the head of Cooper River, there is, or
was, a morass known as Biggin Swamp. This was passed through in
constructing the Santee Canal. On page 156 is an account of the
discovery of remains of _Elephas columbi_ and of _Mammut americanum_; on
page 162, the finding of a tooth of _Elephas imperator_. The discovery
of the latter marks the age of the deposits as being about that of the
Aftonian interglacial.
It has been seen that at many points along the coast there is a
fossiliferous stratum varying from 2 to 8 feet. At most localities the
fossils consist principally of marine animals, especially mollusks, and
the deposits have evidently been laid down in salt water. Along Ashley
River and at some localities in the region about Beaufort it seems
evident that the surface was above, but not far above, sea-level, and
that it formed a swamp on which a great variety of land animals could
move about and feed. After death their bones would suffer the fate which
befalls them in such cases. Most of them would undergo decay. Parts
would be trampled into the muck, broken into fragments, and undergo
still further decay. Only the most durable parts, as the teeth, antlers,
and the more solid bones would usually stand a chance for preservation.
Apparently, on this coast, no considerable parts of one skeleton have
ever been found, or at least reported. In Charleston Museum are many
bones of a skeleton of _Megatherium_, but it is uncertain where it was
found.
The list of vertebrates referred to the Pleistocene of the South
Carolina coast contains 33 species of mammals, of which 24 appear to be
extinct. This high proportion of extinct species seems to confirm our
reference of the fauna to the early Pleistocene. Besides the extinct
forms, it is to be noted that within historical times the muskrat,
beaver, and elk have not lived in the region about Charleston.
Pugh (Pleist. Deposits S. C., p. 66), from a study of the Pleistocene
marine mollusca of South Carolina, has concluded that, if the
Pleistocene sea-temperature differed at all from that of the present, it
was slightly higher rather than slightly lower. It must be remembered,
however, that the Pleistocene represented a very long period of time and
that, farther north, the climate underwent great fluctuations. That
these fluctuations would not have affected the temperature of the sea
along the coast of the Carolinas is not probable. It is hardly
supposable that capybaras and manatees lived about Charleston at the
same time that the moose and the walrus were there. The latter had been
forced down there during some glacial stage, possibly the Wisconsin;
while the horses, tapirs, elephants, manatees, the mylodon, and the
megatherium had their existence, we may suppose, about the time of the
Aftonian. During this stage, too, lived the species of mollusks which
Pugh has elaborated. It would seem that after that time some change took
place in conditions, probably a slight elevation, so that little more
than beds of unfossiliferous sand and marls were deposited.
Professor Earle Sloan, in his “Mineral Localities of South Carolina”
(Bull. No. 2, ser. IV., South Carolina Geol. Surv.), has recognized the
following divisions in the marine Pleistocene of the State:
6. Sea Island loams.
5. Wando clays and sands.
4. Accabee gravels.
3. Bohicket marl-sands.
2. Wadmalaw marl.
1. Ten-Mile sands.
Of these, the fossiliferous deposits referred to above appear to belong
to the Wadmalaw marl. It may be confidently expected that somewhere
along the South Carolina coast, beneath the beds bearing the vertebrate
fossils, there will yet be discovered other Pleistocene deposits,
probably shell marls, which belong to the Nebraska stage.
GEORGIA.
The only part of Georgia at present of interest to the student of
vertebrate palæontology is that which lies immediately along the
Atlantic coast and along a few of the larger rivers. The northwestern
corner of the State is mountainous and probably contains little or no
Pleistocene. The Coastal Plain extends landward to a line which starts
at Augusta, on Savannah River, passes through Milledgeville and Macon,
and ends at Columbus, on the Chattahoochee. A large part of this region
is mantled by a deposit resulting from the decay of the underlying
rocks. These deposits are of uncertain age, a part belonging probably to
the Pleistocene, but the large part to the Pliocene or to still older
Tertiary. The Pleistocene has not yet been differentiated from the
remainder, and, in any case, has furnished no vertebrate fossils. For
information on the subject the reader may consult McGee (12th Ann. Rep.
U. S. Geol., Surv., pt. I, pp. 478–484), Spencer (Geol. Surv. Georgia,
1890–91, pp. 61–81), and Veatch and Stephenson (Bull. 26, Geol. Surv.,
Georgia, pp. 400–456).
The deposits in Georgia which can with certainty be referred to the
Pleistocene form a broad belt lying along the coast and extending
landward a distance of about 30 miles along Savannah River and about 60
miles at the Florida boundary line. For a description of these deposits
the reader is referred to Veatch and Stephenson’s article in Bulletin 26
just mentioned, pages 424–456. These deposits are disposed in two
terraces, a higher and older and a lower and younger. The older is named
the Okefenokee formation, the younger the Satilla formation. The
positions of these may be observed in the figure here presented, taken
from Bulletin 26 above referred to (fig. 20).
The Okefenokee terrace has a breadth of 20 to 40 miles and an elevation
of 60 to about 125 feet above sea-level. It forms a plain which Veatch
and Stephenson describe as in general flat and almost featureless. It is
dotted with cypress ponds and swamps, with here and there low ridges and
hills of sand. Along the larger streams which cross the plain are found
terraces supposed to have been laid down while the Okefenokee terrace
was forming; they extend far back into the State. In neither the main
terrace nor the fluviatile terraces have any fossils been found, except
a little silicified wood.
[Illustration:
FIG. 20.—The Coastal Plain of Georgia. Adapted from Veatch.
]
The Satilla Plain extends backward from the coast 20 to 30 miles and
varies in elevation from 15 to 40 feet. On the landward side it ends in
an escarpment which is taken, by the authors quoted, to be an old
sea-beach. Along the large rivers it is continued as a series of
terraces occupying a lower position than those of Okefenokee time.
According to Veatch and Stephenson, this formation consists of
unconsolidated clays, sands, and thin layers of gravel. The thickness
averages about 15 feet, but may become as much as 45 or 50 feet.
The Satilla deposits are fossiliferous. At various places, at some
distance from the coast, sea-shells occur, especially shells of oysters.
This shows that at times the plain, or at least some parts of it, has
been under sea-water. Bones and teeth of vertebrate animals have been
discovered at several localities, but at only two places have
identifiable materials been secured. The region about Brunswick and that
just south of Savannah have furnished important collections of
vertebrate animals.
During the years 1838 and 1839 an attempt was made to construct a canal
to connect Altamaha River with Turtle River at Brunswick. Some bones of
large mammals were met with and came to the notice of Hamilton Couper,
and through him became known to the scientific world. The most striking
was the great ground-sloth, of the genus _Megatherium_, and which Leidy
afterwards called _Megatherium mirabile_. At a more recent time, during
dredging operations, probably in the harbor, other remains were found
and turned over to the Geological Survey of Georgia. The fragmentary
bones and teeth were identified by Mr. J. W. Gidley (Bull. No. 26, Geol.
Surv. Georgia, p. 436).
The fragments of teeth regarded by Gidley as belonging to _Mammut
floridanum_ appear to the writer to represent _Gomphotherium
rugosidens_, a species rather common in that region and belonging to the
upper Miocene or Lower Pliocene. Four teeth identified as those of
_Physeter vetus_ or _Physeterula neolassicus_ appear to be identical
with Leidy’s _Orycterocetus quadratidens_; but this may be possibly the
same as _Physeterula neolassicus_ (=_P. dubusi_). It, too, is older than
the Pleistocene. From the two collections have been determined the
following list:
Castoroides ohioensis (p. 280).
Elephas columbi (p. 157).
Mammut americanum (p. 120).
Bison sp. indet. (p. 261).
Cervus? sp. indet. (p. 243).
Tapirus haysii (p. 206).
Equus complicatus (p. 193).
E. leidyi (p. 193).
E. littoralis (p. 193).
Megatherium mirabile (p. 36).
Mylodon harlani (p. 36).
Chelonia (??) couperi.
Crocodylus (?) sp. indet.
Lamna sp. indet.
Galeocerdo sp. indet.
Carcharodon sp. indet.
Dasyatis sp. indet.
With the bones found in the canal was a femur 13 inches long, which
Harlan described as _Chelonia couperi_, but which resembles more closely
that of some edentate mammal. Gidley stated that the shark-teeth
probably represent Eocene and Miocene species. This may be true, but the
supposition is not necessary, inasmuch as species of all three genera
are yet living on our Atlantic coast.
J. Hamilton Couper (Hodgson’s Memoir, pp. 37–40) has given an account of
the topography and geology of the region through which the Brunswick
Canal was being constructed (map 40). On one of the plates of the work
is a section from the ocean westward 21 miles. About 10 miles west of
St. Simon’s Island the canal passed through Six-mile Swamp. This is
connected at its northern end with Altamaha River, at the southern with
Turtle River. The swamp has thus the appearance of a lake which has
become filled with alluvial deposits. These consist of a compact clay,
usually yellow and impregnated with iron. There are thin strata of soft,
chalky marl and many fragments of petrified wood. At the bottom of this
deposit were found the bones of _Megatherium_, _Elephas_, _Mammut_,
_Equus_, and _Bison_. Beneath the clay stratum was sand with marine
shells. Overlying the clay was a thin stratum of vegetable and sandy
loam. The bones occurred at a depth of from 4 to 6 feet. In no instance,
except when they had been washed out into the salt-water creek, was
there any abrasion of the surface or incrustation of marine shells.
The geologist Charles Lyell (Second Visit, etc., vol. I, p. 347) stated
that part of a skeleton of a megatherium, dug out in cutting the canal,
was so near the surface that it was penetrated by the roots of a pine
tree. As a considerable number of the bones of one skeleton were found
together, Lyell supposed that a whole carcass had been floated down the
river to the spot.
Even before remains of fossil vertebrates had been found at Brunswick,
bones had been discovered at Skidaway Island, near Savannah. As early as
1823, S. L. Mitchill (Ann. N. Y. Lyc. Nat. Hist., vol. I, p. 58)
announced the finding of teeth of _Megatherium_ at this place. More than
20 bones of the same animal were reported from the same locality in 1824
by William Couper. In 1846 (Hodgson’s “Memoir on Megatherium,” pp.
25–30), Dr. Joseph Habersham published a list of the species discovered
up to that time. Lyell (Second Visit, etc., vol. I, p. 313) gave an
account of his visit to the locality and noted the species obtained. The
following list appears to contain all found there:
Elephas columbi (p. 157).
Mammut americanum (p. 120).
Bison sp. indet. (p. 262).
Equus leidyi? (p. 194).
Megatherium mirabile (p. 36).
Mylodon harlani (p. 37).
Terrapene canaliculata.
The box-tortoise _Terrapene canaliculata_ was described by the writer in
1907 (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. XXIII, p. 850, figs. 5–7) on
fragmentary materials found in the U. S. National Museum. These had been
sent there by Dr. J. P. Scriven, who had been active in collecting the
fossil vertebrates about Savannah. Whether the remains of this
box-tortoise were found on Skidaway Island or in Whitemarsh Island is
uncertain.
Besides these species, found on Skidaway island, two species, _Mammut
americanum_ and _Mylodon harlani_, have been found at Heyner’s (or
Hainer’s) Bridge. This is about 7 miles south of Savannah, where the
road crosses Vernon Creek (Lyell, “Travels in North America,” vol I, pp.
163–164). Here the stream is called White Bluff Creek. In order that the
reader may get a clear understanding of the conditions at this important
locality, a map found in Hodgson’s Memoir is reproduced (map 40).
The whole region south of Savannah, between the mouths of Savannah and
Ogeechee Rivers, is low and much divided into islands by streams
connected with the rivers mentioned. A considerable part of these
islands consists of marshes, which are usually overflowed by the tides.
Most of the fossil bones were found along the southern bank of Skidaway
River, in two places, apparently about 0.5 mile apart and near the
western end of the island. On the map Hodgson has named the locality
Fossilossa. Here Skidaway River made a bend which caused the bank to be
eroded away, thus exposing the bones. According to Couper (Hodgson’s
Memoir, p. 40), the bones were embedded in the marsh formation at about
the level of very low-water. Lyell (Second Visit, etc., vol. I, p. 314)
stated that the bones occurred in a dark peaty soil, or marsh mud, above
which was a stratum of sand 3 or 4 feet thick; while below the peaty
soil and below sea-level was sand containing many marine fossil shells,
all belonging to species yet living on the neighboring coast.
The authors quoted state that at various places along the Georgia coast
are found stumps of trees, cypress, cedar, and pine, in the deposits of
the salt marshes and at a depth of from 2 to 4 feet below high-water.
This is taken as evidence of subsidence in that region.
It is a matter of importance to know how those animal remains reached
their place of burial. It has been suggested that whole carcasses had
been floated down the streams and sunken where the bones are found. This
is possible, but not probable. The peaty nature of the deposit inclosing
the bones appears to be opposed to this view; nor could disarticulated
bones have been washed down far from above, for they show no signs of
attrition. The most probable explanation is that these animals lived and
died about where their bones were discovered. At some past time the
surface stood at a higher level than at present, although low enough to
be more or less marshy. It probably supported a dense forest growth, and
hither the species listed above resorted, with many others not yet
discovered.
The animals inhabiting the region represent the same fauna found at so
many places in Florida and Texas. The writer believes that they existed
during the early part of the Pleistocene, approximately during the
Aftonian interglacial; and that some of the species, as _Megatherium_,
_Mylodon_, _Equus_, and _Tapirus haysii_ became extinct before the
advent of the Wisconsin glacial stage, probably a long time before this.
FLORIDA.
(Maps 7, 8, 15.)
For the most recent descriptions of the geology of Florida one must
consult the Annual Reports of the Florida Geological Survey, issued by
the State geologist, Dr. E. H. Sellards, and Water supply Paper 319 of
the U. S. Geological Survey, prepared by George C. Matson and Samuel
Sanford and published in 1913. In the latter work are two large maps,
one representing the topography of the State and the distribution of the
various geologic formations; the other presents a generalized view of
the distribution of Pleistocene terraces, as recognized by Matson and
Sanford. The Second Annual Report of the Florida Geological Survey
contains a map similar to the first mentioned.
From these maps it will be seen that the surface of Florida is largely
occupied by Pleistocene deposits. According to Matson and Sanford, these
deposits present themselves as disposed mostly in three principal
terraces; and these are believed to indicate that the State was at one
time largely submerged beneath the sea and that its present condition
was attained after three principal upward movements. As shown on plate V
of the geologists just named, the northern half of the peninsula at the
time of greatest depression was represented by a number of islands, two
of considerable size. One of these was situated at the northern end of
the peninsula, the other near its center. The materials laid down around
these islands and bordering the dry land along the northern border of
the western half of the State form what is called the Newberry terrace.
Its surface stands now at a height varying from 70 to somewhat more than
100 feet above sea-level. A second elevation exposed the deposits which,
at least in part, constitute the next terrace, the Tsala Apopka. Its
surface is a plain having an elevation of 40 to 60 feet above sea-level.
At this stage the islands of the peninsula had coalesced, and the dry
land extended southward nearly to the present Lake Okeechobee. A broad
belt along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, now dry land, was still
occupied by salt water. A third elevation of the land left exposed the
lowest terrace, the Pensacola, that bordering the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts and including the southern end of the peninsula somewhat farther
north than Lake Okeechobee. The elevation of this terrace varies from
that of sea-level up to about 40 feet.
The materials composing the terraces in Florida are principally sand
with local deposits of clays. In the southern part of the State
important beds of limestone are found in the Pensacola terrace. These
beds are shown on Matson and Stanford’s geological map. At St. Augustine
and along the coast southward are beds of sea-shells cemented into
coquina. Where cementation has not occurred there are beds of loose
shells and of marl and sand.
The writer has already (p. 346) expressed his opinion regarding the
Coastal Plain terraces found in the States farther north. He finds in
Florida nothing to contradict, but much to confirm, that opinion.
Whatever may be the origin of Newberry and Tsala Apopka terraces, they
were not laid down in salt water. From the descriptions of the deposits
there the stratification and the alternation of the materials do not
exist that one might expect; but, above all, there seem to be no marine
fossils to attest to the presence of the sea. In Florida, too, here and
there over these higher lands there are found, in place of marine
fossils, the remains of many extinct land animals, as mastodons,
elephants, horses, ground-sloths, and the like.
As regards the Pensacola terrace, there are found at its base, within a
few feet above or below sea-level, deposits containing remains of such
animals as have just been mentioned, besides many others. Often the
state of preservation of these remains and the condition of their burial
are such that we must conclude that the animals lived and died on the
spot. Furthermore, these animals constitute an assemblage corresponding
to that found in western Iowa, in Nebraska, and in Oregon, which are
believed to have existed during the first interglacial stage. It
corresponds also to that met with under similar conditions and at the
same level at Savannah, at Charleston, at Brunswick, and at Long Branch.
In most cases, too, this fossiliferous stratum is overlain with very
scant deposits. By some geologists and palæontologists the animals are
regarded as belonging to the Pliocene.
If the reference of the fossil vertebrates mentioned is not wholly
wrong, it follows that the lowest terrace or plain along the coast was
not laid down late in the Pleistocene, but at an early stage, and the
higher plains must have been formed at still earlier times.
At Vero, as will be shown on page 382, a large assemblage of fossil
vertebrates has been secured. The bed furnishing the oldest fossils,
those of the bed known as No. 2 and believed to be of about first
interglacial age, is underlain by a bed of marine shells, also of
Pleistocene age. This bed is regarded by Dr. E. H. Sellards as being
equivalent to the coquina which is so well known at St. Augustine; and
the same formation is found here and there along both coasts of the
peninsula (Matson and Sanford, op. cit., p. 192). Probably not all
deposits that are called coquina are of the same age, but the deposits
in question pass, on the landward side, beneath the deposits which bear
vertebrate fossils. The bed at Vero, No. 2, must have been laid down
after an uplift had brought above sea-level the bed of shells No. 1, on
which No. 2 reposes; that is, between the time of deposition of No. 1
and No. 2 there must have elapsed a considerable interval of time. The
shell deposit, therefore, probably belongs to the first glacial epoch,
the Nebraskan. Inasmuch as a similar vertebrate fauna is found on both
the eastern and the western coasts of the peninsula, it follows that any
Pleistocene deposits underlying these vertebrate-bearing beds belongs to
the Nebraskan stage; in places these have great thickness. Matson and
Sanford (op. cit., pp. 194–195) concluded that the maximum thickness of
the Pleistocene in southern Florida, disregarding the sandhills, is
probably about 125 feet. Even if it were a matter of importance to
determine in or on which terraces the vertebrate fossils are found, it
would not always be easy to do so. The majority of specimens have been
discovered around the coasts of the State, and therefore in deposits
referred to the youngest terrace. In other cases it is difficult to
determine the terrace in which fossils are buried, partly because of
imperfect records as regards locality, kind of deposits, and depth of
burial, partly because each terrace extends up the river valleys beyond
its general border. The various fossil-bearing localities will therefore
be taken up by counties, beginning at the western end of the State and
ending at the southern end.
_Jackson County._—As already recorded on page 121, a tooth of _Mammut
americanum_ has been found at Marianna. No details have been recorded.
The Newberry terrace extends nearly or quite to this town. If it could
be shown that this tooth had been buried in that terrace when it was
formed, it would probably have to be referred to the time of the first
glacial stage.
_Gadsden County._—It appears that no vertebrate remains belonging to the
Pleistocene have been found in this county, except a tooth of _Mammut
americanum_ (p. 157) which was discovered somewhere in Little River.
_Wakulla County._—On page 157 the finding of a tooth of _Elephas
columbi_ somewhere along St. Marks River has been mentioned; also the
discovery of a part of a skeleton of either a mastodon or an elephant
somewhere about Wakulla Springs.
_Columbia County._—A mastodon tooth has been found in this county 3
miles northwest of Fort White (p. 121). To which terrace it belonged or
what is its place in Pleistocene time it is impossible to say.
_Nassau County._—At Stokes Ferry have been found some teeth of an
extinct horse (p. 194), a fragment of a tooth of an elephant (p. 180)
and some ear-bones of a whale. Veatch and Stephenson (Bull. 26, Geol.
Surv. Georgia, p. 394) report that these appeared to come from either
the Charlton formation or the Satilla. If the Charlton really belongs to
the Pliocene it is not probable that the fossils were derived from it;
if they were derived from the Satilla, they do not belong to late
Pleistocene.
_Duval County._—On page 106 of the Eighth Annual Report of the Florida
Geological Survey, Sellards reported the finding of remains of _Mammut
americanum_ (p. 122), _Elephas columbi_ (p. 157), an undetermined
species of _Bison_ (p. 262), and an undetermined species of _Odocoileus_
(p. 232), near Pablo Beach, at station 120 on the Inland Waterway Canal.
Here, too, has been discovered a bone of _Trachemys? nuchocarinata_.
Sellards stated that the position of the beds here is the same as that
of the other localities along the Atlantic coast, the fossils being
found in sand and muck which rest upon Pleistocene shell-marl. The
locality is, of course, on the youngest terrace; but that, in the
opinion of the writer, belongs to the early Pleistocene.
_St. John’s County._—At a place 28 miles south of St. Augustine, along
the Inland Waterway Canal, Mr. Fred P. Allen, of St. Augustine,
collected on the Almero farm remains of _Mammut americanum_ (p. 122),
_Elephas columbi_ (p. 158), _Mylodon harlani?_ (p. 37), _Equus_ sp.
indet. (p. 194), the box-tortoise _Terrapene antipex_, and a dermal
plate of perhaps _Alligator mississippiensis_. These were found in the
banks of the canal. Here, at least, the horse and the mylodon, taking
into consideration the geological circumstances, indicate early
Pleistocene, equivalent to the first interglacial stage.
_Levy and Alachua Counties._—Geologically these counties furnish
important localities because of the presence of the Alachua clays
(usually referred to the lower Pliocene or even the Upper Miocene) and
deposits belonging to all three of the Pleistocene terraces, Newberry,
Tsala Apopka, and Pensacola. The Alachua clays first require
consideration, for in them have been found a considerable number of
species of vertebrates which usually indicate Pleistocene deposits. The
localities where Alachua clays have furnished vertebrate fossils, as
indicated on Matson and Sanford’s map (Water Supply Paper 319, U. S.
Geol. Surv., plate I), are situated, one around Archer, Alachua County
(the type locality), second, about 5 miles west of Williston, in Levy
County, and a third about 5 miles east of Newberry, in Alachua County.
The clays referred to form accumulations in depressions on the surface
of the Ocala limestone, itself belonging to the Eocene. The deposits are
said to average in depth about 10 feet, but are often thinner and
occasionally much thicker. They have furnished a considerable number of
species of vertebrates. A list, prepared by Dr. Leidy, of those found at
Archer was published in 1892, in Bulletin 84 of the U. S. Geological
Survey, on page 129. Besides these, Leidy had previously reported a
tapir, a small crocodile or alligator, and a bone thought to belong to
the extinct _Cervus americanus_ (_Cervalces scotti?_), but which was not
afterward mentioned. The rhinoceroses and the camels were described by
Leidy and Lucas in 1896 (Trans. Wagner Free Inst., vol. IV, pp. 1–61
with plates).
Herewith is presented a list of such vertebrates as have been found at
Archer. It appears necessary to retain for the rhinoceroses the specific
names given them by Leidy.
Gomphotherium floridanum (p. 121).
Odocoileus osceola? (p. 232).
Procamelus major (p. 224).
P. minor (p. 224).
P. minimus (p. 224).
Teleoceras proterus (p. 211).
Aphelops longipes (p. 211).
Tapirus haysii? (p. 207).
Hipparion ingenuum (p. 195).
Megatherium mirabile (p. 37).
Alligator (or Crocodylus) sp. indet.
The following vertebrates have been collected east of Williston, in the
place mentioned in Dall’s report of 1892, on page 129, as Mixon’s:
Gomphotherium floridanum (p. 121).
Procamelus major (p. 224).
Teleoceras proterus (p. 211).
Hipparion ingenuum (p. 196).
Hipparion plicatile (p. 196).
Thinobadistes segnis (p. 37).
Manatus antiquus?.
Pseudemys cælata.
Atractosteus lapidosus.
The list from the locality east of Newberry (Hallowell’s place of Dall’s
report) is rather short. _Equus littoralis_, _Odocoileus osceola?_,
_Hipparion_ sp. indet., and _Parahippus_ sp. indet. have been reported
(Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., vol. V, p. 58; vol. VIII, pp. 42, 94). At
Neals, Alachua County. _Tapirus terrestris?_, _Gomphotherium
floridanum_, and _Hipparion_ sp. indet. have been collected (Sellards as
cited). At Juliette, same county, _Gomphotherium floridanum_ has been
secured, and at Hernando the same species; also _Hipparion_ sp. indet.
and _Procamelus_ sp. indet. (Sellards Florida Geol. Surv., vol. V, p.
58). Along Santa Fe River, in the Buttgenbach mines, 6 miles north of
Wade, have been found teeth of _Equus_ and a tooth of _Bison_.
At Dunnellon, about 25 miles south of Williston, from the phosphate
mines along the Withlacoochee River, have been obtained fossil
vertebrates so similar to those found in the Alachua clays that Sellards
concluded to unite his Dunnellon formation and the Alachua clays into
one to be called the Alachua formation (6th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., p. 161). The list of vertebrates found at and about Dunnellon is
as follows, including the species dredged in Withlacoochee River:
Megalonyx sp. indet. (p. 38).
Chlamytherium septentrionale (p. 138).
Ursus sp. indet.
Felis sp. indet.
*Gomphotherium floridanum (p. 122).
Mammut americanum (p. 122).
Elephas imperator (p. 162).
Trichechus manatus.
*Parahippus sp. indet. (p. 196).
*Hipparion plicatile (p. 196).
Equus leidyi (p. 196).
Tapirus sp. indet. (p. 207).
*Aphelops longipes (p. 211).
*Procamelus minor (p. 225).
Odocoileus osceola (p. 233).
Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
The species marked by an asterisk are regarded by Doctor Sellards and
others as belonging to the Miocene or Pliocene (8th Ann. Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 94). See also Sellards, 1913 (5th Ann. Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., p. 58; 8th Rep., p. 104).
On the basis of the fossil vertebrates it can hardly be denied that the
Alachua clays and the phosphate mines at Dunnellon are of the same
geological age. According to Sellards, the formation belongs to the
upper Miocene or to the lower Pliocene. Merriam (Bull. Dept. Geol. Univ.
Cal., vol. X, p. 439) refers it to the Pliocene. Although there is
present a strong palæontological element which represents the
Pleistocene, the reference of the formation to the late Miocene or early
Pliocene has seemed to be required by the presence of _Gomphotherium_,
_Procamelus_, _Teleoceras_, and _Hipparion_. The Pleistocene species are
usually accounted for on the supposition that they are intrusions from
more recent deposits.
A figure from Sellards (Geol. Surv. Florida, vol. VII, p. 53), only
slightly modified is intended to show the relation of the
phosphate-bearing formations to those underlying them (fig. 21).
It is worth our while to consider whether or not the reference of the
Alachua formation to the Miocene or early Pliocene is required by
palæontological evidence. _Gomphotherium_ is characterized by having
molar teeth which on abrasion at one or both ends of each crest, present
a trefoil pattern of the enamel; also by having a band of enamel on each
of the upper tusks. Now, teeth having the same structure are not
uncommon in deposits of undoubted Pleistocene age in Kansas and Texas.
That the animals possessing these teeth had tusks with enamel bands is
not known, but it is quite possible that such enamel bands were present.
[Illustration:
FIG. 21.—Diagrammatic sketch of geologic structure of Florida from
north to south passing through the hard rock and pebble phosphate
fields, showing relation of the phosphate deposits to the underlying
formations. After Sellards.
]
1. Georgia-Florida State line.
2. Suwannee River.
3. Lake City.
4. Santa Fe River.
5. Withlacoochee River.
6. Lakeland.
7. Arcadia.
8. Caloosahatchee River.
9. Gulf Coast.
_a_ Upper Oligocene phosphatic marls.
_b_ Ocala limestone.
_c_ Hard rock phosphate.
_d_ Bone Valley formation.
_e_ Pleistocene deposits (Pliocene and Pleistocene of Sellards).
The genus _Hipparion_ is not confined to the Tertiary. Teeth have been
discovered in the Aftonian of Iowa (Hay, Geol. Surv. Iowa, vol. XXIII,
p. 150) and in Missouri (op. cit., p. 149). The writer has described a
species of the genus, _Hipparion cragini_, collected by Professor Cragin
in the Sheridan beds in Kansas (Kansas Univ. Sci. Bull., vol. X, p. 42).
One may be justified in suspecting that _Procamelus_ lived on into the
Pleistocene. Not only has it been found associated with Pleistocene
fossils in five places in Florida—Archer, Williston, Dunnellon,
Hernando, and Ocala—but it has been met with in possible Pleistocene
deposits (the Idaho formation) in Idaho, which furnishes _Equus_,
_Cervus_, _Castor_, and _Stegomastodon mirificus_ (the type of which
belongs in the Sheridan beds). Furthermore, the writer has had occasion
to describe a collection of fossils, believed to belong to the early
Pleistocene, which was obtained at Anita, Coconino County, Arizona.
Among these fossils are two species of _Procamelus_ much like those
described by Leidy from the Alachua formation (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,
vol. LIX, pp. 622–626). The writer believes that the genus _Procamelus_
persisted into the early Pleistocene.
Two species of rhinoceros have been collected in the Alachuan formation,
_Teleoceras proterus_ Leidy and _Aphelops longipes_ Leidy. Both occurred
at Archer, while _T. proterus_ was found near Williston and _A.
longipes_ at Dunnellon. A rhinoceros has been discovered in the Idaho
formation, with the Pleistocene species named above in connection with
_Procamelus_ of these beds. In Oregon Cope made a collection which has
been examined by Dr. W. D. Matthew (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol.
XVI, p. 321). Here again _Teleoceras_ was supposed to have been found
with _Hipparion_, camels belonging to _Camelops_ (or _Procamelus_),
_Elephas_, and _Equus_. Matthew thought that there had happened, either
before the fossils were collected or afterwards, a mingling of elements
of two distinct faunas.
To the writer it seems improbable that the commingling of _Procamelus_
and the rhinoceroses with Pleistocene forms should occur thus
accidentally so often and at such widely removed localities. It appears
more probable that these Tertiary genera did not become extinct so early
as has been supposed and that the association was not a secondary one.
The association is what might be expected in collections made in
deposits of the earliest Pleistocene.
It must not be forgotten in these discussions that the Pleistocene
genera and species with which the collections in question are being
compared are those of the so-called _Equus_ beds, which appear to
represent the fauna of the first interglacial stage. This, however, was
preceded by the Nebraskan, the first glacial, which probably occupied a
long period of time; possibly it was half as long as all the rest of the
Pleistocene (Chamberlin and Salisbury, Geology, vol. III, p. 383). About
the vertebrate life of this long stage we know as yet very little. The
writer is quite convinced that the Idaho formation and the Alachua, or
Bone Valley, belong to the earliest Pleistocene.
_Marion County._—In a fissure in the limestone-rock quarry at Ocala
there has been found an important collection of vertebrates. The
following list is thought to include all that have been reported:
Trucifelis floridana.
Sylvilagus sp. indet.
Elephas columbi (p. 158).
Bison sp. indet.
Odocoileus sp. indet. (p. 233).
Procamelus minimus (p. 224).
Tapirus sp. indet. (p. 207).
Equus leidyi (p. 196).
Dasypus sp. indet. (p. 38).
Terrapene formosa.
Testudo distans.
T. incisa.
T. ocalana.
A part of this list was published by Sellards in 1916 (8th Ann. Rep.
Florida Geol. Surv., p. 103). The tortoises were described in the same
volume.
Inasmuch as _Trucifelis floridana_ has been found in the Pleistocene at
Vero, Florida, one may safely regard the specimen found at Ocala as also
of Pleistocene age. All of the other mammals are admitted to be of
Pleistocene age except _Procamelus minimus_. The fissure may have been
open during some part of the Nebraskan stage.
_Volusia County._—At Daytona, situated on the east coast, therefore on
the youngest terrace, remains of _Mammut americanum_ (p. 122) have been
found. At DeLand there has been recovered the skull of a dolphin which
Sellards (8th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 107, plate XIV) has
described as _Globicephalus bœreckii_ (p. 20). It was found at a depth
of 10 feet, in sands which overlie Pliocene shell marls. The sands are
regarded as belonging probably to the Pleistocene. DeLand is on the
Tsala Apopka terrace. At a depth of 10 feet there was reached the
supposed marine base of this terrace.
_Orange County._—As stated on page 196, a tooth of an extinct horse was
found somewhere in the county.
_Pinellas County._—On the western shore of Tampa Bay (p. 159), near St.
Petersburg, at Indian Rock, a tooth of _Elephas columbi_ was found.
_Hillsboro and Manatee Counties._—The region around Tampa Bay is
important because of the wealth of vertebrate fossils dredged up by the
collectors of phosphate rock from the beds of Hillsboro, Alafia, and
Manatee Rivers. Unfortunately, few accurate records have been kept of
localities and conditions of occurrence of the fossils, and we usually
know only that a collection was made in a certain river, perhaps not so
much as that. For that reason it is concluded to group together all the
fossils regarded as Pleistocene and known to have been found in
Hillsboro, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. In order to indicate as far
as possible the localities, the names of the species are followed by
contractions which apply as follows.
A, Alafia River.
E, Ellenton, on Manatee River.
Hc, Hillsboro County.
Hr, Hillsboro River.
Ls, Little Sarasota Bay.
Ps, Palma Sola.
M, town of Manatee.
P, Palmetto.
S, 8 miles southeast of Sarasota.
T, around Tampa Bay.
Wb, White Beach, on Sarasota Bay.
_List of Pleistocene vertebrates found in Hillsboro, Manatee, and
Sarasota Counties._
Homo sapiens, Ps.
Elephas imperator, P (p. 164).
E. columbi, T, S, Ps (p. 159).
E. primigenius, Ps (p. 145).
Mammut americanum, T, He, A (p. 123).
Bison latifrons, Ps (p. 263).
B. sp. indet., T, A, P, Ps (p. 263).
Odocoileus sp. indet., P, Ps (p. 233).
Tapirus sp. indet., T, A (p. 208).
Tagassu lenis?, Ps (p. 222).
Equus complicatus, A, Wb, Ps (pp. 196, 197).
E. leidyi, A. P, Wb, Ps, S (pp. 196, 197).
E. littoralis, M, Ps (p. 197).
Chlamytherium septentrionale, Hr, Wb, S (p. 38).
Testudo crassiscutata?, A.
T. ocalana, He.
Terrapene putnami, A.
Deirochelys floridana, He.
Trachemys euglypha, E.
T. jarmani, Hc.
T. sculpta, Hc.
Pseudemys extincta, Hc.
P. cælata, Ps.
Platypeltis ferox, Hc.
The bones of man belonged to the skull and are as completely fossilized
as the bones of a horse and are wholly free from organic matter.
Among the mammals of this list there are no genera and few species that
have not been found in the Pleistocene at many places in the United
States. The presence of _Elephas imperator_ and three species of _Equus_
and _Chlamytherium_ apparently indicate Pleistocene of about Aftonian
times.
From Palma Sola, Manatee County, there have been sent to the U. S.
National Museum by Mr. Charles T. Earle many specimens of fossil
vertebrates, found at various times washed up on the beach. Some
belonged evidently to deposits older than the Pleistocene, probably to
Miocene, and included teeth of sharks, a beak of a platanistid porpoise,
and a lower tooth of a sirenian, _Metaxytherium floridanum_. Other
specimens, as bones of a camel, parts of the shells of tortoises,
alligator or crocodile teeth and bones are of uncertain age. Ten species
of the list are referred to the Pleistocene. All of the teeth are
isolated, but many are well preserved and little water-worn. The bones
are mostly fragmentary, some worn, some not.
_Polk County._—On page 159 is an account of a tooth of an elephant.
_Elephas columbi_, reported as being found at Kingsford, Polk County,
under 19 feet of phosphate rock and sand. It may belong to _E.
imperator_. On page 196 is detailed the finding of several teeth of
_Equus_ in the phosphate mines of Kingsford. The species _E. leidyi_ and
_E. littoralis_ are recognized. Unless these elephant and horse-teeth
had been incorrectly reported or had been secondarily introduced into
the phosphate beds, they are, in the writer’s opinion, to be referred to
the first glacial stage, the Nebraskan. Dr. W. H. Dall has somewhere
reported the finding of tusks at Bartow; these were supposed to have
belonged to _Elephas columbi_ (p. 180). At Nichols the large
land-tortoise _Testudo hayi_ Sellards has been recovered from a
phosphate mine. From phosphate mines at Brewster has been secured the
following list of vertebrates, obtained from Dr. Sellards’s reports
(Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VII, pp. 100, 106, 108; vol. VIII, pp. 95,
96, 98, 100).
Gomphotherium floridanum? (p. 123).
Mammut progenium (p. 123).
Hipparion minor (p. 197).
Procamelus minor?
Teleoceras or Aphelops sp. indet. (p. 211).
Agriotherium schneideri.
Tomistoma americanum.
All of this list are referred by Sellards to the upper Miocene or lower
Pliocene. The writer regards them as belonging to the first stage of the
Pleistocene.
From a phosphate pit at Christina, Sellards (Florida Geol. Surv., vol.
VII, p. 106, fig. 35) has reported a tooth of an undetermined species of
Gomphotherium.
Sellards (Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VII, pp. 72, 110) has reported the
collection of remains of _Hipparion_ sp. indet. and of _Teleoceras
proterus_ (p. 211) from phosphate mines at Mulberry. In the U. S.
National Museum are undetermined remains of _Gomphotherium_ from the
same place, sent in by Matson.
_Brevard County._—In the Hopkins drainage canal at Eau Gallie have been
found remains of _Equus complicates_ (p. 196) and _Elephas columbi_ (p.
159).
_Zolfo, Hardee County._—At Zolfo, near the border of the Bone Valley
area, have been found _Megatherium_ (p. 38) and _Elephas columbi_ (p.
160).
_De Soto County._—With one exception, apparently, fossil vertebrates
have been discovered in De Soto County only in deposits along Peace
Creek. The exception is a place called Tourner’s or Turner’s, on
Caloosahatchee River. The elephant found there will be considered among
the fossils found in Lee County. At Calvenia, at the entrance of Charlie
Apopkee Creek into Peace Creek, _Equus leidyi_ (p. 198) has been
secured.
Most of the fossils found below Calvenia are accredited to Arcadia.
According to Leidy (Trans. Wagner Inst., vol. II, p. 19), those of his
list were found on a sand-bar at Arcadia; but certainly others have been
taken from phosphate rock dredged both above and below the town. As
complete and as accurate a list as the writer has been able to prepare
is here presented.
Peace Creek, or Peace River, has been the source of many fossil
vertebrates, the greater part of them obtained at or near Arcadia. Most
of the species were described by Joseph Leidy in 1889 (Trans. Wagner
Free Inst., vol. II, pp. 19–31). The region was examined by Dr. W. H.
Dall, whose report was published in 1892 (Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv.,
pp. 128–133). He referred the bed bearing vertebrate fossils to the
Pliocene. Cope (in Dall’s report, p. 130) regarded them as equivalent to
the _Equus_ beds of the Great Plains, or between these and the Loup
Fork. Sellards (Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VII, pp. 78–83) places the
formation in the Pleistocene.
_List of fossil vertebrates found in Peace Creek at or near Arcadia._
Elephas imperator (p. 164).
E. columbi (p. 160).
Mammut americanum (p. 124).
Bison sp. indet. (p. 264).
Odocoileus osceola? (p. 233).
Tapirus terrestris (p. 208).
Equus leidyi (p. 199).
E. littoralis (p. 199).
Hipparion ingenuum (p. 199).
Delphinid sp. indet.
Trichechus antiquus.
Glyptodon petaliferus (p. 39).
Glyptodon rivipacis (p. 40).
Chlamytherium septentrionale (p. 40).
Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 39).
Alligator mississippiensis?.
Testudo crassiscutata.
T. obtusa.
Trachemys euglypha.
Macrochelys floridana.
Chætodipterus faber.
Diodon sp. indet.
Myliobatis sp. indet.
Galeocerdo sp. indet.
Isurus sp. indet.
Of all the genera and species of mammals and reptiles appearing in the
list, there is none that it is necessary to suppose was derived from
Pliocene deposits, or even from those of a Pleistocene stage earlier
than the first interglacial. The marine fishes and sharks have been
derived possibly from the Arcadia marls. On the other hand, the presence
of _Elephas imperator_, the species of _Equus_, _Hipparion_,
_Glyptodon_, _Chlamytherium_, and the gigantic tortoise _Testudo
crassiscutata_ furnishes evidence that the age was about that of the
_Equus_, or Aftonian, beds of the Great Plains.
_St. Lucie County._—At Fellsmere, a place near the northern border of
the county and about 10 miles west of Indian River, teeth of both
_Elephas columbi_ (p. 159) and _Mammut americanum_ (p. 122) have been
found, in the construction of drainage canals.
The most important locality for Pleistocene fossils in St. Lucie County,
one may say in the whole State, is Vero. The topographical, geological,
and palæontological conditions found here are described in the Eighth
and Ninth Annual Reports of the Florida Geological Survey. Papers on the
subject may be found also in the Journal of Geology for January 1917 and
for October 1917; also in the American Anthropologist for the first and
second quarters of 1918. Besides the large number of species of
vertebrates found here, the interest is heightened by the fact that,
associated with these, are human bones and objects of human manufacture.
Through the valley of an insignificant stream was dug a large drainage
canal, the construction of which brought to light vertebrate bones and
teeth. Three beds of Pleistocene materials were exposed. At the bottom
is found a bed of marl filled with marine mollusks and which is the
geological equivalent of the coquina rock at St. Augustine. The same
deposit is found in various places along the coast and has received from
Dr. Sellards the name Anastasia formation. Above this lies a stratum
composed mostly of sand, but containing also some muck. In the
discussion of the locality this bed is designated as No. 2, the marl
being No. 1. No. 2 has a thickness of about 2 feet. It in turn is
overlain by No. 3, which consists mostly of vegetable matter and sand.
It is called also the muck-bed. In places the muck is replaced by a bed
of marl, which here and there may become pretty firmly consolidated. The
thickness of No. 3 is about 2 or 3 feet. Vertebrate fossils are found in
both No. 2 and No. 3. It is the purpose of the author first to present
lists of the fossils which have been found in each of the upper beds,
beginning with the stream of sand, No. 2.
_List of fossil vertebrates found at Vero in stratum No. 2._
Trucifelis floridanus.
Felis veronis.
Ænocyon ayersi.
Vulpes palmaria.
Lutra canadensis.
Procyon lotor.
Cryptotis floridana.
Blarina brevicauda peninsulæ.
Sylvilagus sp. indet.
Neofiber alleni.
Hydrochœrus robustus.
Sigmodon sp. indet.
Elephas columbi (p. 159).
Mammut americanum (p. 122).
Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
Odocoileus osceola? (p. 233).
Camelops? sp. indet. (p. 235).
Tagassu lenis (p. 222).
Tapirus haysii? (p. 208).
T. veroensis (p. 208).
Equus complicatus (p. 199).
E. leidyi (p. 199).
E. littoralis (p. 199).
Dasypus sp. indet. (p. 38).
Chlamytherium septentrionale (p. 38).
Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 38).
Mylodon harlani (p. 39).
Didelphis virginiana.
Jabiru weillsi.
Cathartes aura.
Querquedula floridana.
Herodias egretta.
Alligator mississippiensis.
Testudo sellardsi.
Terrapene innoxia.
Chelydra laticarinata.
_List of fossil vertebrates found at Vero, in stratum No. 3._
Lynx ruffus floridanus.
Canis riviveronis.
Canis sp. indet.
Vulpes palmaria.
Lutra canadensis.
Ursus floridanus.
Procyon lotor.
Scalopus aquaticus australis.
Sylvilagus palustris.
Neofiber alleni.
Neotoma floridana.
Sigmodon hispidus.
Oryzomys palustris.
Elephas columbi (p. 159).
Mammut americanum (p. 122).
Odocoileus osceola? (p. 233).
O. sellardsiæ (p. 233).
Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
Tagassu lenis (p. 222).
Tapirus haysii? (p. 208).
Equus littoralis? (p. 199).
E. leidyi? (p. 199).
Chlamytherium septentrionale (p. 38).
Dasypus sp. indet. (p. 38).
Didelphis virginiana.
Ardea sellardsi.
A. herodias.
Ardea? sp. indet.
Herodias egretta?
Aluco pratincola.
Cathartes aura septentrionalis.
Larus vero.
Larus? sp. indet.
Mycteria americana?
Alligator mississippiensis.
Crotalus adamanteus.
Farancia abacura.
Drymarchon corais couperi.
Gopherus polyphemus.
Terrapene antipex.
T. innoxia.
Pseudemys floridanus persimilis.
Trachemys? nuchocarinatus.
Chelydra sculpta.
Chelonia mydas.
Caretta caretta.
Siren lacertina.
Amphiuma means.
Caranx hippos.
Caranx sp. indet.
Amiatus calvus.
Lepisosteus platystomus.
Aëtobatis narinari.
Besides those remains which are to be assigned with certainty to one or
the other or both of the strata, there are a few others about whose
place in the deposit there is uncertainty:
Testudo luciæ.
Gopherus præcedens.
Trachemys bisornata.
T. sculpta.
At a point about 3 miles west of Vero, a lower jaw of _Elephas
imperator_ (p. 163) was found in the bank of the drainage canal. It was
embedded in a matrix of brown sand which rests upon the stratum of
marine shell marl.
The list of mammals found in stratum No. 2 shows that there are 29
species and that 21 of these are extinct. This high proportion of
species no longer existing is of itself enough to show that the deposit
is an old one. Again, such species as _Elephas imperator_ and camels
occur in the glaciated region only in Aftonian beds, and outside of the
glaciated region only in those which are quite certainly of
approximately the same age.
In the list of species found in stratum No. 3 there are 25 mammals, of
which 12 species are extinct. These form, therefore, 48 per cent of the
whole, indicating apparently a more recent geological time, perhaps
about the Sangamon stage. It is true that the geologists hold that there
has been continuous deposition and that no interval elapsed between the
laying down of No. 2 and No. 3. In a region so near to the level of the
sea, where the streams are small and short and have little fall,
deposition must have gone on with extreme slowness; hence there may have
been no period when deposition ceased. Apparently, too, there was a time
when the region was somewhat lower than at present and salt water came
up the stream as far as the locality where the fossils are found. The
presence of _Chelonia mydas_, _Caretta caretta_, the two species of
_Caranx_ and _Aëtobatis narinari_ may thus be explained.
The fresh-water and terrestrial mollusks of stratum No. 2 were submitted
to Dr. Paul Bartsch, of the U. S. National Museum, who has reported on
them (Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., vol. VIII, p. 144). He lists 29 species,
all living.
The marine mollusks found in the stratum called No. 1, and which the
writer refers to the first glacial stage, have been studied by Mr. W. C.
Mansfield, of the U. S. Geological Survey (Rep. Florida Geol. Surv.,
vol. IX, pp. 78–80). Seventy-four species are specifically determined,
and of these 61 are identical with living forms. Three or four species
are possibly extinct. There is no question that the deposit belongs to
the Pleistocene.
Nearly all of the plants were found in the bed designated as No. 3, the
upper or muck-bed. These were studied by Dr. Edward W. Berry, of the
Maryland Geological Survey. His report, published in 1917 (Rep. Florida
Geol. Surv., vol. IX, pp. 19–33), states his conclusion that the plants
belong to the late Pleistocene, either the Peorian or the Late
Wisconsin. It may be stated that Dr. Berry adopts the theory that the
terraces supposed to be found along the Atlantic Coast were formed
during stages of submergence beneath the sea, the lowest one late in
Pleistocene time.
_Lee County._—The whole of Lee County is occupied by Pleistocene
deposits which form a part of the Pensacola terrace. Naturally the
Pleistocene is overlain, generally, at least, by accumulations of Recent
materials, and it may not always be easy to distinguish the one from the
other. So far as the writer knows, all the vertebrate fossils discovered
in this county have been collected along Caloosahatchee River above Fort
Myers. The geology of this river has been described by Heilprin (Trans.
Wagner Inst., vol. I), Dall (Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv., pp. 142–145),
Matson and Sanford (Water Supply Paper 319, pp. 134–138), Sellards (2d
Ann. Rep. Florida Geol. Surv., p. 123, 6th Ann. Rep. Florida Geol.
Surv., pp. 41–46). The Pleistocene is underlain by Pliocene marls and
hard and soft limestones and consists of beds of muck, marl, and sand of
little thickness. At Labelle it is said (Sellards, 2d Ann. Rep., p. 126)
that there is a fossiliferous Pleistocene marl covered by 3 feet of
sandy loam. The following seem to be the species which have been found
in the Pleistocene in this region:
Elephas imperator (p. 163).
Equus leidyi (p. 199).
E. sp. indet. (p. 199).
Bison latifrons (p. 264).
Mylodon harlani (p. 40).
Testudo obtusa?.
Trachemys bisornata.
T. sculpta.
The presence of _Elephas imperator_ is an indication that the deposits
belong to the early part of the Pleistocene. None of the species appear
to indicate an older stage than the Aftonian.
_Dade County._—Sellards (8th Ann. Rep., p. 106) records that some
fragmentary remains of a proboscidean had been found in Miami River,
Dade County.
_Palm Beach County._—On page 105 of the report just cited, Sellards
stated that _Elephas columbi_ (p. 160), _Mammut americanum_ (p. 123),
_Equus complicatus_ (p. 200), and _Bison_ sp. indet. (p. 264) had been
found in the Palm Beach Canal, constructed to drain the Everglades.
At some unknown point in the Everglades, possibly in Lee County, there
was found many years ago a tooth of an elephant which the writer
believes belonged to _Elephas imperator_, already mentioned on page 163.
It was formerly reported as _E. columbi_.
ALABAMA.
An account of the Quaternary formations of Alabama may be found in
Eugene A. Smith’s “Report on the Geology of the Coastal Plain of
Alabama.” This was published in 1894, and the part pertaining to the
Pleistocene is found on pages 28 to 65. Along the coast Smith recognized
the presence of a formation which he called the Biloxi. The upper part
of this was regarded as belonging to the Recent, while the lower portion
was thought to be the equivalent of Hilgard’s Port Hudson, those
deposits numbered 1 to 4 in the section shown on page 387, under Geology
of Mississippi. The thickness of the Port Hudson is given as about 100
feet. Borings revealed the presence of shells and lignitized wood.
Along the rivers which traverse the Coastal Plain are found three
terraces. The first or lowest is that which is subject to annual
overflow. The second terrace, “the second bottom,” occurs along most of
even the smaller streams of the Coastal Plain. It may be as much as a
mile wide. The height above low water may vary from 10 to 15 feet in the
lower courses of the rivers to 60 feet farther up stream. Near
water-level a blue clay is frequently found which contains stumps,
roots, and other remains of vegetation, often well preserved. Smith
concluded that this second terrace was the substantial equivalence in
time to the Port Hudson.
Smith presents a geological section taken along Black Warrior River, in
Hale County, 150 miles above Mobile. The section included about 50 feet.
As caving went on, stumps and logs were frequently brought into view.
Similar sections were found on Coosa River, above Montgomery, and on
Alabama River, 50 miles above Mobile.
The third terrace is found at elevations of from 50 to 100 feet above
the second. It is sometimes 3 miles or more in width.
In his paper on the Citronelle formation (Prof. Paper U. S. Geol. Surv.,
98, pp. 167–208), Matson discusses briefly (pp. 189–190) the Pleistocene
of the area studied by him. This extends from the western end of Florida
to Mississippi River. Here he recognized four terraces, from the
youngest to the oldest, the Pensacola, the Hammond, the Port Hickey, and
the St. Elmo. The St. Elmo merges into the Natchez formation, which
Matson, quoting Chamberlin and Salisbury, regarded as sub-Aftonian. The
Port Hickey terrace is stated to take its name from a locality on the
Mississippi River where the typical materials of the Port Hudson
formation are exposed. The Port Hickey terrace may, as suggested by
Matson, be of post-Iowan age. Naturally, these correlations require
confirmation.
Berry has described fossil plants (Amer. Naturalist, vol. XLI, pp.
689–697; Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 4, vol. XXIX, pp. 387–398) which were
found along Chattahoochee River, not far below Columbus, Georgia; on
Warrior River, up to 356 miles above Mobile. Pleistocene deposits must
occur along all the larger streams still farther north, and these
deposits will yield in time bones and teeth of vertebrated animals.
Notwithstanding the considerable area of Pleistocene deposits discovered
in Alabama, the number of species of vertebrates met with is remarkably
small. On page 40 is recorded the finding of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_
somewhere about Tuscumbia. At Newbern, Hale County, have been found an
incisor tooth of a horse (p. 200) and a molar of a bison (p. 264). At
Bogue Chitto, Dallas County, have been collected _Equus leidyi_ (p.
200), _Mammut americanum_, and _Elephas imperator_. The last species
indicates that the deposits probably belong in the Aftonian. The writer
knows of no other localities in the State where vertebrate fossils of
the Pleistocene have been obtained.
MISSISSIPPI.
(Text-figure 22.)
The geological history of the lower part of the Mississippi Valley
during Quaternary times appears to be particularly difficult to
understand and at present is far from being unraveled. It is easy to see
that such a region will offer great difficulties. Here debouches into
the ocean a majestic river which drains not only the glaciated portions
of the United States from western New York to northwestern Montana, but
the larger part of the region south of this from the Blue Ridge to the
Rocky Mountains, and brings down every year enormous quantities of sand
and silt, which are dropped partly on its flood-plain, but mostly near
its mouth. Through the ages during which this has been proceeding, this
river has been ever changing its bed, sometimes eroding away one bank,
sometimes the opposite one; so that its flood-plain is, in most places
below the mouth of the Ohio, many miles wide, varying, according to
Russell (“Rivers of North America,” 1898, p. 267) from 5 miles to 80
miles in width. During the Quaternary there have been also elevations
and subsidences of the bed at least from Cairo northward, as a result of
which at one epoch the current was hastened and the valley cut out
deeper; at another the current was checked, the channel clogged up, and
the river forced to seek a new channel or even new temporary or
permanent outlets to the Gulf (E. A. Smith, Geol. Surv. Alabama, 1894,
pp. 30–34).
To get a correct idea of the Pleistocene geology of the lower
Mississippi region, one must understand the situation at the beginning
of this epoch. I. C. Russell, on page 267 of his work just quoted, calls
attention to the differences displayed by the valley of the river within
the glaciated region and that south of it. South of the mouth of Ohio
River the wide flood-plain of the Mississippi lies from 300 to 500 feet
below the general level of the bordering uplands. He states further that
the hard rock bottom of the valley is only imperfectly known, but that
the records of wells and borings show that an ancient valley has been
filled with alluvium to a depth of at least 100 or 200 feet in its
northern part and to an increasing depth southward. If to this
thickness, given by Russell, we add the depth, 300 to 500 feet, which
the flood-plain occupies below the bordering uplands, we get a measure
of the depth of the great trench which once existed where now lies the
flood-plain of Mississippi River. In his paper on the underground waters
of southern Louisiana (Bull. 1, Louisiana Geol. Surv., 1905, p. 42,
plate II) Harris presents the record of the Fabacher well, which was
bored at New Orleans. At a depth of about 1,200 feet fossil remains were
brought up which appeared to be of Pleistocene age. It is evident from
these facts, as in the case of those obtained from the rivers of Texas,
that at about the beginning of the Pleistocene, or more probably during
the time of the so-called Lafayette, at the close of the Pliocene, the
country east of the Rocky Mountains, at least, stood for a long time at
a much higher level than at present and that, as a result of this
elevation, there was an enormous general erosion of the face of the
country and a great widening and deepening of the river valleys. This
time of elevation was quite certainly followed by a prolonged period of
depression, during which these canyon-like trenches and their
tributaries, up to their last ramifications, were nearly completely
refilled. This refilling must have occurred during the early stages of
the Pleistocene, for in the materials are buried the bones of early
Pleistocene animals. As quoted below, in considering the geology at
Natchez, Chamberlin and Salisbury state that since the Natchez
formation, 200 feet thick, was laid down, the trench of the Mississippi,
60 miles wide, has been excavated. One might change this expression and
say that it had been re-excavated, but not to its original depth.
When we reflect that the greater part of the sediments which, during the
Pleistocene epoch, were deposited at the mouth of Mississippi River and
on its flood-plain from Kentucky southward, were certainly derived from
the glaciated portions of its great valley, and that those regions were
alternately affected by the events of five glacial and four interglacial
epochs, we must conclude that corresponding deposits or phenomena of
some kind exist throughout the valley. The matter is, however, so
complicated that many years must elapse before a satisfactory solution
will have been reached.
In his Report on the Geology and Agriculture of the State of
Mississippi, 1860 (1863–65), the geologist E. W. Hilgard, on pages 5 to
46, described under the name of Orange sand a deposit which
characterizes the greater part of the surface of that State. He referred
this to the Quaternary and regarded it as being the southern equivalent
of the northern drift. This formation is now believed to belong mostly
at least to the Pliocene. Besides the Orange sand, Hilgard (op. cit.,
pp. 194–201) referred other formations to the Quaternary. These in order
would be as follows, the latest above:
5. Modern alluvium.
4. Second bottom, or Hommock deposits.
3. Yellow loam deposits.
2. The Bluff formation.
1. Orange sand.
The Bluff formations were described as occupying a narrow belt along the
borders of the Mississippi bottom in northern Mississippi and along the
river itself in the southern part of the State. He stated that the
fossils belonged to terrestrial species, and quoted Leidy’s list of
vertebrates, already mentioned, remarking that the blue clay which
furnished them was said to belong to the Bluff formation. He reported
that the snails found in the Bluff formation seemed all to belong to
living species. The yellow loams occupied a large part of the surface of
the State, overlying the Orange sand and forming a great part of the
soils of the State. The succeeding formations were found along many of
the rivers.
In 1869 (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. XLVII, pp. 331–346), Hilgard reported
the results of a geological reconnaissance of Louisiana. In this he
proposed the name Port Hudson group for extensive deposits of clays
which were especially well displayed at Port Hudson. This formation was
further described by Hilgard in 1872 (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol.
XXIII, No. 248, p. 5). Two geological sections taken near Port Hudson
were presented, one of which is here reproduced.
_Section midway between Port Hudson and Fontana._
6. Yellow loam, sandy below 8–10
5. White and yellow hardpan 18
Orange and yellow sand, sometimes ferruginous sandstone,
irregularly stratified 8–15
4. Heavy greenish or bluish clay 7
3. White indurate silt, or hardpan 18
2. Heavy green clay with porous calcareous concretions above,
ferruginous below; some sticks and impressions of leaves 30
1. Brown muck with cypress stumps 3–4
White or blue clay with cypress stumps
The cypress stumps of No. 1 were numerous and well preserved.
The writer reproduces Hilgard’s geological map of the lower Mississippi
region, in which is represented the distribution of the Port Hudson
according to that writer’s views (fig. 22). It will be seen that it was
supposed to pass eastward into the coast region of Mississippi, Alabama,
and Florida. Westward from Atchafalaya River it was believed to occupy a
large part of southern Louisiana and to pass into Texas and around the
Gulf coast to near the Rio Grande. It will be observed that in the
latter State it corresponds in a general way to what has been called by
Deussen the Lissie formation.
[Illustration:
FIG. 22.—The Mississippi embayment. Redrawn from Hilgard. Used to show
the distribution of the Port Hudson group.
]
Although Hilgard represents on his map an alluvial deposit as covering
the region of the delta, a belt along the western side of the great
river as far up as Cairo, and the wide tract between Mississippi and
Yazoo Rivers, a study of his paper shows that he believed that much of
these regions was underlain by his Port Hudson. He recognized it at
Greenwood on the Yazoo, 60 miles east of the Mississippi; at Vicksburg,
and at various places in the delta. Usually its upper surface occurs at
about low-water level along rivers, and elsewhere is met with in digging
wells. At Vicksburg it was encountered by Grant’s Army in digging his
famous canal. It was believed by Hilgard that the same deposit was
present at Petite Anse, overlying the Orange sand and overlain by more
recent deposits.
Inasmuch as Hilgard believed that the Orange sand was laid down at the
time when the northern drift was being deposited, he had to refer his
Port Hudson to a later time, and this time he seemed to regard as being
the epoch called by Dana the Champlain.
McGee referred the deposits of the lower Mississippi Valley (sometimes
called the Mississippi embayment) to his Columbia formation (12th Ann.
Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv., plate I, p. 392). This formation, in his view,
had been laid down during a great subsidence of the borders of the
continent and when the waters of the Gulf reached as far north as the
mouth of Ohio River or beyond. He relegated Hilgard’s Orange sand to the
Pliocene and recognized four phases as belonging to the Pleistocene.
These were, beginning below: (1) Port Hudson; (2) Orange sand (of
Safford, not that of Hilgard); (3) loess; (4) brown (or yellow) loam. Of
these divisions there were really only three, for he regarded the loess
as only a phase of the loam and as lying sometimes above, sometimes
below the latter. He recognized the Port Hudson clays as flooring the
entire flood-plain of the Mississippi from the mouth of the Ohio well
toward the gulf shore. The formation was believed to be usually a
low-lying one; but at Natchez (as seen by his section given on page 391)
it is elevated high above the present flood-plain.
Gilbert D. Harris, geologist in charge of the geological survey of
Louisiana, and Arthur C. Veatch, assistant geologist, have contributed
much to our knowledge of the Pleistocene geology of the State. Reference
to their works will be found in the descriptions of several
fossil-bearing localities, especially in the description of Petite Anse.
Harris, in 1905 (Bull. 1, Geol. Surv. Louisiana, p. 13), expressed the
conclusion that the longer the geology of southern Louisiana is studied
the more futile appears the attempt to make satisfactory subdivisions in
the Quaternary deposits—subdivisions that have any definite time or
structural limits. He regarded it as a mistake to assign to the Port
Hudson a special place in geologic time.
Chamberlin and Salisbury in 1906, as quoted below, made no mention of
the Port Hudson formation; but that part of it supposed to be found at
Natchez was evidently included in their Natchez formation.
Inasmuch as Petite Anse and Natchez have furnished more species of
fossil vertebrates than any other localities in their States, and
likewise human relics supposed to be of equal age with the extinct
mammals, these places will receive especial attention.
Natchez is the most important locality in Mississippi as regards
Pleistocene vertebrate palæontology. So far as the writer knows the
first mention of the occurrence of vertebrate fossils here was a note by
Dr. G. Troost in 1835 (Trans. Geol. Soc. Penn., vol. I, p. 143), who
stated that he had in his possession a tooth of a mastodon found at
Natchez.
In 1845 (Proc. 6th Meet. Assoc. Amer. Geologists and Naturalists, pp.
77–79), Dr. M. W. Dickeson, of Natchez, read a paper entitled “On the
Geology of the Natchez Bluffs,” in which he distinguished 22 several
beds. These were said to be of varying thickness and distinctly marked,
but all composed of various colored clays and sands, and containing
numerous organic remains, embedded wood, and detrital matter. Probably
by far the greater part of these beds were of subordinate importance and
do not appear to have been noted since that time. Beneath the surface
soil Dickeson recognized a mass of yellow loam 20 to 30 feet in
thickness, exceedingly fine and free from gravel. In this had been found
shells of _Helix_ and scattered bones of mastodons. Below this came a
bed of ferruginous sands and gravels 4 feet thick. This was succeeded
below by what he called the mastodon bed, in which Dickeson had detected
remains of more than 30 individual mastodons. The thickness of this was
not given. The next stratum, his No. 6, was a fine clay of blue color,
from 12 to 15 feet thick. In this and his No. 22, an ash-colored clay,
at low-water mark, he discovered remains of what has since proved to be
_Megalonyx jeffersonii_. The localities where his fossils were found
were not given with exactness.
At a meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences, October 6, 1846 (Proc.,
etc., vol. III, p. 107), Dickeson exhibited a large collection of fossil
bones obtained by him in the vicinity of Natchez. Among these were the
head and lower jaw of the _Megalonyx_ already mentioned. He stated that
the stratum that contains these organic remains is a tenacious blue clay
that underlies the diluvial drift east of Natchez and which diluvial
deposit abounds in bones and teeth of the _Mastodon giganteus_.
Associated with the megalonyx were remains of bear, bison, deer, and
horse. The collection was more notable because of the presence of a part
of a human innominate bone. Dickeson affirmed that this had been taken
out of the blue clay about 2 feet below three associated skeletons of
the megalonyx; and it is further stated to have accorded in respect of
color, density, etc., with those of the megalonyx and other associated
bones. This bone is now in the collection of the Academy of Natural
Sciences, Philadelphia.
In 1846 the English geologist, Sir Charles Lyell, studied the geology of
the region at Natchez (Second Visit to U. S. N. A., ed. 2, vol. II, pp.
194–201). With him were Dr. Dickeson and B. L. C. Wailles, afterwards
State geologist of Mississippi (Wailles, Agric., Geol. Miss., 1854, p.
213). In the yellow loam of the bluffs Lyell recognized loess deposits,
from their resemblance to those of the Rhine. These he estimated to
occupy the upper 60 feet of the bluff, and in them were found 20 species
of land-snails, all yet living. He reported that this loess sometimes
passed into a lacustrine deposit which contained shells of _Lymnæa_,
_Planorbis_, _Paludina_, _Physa_, and _Cyclas_, and that with the
land-snails had been found, at different depths, remains of the
mastodon, while in clay under the loam (meaning evidently the loess) and
above the sand and gravel, entire skeletons of the megalonyx had been
met with, associated with bones of the horse, bear, stag, ox (_Bison_).
Lyell noted especially the recent development of deep ravines. One of
these, called the Mammoth Ravine, had been formed, he was assured,
within the preceding 35 years. Its length was 7 miles and its depth 60
feet. In this ravine was found the human innominate bone referred to
above. He was shown this bone, and states that Dr. Dickeson was
persuaded that the bone had been taken out of the clay underlying the
loam (loess). This indicates that Dickeson himself did not take out the
human bone. Lyell thought that, like most of the other fossils, it had
been picked up in the bed of the stream, which would simply imply that
it had been washed out of the cliffs, and that it may have been
dislodged from some Indian grave near the top. He (p. 197) stated that
the place where the bone was found was 6 miles from Natchez. The reader
may consult further Lyell’s account of his observations at Natchez in
volume III of the American Journal of Science, 1847, page 266.
In 1854 Wailles (op. cit., p. 286) published a list of the vertebrate
fossils which had been found in the State. This list had been prepared
by Dr. Leidy. While no localities are mentioned in either publication,
it is quite certain that most, if not all, of the species had been found
at Natchez. Wailles (p. 285) stated that the most prolific locality was
on Pine Ridge, in townships 7 and 8 north, range 3 west, 6 miles north
of Natchez. While the name is not used, it is supposed that reference is
here had to the Mammoth Ravine mentioned by Lyell. Leidy’s list was as
follows:
Felis atrox Leidy.
Ursus americanus fossilis.
U. amplidens Leidy.
Equus americanus Leidy.
Cervus virginianus fossilis.
Bison latifrons Leidy.
Boötherium cavifrons Leidy.
Elephas primigenius.
Tapirus americanus fossilis.
T. haysii Leidy.
Megalonyx jeffersonii Harlan.
M. dissimilis Leidy.
Mylodon harlani Owen.
Ereptodon priscus Leidy.
Mastodon giganteus.
Hilgard (Agric. Geol., Mississippi, 1860, p. 196, a work not issued
until the early part of 1863), republished Leidy’s catalogue of species
just mentioned and stated that these had been found in a solid blue
clay.
In J. W. Foster’s “Prehistoric Races of the United States,” published in
1873, p. 61, is a statement made by Professor C. G. Forshey, in which he
says that he visited the locality where the human innominate bone was
found and that it was in Bernard’s Bayou, 2.5 miles north from Natchez.
This does not accord with the statement of Wailles, who lived near
Natchez and who visited the locality in company with Lyell and Dickeson.
Forshey presented reasons for concluding that the bone was not derived
from the Bluff formation. He stated that the mastodon bones and all
others, of which there were many, were rotten, and that it was only with
difficulty that any of them could be preserved. On the other hand,
Leidy, in speaking of the bones of the megalonyx found in the Mammoth
Ravine (Smithson. Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. 5, p. 6), and of those
of the _Mylodon_ (op. cit., p. 48), says that they were in a good state
of preservation.
In his work on the Lafayette formation published in 1891 (12th Ann. Rep.
U. S. Geol. Surv., pp. 347–521), McGee discussed the geology about
Natchez. On page 397 he presented a composite section obtained along
about 3 miles of the bluff. This in a modified form is here given.
_Section at Natchez._
_feet._
7. Loess 10 to 50
6. Brown loam 10 to 40
5. Stratified loamy sand 5 to 15
4. Tenacious blue clay (Port Hudson) 10 to 15
3. Cross-stratified sand, with pebbles 30 to 50
2. Stratified gravel 5 to 15
1. Greenish and blue clay, to above low water (Grand Gulf,
Tertiary) 5 to 10
McGee noted that these divisions (except the Port Hudson and Grand Gulf)
are purely arbitrary, inasmuch as the character and thickness of the
beds change more or less within no great distances.
He noted the fact that the loess abounded in mollusks mostly of land and
swamp species; also that some of the gravelly beds well down towards the
Port Hudson clays had yielded bones and teeth of elephants and
mastodons.
In 1898, Dr. B. Shimek visited Natchez and studied especially the loess
(Amer. Geologist, vol. XXX, pp. 279–298, with plates X-XVI). He
estimated the thickness of the loess as not exceeding 30 feet. He
collected from this loess more than 4,600 shells of mollusks; and these
proved to belong to 39 species or well-recognized subspecies. These
species are all terrestrial in habit and all are now found living either
on the hills in the immediate vicinity or in similar situations in other
parts of the South. Shimek came to the conclusion that the loess of that
region had been deposited by the action of the winds. He was unable to
find any “brown loam” above the loess, the presence of which other
authors had affirmed.
Shimek found no traces of mammalian bones in the loess and was inclined
to doubt that they occur there. He does not appear to have visited the
locality from which most of the bones were reported.
Chamberlin and Salisbury, in 1906 (Geology, vol. III, p. 386, fig. 513),
discussed briefly the geological situation at Natchez. The Natchez
formation (evidently including the Port Hudson) has a thickness of about
200 feet and is made up of materials derived mostly from the so-called
Lafayette, on which it there rests unconformably. In this Natchez
formation are also crystalline pebbles and calcareous clays assignable
to wash from the glacial regions. Between this Natchez formation and the
overlying loess a marked interval is indicated. The authors are inclined
to assign the Natchez deposits to the earliest part of the Pleistocene,
viz, to the Aftonian and the drift epoch preceding the Aftonian. Since
the time when the Natchez formation was deposited the great trench of
the Mississippi Valley, about 60 miles wide, has been excavated.
Already on page 391 has been given the list of fossil mammals which
Leidy made out for the State geologist of Mississippi, B. L. C. Wailles.
A revision of this is here presented, with the addition of _Castoroides
ohioensis_.
Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 40).
M. dissimilis (p. 41).
Mylodon harlani (p. 41).
Ereptodon priscus (p. 41).
Equus complicatus (p. 200).
E. leidyi (p. 200).
Tapirus haysii (p. 208).
T. terrestris (p. 208).
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 233).
Symbos cavifrons (p. 254).
Bison latifrons? (p. 265).
Mammut americanum (p. 125).
Elephas columbi? (p. 180).
Castoroides ohioensis (p. 280).
Ursus americanus.
U. amplidens.
Felis atrox.
According to Lyell (Amer. Jour. Sci., vol. III, 1847, p. 268),
_Megatherium_ and _Castoroides_ had been found in the bluffs at Natchez.
From this list of mammals it is possible perhaps to reach some
conclusion regarding the geological age of the deposits containing them.
In case we accept without reserve the species, 16 in number, as
determined, only 3, _Tapirus terrestris_, _Odocoileus virginianus_, and
_Ursus americanus_, are yet living, leaving about 81 per cent of the
whole as being extinct, and what was called _Tapirus terrestris_ was
probably an extinct form. This alone makes it probable that the time of
their existence was early in the Pleistocene. All three of the supposed
existing species may, however, prove to belong to extinct species
closely related to those whose names they yet bear.
Certain species may be left out of consideration because of paucity of
specimens and our consequent lack of knowledge of them. These are
_Megalonyx dissimilis_, _Ereptodon priscus_, and _Ursus amplidens_.
In case the high percentage of extinct species is not recognized as
being decisive, we may consider the assemblage from another point of
view. Certain species of the list appear to have existed throughout the
Pleistocene, at least from the time of the first interglacial stage.
These are _Megalonyx jeffersonii_, _Mammut americanum_, _Elephas
columbi_, and _Castoroides ohioensis_, and their presence indicates only
a Pleistocene time. Others of the list are not known to have existed
after the time of the last Wisconsin drift-sheet, and may be supposed to
have become extinct before that time. These are _Mylodon harlani_,
_Equus complicatus_, _Equus leidyi_, _Tapirus haysii_, and _Bison
latifrons_. All of these quite certainly existed until after the
Illinoian drift period, probably into the Sangamon interglacial, except
apparently _Equus leidyi_.
The list contains no species of primitive mastodons belonging to the
genus _Gomphotherium_, no species of _Hipparion_, no camels; and
_Elephas imperator_ appears to be missing. There is, therefore, no
necessity for believing that the mammal-bearing deposits at Natchez are
as old as the Sheridan, or Aftonian stage, but the ancient forms
mentioned may at any time turn up there or elsewhere in the immediate
region.
The presence of _Symbos cavifrons_ might be supposed to point to a
rather late date in the Pleistocene; but evidence has accumulated which
indicates that it reaches back farther in time than we have supposed.
Taking all into consideration, the writer concludes that the fossil
vertebrates found at Natchez date back at least as far as the time of
the Illinoian drift stage. There is nothing to prove that they are not
as old as the Aftonian stage, except the apparent absence of camels,
_Elephas imperator_, mastodons belonging to _Gomphotherium_, and a
multiplicity of species of _Equus_.
Unfortunately, vertebrate fossils, especially those known to belong to
definite horizons in the Pleistocene, are, aside from Natchez, rarely
found; but near Orizaba, in Tippah County, a tooth of a horse has been
discovered which appears to have been _Equus leidyi_ (p. 200). Remains
of a deer (p. 234) have been found in a railroad cutting at Aberdeen,
Monroe County. Mastodons are not uncommon, as may be seen on consulting
the pages where these animals in Mississippi are discussed (pp. 124 to
126).
TENNESSEE.
(Figure 23.)
There are not many States which furnish fewer Pleistocene deposits of
any considerable area than does Tennessee. Lying, as it does, away from
the sea, there are no marine Pleistocene beds; situated beyond the
glacial area, there are no glacial-drift deposits; and almost half of
the State, the eastern, being mountainous, with rivers running in narrow
valleys, there has been little opportunity for accumulation of loose
Pleistocene materials. The U. S. Geological Survey has published about
25 folios describing the geology of this mountainous part of Tennessee.
One will search these folios, perhaps in vain, for any mention of
Pleistocene deposits and for traces of these on the maps. Now and then
mention is made of narrow strips of alluvium along some of the larger
rivers; nevertheless there are evidences that in some of these strips
there are Pleistocene deposits. From the mountainous region westward to
near Mississippi River there have doubtless been, during the
Pleistocene, better opportunities for deposition of alluvium along the
river courses, but such deposits have been little studied. Along the
great river forming the western boundary there is a band, 10 to perhaps
25 miles in width, overlain by loess. This may attain a depth along the
river varying from 20 to 70 feet, but away from the river it thins out
to a feather-edge (Glenn, Water Supply Paper 114, U. S. Geol. Surv.). Up
to this time, however, it has furnished few, if any, Pleistocene
fossils.
Notwithstanding the paucity of Pleistocene areas in the mountainous
portion of Tennessee, this region has furnished a considerable number of
species of Pleistocene vertebrates, and bids fair to furnish its due
proportion (fig. 23). These species occur, not in water-laid or
wind-laid deposits, but in caves which abound in the limestones of that
region. In 1918 (Resources of Tenn., vol. VIII, pp. 85–142), Mr. Thomas
L. Bailey located and described more than 100 caves of considerable
size. Many had been worked to obtain saltpeter. Bones have been reported
from a few of them; probably bones had been met with in others, but were
not regarded as important. In these caves (and in others yet to be
discovered) may hereafter be found numerous remains of animals. Other
sources for such fossils are the crevices that are sometimes opened up
in quarrying operations. Caves and crevices of this kind are found in
the Alleghany Mountain region from northern Pennsylvania to Lookout
Mountain in Tennessee, and from them there is already known an extensive
Pleistocene fauna.
Beginning in the northeastern corner of the State, a brief survey will
be made of the localities and fossils which concern us. At Kingsport, in
Sullivan County (fig. 23, _1_) the writer has learned of the finding of
a mastodon tooth (p. 127), but beyond the fact that it was owned by Mr.
D. M. Lafitte, the writer has been able to learn nothing.
From Bristol, Sullivan County (fig. 23, _2_), in the northeastern corner
of the State, there has been sent to the U. S. National Museum a
fragment of a maxilla containing two teeth of a tapir. This is referred
to _Tapirus haysii_. No details regarding the place of discovery or of
the geological conditions are known (p. 209).
From Hawkins County, at a locality not specified (fig. 23, _3_) another
mastodon tooth has been reported by Dr. S. W. McCallie (Science, ser. 2,
vol. XX, p. 333) (p. 127). These announcements show at least that these
animals could exist in those rough and elevated regions. From crevices
in a marble quarry near Rogersville (fig. 23, _4_), Hawkins County,
there were sent many years ago to the U. S. National Museum a tooth of
the horse _Equus leidyi_ (p. 201); and a canine tooth of a very large
peccary, _Mylohyus setiger_ (p. 222). The same peccary has been secured
from Cavetown, Maryland.
[Illustration:
Fig. 23.—Localities where fossil vertebrates have been found in
Tennessee.
]
1. Kingsport, Sullivan County. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
2. Bristol, Sullivan County. Tapirus haysii (p. 209).
3. —— Hawkins County. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
4. Rogersville, Hawkins County. Equus leidyi, Mylohyus setiger (p.
394).
5. Whitesburg, Hamblen County. 19 species (p. 395).
6. Mossy Creek, Jefferson County. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
7. Zirkel’s Cave, Jefferson County. Tapir, peccary, bear, etc., (p.
396).
8. Dandridge, Jefferson County. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
9. Near Knoxville, Knox County. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
10. Lookout Mountain, Hamilton County. Equus littoralis, Mylodon? sp.
indet., Tapirus sp. indet., etc., (p. 396).
11. Elroy, VanBuren County. Megalonyx jeffersonii, etc. (p. 397).
12. 11 miles west of Nashville. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
13. 11 miles southeast of Nashville. Mammut americanum (p. 127).
14. Nashville, Davidson County. Equus leidyi, E. complicatus?,
Camelops? sp. indet., Mylodon harlani, Odocoileus sp. indet. (p.
399).
15. Columbia, Maury County. Elephas sp. indet. (p. 181.)
17. Memphis, Shelby County. Megalonyx sp. indet., Castoroides
ohioensis, Mammut americanum (p. 400.)
In the U. S. National Museum is a collection of remains of vertebrate
animals made about 1885 by Mr. Ira Sayles, a collector for the U. S.
Geological Survey, from a point about a mile north of Whitesburg,
Hamblen County (fig. 23, _5_). Some masses of the matrix which contained
the bones accompany the collection. This matrix is a red earth such as
is often found in the floor of caves and in fissures in limestone, the
result of the decomposition of the calcareous rock. Some fragments are
to a great extent made up of broken bones. It is evident, however, that
there is now no cave at that place. Sayles suggested that the bones were
“kitchen-middens” and that there had been an old fortification there.
Possibly a cave or a fissure once existed there and the rock inclosing
it may have dissolved away, leaving the floor.
In this collection the writer has found the following species; these
were described in 1920 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. LVIII, pp. 85–95,
plates III, IV; text-figs. 1–3). Those preceded by an asterisk are
extinct.
_List of species._
*Testudo munda.
*Equus leidyi (p. 201).
*E. littoralis (p. 201).
*Tapirus tennesseæ (p. 209).
*Mylohyus nasutus (p. 223).
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 234).
*Sangamona fugitiva.
Cervus canadensis (p. 243).
*Elephas primigenius.
Sciurus carolinensis.
Tamias striatus.
Marmota monax.
Castor canadensis.
Neotoma pennsylvanica?.
Microtus pennsylvanicus.
Lepus americanus.
Ursus floridanus.
Procyon lotor.
*Ænocyon ayersi?.
In this list there are 19 species, of which 8 are extinct. The latter
form, therefore, 42 per cent of the whole list. This ratio appears to
indicate a time about the middle of the Pleistocene. There are no forms
that require an earlier date and there is good reason for believing that
the horses and the tapir did not exist after the last glacial stage,
perhaps not after the Sangamon interglacial.
It is interesting to find in eastern Tennessee the remains of _Elephas
primigenius_. The discovery of teeth of this animal at Beaufort, North
Carolina, in eastern Tennessee, and especially in Texas, proves that the
range of that species extended even farther south in the New World than
it did in the old. It is not improbable that the animal withdrew to the
south during one or more of the glacial stages. However, none of the
other species found at Whitesburg suggests a cooler climate than now
prevails there.
It is possible that some of the forms referred to existing species are
really extinct. The teeth identified as those of _Odocoileus
virginianus_ are smaller than those usually found in recent individuals.
The deer _Sangamona fugitiva_ appears in a collection made at Cavetown,
Maryland, and in another made at Alton, Illinois, in or beneath deposits
of loess that are believed to have been laid down about the time of the
Sangamon stage.
In Jefferson County mastodon remains have been found at two places,
Dandridge (fig. 23, _8_) and Mossy Creek. No details are known about the
first case; in the case of the tooth found 3 miles south of Mossy Creek
(fig. 23, _6_) it is stated that it was discovered at a depth of 6 feet
and beneath a white oak stump. Between the two villages, on the left
bank of Dumplin Creek, 5 miles above its mouth, is Zirkel’s Cave. From
this cave (fig. 23, _7_) Mercer (Dept. Amer. Archæol. Univ. Penn., 1896)
reported the discovery of remains of tapir (p. 395), peccary (p. 223),
bear, and small rodents; but to what species they belonged is not known.
The tapir and the peccary indicate Pleistocene times. The bear probably
belonged to the same epoch.
At a point 7 miles southeast of Knoxville (fig. 23, _9_) Professor S. W.
McCallie reported the finding of a mastodon tooth beneath 30 inches of
clay. At Lookout Mountain (p. 395, fig. 23, _10_) have been secured a
tooth of a horse, probably _Equus littoralis_ (p. 201), remains of tapir
and probably of _Mylodon_ (p. 43). Just where the horse-tooth was found
is not known. The tapir was found in a cave on the left bank of
Tennessee River, 0.25 mile below the mouth of Chattanooga Creek (Mercer,
as cited above; also in Amer. Naturalist, vol. XXVIII, p. 355). Mercer’s
accounts are brief and were intended only as preliminary reports. From
him, through Miss Harriet Newell Wardle, of Philadelphia, the writer has
received a letter in which are given some details about the
investigation of this cave in 1893 and 1896.
Dr. Mercer extended his trench inward from the entrance a distance of
about 50 feet and downward to the rocky bottom of the cave. He
recognized the presence of three layers, as follows: (1) top layer, from
6 to 8 inches deep, containing relics of both white man and Indian; (2)
middle layer, about 2 feet thick, containing evidence of Indian only;
(3) red cave earth, varying from one to several feet in thickness,
according to the uneven conditions of the cave floor. This latter layer
was subdivided into an upper zone (_a_) about a foot deep, which showed
evidences of intrusion of bones and refuse from the overlying layer, and
(_b_) the undisturbed red earth which contained bones of bats and
perhaps of some other animals. In the upper zone (_a_) of the red-earth
layer Mercer found a jawbone and loose teeth of _Tapirus haysii_ (p.
209) and a jawbone of _Mylodon_ (p. 43) without teeth, both as
identified by Professor Cope. Later, Cope became doubtful as to the
_Mylodon_ bone. In this upper zone of red earth, “within a few varying
inches of the depth of the tapir specimen above or below it,” Mercer
found bones of cave rats (_Neotoma_), marmot (_Marmota_), squirrel,
deer, opossum, teeth and fragments of the skull of a large unidentified
mammal, a small and a large bird, wild turkey, two species of turtles,
frogs, and drum-fish. The skull and other bones of the large
unidentified mammal had plainly been cracked to secure the marrow, and
were otherwise crushed and splintered. Also, as many as 493 hornstone
chips were found, besides bones rubbed to a point, and 10 potsherds. It
becomes a question how the tapir bone and teeth and perhaps the bone of
the mylodon and the evidences of the Indian’s presence got into this
upper layer of red earth. Mercer “thought it reasonable to conclude that
the tapir had been intruded into the red earth from the upper layer and
had been in contact with the Indians.” This appears to indicate the idea
that the tapir had existed there at a late period, probably after the
Pleistocene; but the evidences appear to show that this animal lived in
the United States not later than about the Sangamon stage of the
Pleistocene. It is more probable that the tapir remains had not been
disturbed and that the relics of man had, by some means, made their way
down into the red earth. There remains also the possibility that Indians
and tapirs and mylodons had lived together in that region during the
middle of the Pleistocene and while the upper foot of red clay was being
deposited. The presence of the other animals mentioned by Mercer does
not disprove this possibility, for all of them pretty certainly existed
there during the middle Pleistocene.
Not far from Elroy, Van Buren County (fig. 23, _11_) there is an
interesting cavern known as Bigbone Cave. This and the bones which it
has furnished are now to be described.
Mercer (Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. XXXVI, pp. 36–70) found that in
the greater part of this cave the nitrous earth that had formed the
floor had been removed to such an extent that on the walls its stains
remained at a height of one’s waist. Wherever any of this deposit
remained it was exceedingly dry and any disturbance of it produced a
cloud of dust. It appears to have consisted mostly of the dung and
excretions of animals, such as bats and cave rats. The preservation of
the cartilage and horny sheaths of the claw was due to this dryness of
the atmosphere. Where Mercer found the bones he recognized four layers,
to represent which he published a figure (op. cit., p. 47, fig. 4). This
is here reproduced with unimportant changes (fig. 24). On top there was
a layer from 2 to 3 inches thick which had resulted from the disturbance
produced by the passing of white men and possibly to some extent of
Indians. With the dust were mingled remains of charred vegetable
substances that had been used as torches.
[Illustration:
FIG. 24.—Diagram showing a vertical section of the gallery in Bigbone
Cave near Elroy, Van Buren County, Tenn. Adapted from Mercer.
]
The second layer was 2 to 5 feet deep and consisted almost entirely of
well-preserved dried excrements of cave rats (_Neotoma_) and of
porcupines (_Erethizon_). In it were observed nuts, sticks, fur, and
moss. The only animal remains found in this layer were the bones of
_Megalonyx_ (p. 42), quills and coprolites of _Erethizon dorsatum_,
coprolites and a jaw of a cave rat referred to _Neotoma magister_, and
jaws of two bats, _Adelonycteris fuscus_ and _Myotis subulatus_
(_Vespertilio gryphus_ of Mercer). Some traces were found of an
undetermined herbivorous mammal about as large as a bear. With the lot
of _Megalonyx_ bones from this cave which were described by Harlan there
were remains referred to _Bos_ (_Bison_), _Ursus_, _Cervus_
(_Odocoileus?_), and a human metatarsal; but these were reported as
having been picked up on the surface and may therefore have belonged to
quite recent skeletons.
Besides the animal remains found by Mercer in his second layer, there
were present quantities of vegetable matter belonging to several
species. All, however, were forms yet living in that region.
Mercer’s third layer appears to have consisted of dry excrements which
had become somewhat hardened. Its thickness was a foot. In it were found
vegetable matter, some bat jaws and fur, and the carcass of a “window
fly.” The fourth layer consisted of a fine water-laid clay which on
drying had contracted and broken up into small angular masses. The
interstices appear to have been filled by materials soaking down from
the upper layers of excrement. No organisms were found in it.
Mercer concluded that the sloth remains were geologically recent, and
this may be true. _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ has been found in the northern
States in deposits overlying the Wisconsin drift, and it is quite
reasonable to suppose that the animal existed in Tennessee up to as late
a time as it did in Ohio and Illinois. The persistence of the cartilages
of the sloth, and the framework of the window fly which lay below the
sloth bones, naturally suggests a comparatively short time; but if,
through the dryness of the cave, they could endure a thousand years,
they might possibly endure several thousand. One must consider also the
length of time required for 1.5 or 2 feet of cave floor to be built up
from the excrements of bats, porcupines, and cave rats, but there is no
reason to refer the time back further than about the close of the
Wisconsin stage.
On another page (p. 127) is presented the little that is known about the
remains of two mastodons which have been reported from the region about
Nashville. One tooth was found 11 miles west of the city (fig. 23,
_12_); a part of a skeleton at a point 11 miles southeast of it (fig.
23, _13_). A tooth of an undetermined species of elephant was found long
ago near Columbia, Maury County (p. 395, fig. 23, _15_). According to
Folio 95 of the U. S. Geological Survey, there are some narrow strips of
alluvium along Duck River, at Columbia. The tooth may or may not have
been found in this alluvium. Apparently in the neighborhood of Gallatin,
Sumner County (fig. 23, _16_), was found before 1835, at a depth of 40
feet, a tooth of an elephant (p. 181). The information furnished by the
tooth, as reported, is not worth much.
In June 1920, the writer received from Mr. William Edward Myer, of
Nashville, a small box of fossils, collected near Nashville (fig. 23,
_14_). The exact locality is given as being about 300 yards upstream
from Lock A, in Cumberland River. According to a sketch sent by Mr. Myer
and here reproduced (fig. 25), there are loose deposits about 30 feet in
thickness lying upon bed-rock. This bed-rock is found at about the level
of low-water in the river. On this rock there is found first a bed of
gravel, which, to judge from Myer’s sketch, is 2 or 3 feet in thickness.
Above this comes a bed of sand of about the same thickness. The rest of
the 30 feet is composed of gravel; and this rises to the level of the
flood-plain. In the lowermost stratum, the bed of gravel, were found a
tooth of _Equus leidyi_ (p. 201), a part of a femur of a horse of large
size (p. 201), and an antler of a small and probably unnamed deer (p.
234). This antler resembles those of some of the Central American
species of _Odocoileus_. In the next stratum above were found some
indeterminable fragments of turtle bones, a tooth of a young mastodon
(p. 127), and a calcaneum of a large camel (p. 225), belonging probably
to the genus _Camelops_. In October 1920, Mr. Myer sent from the same
locality a part of a molar of _Mylodon harlani_ (p. 43). These remains
appear to the writer to indicate that the deposits are of early
Pleistocene age, about that of the first interglacial.
[Illustration:
FIG. 25.—Section on Bank of Tennessee River at Nashville.
]
Somewhere about Memphis (fig. 23, _17_), were found, about the middle of
the last century, some scanty remains of a young mastodon, a bone of
_Megalonyx_ (p. 43), and a part of a lower jaw of _Castoroides_ (p.
280). Jeffries Wyman thought that these remains had been found in
diluvium of the Mississippi River. It appears probable that they were
found in the loess, which is well developed at that locality. Some
exactness in reporting the locality would have led to the solution of
this question.
KENTUCKY.
The State of Kentucky lies almost wholly south of the area of
glaciation. Only along Ohio River, from about 50 miles above Cincinnati
to about as many miles below, do any ice-laid drift materials appear,
and these belong to the Illinoian glacial stage. For information on this
drift the reader may consult Leverett’s account (Monogr. U. S. Geol.
Surv., vol. XLI, pp. 256–258, plate II). Near Carrolton, between Ohio
and Kentucky Rivers, is a ridge of Illinoian drift which rises as much
as 200 feet above low water. Later-formed terraces of these rivers are
found up to 90 feet. Not far away from this locality drift materials are
found on the highlands to a height of 300 feet above the Ohio. Below
Rising Sun, Indiana, on the Kentucky side, are knolls of drift deposits
rising about 150 feet above the river. This Illinoian drift occupies
nearly the whole of Boone County; elsewhere it forms a narrow strip
along the Ohio.
Naturally there were laid down, at various times during the Pleistocene,
deposits beyond the glacial front. Rivers coming down from the glaciers
brought into the Ohio valley enormous quantities of gravel, sands, and
clay, much of which must have been deposited along the banks or at the
bottom. Such materials may have been laid down there during all or some
of the earlier glacial stages, some perhaps during interglacial times.
Probably at later times the most of these early deposits were swept
away, but some may have persisted. The rock floor of the Ohio (Leverett,
op. cit., p. 83) is below the level of the present stream, generally
between 30 and 60 feet, and, at some points in its lower course, 75
feet. There might, therefore, now exist Illinoian drift materials
anywhere above this rocky floor, as well as high up on the bluffs. It
may be difficult, sometimes impossible, to determine the actual age of
such deposits. During the whole Pleistocene, the rivers which enter the
Ohio from the south were bearers of fine and coarse materials from the
higher lands where they took origin. Sometimes, and in some parts of
their courses, they may have occupied channels other than those now
holding the waters. During times of depression of the country the
sediments were dropped along the channels until the latter may have been
nearly filled. Then the country may later have become elevated, so that
the streams again cut down and left some of the old deposits as
terraces. In some parts of the State, as in the region of Mammoth Cave,
water circulating in the limestone rocks has dissolved these so as to
produce caverns and fissures of various sizes. In such caves, when they
became opened to the surface, animals would seek hiding-places and would
perhaps bring in others as their prey. Dying there, their bones might be
preserved. From such a cave has been secured a fine specimen of the
skull of a peccary (p. 223). Such caves should be examined with great
care.
One of the most famous localities for fossil vertebrates in this country
is that known as Bigbone Lick, in Boone County, about 22 miles in a
straight line southwest of Cincinnati. Fossil bones were collected there
as long ago as 1739. A condensed history of the explorations made there
for fossils was given by William Cooper in 1831 (Monthly Amer. Jour.
Geol., vol. I, pp. 158–174, 205–216). An account of the locality, its
geology, and something about the fossil vertebrates and fresh-water
mollusks found there was given by the geologist Charles Lyell in 1845
(“Travels in North America,” Murray ed., vol. II, pp. 62–66).
Enormous quantities of bones and teeth, especially those of _Mammut
americanum_, have been collected at this place. When it was first
discovered, bones of this animal, of the elephants, and some others,
must have been lying exposed on the surface, the result probably of
erosion by the creek passing there through what was then a marsh.
General William Henry Harrison, in 1795, shipped from there 13 hogsheads
of bones, but these were lost on their way to Pittsburgh. Dr. Goforth is
reported to have got as many mastodon teeth as a wagon and four horses
could draw. These teeth are said to have weighed from 12 to 20 pounds
each. If this statement of weights is true, some or all of the teeth
were those of elephants. In 1807, General William Clark made a
collection at Bigbone Lick, at the instances of President Thomas
Jefferson. Brief notices of these were published by Dr. Samuel L.
Mitchill and by Dr. Caspar Wistar. Some of these bones were sent to the
American Philosophical Society at Philadelphia and were afterwards put
into the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences. Another part was
sent to Paris. Remains of various species, mostly the mastodon, have
gone into many museums of this country and of Europe; but it is evident
that the greater part of the things collected there, and especially of
the finest things, has been lost to science.
Notwithstanding the amount of work done at Bigbone Lick, the geology of
the locality, and especially of the bone-bearing levels, is not well
known. Most persons who have labored there were interested almost wholly
in getting as many bones as possible and then in getting away. Cooper,
as cited, published a map of the region and indicated where the
excavations had been made up to that time. This map is here presented,
redrawn (map 41). From Cooper’s account it appears that all of the bones
had been found within a very circumscribed area, near a number of salt
springs. The bones occurred on the surface and as deep as 25 feet.
Cooper attributed this variation of depth to the unevenness of the
surface, his idea being that the bone-bearing stratum occupied a certain
level. He concluded that the valley had been filled up to a depth of not
less than 30 feet by unconsolidated beds of various kinds, of which the
uppermost was a light-yellow clay. This appeared to have been brought
down from the higher grounds by flowing water. In it were found bones of
buffaloes and other modern animals. Below this came a thinner layer of
darker color, softer and more gravelly, which contained remains of reedy
plants and fresh-water mollusks. It is described as being sometimes very
thin or even wanting. It was in this layer that the bones, or most of
them, were buried. It was itself underlain by a bed of blue clay of a
very compact and tenacious kind. Cooper added that this bone-bearing
layer appeared sometimes to be embedded in the blue clay.
The next important investigations made at this place, so far as the
writer knows, are those instituted by Professor N. S. Shaler in 1868
(Geol. Surv. Kentucky, 2d ser., vol. III, 1877, pp. 196–198; Allen’s
“The American Bison,” 1876, pp. 232–236). He reported that he had sent
to the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard at least a ton of bones.
Immediately at the salt springs Shaler appears not to have been able to
discover any order in the disposition of the bones. “It is only at
points remote from the springs, where the beds seem to have been formed
by a mixture of the creek mud and the waste from the springs, that we
find the remains in the order which will enable us to form some opinion
as to the succession of occurrence of these animals at this point.” At
one place he thought he had succeeded in finding a distinct order of
succession. Just where this place was he did not indicate, nor what
kinds of deposits were passed through. The depth reached appears to have
been only 8 feet. Unfortunately, the great collection made by Shaler has
remained unstudied, except the remains of the buffalo (J. A. Allen, “The
American Bison,” 1876, with plates).
Shaler thought that the beds of glacial drift did not extend south of
Ohio River. The discovery that the Illinoian drift-sheet covers most of
Boone County (Leverett, Monogr. U. S. Geol. Surv., vol. XLI, pp.
257–258) throws much light on the history of the locality. It appears
rather strange that Shaler did not find rocks of far northern origin at
Bigbone Lick. The geologic history appears to be something like this.
When the Illinoian ice-sheet crossed the Ohio there was present the
predecessor of Bigbone Creek. Inasmuch as the glacial sheet did not
remain there long, a rather thin deposit was laid down in the creek.
This is probably represented by the bed of blue mud mentioned by Cooper.
When the glacier retired, the locality became a swamp covered probably
by vegetation and receiving mud and gravel brought there by the stream
and washed down from the surrounding hills. Doubtless the salt springs
existed then as now and attracted thither elephants, mastodons, and
other species. What were all the changes undergone there between the
Illinoian and Wisconsin drift stages can not be guessed; but during the
latter time, when the Ohio was carrying down vast quantities of
detritus, some from the glaciated regions, some from the non-glaciated,
its muddy waters were often backed up into Bigbone Creek, as they are
sometimes now, and they left there the upper yellow clay described by
Cooper, or at least most of it. When the Wisconsin stage had passed and
Bigbone Creek was free to work in that valley, erosion began. As the
creek was cutting down its bed to the present level it doubtless often
changed its position, and in this way produced the irregularity of
surface which both Cooper and Shaler mention.
Notwithstanding its widely extended reputation, Bigbone Lick has
furnished relatively few species of vertebrates, and there is question
regarding the antiquity of some of these. About the presence of _Mammut
americanum_ there is no doubt. About the presence of elephants also
there can be no question; and the writer is quite certain that both
_Elephas primigenius_ and _E. columbi_ occurred there. Undoubtedly
_Equus complicatus_ has been collected there; also _Boötherium
bombifrons_, _Symbos cavifrons_, _Bison antiquus_, and _B. bison_; but
it is not certain that the remains of the last-named species are not of
Recent times. Shaler mentions the presence of _Bison latifrons_, but he
probably had in mind _B. antiquus_. The type of _B. latifrons_ was found
in another creek valley. The occurrence of the _Cervus canadensis_,
_Odocoileus virginianus_, and _Alces americanus_ is mentioned by Cooper,
who stated that he thought he had seen traces of all of them. Shaler was
doubtful as to the elk. In Allen’s monograph on American bison, on page
234, Shaler admits the moose. The following is a list of the species
which have been reported from Bigbone Lick. References are made to pages
where further information is given on the species.
Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 44).
Mylodon harlani (p. 44).
Equus complicatus (p. 202).
?Tapirus haysii (p. 209).
Odocoileus virginianus (p. 234).
Cervus canadensis (p. 243).
Cervalces scotti.
Alces americanus.
Rangifer caribou (p. 247).
Boötherium bombifrons (p. 255).
Symbos cavifrons (p. 255).
Bison antiquus (p. 265).
Bison bison (p. 270).
Mammut americanum (p. 128).
Elephas primigenius (p. 146).
Elephas columbi (p. 160).
Ursus americanus.
It is proper now to determine, if possible, during which of the
Pleistocene stages each of these species lived. It is quite probable
that none of the individual animals that have been dug up at Bigbone
Lick lived there before the Illinoian glacial stage. To find such, if
they have been preserved there, the excavations would have to be carried
much deeper. The writer assumes that any of the animals that lived there
in the interval between the Illinoian and the Wisconsin stages lived,
died, and were buried during the Sangamon stage. _Megalonyx jeffersonii_
may belong to the Sangamon or to the Late Wisconsin, for we know nothing
about the depth at which the bones and teeth were secured. _Mylodon
harlani_ is not known to have existed anywhere after the Wisconsin, and
hence we may refer it to the Sangamon. _Equus complicatus_ also may with
certainty be referred to the Sangamon; likewise _Tapirus haysii_, in
case the type was not found in South Carolina. As to the cervids
_Odocoileus virginianus_, _Cervus canadensis_, _Alces americanus_, their
status is doubtful. They might go back to the Sangamon or have lived
there at any time up to and during the Recent. The reindeer is most
likely to have existed there during the Wisconsin ice-stage. The fine
specimen of _Cervalces scotti_ at Princeton University was found in New
Jersey in deposits overlying Wisconsin drift, but it may be taken as
certain that the species had existed before the time of the Wisconsin.
There is no record of depth, matrix, or associated fossils in the case
of the type of this species, which was found at Bigbone Lick. It is
natural to refer the two species of musk-oxen to the Wisconsin stage;
but there are indications that at least _Symbos cavifrons_ has been
found at other localities in pre-Wisconsin deposits. Shaler recorded it
as being found near the bottom of his excavation with the horse and with
the bison which he called _Bison latifrons_, but which is _Bison
antiquus_. It and _Symbos cavifrons_ probably belong to the Sangamon.
From the fact that bones of the mastodon and the two species of
elephants were found by Shaler in the deeper deposits, it is probable
that the individuals represented belonged to the Sangamon or some other
pre-Wisconsin deposit; but, inasmuch as all three species lived after
the Wisconsin, there seems to be no known reason why some of their bones
may not have been buried in the late and superficial deposits at Bigbone
Lick. As to the bones of the bear found at this place little can be
said.
The numerous remains of _Bison bison_ appear by all accounts to have
been found only in the uppermost parts of the deposits. Shaler was of
the opinion that the buffalo (Allen’s “The American Bison,” p. 234) had
come to the region east of Mississippi River at a very late period,
after the disappearance from Bigbone Lick of the elephants, the
mastodon, and _Symbos_. It seems to the present writer that the presence
of the existing buffalo east of the Mississippi only after the passing
of the Wisconsin ice-sheet is quite certain; but that it came only after
the extinction of the great proboscideans is hardly to be sustained. In
many localities over the country remains of all three species have been
found in swamps overlying the Wisconsin drift. In 1890 (Amer.
Naturalist, vol. XXIV, p. 953), Professor Lucien Underwood described a
fine skull of the American buffalo which had been found in making a
sewer at Syracuse, New York. Underwood stated that it had been found in
black muck, at a depth of 10 feet; but Mr. John Cunningham,
superintendent of grounds at the university, who saw the place and
secured the skull from the laborer who encountered it, told the present
writer that the depth was 17 feet. It would seem that that bison had
lived on the shores of Onondaga Lake not long after the Wisconsin
glacier had withdrawn from the place.
We do not know under what geological conditions the type of _Bison
latifrons_ was found; but it pretty certainly came from post-Illinoian
deposits, probably Sangamon, along possibly Woolper’s Creek in Boone
County. Proboscidean remains have been reported from the Kentucky side
of the Ohio in the region of Cincinnati, but it would be hazardous at
present to assign them a geological age. The same may be said about the
mastodon remains found in digging the canal around the falls, although
the low level along the river seems to indicate the Late Wisconsin.
A collection, forming probably two farm-wagon loads, was made several
years ago at Bluelick Springs, by Mr. Thomas W. Hunter. The springs
having failed, Mr. Hunter undertook to dig down and restore the flow. In
this he failed, but he did find great quantities of bones, mostly those
of the mastodon, but also of elephants, buffaloes, and a few others (p.
129). There were about 100 mastodon teeth, many tusks, and large pieces
of these; and of these pieces about 20 had been planed off so as to be
flat on one or on two sides, as if they had lain in the bottom of a
stream and the water and sand had worn them down on one side and then
the tusks had been turned over and undergone a planing of the opposite
side. Among the bones were two ungual phalanges of _Megalonyx
jeffersonii_ (p. 44), and remains of the elk (p. 243), and deer (p.
234). To none of the species found there need one assign a higher
antiquity than late Pleistocene; but some might have been older. In
Scott County, between Stamping Ground and Georgetown, there has been
found, in the bottom of an old sink-hole, a part of a lower jaw with
teeth of _Tapirus haysii_ (p. 210). The time of existence of this animal
is to be regarded as lying somewhere back of the Wisconsin glacial
stage. With this jaw, Professor Arthur M. Miller sent to the writer some
pieces of jaws of _Tapirus haysii_ (p. 210) which had been found in an
old stream-deposit at Yarnallton, Fayette County. From a fissure filled
with calcite, at Monday’s Landing, Mercer County, there has been sent to
the writer, by Professor Miller, a molar tooth of a horse (p. 202).
Nothing more can be said of this horse than that it is older than the
Wisconsin stage. It may be as old as the first interglacial.
About 5 or 6 miles below Henderson, on Ohio River, many years ago,
considerable parts of the skeleton of _Megalonyx jeffersonii_ were found
(p. 44). With them were reported to have been discovered antlers and
bones of the deer (p. 234). A description of the locality was sent to
Joseph Leidy and published by him in his work on ground-sloths (Smiths.
Contrib. Knowl., vol. VII, art. 5, p. 7). The bone-bed lay at an
elevation of only 5 or 6 feet above an ordinary stage of low water. It
was composed of a ferruginous sand and contained various species of
fresh-water mollusks and stems and limbs of trees. This was underlain by
a bluish clay, while above it, rising 40 or 50 feet, were beds of
siliceous earth and widely spread marls. Neither the geology of the
place, so far as the writer knows, nor the history of the animal
requires us to believe that the geological age is beyond that of the
Late Wisconsin or Wisconsin. However, a short time before, near
Evansville, Indiana, at the mouth of Pigeon Creek, and apparently only
about 10 miles away from where Owen found megalonyx bones, there had
been discovered by Frances A. Lincke, and described by Leidy (Proc.
Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., vol. VII, 1854, pp. 199–200), a collection of
vertebrate fossils. This included remains of megalonyx (p. 32), a
cervical vertebra of a bison (p. 257), a vertebra of a horse (p. 186), a
tooth of _Tapirus haysii_ (p. 203), and a part of the upper jaw of the
wolf known as _Ænocyon dirus_ (p. 204). The horse was most probably
_Equus complicatus_, while the bison was probably one of the extinct
species. The wolf is regarded as being the same as that so abundantly
found in the collections made at Rancho La Brea, near Los Angeles. The
writer regards the fauna as belonging to the Sangamon, unless it is
still older. The specimens were found sticking out of the river at low
water, and it becomes quite probable that the Henderson beds and bones
are of the same age as those at Evansville.
As mentioned on another page (p. 223) it is probable that the fine skull
of _Platygonus compressus_ that was sent many years ago to the Academy
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia by Dr. Samuel Brown, of Lexington,
Kentucky, and described by Leidy (Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., vol. X, p.
331, plates XXXV-XXXVII) had been found somewhere in Rock Castle County.
It counts as another product of the caves which abound in the Alleghany
range of mountains.
MAPS AND THEIR EXPLANATIONS
[Illustration:
MAP 1.
Distribution of Pleistocene cetaceans in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 408.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 1.
Ontario:
1. Nepean Township, Carleton Co., Delphinapterus leucas (p. 17).
2. Ottawa East, Carleton Co., Delphinapterus leucas (p. 17).
3. Smith’s Falls, Lanark Co., Megaptera boöps (p. 17).
4. Pakenham, Lanark Co., Delphinapterus leucas (p. 17).
5. Cornwall, Stormont Co., Delphinapterus leucas (p. 18).
6. Williamstown, Glengarry Co., Delphinapterus vermontanus? (p. 18).
7. Quebec, Montreal, Delphinapterus leucas (p. 18).
8. Rivière du Loup, Temiscouata Co., Delphinapterus leucas (p. 18).
9. Metis, Rimouski Co., Megaptera boöps? (p. 19).
10. Jaquet River, Restigouche Co., Monodon monoceros (p. 19).
11. Mace’s Bay, Charlotte Co., Delphinapterus? sp.? (p. 19).
Vermont:
12. Charlotte, Chittenden Co., Delphinapterus vermontanus (p. 19).
North Carolina:
13. Below Newbern, Craven Co., “cetaceans” (p. 20).
South Carolina:
14. Charleston, Charleston Co., Physeter vetus (p. 20).
Georgia:
15. Brunswick, Glynn Co., Physeter vetus? (p. 20).
Florida:
16. Daytona, Volusia Co., Balænoptera? sp.? (p. 20).
17. De Land, Volusia Co., Globicephala bæreckeii (p. 20).
[Illustration:
MAP 2.
Distribution of Pleistocene _Pinnipedia_ on eastern North America. For
explanation see page 408.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 2.
Grinnell Land, Dumbbell Harbor (locality not on the map). Phoca barbata
P. hispida (p. 21).
Nova Scotia:
1. Sable Island, Odobenus rosmarus (p. 21).
New Brunswick:
2. Fairville, Charlotte Co., Phoca grœnlandica (p. 21).
Quebec:
3. Bic, Rimouski Co., Odobenus rosmarus (p. 21).
4. Montreal, Phoca grœnlandica (p. 22).
5. Tétreauville, Ottawa Co., Phoca vitulina (p. 22).
Ontario:
6. Ottawa, Phoca? sp.? (p. 23).
Maine:
7. Addison Point, Washington Co., Odobenus rosmarus (p. 23).
8. Andrews Island, Knox Co., O. rosmarus (p. 23).
9. Gardiner, Kennebec Co., O. rosmarus (p. 23).
10. Portland, Cumberland Co., O. rosmarus (p. 24).
New Hampshire:
11. Jeffries Reef, off Portsmouth, O. rosmarus (p. 25).
Massachusetts:
12. Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, O. rosmarus (p. 25).
New Jersey:
13. Long Branch, Monmouth Co., O. rosmarus (p. 26).
14. Ocean Grove, Monmouth Co., O. rosmarus (p. 28).
Virginia:
15. Accomac Co., O. rosmarus (p. 28).
16. Kitty Hawk, Currituck Co., O. rosmarus (p. 29).
South Carolina:
17. Charleston Co., O. rosmarus (p. 29).
[Illustration:
MAP 3.
Distribution of Pleistocene _Xenarthra_ in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 410.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 3.
New Jersey:
1. Long Branch, Monmouth Co., Megatherium mirabile (p. 31).
Pennsylvania:
1. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co., Megalonyx wheatleyi, M. loxodon, M.
tortulus, M. scalper, Mylodon harlani (p. 31).
2. Frankstown, Blair Co., Megalonyx sp. indet. (p. 31).
Ohio:
1. North Fairfield, Huron Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 31).
2. Millersburg, Holmes Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 32).
Indiana:
1. Evansville, Vanderburg Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 32).
Illinois:
1. Urbana, Champaign Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 33).
2. Alton, Madison Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 33).
3. Galena, Jo Daviess Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 34).
Virginia:
1. Saltville, Smyth Co., Megalonyx dissimilis? (p. 34).
2. Ivanhoe, Wythe Co., Megalonyx sp. indet. (p. 34).
West Virginia:
1. —— Greenbrier Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 34).
South Carolina:
1. Beaufort, Beaufort Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 35).
2. Charleston, Charleston Co., Megatherium mirabile, Mylodon harlani
(p. 35).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co., Megatherium mirabile (p. 36).
2. Skidaway Island, Chatham Co., Megatherium mirabile, Mylodon
harlani (p. 26).
Florida (See Map 4).
Alabama:
1. Tuscumbia, Colbert Co., Megalonyx sp. indet. (p. 40).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii, M. dissimilis, Mylodon
harlani, Ereptodon priscus (p. 40).
Tennessee:
1. Elroy, Van Buren Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 41).
2. Lookout Mountain, Hamilton Co., Mylodon? sp. indet. (p. 43).
3. Memphis, Shelby Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 43).
4. Nashville, Davidson Co., Mylodon harlani (p. 43).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., Mylodon harlani, Megalonyx jeffersonii
(p. 43).
2. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 44).
3. Henderson, Henderson Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii (p. 44).
[Illustration:
MAP 4.
Finds of Pleistocene _Xenarthra_ in Florida. For explanation see page
412.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 4.
Florida:
1. Archer, Alachua Co., Megatherium mirabile (p. 37).
2. Almero Farm, St. John Co., Mylodon harlani (p. 37).
3. Ocala, Marion Co., Dasypus sp. indet. (p. 38).
4. Dunnellon, Marion Co., Chlamytherium septentrionale, Megalonyx
sp. indet. (p. 38).
5. Hillsboro River, Hillsboro Co., Chlamytherium septentrionale (p.
38).
6. Sarasota Bay, Sarasota Co., Chlamytherium septentrionale (p. 38).
7. Zolfo, Hardee Co., Megatherium mirabile (p. 38).
8. Vero, St. Lucie Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii, Mylodon harlani?,
Chlamytherium septentrionale, Dasypus sp. indet. (p. 38).
9. Arcadia, De Soto Co., Megalonyx jeffersonii, Glyptodon rivipacis,
Chlamytherium septentrionale (p. 39).
10. Labelle, Lee Co., Mylodon harlani (p. 40).
11. Williston Levy Co., Thinobadistes segnis (p. 37).
[Illustration:
MAP 5.
Distribution of Pleistocene mastodons in eastern North America. For
explanation see pages 414, 416.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 5.
Unless another name is used after the localities, Mammut americanum is
to be understood.
Ontario:
1. —— Essex Co. (p. 45).
2. Morpeth and Highgate, Elgin Co. (p. 45).
3. St. Thomas, Elgin Co., M. progenium? (p. 45).
4. London, Middlesex Co. (p. 45).
5. Marburg, Norfolk Co. (p. 45).
6. Dunnville, Haldimand Co. (p. 46).
7. St. Catharines and Welland Port, Lincoln Co. (p. 46).
8. Toronto, York Co. (p. 46).
9. Junction of Missinaibi and Moose Rivers, Algoma Co. (p. 46).
Massachusetts:
1. Coleraine, Franklin Co. (p. 47).
2. Shrewsbury, Worcester Co. (p. 47).
Connecticut:
1. Cheshire, New Haven Co. (p. 47).
2. New Britain, Hartford Co. (p. 48).
3. Farmington, Hartford Co. (p. 48).
4. Bristol, Hartford Co. (p. 48).
5. Sharon, Litchfield Co. (p. 48).
New York (See Maps 6 and 34).
New Jersey (See Map 6 A).
Pennsylvania:
1. Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co. (p. 68).
2. Pittston, Luzerne Co. (p. 68).
3. Berwick, Columbia Co. (p. 69).
4. Reading, Berks Co. (p. 69).
5. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co. (p. 69).
6. Jackson Township, York Co. (p. 69).
7. Kishacoquillas Station, Mifflin Co. (p. 69).
8. Chambersburg, Franklin Co. (p. 69).
9. Frankstown, Blair Co. (p. 69).
10. Bedford, Bedford Co. (p. 69).
11. Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co. (p. 69).
12. Hickory, Washington Co. (p. 70).
13. Erie, Erie Co. (p. 70).
Ohio (See Map 7).
Michigan (See Map 8).
Indiana (See Map 9).
Illinois (See also Map 38):
1. Shawneetown, Gallatin Co. (p. 100).
2. Chester, Randolph Co. (p. 101).
3. Beaucoup, Washington Co. (p. 101).
4. East St. Louis, St. Clair Co. (p. 101).
5. Alton, Madison Co. (p. 102).
6. Sandoval, Marion Co. (p. 102).
7. Niantic, Macon Co. (p. 102).
8. Warsaw, Hancock Co. (p. 103).
9. Manito, Mason Co. (p. 103).
10. —— Knox Co. (p. 104).
11. Cambridge, Henry Co. (p. 104).
12. Rural Township, Rock Island Co. (p. 104).
13. Sterling, Whiteside Co. (p. 105).
14. New Milford, Winnebago Co. (p. 105).
15. Byron and Harper, Ogle Co. (p. 105).
16. Urbana and Pesotum, Champaign Co. (p. 106).
17. —— Edgar Co. (p. 106).
18. Fairmount, Vermillion Co. (p. 106).
19. —— Iroquois Co., 6 miles northwest of Hoopeston, M. progenium (p.
106).
East Lynn and Rossville, Vermillion Co. (p. 107).
20. Beecher, Will Co. (p. 107).
21. Morris, Grundy Co. (p. 108).
22. Whitewillow, Kendall Co. (p. 109).
23. Yorkville, Kendall Co. (p. 109).
24. Aurora, Kane Co. (p. 109).
25. Batavia and Maple, Kane Co. (p. 110).
26. Glencoe, Cook Co. (p. 110).
27. Walnut, Bureau Co. (p. 105).
Wisconsin:
1. Dover, Racine Co. (p. 110).
2. Waukesha, Waukesha Co. (p. 110).
3. Madison, Dane Co. (p. 111).
4. Bluemounds, Dane Co. (p. 111).
5. Lone Rock, Richland Co. (p. 111).
6. Sinsinawa, Grant Co. (p. 111).
7. Wauseka, Crawford Co. (p. 111).
8. Richland Center, Richland Co. (p. 111).
9. Menomonie, Dunn Co. (p. 111).
Maryland:
1. St. Marys City, St Marys Co. (p. 112).
2. St. Clements, St. Marys Co. (p. 112).
3. Towson, Baltimore Co. (p. 112).
4. Lane’s Creek and Clear Spring, Washington Co. (pp. 112, 113).
Virginia:
1. 6 miles east of Williamsburg, York Co. (p. 113).
2. City Point, Prince George Co. (p. 113).
3. Abingdon, Washington Co. (p. 113).
4. Saltville, Smyth Co. (p. 113).
5. Covington, Alleghany Co. (p. 114).
6. Hot Springs, Bath Co. (p. 114).
7. Edom, Rockingham Co. (p. 114).
West Virginia:
1. Stewartstown, Monongalia Co. (p. 115).
2. Parkersburg, Wood Co. (p. 115).
North Carolina (See also Map 39):
1. —— New Hanover Co. (p. 115).
2. —— Pender Co. (p. 115).
3. —— Duplin Co. (p. 115).
4. Goldsboro, Wayne Co., M. progenium (p. 115).
5. Jacksonville, Onslow Co. (p. 116).
6. Maysville, Jones Co. (p. 116).
7. —— Pamlico Co., 16 miles below Newbern (p. 116).
8. Harlowe, Carteret Co. (p. 117).
9. —— Pitt Co. (p. 117).
10. —— Wilson Co. (p. 117).
11. Tarboro, Edgecombe Co. (p. 117).
12. Rocky Mount, Nash Co. (p. 117).
South Carolina:
1. Beaufort, Beaufort Co. (p. 118).
2. Ashley River, Charleston Co. (p. 118).
3. Head of Cooper River, Berkeley Co. (p. 119).
4. —— Lee Co. (p. 119).
5. Darlington, Darlington Co. (p. 119).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co. (p. 120).
2. Skidaway Island, Chatham Co. (p. 120).
Florida (See Map 10).
Alabama:
1. Bogue Chitto, Dallas Co. (p. 124).
Mississippi:
1. Perthshire, Bolivar Co. (p. 124).
2. Caseilla, Tallahatchie Co. (p. 124).
3. Jackson, Hinds Co. (p. 124).
4. Vicksburg, Warren Co. (p. 124).
5. Bovina?, Warren Co. (p. 125).
6. —— Claiborne Co. (p. 125).
7. —— Jefferson Co. (p. 125).
8. Natchez, Adams Co. (p. 125).
9. Pinckneyville, Wilkinson Co. (p. 126).
10. Between Zeiglerville and Pearce, Yazoo Co., M. progenium (p.
126).
11. Woodville, Wilkinson Co. (p. 126).
Tennessee (See also figure 23, p. 395):
1. Kingsport, Sullivan Co. (p. 127).
2. St. Clair, Hawkins Co. (p. 127).
3. Mossy Creek, Jefferson Co. (p. 127).
4. Dandridge, Jefferson Co. (p. 127).
5. Neuberts Springs, Knox Co. (p. 127).
6. 11 miles west of Nashville, Davidson Co. (p. 127).
7. 11 miles southeast of Nashville, Davidson Co. (p. 127).
8. Fayetteville, Lincoln Co. (p. 128).
9. Memphis, Shelby Co. (p. 128).
Kentucky:
1. Ludlow, Kenton Co. (p. 128).
2. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co. (p. 128).
3. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co. (p. 128).
4. Harrisonville, Harrison Co. (p. 129).
5. —— Fayette Co. (p. 129).
6. Drennon Springs, Henry Co. (p. 129).
7. Louisville, Jefferson Co. (p. 129).
8. Smithland?, Livingston Co. (p. 129).
[Illustration:
MAP 6.
Eastern New York, western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Relation of
mastodon localities to sea-level areas near end of Wisconsin stage.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 6.
Massachusetts:
1. Coleraine, Franklin Co. (p. 47).
2. Shrewsbury, Worcester Co. (p. 47).
Connecticut:
1. Cheshire, New Haven Co. (p. 47).
2. New Britain, Hartford Co. (p. 48).
3. Farmington, Hartford Co. (p. 48).
4. Bristol, Hartford Co. (p. 48).
5. Sharon, Litchfield Co. (p. 48).
New York:
1. New Dorp, Richmond Co. (p. 48).
2. Ridgewood, Kings Co. (p. 49).
3. Jamaica, Queens Co. (p. 49).
4. Inwood, Nassau Co. (p. 49).
5. Riverhead, Suffolk Co. (p. 49).
6. Morrisania, New York Co. (p. 49).
7. New York City (p. 50).
8. Hartsdale, Westchester Co. (p. 50).
9. New Antrim, Rockland Co. (p. 50).
10. Arden, Orange Co. (p. 50).
14. New Windsor, Orange Co. (p. 51).
15. Newburgh, Orange Co. (p. 51).
25. Poughkeepsie, Dutchess Co. (p. 55).
27. Claverack, Columbia Co. (p. 55).
30. Coeymans, Albany Co. (p. 56).
31. Cohoes, Albany Co. (p. 56).
[Illustration:
MAP 6 A
Distribution of mastodon localities in New Jersey. For explanation see
page 418.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 6 A.
New Jersey:
1. Mannington Township, Salem Co. (p. 63).
2. Harrisonville, Gloucester Co. (p. 63).
3. Mullica Hill, Gloucester Co. (p. 64).
4. Woodbury, Gloucester Co. (p. 64).
5. Pemberton, Burlington Co. (p. 64).
6. Trenton, Mercer Co. (p. 64).
7. Freehold, Monmouth Co. (p. 65).
8. Englishtown, Monmouth Co. (p. 65).
9. Marlboro, Monmouth Co. (p. 65).
10. Long Branch, Monmouth Co. (p. 65).
11. Navesink Hills, Monmouth Co. (p. 66).
12. Manasquan Inlet, Monmouth Co. (p. 66).
13. Verona, Essex Co. (p. 66).
14. Rockport, Warren Co. (p. 67).
15. Hackettstown, Warren Co. (p. 67).
16. Hope, Warren Co. (p. 68).
17. Greendell, Sussex Co. (p. 68).
[Illustration:
MAP 7.
Distribution of Pleistocene mastodons in Ohio. For explanation see
pages 420 and 422.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 7.
Ohio:
1. —— Pike Co. (p. 70).
2. Nashport, Muskingum Co. (p. 70).
3. Cincinnati, Hamilton Co. (p. 71).
4. Amanda, Butler Co. (p. 71).
5. Germantown, Montgomery Co. (p. 71).
6. Dayton, Montgomery Co. (p. 72).
7. New Paris, Preble Co. (p. 72).
8. West Sonora, Preble Co. (p. 73).
9. New Madison, Darke Co. (p. 73).
10. Fort Jefferson, Darke Co. (p. 73).
11. 6 miles west of Greenville, Darke Co. (p. 73).
12. Greenville, Darke Co. (p. 73).
13. Ansonia, Darke Co. (p. 74).
14. Troy, Miami Co. (p. 74).
15. Catawba, Clark Co. (p. 74).
16. Urbana, Champaign Co. (p. 74).
17. South Bloomfield, Pickaway Co. (p. 75).
18. Circleville, Pickaway Co. (p. 75).
19. Pickaway Plains, Pickaway Co. (p. 75).
20. Salt Creek Township, Pickaway Co. (p. 75).
21. Shadeville, Franklin Co. (p. 75).
22. Mount Gilead, Morrow Co. (p. 75).
23. Harper, Logan Co. (p. 76).
24. Roundhead, Hardin Co. (p. 76).
25. Washington Township, Auglaize Co. (p. 76).
26. Pusheta Township, Auglaize Co. (p. 76).
27. Wapakoneta, Auglaize Co. (p. 76).
28. Duchouquet Township, Auglaize Co. (p. 76).
29. St. Johns, Auglaize Co. (p. 76).
30. —— Fayette Co. (p. 75).
31. Ohio City, Van Wert Co. (p. 77).
32. Columbus Grove, Putnam Co. (p. 77).
33. Liberty Township, Putnam Co. (p. 77).
34. Springfield Township, Lucas Co. (p. 77).
35. Jackson Township, Wood Co. (p. 78).
36. Carey, Wyandot Co. (p. 78).
37. Old Fort, Seneca Co. (p. 78).
38. Bucyrus, Crawford Co. (p. 78).
39. Sandusky, Erie Co. (p. 78).
40. Brownhelm Township, Lorain Co. (p. 79).
41. Pittsfield Township, Lorain Co. (p. 79).
42. Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co. (p. 79).
43. —— Medina Co. (p. 79).
44. Green Township, Summit Co. (p. 80).
45. Massillon, Stark Co. (p. 80).
46. Canton, Stark Co. (p. 80).
47. Lisbon, Columbiana Co. (p. 70).
48. —— Trumbull Co. (p. 80).
49. Brighton, Clark Co. (p. 74).
50. Woodstock, Champaign Co. (p. 74).
51. Granville, Licking Co. (p. 75).
KEY TO NAMES OF COUNTIES IN OHIO.
1. Williams
2. Fulton
3. Lucas
4. Ottawa
5. Lake
6. Ashtabula
7. Trumbull
8. Geauga
9. Cuyahoga
10. Lorain
11. Erie
12. Sandusky
13. Wood
14. Henry
15. Defiance
16. Paulding
17. Putnam
18. Hancock
19. Seneca
20. Huron
21. Medina
22. Summit
23. Portage
24. Mahoning
25. Columbiana
26. Stark
27. Wayne
28. Ashland
29. Richland
30. Crawford
31. Wyandot
32. Allen
33. Van Wert
34. Mercer
35. Auglaize
36. Hardin
37. Marion
38. Morrow
39. Knox
40. Holmes
41. Coshocton
42. Tuscarawas
43. Carroll
44. Harrison
45. Jefferson
46. Belmont
47. Guernsey
48. Muskingum
49. Licking
50. Delaware
51. Union
52. Logan
53. Shelby
54. Darke
55. Miami
56. Champaign
57. Clark
58. Madison
59. Franklin
60. Pickaway
61. Fairfield
62. Perry
63. Morgan
64. Noble
65. Monroe
66. Washington
67. Athens
68. Hocking
69. Vinton
70. Ross
71. Fayette
72. Green
73. Montgomery
74. Preble
75. Butler
76. Warren
77. Clinton
78. Highland
79. Pike
80. Jackson
81. Meigs
82. Gallia
83. Lawrence
84. Scioto
85. Adams
86. Brown
87. Clermont
88. Hamilton
[Illustration:
MAP 8.
Finds of Pleistocene mastodons in Michigan.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 8.
Michigan:
1. Church, Hillsdale Co. (p. 80).
2. Adrian, Lenawee Co. (p. 80).
3. Howell, Livingston Co. (p. 81).
4. Bellevue, Eaton Co. (p. 81).
5. Olivet, Eaton Co. (p. 82).
6. Stanton, Montcalm Co. (p. 82).
7. Buchanan, Berrien Co. (p. 82).
8. Eau Claire, Berrien Co. (p. 82).
9. Dorr, Allegan Co. (p. 83).
10. Cannonsburg, Kent Co. (p. 83).
11. Moorland, Muskegon Co. (p. 83).
12. Williams Township, Bay Co. (p. 84).
13. Near Saginaw, Saginaw Co. (p. 84).
14. Alma, Gratiot Co. (p. 85).
15. —— Saginaw Co. (p. 84).
16. Bancroft, Shiawassee Co. (p. 86).
17. Venice, Shiawassee Co. (p. 86).
18. Fenton, Genesee Co. (p. 86).
19. Davison, Genesee Co. (p. 86).
20. Utica, Macomb Co. (p. 86).
21. Plymouth, Wayne Co. (p. 87).
22. Wyandotte, Wayne Co. (p. 87).
23. Saline, Washtenaw Co. (p. 88).
24. Petersburg, Monroe Co. (p. 87).
25. Galien, Berrien Co. (p. 83).
26. 7 miles southwest of Ypsilanti (p. 88).
27. Clayton, Lenawee Co. (p. 81).
[Illustration:
MAP 9.
Distribution of Pleistocene mastodons in Indiana. For explanation see
page 424.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 9.
The names of the glacial moraines are given on Map 37.
Indiana:
1. —— Posey Co. (p. 88).
2. —— Dubois Co. (p. 88).
3. Hindostan, Martin Co. (p. 89).
4. West of Orleans, Orange Co. (p. 89).
5. Sparksville, Jackson Co. (p. 89).
6. West of Tampico, Jackson Co. (p. 89).
7. New Albany, Floyd Co. (p. 89).
8. Princeton, Gibson Co. (p. 89).
9. —— Knox or Gibson Co. (p. 90).
10. —— Parke Co. (p. 90).
11. Brookville, Franklin Co. (p. 90).
12. —— Dearborn Co. (p. 91).
13. Greencastle, Putnam Co. (p. 91).
14. Danville, Hendricks Co. (p. 92).
15. Attica, Fountain Co. (p. 92).
16. Bowers, Montgomery Co. (p. 92).
17. Indianapolis, Marion Co. (p. 92).
18. Anderson, Madison Co. (p. 93).
19. Fairmount Township, Grant Co. (p. 93).
20. Charleston, Clarke Co. (p. 91).
21. Muncie, Delaware Co. (p. 93).
22. —— Henry Co. (p. 94).
23. Losantville, Randolph Co. (p. 94).
24. Dalton, Wayne Co. (p. 94).
25. Jacksonburg, Wayne Co. (p. 94).
26. Richmond, Wayne Co. (p. 94).
27. Penn Township, Jay Co. (p. 95).
28. Fort Wayne, Allen Co. (p. 95).
29. West of Waterloo, DeKalb Co. (p. 95).
30. Ashley, Steuben Co. (p. 96).
31. Beaver Lake, Newton Co. (p. 96).
32. —— Jasper Co. (p. 96).
33. Denham, Pulaski Co. (p. 96).
34. Rich Grove Township, Pulaski Co. (p. 97).
35. Royal Center, Cass Co. (p. 97).
36. Macy, Miami Co. (p. 97).
37. Peru, Miami Co. (p. 98).
38. Laketon, Wabash Co. (p. 98).
39. North Manchester, Wabash Co. (p. 98).
40. Lagrange, Lagrange Co. (p. 99).
41. Lowell, Lake Co. (p. 99).
42. Hebron, Porter Co. (p. 99).
43. Kouts, Porter Co. (p. 100).
44. Valparaiso, Porter Co. (p. 100).
45. Southeast of Valparaiso, Porter Co. (p. 100).
46. Olive Township, St. Joseph Co. (p. 100).
47. Notre Dame, St. Joseph Co. (p. 100).
48. Fulton, Fulton Co. (p. 97).
49. Indian Creek Township, Pulaski Co. (p. 97).
50. Greensburg, Decatur Co. (p. 92).
51. Jackson Township, Miami Co. (p. 98).
52. Vincennes, Knox Co. (p. 90).
53. Royerton, Delaware Co. (p. 94).
54. Lawrenceburg, Dearborn Co. (p. 91).
55. Northwest of Waterloo, DeKalb Co. (p. 95).
56. —— Noble Co. (p. 95).
[Illustration:
MAP 10.
Distribution of Pleistocene mastodons in Florida. For explanation see
page 426.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 10.
If no name is given, Mammut americanum is understood.
Florida:
1. Marianna, Jackson Co. (p. 121).
2. Fort White, Columbia Co. (p. 121).
3. Citra, Marion Co. (p. 121).
4. Almero Farm, St. John Co. (p. 122).
5. Dunnellon, Marion Co. (p. 122).
6. Daytona, Volusia Co. (p. 122).
7. Vero, St. Lucie Co. (p. 122).
8. —— Hillsboro Co. (p. 123).
9. Alafia River, Hillsboro Co. (p. 123).
10. Pains Creek, Polk Co. (p. 123).
11. Peace Creek, De Soto Co. (p. 124).
12. Little River, Gadsden Co. (p. 121).
13. Fellsmere, St. Lucie Co. (p. 122).
14. Palm Beach, Palm Beach Co. (p. 123).
15. Neals, Alachua Co., Gomphotherium floridanum (p. 121).
16. Archer, Alachua Co., G. floridanum (p. 121).
17. Williston, Levy Co., G. floridanum (p. 121).
18. Juliette, Marion Co., G. floridanum (p. 121).
19. San Pablo Beach, Duval Co. (p. 122).
20. Brewster, Polk Co., Gomphotherium floridanum and Mammut
progenium? (p. 123).
[Illustration:
MAP 11.
Distribution of _Elephas primigenius_ in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 428.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 11.
Ontario:
1. Toronto, York Co. (p. 130).
2. Amaranth, Dufferin Co. (p. 130).
New York:
1. Minoa, Onondaga Co. (p. 131).
2. Williamson, Wayne Co. (p. 131).
3. Pittsford, Monroe Co. (p. 131).
4. Buffalo, Erie Co. (p. 131).
5. Queensbury, Warren Co. (p. 132).
6. Lewiston, Niagara Co. (p. 132).
New Jersey:
1. Trenton, Mercer Co. (p. 132).
2. North Plainfield, Union Co. (p. 133).
Pennsylvania:
1. Brookfield, Tioga Co. (p. 133).
2. Chadd’s Ford, Delaware Co. (p. 133).
3. Harvey’s, Greene Co. (p. 133).
4. Lone Pine, Washington Co. (p. 133).
5. Beaver Dam, Erie Co. (p. 133).
Ohio:
1. Waverly, Pike Co. (p. 134).
2. Zanesville, Muskingum Co. (p. 134).
3. Duncan Falls, Muskingum Co. (p. 135).
4. Millport, Columbiana Co. (p. 135).
5. Mount Healthy, Hamilton Co. (p. 135).
6. Dayton, Montgomery Co. (p. 135).
7. Selma, Clark Co. (p. 136).
8. Versailles, Darke Co. (p. 136).
9. Jersey, Licking Co. (p. 136).
10. Chicago, Huron Co. (p. 136).
11. Kamms, Cuyahoga Co. (p. 136).
12. Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co. (p. 136).
13. New Berlin, Stark Co. (p. 136).
14. Amboy, Ashtabula Co. (p. 137).
15. —— Butler Co. (p. 135).
Michigan:
1. Three Oaks, Berrien Co. (p. 137).
2. Eaton Rapids, Eaton Co. (p. 137).
Indiana:
1. Otter Creek Township, Vigo Co. (p. 138).
2. Madison, Jefferson Co. (p. 138).
3. Vevay, Switzerland Co. (p. 138).
4. Windsor, Randolph Co. (p. 139).
5. Winchester, Randolph Co. (p. 139).
6. Fairmount, Grant Co. (p. 139).
7. Francisville, Pulaski Co. (p. 140).
8. Crown Point, Lake Co. (p. 140).
9. North Liberty, St. Joseph Co. (p. 139).
10. Webster, Wayne Co. (p. 138).
11. Rochester, Fulton Co. (p. 140).
Illinois:
1. Cairo, Alexander Co. (p. 140).
2. Ashland, Cass Co. (p. 141).
3. Kewanee, Henry Co. (p. 142).
4. Penny’s Slough, Henry Co. (p. 142).
5. —— Kendall Co. (p. 143).
Wisconsin:
1. Milwaukee, Milwaukee Co. (p. 143).
Maryland:
1. Oxford Neck, Talbot Co. (p. 144).
Virginia:
1. Saltville, Smyth Co. (p. 145).
North Carolina:
1. Inland Waterway Canal, Carteret Co. (p. 145).
Florida:
1. Palma Sola, Manatee Co. (p. 145).
Tennessee:
1. Whitesburg, Hamblen Co. (p. 146).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co. (p. 146).
[Illustration:
MAP 12.
Distribution of _Elephas columbi_ in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 430.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 12.
Ontario:
1. St. Catharines, Lincoln Co. (p. 147).
2. Hamilton, Wentworth Co. (p. 147).
Vermont:
1. Mount Holly, Rutland Co. (p. 148).
New York:
1. Homer, Cortland Co. (p. 149).
2. Elmira, Chemung Co. (p. 149).
New Jersey:
1. Middletown, Monmouth Co. (p. 149).
Pennsylvania:
1. Rogersville, Greene Co. (p. 150).
2. Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co. (p. 150).
3. Tryonville, Crawford Co. (p. 150).
Ohio:
1. —— Stark Co. (p. 150).
2. Amboy, Ashland Co. (p. 150).
Michigan:
1. —— Jackson Co. (p. 151).
Indiana:
1. Terre Haute, Vigo Co. (p. 151).
2. Monrovia, Morgan Co. (p. 152).
3. Windfall, Tipton Co. (p. 152).
4. Bringhurst, Carroll Co. (p. 152).
Illinois:
1. Staley, Champaign Co. (p. 152).
2. Stronghurst, Henderson Co. (p. 152).
3. Chillicothe, Peoria Co. (p. 153).
4. Chicago Heights, Cook Co. (p. 153).
5. Pawpaw, Lee Co. (p. 153).
6. Woodhull, Henry Co. (p. 154).
Maryland:
1. Oxford Neck, Talbot Co. (p. 154).
2. —— Queen Anne Co. (p. 154).
West Virginia:
1. Little Kanawha River, Wirt Co. (p. 155).
North Carolina:
1. 9 miles south of Wilmington, New Hanover Co. (p. 155).
South Carolina:
1. Beaufort, Beaufort Co. (p. 155).
2. Edisto River, Charleston Co. (p. 155).
3. Charleston, Charleston Co. (p. 155).
4. Head of Cooper River, Berkeley Co. (p. 156).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick Canal, Glynn Co. (p. 157).
2. Skidaway Island, Chatham Co. (p. 157).
Florida (See Map 13).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co. (p. 160).
2. Mouth of Big Twin Creek, Owen Co. (p. 161).
[Illustration:
MAP 13.
Distribution of _Elephas columbi_ in Florida. For explanation see page
432.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 13.
1. St. Marks River, Wakulla Co. (p. 157).
2. Station 120, Duval Co. (p. 157).
3. Citra, Marion Co. (p. 158).
4. Mantanzas, St. John Co. (p. 158).
5. Ocala, Marion Co. (p. 158).
6. Dunnellon, Marion Co. (p. 158).
7. Holder, Citrus Co. (p. 158).
8. Tampa, Hillsboro Co. (p. 159).
9. St. Petersburg, Pinellas Co. (p. 159).
10. Kingsford, Polk Co. (p. 159).
11. Sarasota, Sarasota Co. (p. 159).
12. Vero, St. Lucie Co. (p. 159).
13. Zolfo, Hardee Co. (p. 160).
14. Arcadia, DeSoto Co. (p. 160).
15. Tourner’s, Glades Co. (p. 160).
16. Daytona, Volusia Co. (p. 158).
17. Fellsmere, St. Lucie Co. (p. 159).
18. Eau Gallie, Brevard Co. (p. 159).
19. Palm Beach, Palm Beach Co. (p. 160).
20. Palma Sola, Manatee Co. (p. 159).
21. Sumterville, Sumter Co. (p. 158).
[Illustration:
MAP 14.
Distribution of _Elephas imperator_ in southeastern United States. For
explanation see page 434.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 14.
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co. (p. 162).
2. Head of Cooper River, Berkeley Co. (p. 162).
Florida:
1. Dunnellon, Marion Co. (p. 162).
2. Vero, St. Lucie Co. (p. 163).
3. Labelle, Lee Co. (p. 163).
4. Everglades, Palm Beach Co.? (p. 163).
5. Arcadia, DeSoto Co. (p. 163).
6. Palmetto, Manatee Co. (p. 164).
Alabama:
1. Bogue Chitto, Dallas Co. (p. 164).
2. “Near Gulf of Mexico” (p. 165).
[Illustration:
MAP 15.
_Elephas imperator_ in Florida.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 15.
1. Dunnellon, Marion Co. (p. 162).
2. Vero, St. Lucie Co. (p. 163).
3. Labelle, Lee Co. (p. 163).
4. Everglades, Palm Beach Co.? (p. 163).
5. Arcadia, De Soto Co. (p. 163).
6. Palmetto, Manatee Co. (p. 164).
[Illustration:
MAP 16.
Distribution of elephants of undetermined species in eastern North
America. For explanation see page 438.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 16.
Ontario:
1. St. Catharines, Lincoln Co. (p. 166).
2. Hamilton, Wentworth Co. (p. 166).
3. Toronto, York Co. (p. 167).
Vermont:
1. Richmond, Chittenden Co. (p. 167).
New York:
1. Seneca Lake (p. 167).
2. Wellsburg, Chemung Co. (p. 167).
Pennsylvania:
1. Chambersburg, Franklin Co. (p. 168).
2. Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co. (p. 168).
3. Meadville, Crawford Co. (p. 168).
4. Girard, Erie Co. (p. 168).
Ohio:
1. Little Salt Creek, Jackson Co. (p. 168).
2. Beverly, Washington Co. (p. 169).
3. Nashport, Muskingum Co. (p. 169).
4. —— Ross Co. (p. 169).
5. Cincinnati, Hamilton Co. (p. 169).
6. Fort Jefferson, Darke Co. (p. 170).
7. Circleville, Pickaway Co. (p. 170).
8. South Bloomfield, Pickaway Co. (p. 170).
9. Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co. (p. 170).
10. Montville, Geauga Co. (p. 170).
11. Canton, Stark Co. (p. 170).
Michigan:
1. East Saginaw, Saginaw Co. (p. 171).
2. —— Macomb Co. (p. 171).
3. Grand Ledge, Eaton Co. (p. 171).
4. Buchanan, Berrien Co. (p. 171).
Indiana:
1. —— Vanderburg Co. (p. 171).
2. Shoals, Martin Co. (p. 172).
3. —— Vigo Co. (p. 172).
4. Gosport, Owen Co. (p. 172).
5. Brookville, Franklin Co. (p. 172).
6. Parke, Vermilion, and Putnam Co. (p. 173).
7. Northeast of Bowers, Montgomery Co. (p. 173).
8. —— Wayne Co. (p. 173).
9. Noblesville, Hamilton Co. (p. 173).
10. Dora, Wabash Co. (p. 174).
11. —— Jasper Co. (p. 174).
12. Pleasant Township, Wabash Co. (p. 174).
13. St. John’s, Lake Co. (p. 174).
14. —— Allen Co. (p. 174).
15. Muncie, Delaware Co. (p. 174).
16. Connersville, Fayette Co. (p. 173).
17. Wailesboro, Bartholomew Co. (p. 172).
Illinois:
1. Equality, Gallatin Co. (p. 175).
2. Chester, Randolph Co. (p. 175).
3. —— Calhoun Co. (p. 175).
4. Sangamon River, Sangamon Co. (p. 176).
5. —— Fulton Co. (p. 176).
6. Galesburg, Knox Co. (p. 176).
7. Rock Island, Rock Island Co. (p. 176).
8. Atwood, Piatt Co. (p. 177).
9. Peoria, Peoria Co. (p. 176).
10. Evanston, Cook Co. (p. 177).
11. Rochelle, Ogle Co. (p. 177).
12. Galena, Jo Daviess Co. (p. 178).
13. Wheaton, Dupage County, and Oak Park, Cook Co. (p. 177).
14. Pekin, Tazewell Co. (p. 176).
15. South Fork of Sangamon River, Christian Co. (p. 175).
Wisconsin:
1. Stockholm, Pepin Co. (p. 178).
Maryland and District of Columbia:
1. Upper Marlboro, Prince George Co. (p. 178).
2. Washington, District of Columbia (p. 178).
Virginia:
1. Warrenton, Fauquier Co. (p. 178).
West Virginia:
1. Wheeling, Ohio Co. (p. 179).
North Carolina:
1. Pamlico Co., 16 miles below Newbern (p. 178).
2. Harlowe, Carteret Co. (p. 179).
Florida:
1. Wakulla Springs, Wakulla Co. (p. 179).
2. Stokes Ferry, Nassau Co. (p. 180).
3. Bartow, Polk Co. (p. 180).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co. (p. 180).
Tennessee:
1. Gallatin, Sumner Co. (p. 181).
2. Columbia, Maury Co. (p. 181).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co. (p. 181).
2. Newport, Campbell Co. (p. 182).
3. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co. (p. 182).
4. Eminence, Henry Co. (p. 182).
[Illustration:
MAP 17.
Distribution of Pleistocene horses, mostly _Equus_, in eastern North
America. For explanation see page 440.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 17.
Massachusetts:
1. Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, Equus? sp. indet. (p. 183).
New York:
1. Throg’s Neck, New York Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 183).
New Jersey:
1. Swedesboro, Gloucester Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 184).
2. Fish House, Camden Co., E. complicatus (p. 184).
3. Navesink Hills, Monmouth Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 184).
Pennsylvania:
1. Pittston, Luzerne Co., E. complicatus (p. 184).
2. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 185).
3. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co., E. complicatus, E. pectinatus (p.
185).
4. Rutherford, Dauphin Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 185).
5. Frankstown, Blair Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 185).
Ohio:
1. Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., E. complicatus (p. 185).
2. Columbus, Franklin Co., E. complicatus (p. 186).
3. Salt Creek, Columbiana Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 186).
Indiana:
1. Evansville, Vanderburg Co., E. complicatus (p. 186).
Illinois:
1. Bond or Fayette Co., Equus complicatus (p. 187).
2. Alton, Madison Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 187).
3. Greene Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 187).
Maryland and District of Columbia:
1. Marshall Hall, Charles Co., Equus leidyi? (p. 188).
2. Georgetown, D. C., Equus sp. indet. (p. 188).
3. Mitchellville, Prince George Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 188).
4. Chesapeake Beach, Calvert Co., E. leidyi? (p. 189).
5. Cavetown, Washington Co., E. complicatus (p. 189).
6. Corriganville, Allegany Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 189).
Virginia:
1. Abingdon, Washington Co., E. complicatus (p. 189).
2. Saltville, Smyth Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 190).
3. Ivanhoe, Wythe Co., E. complicatus? (p. 190).
4. Staunton, Augusta Co., E. sp. indet. (p. 190).
5. Denniston, Halifax Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 190).
West Virginia:
1. Point Pleasant, Mason Co., E. niobrarensis? (p. 190).
North Carolina:
1. Elizabethtown, Bladen Co., E. leidyi (p. 190).
2. Below Newbern, in Pamlico Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 191).
3. Greenville, Pitt Co., E. complicatus (p. 191).
4. Plymouth Co., E. leidyi (p. 191).
South Carolina:
1. Beaufort, Beaufort Co., E. complicatus (p. 191).
2. Charleston, Charleston Co., E. complicatus, E. leidyi, E.
littoralis (p. 192).
3. Richland Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 193).
4. Darlington, Darlington Co., E. complicatus (p. 193).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co., E. leidyi, E. complicatus, E. littoralis
(p. 193).
2. Skidaway Island, Chatham Co., E. complicatus (p. 194).
Florida (See Map 18).
Alabama:
1. Newbern, Hale Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 200).
2. Bogue Chitto, Dallas Co., E. leidyi (p. 200).
Mississippi:
1. Orizaba, Tippah Co., E. leidyi? (p. 200).
2. Natchez, Adams Co., E. complicatus (p. 200).
Tennessee:
1. Rogersville, Hawkins Co., E. leidyi (p. 201).
2. Whitesburg, Hamblen Co., E. leidyi (p. 201).
3. Lookout Mountain, Hamilton Co., E. littoralis (p. 201).
4. Nashville, Davidson Co., E. leidyi, E. complicatus (p. 201).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., E. complicatus (p. 202).
2. Monday’s Landing, Mercer Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 202).
[Illustration:
MAP 18.
Distribution of Pleistocene horses, mostly _Equus_, in Florida. For
explanation see page 442.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 18.
1. Stokes Ferry, Nassau Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 194).
2. Almero Farm, St. John Co., E. complicatus? (p. 194).
3. Neals, Alachua Co., Hipparion, sp. indet. (p. 195).
4. Wade, Alachua Co., E. leidyi? (p. 195).
5. Newberry, Alachua Co., Hipparion sp. indet., Parahippus sp.
indet., Equus littoralis (p. 195).
6. Archer, Alachua Co., Hipparion ingenuum (p. 195).
7. Williston, Levy Co., Equus leidyi, Hipparion ingenuum, H.
plicatile (p. 195).
8. Ocala, Marion Co., Equus leidyi (p. 196).
9. Dunnellon, Marion Co., Equus leidyi (p. 196).
10. Hernando, Citrus Co., Hipparion sp. indet. (p. 196).
11. Holder, Citrus Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 196).
12. —— Orange Co., Equus sp. indet. (p. 196).
13. Eau Gallie, Brevard Co., E. complicatus (p. 196).
14. Kingsford, Polk Co., E. leidyi (p. 196).
15. Brewster, Polk Co., Hipparion minus (p. 197).
16. Alafia River, Hillsboro Co., E. leidyi, E. complicatus? (p. 197).
17. Palmetto, Manatee Co., E. leidyi, E. complicatus, E. littoralis
(p. 197).
18. Sarasota Bay, Sarasota Co., E. leidyi, E. complicatus? (p. 198).
19. Calvenia, De Soto Co., E. leidyi (p. 198).
20. Arcadia, De Soto Co., E. leidyi, E. princeps, E. littoralis,
Hipparion ingenuum (p. 198).
21. Vero, St. Lucie Co., E. complicatus, E. leidyi, E. littoralis (p.
199).
22. Labelle, Lee Co., E. leidyi (p. 199).
23. Palm Beach, Palm Beach Co., E. complicatus (p. 200).
[Illustration:
MAP 19.
Distribution of Pleistocene tapirs in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 444.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 19.
Pennsylvania:
1. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co., Tapirus haysii (p. 203).
2. Frankstown, Blair Co., Tapirus terrestris? (p. 203).
Ohio:
1. New Salisbury, Columbiana Co., Tapirus sp. indet. (p. 203).
Indiana:
1. Evansville, Vanderburg Co., Tapirus haysii (p. 203).
Maryland:
1. Corriganville, Allegany Co., Tapirus sp. indet. (p. 204).
Virginia:
1. Ivanhoe, Wythe Co., T. haysii (p. 204).
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co., T. haysii, T. veroensis?, T.
terrestris? (p. 204).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co., T. haysii (p. 206).
Florida:
1. Neals, Alachua Co., T. terrestris? (p. 206).
2. Archer, Alachua Co., T. haysii? (p. 207).
3. Dunnellon, Marion Co., T. haysii?, T. sp. indet. (p. 207).
4. Ocala, Marion Co., T. sp. indet. (p. 207).
5. Tampa, Hillsboro Co., T. veroensis? (p. 208).
6. Vero, St. Lucie Co., T. veroensis, T. haysii (p. 208).
7. Arcadia, De Soto Co., T. terrestris? (p. 208).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co., T. haysii, T. terrestris? (p. 208).
Tennessee:
1. Whitesburg, Hamblen Co., T. tennesseæ (p. 209).
2. Dandridge, Jefferson Co., Tapirus sp. indet. (p. 209).
3. Lookout Mountain, Hamilton Co., T. haysii (p. 209).
4. Bristol, Sullivan Co., T. haysii (p. 209).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., T. haysii (p. 209).
2. Stamping Ground, Scott Co., T. haysii (p. 210).
3. Yarnallton, Fayette Co., T. haysii (p. 210).
[Illustration:
MAP 20.
Distribution of Pleistocene peccaries in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 446.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 20.
New York:
1. Rochester, Monroe Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 212).
2. Gainesville, Wyoming Co., P. compressus (p. 212).
New Jersey:
1. Shark River, Monmouth Co., Mylohyus nasutus? (p. 213).
Pennsylvania:
1. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co., M. pennsylvanicus (p. 213).
2. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co., M. pennsylvanicus, M. nasutus,
Tagassu? tetragonus? (p. 213).
3. Milroy, Mifflin Co., Platygonus vetus (p. 213).
4. Frankstown, Blair Co., Mylohyus pennsylvanicus? (p. 214).
Ohio:
1. Wilmington, Clinton Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 214).
2. Columbus, Franklin Co., P. compressus (p. 214).
3. Chalfants, Perry Co., P. compressus (p. 215).
4. Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Mylohyus nasutus? (p. 215).
Michigan:
1. Belding, Ionia Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 215).
Indiana:
1. —— Gibson Co., Mylohyus nasutus (p. 216).
2. Williams, Lawrence Co., Platygonus vetus?, Tagassu lenis (p.
217).
3. Laketon, Wabash Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 218).
Illinois:
1. Galena, Jo Daviess Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 218).
2. Alton, Madison Co., P. cumberlandensis? (p. 219).
Wisconsin:
1. Blue Mounds, Dane Co., Tagassu lenis (p. 219).
Maryland:
1. Benedict, Charles Co., Tagassu lenis (p. 220).
2. Chesapeake Beach, Calvert Co., T. lenis (p. 220).
3. Corriganville, Allegany Co., Mylohyus pennsylvanicus, M.
exortivus, Platygonus cumberlandensis, P. intermedius (p. 220).
4. Cavetown, Washington Co., Mylohyus nasutus, M. exortivus, M.
obtusidens, Platygonus vetus, P. cumberlandensis, Tagassu
tetragonus (p. 220).
Virginia:
1. Ivanhoe, Wythe Co., Mylohyus nasutus (p. 221).
2. —— Augusta Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 221).
West Virginia:
1. Renicks, Greenbrier Co., P. intermedius (p. 221).
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co., Tagassu lenis (p. 221).
Florida:
1. Vero, St. Lucie Co., Tagassu lenis (p. 222).
2. Palma Sola, Manatee Co., T. lenis (p. 222).
Tennessee:
1. Rogersville, Hawkins Co., Mylohyus setiger (p. 222).
2. Whitesburg, Hamblen Co., M. nasutus (p. 223).
3. Dandridge, Jefferson Co. “Peccary” (p. 223).
Kentucky:
1. Rock Castle Co., Platygonus compressus (p. 223).
[Illustration:
MAP 21.
Distribution of Pleistocene camels in eastern North America. For
explanation see page 448.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 21.
Pennsylvania:
1. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co., Teleopternus orientalis (p. 224).
Florida:
1. Archer, Alachua Co., Procamelus major, P. minor, P. minimus (p.
224).
2. Williston, Levy Co., P. major (p. 224).
3. Ocala, Marion Co., P. minimus? (p. 224).
4. Dunnellon, Marion Co., P. minor (p. 225).
5. Hernando, Citrus Co., Procamelus? sp. indet. (p. 225).
6. Vero, St. Lucie Co., Camelops? sp. indet. (p. 225).
Tennessee:
1. Nashville, Davidson Co., Camelops? sp. indet. (p. 225).
[Illustration:
MAP 22.
Distribution of the deer of the genus _Odocoileus_ in the Pleistocene
in eastern North America. For explanation see page 450.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 22.
Ontario:
1. Toronto, York Co., Odocoileus virginianus (p. 226).
New York:
1. —— Orange Co., O. virginianus (p. 226).
2. Greenville, Greene Co., O. virginianus (p. 226).
3. Cuba, Allegany Co., O. virginianus (p. 226).
4. Hinsdale, Cattaraugus Co., O. virginianus (p. 226).
New Jersey:
1. Woodstown, Salem Co., O. virginianus (p. 226).
2. Vincentown, Burlington Co., O. virginianus (p. 227).
3. Deal, Monmouth Co., O. virginianus (p. 227).
Pennsylvania:
1. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co., O. virginianus (p. 227).
2. Frankstown, Blair Co., O. virginianus? (p. 227).
Ohio:
1. New Knoxville, Auglaize Co., O. virginianus (p. 227).
Michigan:
1. Adrian, Lenawee Co., O. virginianus (p. 227).
2. Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., O. virginianus (p. 228).
Indiana:
1. Evansville, Vanderburg Co., O. virginianus?, O. dolichopsis (p.
228).
2. Harrisville, Randolph Co., O. virginianus (p. 228).
3. Roann, Wabash Co., O. virginianus (p. 229).
Illinois:
1. Niantic, Macon Co., O. virginianus (p. 229).
2. Whitewillow, Kendall Co., O. virginianus (p. 229).
3. Ottawa, LaSalle Co., O. virginianus (p. 229).
4. Evanston, Cook Co., O. virginianus (p. 230).
5. Lemont, Cook Co., O. virginianus (p. 230).
Wisconsin:
1. Lead region, O. virginianus, O. whitneyi (p. 230).
2. Menomonie, Dunn Co., O. virginianus (p. 230).
Maryland:
1. Oxford Neck, Talbot Co., O. virginianus (p. 230).
2. Cavetown, Washington Co., O. virginianus (p. 231).
Virginia:
1. Saltville, Smyth Co., O.? sp. indet. (p. 231).
2. Ivanhoe, Wythe Co., O. virginianus (p. 231).
West Virginia:
1. —— Wood Co., O. virginianus? (p. 231).
North Carolina:
1. Pamlico Co., 16 miles below Newbern. O. virginianus? (p. 231).
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co., O. virginianus? (p. 231).
2. Darlington, Darlington Co., O. virginianus? (p. 232).
Florida:
1. Pablo Beach, Duval Co., O. virginianus? (p. 232).
2. Neals, Alachua Co., O. virginianus (p. 232).
3. Archer, Alachua Co., O. virginianus (p. 232).
4. Ocala, Marion Co., O. sp. indet. (p. 233).
5. Dunnellon, Marion Co., O. osceola? (p. 233).
6. Palmetto, Manatee Co., O. sp. indet. (p. 233).
7. Palma Sola, Manatee Co., O. virginianus? (p. 233).
8. Arcadia, De Soto Co., O. virginianus? (p. 234).
9. Vero, St. Lucie Co., O. sellardsiæ, O. osceola? (p. 234).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co., O. virginianus? (p. 233).
2. Aberdeen, Monroe Co., O. virginianus? (p. 234).
Tennessee:
1. Whitesburg, Hamblen Co., O. virginianus (p. 234).
2. Nashville, Davidson Co., O. sp. indet. (p. 234).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., O. virginianus (p. 234).
2. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co., O. virginianus (p. 234).
3. Henderson, Henderson Co., O. virginianus (p. 234).
[Illustration:
MAP 23.
Distribution of _Cervus canadensis_ in the Pleistocene of eastern
North America.
For explanation see page 452.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 23.
Ontario:
1. Hamilton, Wentworth Co. (p. 235).
2. Near Strathroy, Middlesex Co. (p. 235).
3. Kingston, Frontenac Co. (p. 235).
Vermont:
1. Grand Isle, Champlain Lake (p. 235).
New York:
1. Racket River, St. Lawrence Co. (p. 235).
2. Seneca Castle, Ontario Co. (p. 236).
3. Farmington, Ontario Co. (p. 236).
4. —— Livingston Co. (p. 236).
5. Cuba, Allegany Co. (p. 236).
6. Jamestown, Chautauqua Co. (p. 236).
7. Boonville, Oneida Co. (p. 236).
8. Third Lake, Herkimer Co. (p. 236).
9. Steele’s Corners, St. Lawrence Co. (p. 236).
New Jersey:
1. Deal, Monmouth Co. (p. 237).
2. Trenton, Mercer Co. (p. 237).
Pennsylvania:
1. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co. (p. 237).
2. Riegelsville, Bucks Co. (p. 237).
Michigan:
1. Adrian, Lenawee Co. (p. 237).
2. Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co. (p. 237).
Indiana:
1. Cambridge City, Wayne Co. (p. 238).
2. Fountain City, Wayne Co. (p. 238).
3. Harrisville, Randolph Co. (p. 238).
4. Pennville, Jay Co. (p. 238).
5. —— Wabash Co. (p. 239).
6. Foresman, Newton Co. (p. 239).
7. Rensselaer, Jasper Co. (p. 239).
8. —— Lake Co. (p. 239).
9. Kouts, Porter Co. (p. 239).
Illinois:
1. Niantic, Macon Co. (p. 239).
2. Whitewillow, Kendall Co. (p. 240).
3. Palos Park, Cook Co. (p. 240).
4. Batavia, Kane Co. (p. 240).
5. Union Grove, Whiteside Co. (p. 240).
6. Lead Region, Jo Daviess Co. (p. 240).
7. Beecher, Will Co. (p. 241).
Wisconsin:
1. Wauwatosa, Milwaukee Co. (p. 241).
2. Pewaukee, Waukesha Co. (p. 241).
3. Whitehall, Trempealeau Co. (p. 241).
Maryland:
1. Oxford Neck, Talbot Co. (p. 242).
North Carolina:
1. Pamlico Co., 16 miles below Newbern (p. 242).
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co. (p. 242).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co. (p. 243).
Florida:
1. Alafia River (p. 243).
Tennessee:
1. Whitesburg, Hamblen Co. (p. 243).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co. (p. 243).
2. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co. (p. 243).
[Illustration:
MAP 24.
Distribution of Pleistocene species of _Rangifer_ in eastern North
America. For explanation see page 454.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 24.
Ontario:
1. Toronto, York Co., Rangifer sp. indet. (p. 244).
Vermont:
1. Woodbury, Washington Co., R. caribou? (p. 244).
Connecticut:
1. New Haven, New Haven Co., R. caribou? (p. 244).
New York:
1. Ossining, Westchester Co., R. sp. indet. (p. 244).
2. Racket River, St. Lawrence Co., R.? sp. indet. (p. 244).
New Jersey:
1. Vincentown, Burlington Co., R. sp. indet. (p. 244).
2. Trenton, Mercer Co., R. sp. indet. (p. 245).
Pennsylvania:
1. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co., R. caribou (p. 246).
2. Riegelsville, Bucks Co., R. caribou (p. 246).
Illinois:
Alton, Madison Co., R. muscatinensis? (p. 246).
Wisconsin:
1. Menomonie, Dunn Co., R. sp. indet. (p. 247).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., R. sp. indet. (p. 248).
[Illustration:
MAP 25.
Distribution of musk-oxen in eastern North America during the
Pleistocene. For explanation see page 456.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 25.
New Jersey:
1. Trenton, Mercer Co., Ovibos moschatus (p. 248).
Pennsylvania:
1. Pittston, Luzerne Co., Symbos cavifrons? (p. 248).
2. Riegelsville, Bucks Co., Ovibos appalachicolus (p. 249).
Ohio:
1. Urbana, Champaign Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 249).
2. Youngstown, Mahoning Co., Ovibos moschatus (p. 249).
3. —— Trumbull Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 249).
Michigan:
1. Manchester, Washtenaw Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 250).
2. Moorland, Muskegon Co., Boötherium sargenti (p. 250).
Indiana:
1. Wailesboro, Bartholomew Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 251).
2. Richmond, Wayne Co., Ovibos moschatus (p. 252).
3. —— Randolph Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 252).
4. Beaver Lake, Newton Co., Symbos cavifrons? (p. 252).
5. Hebron, Porter Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 252).
Illinois:
1. Bondville, Champaign Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 253).
2. Manito, Mason Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 253).
3. Alton, Madison Co., Symbos promptus? (p. 254).
West Virginia:
1. Mahan, Brooke Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 254).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 254).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., Boötherium bombifrons, Symbos cavifrons
(p. 255).
2. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 255).
3. Winchester, Clark Co., Symbos cavifrons (p. 255).
[Illustration:
MAP 26.
Distribution of extinct bisons in eastern North America during the
Pleistocene. For explanation see page 458.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 26.
Ontario:
1. Toronto, York Co., Bison sp. indet, (p. 256).
Pennsylvania:
1. Pittston, Luzerne Co., Bison? sp. indet. (p. 256).
2. Port Kennedy, Montgomery Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 256).
Ohio:
1. Fincastle, Brown Co., B. latifrons (p. 257).
2. North Fairfield, Huron Co., B. sylvestris (p. 257).
Indiana:
1. Evansville, Vanderburg Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 257).
2. Vincennes, Knox Co., B. antiquus (p. 258).
Illinois:
1. Alton, Madison Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 259).
Wisconsin:
1. Coon Valley, Vernon Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 259).
Maryland:
1. Chesapeake Beach, Calvert Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 259).
Virginia:
1. Saltville, Smyth Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 259).
2. Ivanhoe, Wythe Co., B. antiquus? (p. 260).
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co., B. latifrons (p. 260).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co. (p. 261).
2. Skidaway Island, Chatham Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 262).
Florida:
1. Wade, Alachua Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 262).
2. Pablo Beach, Duval Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 262).
3. Ocala, Marion Co., B. latifrons (p. 262).
4. Dunnellon, Marion Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
5. Tampa, Manatee Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
6. Palmetto and Palma Sola, Manatee Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
7. Grove City, Charlotte Co., B. latifrons (p. 263).
8. Vero, St. Lucie Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 263).
9. Arcadia, De Soto Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 264).
10. Labelle, Lee Co., B. latifrons? (p. 264).
11. Palm Beach, Palm Beach Co., B. latifrons? (p. 264).
Alabama:
1. Newbern, Hale Co., Bison sp. indet. (p. 264).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co., B. latifrons? (p. 264).
Kentucky:
1. Woolper Creek, Boone Co., B. latifrons (p. 264).
2. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co., B. antiquus (p. 264).
[Illustration:
MAP 27.
Finds of the existing bison (_Bison bison_) in the Pleistocene of
eastern North America. For explanation see page 460.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 27.
Ontario:
1. North Bay, Nipissing Co. (p. 266).
Massachusetts:
1. Orleans, Barnstable Co. (p. 266).
New York:
1. Albany, Albany Co. (p. 266).
2. Syracuse, Onondaga Co. (p. 266).
3. Jamestown, Chautauqua Co. (p. 267).
New Jersey:
1. Trenton, Mercer Co. (p. 267).
Pennsylvania:
1. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co. (p. 267).
2. Riegelsville, Bucks Co. (p. 267).
Indiana:
1. —— Jasper Co. (p. 268).
Illinois:
1. Sullivan, Moultrie Co. (p. 268).
2. Homer, Champaign Co. (p. 268).
3. Niantic, Macon Co. (p. 269).
4. Whitewillow, Kendall Co. (p. 269).
5. Batavia, Kane Co. (p. 269).
6. Galena, Jo Daviess Co., this species? (p. 269).
Wisconsin:
1. Bluemounds, Dane Co. (p. 270).
2. Oshkosh, Winnebago Co. (p. 270).
Kentucky:
1. Bigbone Lick, Boone Co. (p. 270).
2. Bluelick Springs, Nicholas Co. (p. 271).
[Illustration:
MAP 28.
Distribution of giant beavers, _Castoroides_, in eastern North
America. For explanation see page 462.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 28.
New York:
1. Clyde, Wayne Co. (p. 272).
2. Canastota, Madison Co. (p. 272).
Pennsylvania:
1. Stroudsburg, Monroe Co. (p. 272).
Ohio (See Map 29).
Michigan:
1. Berrien Co. (p. 275).
2. Adrian, Lenawee Co. (p. 275).
3. Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co. (p. 275).
4. Attica, Lapeer Co. (p. 276).
5. Owosso, Shiawassee Co. (p. 276).
Indiana (See Map 30).
Illinois:
1. Shawneetown, Gallatin Co. (p. 278).
2. Alton, Madison Co. (p. 279).
3. Charleston, Coles Co. (p. 279).
4. Naperville, Dupage Co. (p. 279).
South Carolina:
1. Charleston, Charleston Co. (p. 279).
Georgia:
1. Brunswick, Glynn Co. (p. 280).
Mississippi:
1. Natchez, Adams Co. (p. 280).
Tennessee:
1. Memphis, Shelby Co. (p. 280).
[Illustration:
MAP 29.
Distribution of the giant beaver _Castoroides_ in Ohio.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 29.
Ohio:
1. Nashport, Muskingum Co.[1] (48) (p. 273).
2. Wilmington, Clinton Co.[1] (2) (p. 273).
3. Germantown, Montgomery Co.[1] (73) (p. 274).
4. West Sonora, Preble Co.[1] (74) (p. 274).
5. Greenville, Darke Co.[1] (54) (p. 274).
6. New Knoxville, Auglaize Co.[1] (35) (p. 274).
Footnote 1:
These are the numbers which on the map are given to the counties.
[Illustration:
MAP 30.
Distribution of the giant beaver _Castoroides_ in Indiana.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 30.
1. Vanderburg Co. (p. 276).
2. Richmond, Wayne Co. (p. 276).
3. Greenfield, Hancock Co. (p. 277).
4. Jamestown, Boone Co. (p. 277).
5. Summitville, Madison Co. (p. 277).
6. Union City, Randolph Co. (p. 277).
7. Fairmount, Grant Co. (p. 277).
8. —— Carroll Co. (p. 278).
9. Logansport, Cass Co. (p. 278).
10. Macy, Miami Co. (p. 278).
11. —— Kosciusko Co. (p. 278).
12. Grovertown, Starke Co. (p. 278)
For explanation of the numerals on the margins see map 37.
[Illustration:
MAP 31.—Shows areas on Long Island and along Connecticut and Hudson
Rivers at sea-level near the end of the Pleistocene. Ruled areas
submerged. Amount of subsequent elevation indicated in feet at the
end of the isobases. Redrawn from Fairchild.
]
[Illustration:
MAP 32.
Isobases of Late Glacial uplift in eastern North America. After
Fairchild.
]
[Illustration:
MAP 33.
J. W. Spencer’s view of preglacial drainage of the region of the Great
Lakes. Redrawn from Spencer and Foshay.
]
[Illustration:
MAP 34.
Map of York showing the location of the Wisconsin ice not long after
it began to retire; also Lakes Newberry and Maumee; also location of
finds of mastodons. Geology after Fairchild. For explanation see
page 468.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 34.
Mastodon Localities.
New York:
1. New Dorp, Richmond Co. (p. 48).
2. Ridgewood, Kings Co. (p. 49).
3. Jamaica, Queens Co. (p. 49).
4. Inwood, Nassau Co. (p. 49).
5. Riverhead, Suffolk Co. (p. 49).
6. Morrisania, New York Co. (p. 49).
7. New York City (p. 50).
8. Hartsdale, Westchester Co. (p. 50).
9. New Antrim, Rockland Co. (p. 50).
10. Arden, Orange Co. (p. 50).
11. Monroe, Orange Co. (p. 50).
12. Chester, Orange Co. (p. 50).
13. Salisbury Mills, Orange Co. (p. 51).
14. New Windsor, Orange Co. (p. 51).
15. Newburgh, Orange Co. (p. 51).
16. Near Coldenham, Orange Co. (p. 52).
17. East Coldenham, Orange Co. (p. 53).
18. Montgomery, Orange Co. (p. 53).
19. Hamptonburg, Orange Co. (p. 53).
20. Bullville, Orange Co. (p. 53).
21. Scotchtown, Orange Co. (p. 54).
22. Otisville, Orange Co. (p. 54).
23. Shawangunk, Ulster Co. (p. 54).
24. Ellenville, Ulster Co. (p. 54).
25. Poughkeepsie, Dutchess Co. (p. 55)
26. Between Red Bridge and Wurtsboro, Sullivan Co. (p. 55).
27. Claverack, Columbia Co. (p. 55).
28. Freehold, Greene Co. (p. 55).
29. Greenville, Greene Co. (p. 56).
30. Coeymans, Albany Co. (p. 56).
31. Cohoes, Albany Co. (p. 56).
32. Copenhagen, Lewis Co. (p. 56).
33. Center Lisle, Broome Co. (p. 57).
34. Brookton, Tompkins Co. (p. 57).
35. Pony Hollow, Tompkins Co. (p. 58).
36. Elmira, Chemung Co. (p. 58).
37. Lodi, Seneca Co. (p. 58).
38. Macedon, Wayne Co. (p. 58).
39. Seneca Castle, Ontario Co. (p. 58).
40. Perkinsville, Steuben Co. (p. 59).
41. Wayland, Steuben Co. (p. 59).
42. Pittsford, Monroe Co. (p. 59).
43. Rochester, Monroe Co. (p. 59).
44. Scottsburg, Livingston Co. (p. 60).
45. Fowlerville, Livingston Co. (p. 60).
46. Geneseo, Livingston Co. (p. 60).
47. Nunda, Livingston Co. (p. 60).
48. Belvidere, Allegany Co. (p. 60).
49. Pike, Wyoming Co. (p. 61).
50. Attica, Wyoming Co. (p. 61).
51. Leroy, Genesee Co. (p. 61).
52. Stafford, Genesee Co. (p. 61).
53. Batavia, Genesee Co. (p. 61).
54. Holley, Orleans Co. (p. 62).
55. Medina, Orleans Co. (p. 62).
56. Niagara, Niagara Co. (p. 62).
57. Hinsdale, Cattaraugus Co. (p. 62).
58. Conewango, Cattaraugus Co. (p. 62).
59. Buffalo, Erie Co. (p. 63).
60. Jamestown, Chautauqua Co. (p. 63).
61. Westfield, Chautauqua Co. (p. 63).
COUNTIES
1. Albany
2. Allegany
3. Broome
4. Cattaraugus
5. Cayuga
6. Chautauqua
7. Chemung
8. Chenango
9. Clinton
10. Columbia
11. Cortland
12. Delaware
13. Dutchess
14. Erie
15. Essex
16. Franklin
17. Fulton
18. Genesee
19. Greene
20. Hamilton
21. Herkimer
22. Jefferson
23. Kings
24. Lewis
25. Livingston
26. Madison
27. Monroe
28. Montgomery
29. Nassau
30. New York
31. Niagara
32. Oneida
33. Onondaga
34. Ontario
35. Orange
36. Orleans
37. Oswego
38. Otsego
39. Putnam
40. Queens
41. Rensselaer
42. Richmond
43. RoCkland
44. Saratoga
45. Schenectady
46. Schoharie
47. Schuyler
48. Seneca
49. Steuben
50. St. Lawrence
51. Suffolk
52. Sullivan
53. Tioga
54. Tompkins
55. Ulster
56. Warren
57. Washington
58. Wayne
59. Westchester
60. Wyoming
61. Yates
[Illustration:
MAP 35.
Glacial map of Ohio showing the areas occupied by the Wisconsin and
Illinois drifts; also the unglaciated area; also the distribution of
the Wisconsin moraines. For names of counties see page 470.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 35.
COUNTIES OF OHIO.
1. Williams.
2. Fulton.
3. Lucas.
4. Ottawa.
5. Lake.
6. Ashtabula.
7. Trumbull.
8. Geauga.
9. Cuyahoga.
10. Lorain.
11. Erie.
12. Sandusky.
13. Wood.
14. Henry.
15. Defiance.
16. Paulding.
17. Putnam.
18. Hancock.
19. Seneca.
20. Huron.
21. Medina.
22. Summit.
23. Portage.
24. Mahoning.
25. Columbiana.
26. Stark.
27. Wayne.
28. Ashland.
29. Richland.
30. Crawford.
31. Wyandot.
32. Allen.
33. Van Wert.
34. Mercer.
35. Auglaize.
36. Hardin.
37. Marion.
38. Morrow.
39. Knox.
40. Holmes.
41. Coshocton.
42. Tuscarawas.
43. Carroll.
44. Harrison.
45. Jefferson.
46. Belmont.
47. Guernsey.
48. Muskingum.
49. Licking.
50. Delaware.
51. Union.
52. Logan.
53. Shelby.
54. Darke.
55. Miami.
56. Champaign.
57. Clark.
58. Madison.
59. Franklin.
60. Pickaway.
61. Fairfield.
62. Perry.
63. Morgan.
64. Noble.
65. Monroe.
66. Washington.
67. Athens.
68. Hocking.
69. Vinton.
70. Ross.
71. Fayette.
72. Greene.
73. Montgomery.
74. Preble.
75. Butler.
76. Warren.
77. Clinton.
78. Highland.
79. Pike.
80. Jackson.
81. Meigs.
82. Gallia.
83. Lawrence.
84. Scioto.
85. Adams.
86. Brown.
87. Clermont.
88. Hamilton.
[Illustration:
MAP 36.
Distribution of Pleistocene mammals in Ohio. Glacial map of Ohio.
Marks localities where Pleistocene mammals have been discovered.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 36.
The numerals in the column at the left are those given to the
counties on the map. The numerals in the second column are those
found on the black circles.
3. Lucas Co. 1. Springfield Township, Mammut (p. 77).
6. Ashtabula Co. Amboy, Elephas primigenius (p. 137); E. columbi
2. (p. 150).
7. Trumbull Co. 3. —— Mammut (p. 80); Symbos (p. 249).
8. Geauga Co. 4. Montville, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 170).
9. Cuyahoga Co. 5. Kamms, Elephas primigenius (p. 136).
Cleveland, Mammut (p. 79); E. primigenius (p.
6. 136); E. sp. indet. (p. 170).
10. Lorain Co. 7. Brownhelm, Mammut (p. 79).
8. Pittsfield, Mammut (p. 79)
11. Erie Co. 9. Sandusky, Mammut (p. 78)
13. Wood Co. 10. Jackson Township, Mammut (p. 78).
17. Putnam Co. 11. Liberty Township, Mammut (p. 77).
12. Columbus Grove, Mammut (p. 78).
19. Seneca Co. 13. Old Fort, Mammut (p. 78).
20. Huron Co. 14. Chicago, Elephas primigenius (p. 136).
15. North Fairfield, Megalonyx (p. 31).
21. Medina Co. 16. —— Mammut? (p. 79).
22. Summit Co. 17. Green Township, Mammut (p. 80).
24. Mahoning Co. 18. Youngstown, Symbos (p. 249).
25. Columbiana Co. Millport, Elephas primigenius (p. 135); Equus
19. (p. 186).
20. Lisbon, Mylohyus (p. 215).
21. New Salisbury, Tapirus (p. 203).
26. Stark Co. 22. Massillon, Mammut (p. 80).
23. New Berlin, Elephas primigenius (p. 136).
Canton, Mammut (p. 80); Elephas sp. indet. (p.
24. 170).
25. —— Elephas columbi (p. 150).
30. Crawford Co. 26. Bucyrus, Mammut (p. 78).
31. Wyandot Co. 27. Carey, Mammut (p. 78); Ursus (p. 78).
33. Van Wert Co. 28. Ohio City, Mammut (p. 77).
35. Auglaize Co. New Knoxville, Mammut (p. 76); Odocoileus (p.
29. 227); Castoroides (p. 274).
30. Pusheta Township, Mammut (p. 76).
31. Wapakoneta, Mammut? (p. 76).
32. Duchouquet Township, Mammut (p. 76).
33. St. Johns, Mammut? (p. 76).
36. Hardin Co. 34. Roundhead, Mammut (p. 76).
38. Morrow Co. 35. Mt. Gilead, Mammut (p. 75).
40. Holmes Co. 36. Millersburg, Megalonyx (p. 32).
48. Muskingum Co. Nashport, Mammut (p. 70); Castoroides (p. 273);
37. Elephas sp. indet. (p. 169).
38. Zanesville, E. primigenius (p. 134).
39. Duncan Falls, E. primigenius (p. 135).
49. Licking Co. 40. Jersey, E. primigenius (p. 136).
41. Granville, Mammut (p. 75).
52. Logan Co. 42. Harper, Mammut (p. 76).
54. Darke Co. 43. Ansonia, Mammut (p. 74).
44. Versailles, E. primigenius (p. 136).
45. 6 miles west of Greenville, Mammut (p. 73).
Greenville, Mammut (p. 73); Castoroides (p.
46. 274).
Fort Jefferson, Mammut (p. 73); Elephas sp.
47. indet. (p. 170).
48. New Madison, Mammut (p. 73).
56. Champaign Co. 49. Urbana, Mammut (p. 74); Symbos (p. 249).
50. Woodstock, Mammut (p. 74).
57. Clark Co. 51. Catawba, Mammut (p. 74).
52. Brighton, Mammut (p. 74).
53. Selma, Elephas primigenius (p. 136).
59. Franklin Co. 54. Columbus, Equus (p. 186); Platygonus (p. 214).
55. Shadeville, Mammut (p. 75).
60. Pickaway Co. South Bloomfield, Mammut (p. 75); Elephas sp.
56. indet. (p. 170).
Circleville, Mammut? (p. 75); Elephas sp. indet.
57. (p. 170).
58. Pickaway Plains, Mammut (p. 75).
59. Salt Creek, Mammut (p. 75).
62. Perry Co. 60. Chalfants, Platygonus (p. 215).
66. Washington Co. 61. Beverly, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 169).
70. Ross Co. 62. —— Elephas sp. indet. (p. 169).
71. Fayette Co. 63. New Holland, Mammut? (p. 75).
73. Montgomery Co. Dayton, Mammut (p. 72); Elephas primigenius (p.
64. 135).
Germantown, Mammut (p. 71); Castoroides (p.
65. 274).
74. Preble Co. 66. New Paris, Mammut (p. 72).
West Sonora, Mammut (p. 73); Castoroides (p.
67. 274).
75. Butler Co. 68. —— Mammut (p. 71); Elephas primigenius (p. 135).
69. Overpeck, Ursus procerus (p. 329).
77. Clinton Co. Wilmington, Platygonus (p. 214); Castoroides (p.
70. 273).
79. Pike Co. 71. —— Mammut (p. 70).
72. Waverly, Elephas primigenius (p. 134)
80. Jackson Co. 73. Little Salt Creek, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 168).
86. Brown Co. 74. Fincastle, Bison latifrons (p. 257).
88. Hamilton Co. Cincinnati, Mammut (p. 71); Elephas sp. indet.
75. (p. 169); Equus (p. 185).
76. Mount Healthy, Elephas primigenius (p. 135).
77. Mt. Washington, Mammut (p. 71).
[Illustration:
MAP 37.
EXPLANATION OF MAP 37. GLACIAL GEOLOGY OF INDIANA.
]
The southern limit of the Illinoian drift, from Cincinnati to
Jeffersonville, thence north to Brown County, thence southeast to
Posey County, is shown by a wavy line limiting a stippled border.
The southern limit of the Wisconsin drift is represented by a smooth
line and a coarser stippling. North of this terminal moraine are
represented important moraines developed during the recession of the
Wisconsin ice-sheet.
1.2.2. Shelbyville moraine
3.3.4.4.4. Champaign moraine
5.5.5. Bloomington moraine
6.7.7. Valparaiso moraine
9.10.10. Mississinawa moraine
11. Salamonie moraine
12. Wabash moraine
13. Fort Wayne moraine.
Based on Leverett’s Glacial Map of Indiana, Plate VI, Monograph LIII
of the U. S. Geological Survey.
[Illustration:
MAP 38.
Glacial map of Illinois. Marks also the localities where Pleistocene
vertebrates have been discovered. Based on Leverett’s map, Plate VI,
Monogr. XXXVIII, U. S. Geol. Survey. For explanation see pages 474
and 476.
]
EXPLANATION OF MAP 38. GLACIAL MAP OF ILLINOIS.
MORAINES.
1. Shelbyville moraine. From Indiana line in southern Edgar County
runs westward, then northwestward to Peoria. Here it merges
with the Bloomington moraine.
2. Champaign moraine. Radiates northwestward, southwestward, and
eastward from Champaign.
3. Bloomington moraine. From Indiana line in Vermillion County
passes westward through McLean County to Peoria, where it joins
the Shelbyville moraine. Thence runs north to Lee County,
northeastward to Kane County and north into Wisconsin.
4. Marseilles moraine. Enters from Indiana in northern Iroquois
County, passes across northeastern Livingston, eastern La
Salle, to eastern Kane County and northward.
5. Valparaiso moraine. Embraces the southern end of Lake Michigan.
VERTEBRATE FOSSILS.
Jo Daviess Co. 1. Galena, Megalonyx (p. 34); Anomodon (p. 218);
Elephas sp. indet. (p. 178); Platygonus (p. 218);
Bison (p. 269).
Winnebago Co. 2. New Milford, Mammut (p. 105).
Ogle Co. 3. Harper, Mammut (p. 105).
4. Byron, Mammut (p. 105).
5. Rochelle, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 177).
Kane Co. 6. Batavia, Mammut (p. 110); Cervus (p. 240); Bison
bison (p. 269).
7. Aurora, Mammut (p. 109).
Dupage Co. 8. Wheaton, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 177).
9. Naperville, Mammut, (p. 109); Castoroides (p. 279).
Cook Co. 10. Glencoe, Mammut (p. 110).
11. Evanston, Mammut (p. 177); Elephas sp. indet. (p.
177); Odocoileus (p. 230); Amiatus (p. 336);
Lepomis (336); Merganser (p. 336).
12. Oak Park, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 177).
13. Lemont, Odocoileus (p. 230); Ondatra (p. 230).
14. Palos Park, Cervus (p. 240).
15. Chicago Heights, E. columbi (p. 153).
Whiteside Co. 16. Union Grove, Cervus (p. 240).
17. Sterling, Mammut (p. 105).
Lee Co. 18. Pawpaw, Elephas columbi (p. 153).
Kendall Co. 19. Yorkville, Mammut (p. 109).
20. Whitewillow, Mammut (p. 109); Odocoileus (p. 229);
Cervus (p. 240); Alces (p. 240); Cervalces (p.
229); Ovis? (p. 338); Bison bison (p. 269).
Will Co. 21. Beecher, Mammut (p. 107); Cervalces (p. 107);
Cervus (p. 241).
Rock Island Co. 22. Rock Island, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 176).
23. Bowling Township, Mammut (p. 104).
24. Milan, Mammut (p. 104).
25. Rural, Mammut (p. 104).
Henry Co. 26. Penny’s Slough, Elephas primigenius (p. 142).
27. Woodhull, Elephas columbi (p. 154).
28. Kewanee, Elephas primigenius (p. 142).
Bureau Co. 29. Walnut Township, Mammut (p. 105).
La Salle Co. 30. Ottawa, Odocoileus (p. 229).
Grundy Co. 31. Morris, Mammut (p. 108).
Henderson Co. 32. Stronghurst, Elephas primigenius (p. 152).
Knox Co. 33. Galesburg, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 176).
34. On Spoon River, Mammut (p. 104).
Peoria Co. 35. Chillicothe, Elephas columbi (p. 153).
36. Peoria, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 176).
Hancock Co. 37. Warsaw, Mammut (p. 103).
Fulton Co. 38. Elephas sp. indet. (p. 176).
Tazewell Co. 39. Pekin, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 176).
Mason Co. 40. Manito, Mammut (p. 103); Symbos (p. 253).
Iroquois Co. 41. Near Hoopeston, Vermillion Co., Mammut progenium
(p. 106).
Champaign Co. 42. Bondville, Symbos (p. 253).
43. Staley, Elephas columbi (p. 152).
44. Urbana, Mammut (p. 106); Megalonyx (p. 33).
45. Pesotum, Mammut (p. 106).
46. Homer, Bison bison (p. 268).
Vermilion Co. 47. East Lynn, Mammut (p. 107).
48. Rossville, Mammut (p. 107).
49. Fairmount, Mammut (p. 106).
Cass Co. 50. Ashland, Elephas primigenius (p. 141).
Sangamon Co. 51. On Sangamon River, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 176)
Christian Co. 52. S. Fork Sangamon River, Elephas sp. indet. (p.
175).
Macon Co. 53. Niantic, Mammut (p. 102); Bison bison (p. 269);
Cervus (p. 239); Odocoileus (p. 229).
Piatt Co. 54. Atwood, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 177).
Moultrie Co. 55. Sullivan, Bison bison (p. 268).
Coles Co. 56. Charleston, Castoroides (p. 279).
Edgar Co. 57. “Bloomfield,” Mammut (p. 106).
Calhoun Co. 58. —— Elephas sp. indet. (p. 175).
Greene Co. 59. —— Equus (p. 187).
Fayette Co. 60. Line of Bond Co., Equus (p. 187).
Madison Co. 61. Alton, Megalonyx (p. 33); Mammut (p. 102); Equus
(p. 187); Platygonus (p. 219); Rangifer (p. 246);
Symbos (p. 254); Bison (p. 259); Castoroides (p.
279); Geomys, etc. (p. 339).
Marion Co. 62. Sandoval, Mammut (p. 102).
St. Clair Co. 63. East St. Louis, Mammut (p. 101).
Washington Co. 64. Beaucoup, Mammut (p. 101).
Randolph Co. 65. Chester, Mammut (p. 101); Elephas sp. indet. (p.
175).
Gallatin Co. 66. Equality, Elephas sp. indet. (p. 175).
67. Shawneetown, Mastodon (p. 100); Castoroides (p.
278).
Alexander Co. 68. Cairo, Elephas primigenius (p. 140).
[Illustration:
MAP 39.
EXPLANATION OF MAP 39.
Map of Coastal Plain of North Carolina, showing the localities where
fossil organisms have been found, what they are, and their relation
to the terraces. The fossils consist of plants, mollusks, and
mammals. Each group is indicated by a differently shaped black spot.
The information regarding the plants and mollusks has been obtained
from Dr. L. W. Stephenson’s report on the geology of North Carolina,
volume III, 1912, pages 266–303.
]
PLANTS.
1. Weldon, Northampton Co., Wicomico.
2. Dupree Landing, Edgecombe Co., Chowan.
3. Seven Springs, Wayne Co., Chowan?.
4. Four Oaks, Johnson Co., Coharie.
5. Fayetteville, Cumberland Co., Coharie.
6. Wade, Cumberland Co., Sunderland?.
7. Williamston, Bertie Co., Pamlico.
8. 10 miles below Newbern, Craven Co., Pamlico.
9. Southport, New Hanover Co., Pamlico?.
MOLLUSKS.
1. Dismal Swamp, Gates Co., Pamlico?.
2. Belhaven, Beaufort Co., Pamlico?.
3. Newbern, Craven Co., Pamlico?.
4. 16 miles below Newbern, Craven Co., Pamlico?.
5. Fort Fisher, New Hanover Co., Pamlico?.
6. Carolina Beach, New Hanover Co., Pamlico?.
7. Near Southport, New Hanover Co., Pamlico?.
8. Ft. Caswell, New Hanover Co., Pamlico?.
9. Swanquarter, Hyde Co., Pamlico?.
MAMMALS.
1. Rocky Mound, Nash Co., Sunderland. Mastodon.
2. Tarboro, Edgecombe Co., Wicomico. Mastodon.
3. Plymouth, Washington Co., Pamlico?. Horse.
4. —— Wilson Co., ——? Mastodon.
5. —— Pitt Co., Wicomico? Mastodon, horse.
6. Goldsboro, Wayne Co., Sunderland or Wicomico. Mastodon.
7. 16 miles below Newbern, Craven Co., Pamlico. Horse mastodon, etc.
8. Maysville, Jones Co., Pamlico. Mastodon.
9. Duplin Co., Wicomico or Sunderland. Mastodon.
10. Jacksonville, Onslow Co., Chowan? Mastodon.
11. Harlowe, Carteret Co., Pamlico Co. Mastodon, elephant.
12. Elizabethtown, Bladen Co., Sunderland or Wicomico. Horse.
13. —— Pender Co., Chowan or Wicomico. Mastodon.
14. 10 miles below Wilmington, New Hanover Co., Chowan? Mastodon,
elephant.
[Illustration:
MAP 40.
Region about Savannah, Georgia, and Skidaway Island. Redrawn from
Hodgson’s Memoir.
]
[Illustration:
MAP 41.
Bigbone Lick and vicinity, Kentucky. After Cooper.
]
INDEX
Abbott, C. C., 132, 246
Aberdeen, Mississippi, 234
Abingdon, Virginia, 113, 189
Academy Natural Sciences Phila., 64, 242
Accomac Co., Virginia, 28, 29, 352
Acipenser sturio, 311
Adams, A. L., 181
Adams, C. C., 33
Adams, J. D., 339
Adams Co., Illinois, 335;
Mississippi, 40, 125, 180, 200, 208, 233, 264, 280
Addison Point, Maine, 23
Adelonycteris fuscus, 398
Adrian, Michigan, 80, 227, 237, 275, 331
Ænocyon, 14;
A. ayersi, 366, 382, 395;
A. dirus, 32, 187, 228, 257, 322, 334, 365, 404;
A. mississippiensis, 337
Aëtobatis narinari, 382, 383
Aftonian horizon, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11;
in Alabama, 385;
in Florida, 373, 381, 383;
in Indiana, 33;
in Long Island, 295;
in New Jersey, 301, 302;
in Ohio, 330;
in Pennsylvania, 317;
in South Carolina, 367;
in Tennessee, 400;
in Wisconsin, 344
Aftonian stage, 15, 33, 283, 302, 367, 372, 379, 384
Aftonius, 14
Agassiz, L., 148
Agriotherium, 15;
A. schneideri, 380
Alabama, 40;
Elephas imperator in, 164;
Equidæ in, 200;
extinct bisons in, 264;
geology of, 384;
mastodons in, 124;
Xenarthra in, 40
Alabama River, 385
Alachua clays, 15, 121, 224, 232
Alachua Co., Florida, 37, 121, 195, 206, 211, 224, 232, 262, 375
Alachua formation, 10, 375, 378
Alachua phosphates, 15
Alafia River, Florida, 123, 197, 379
Albany, New York, 266
Albany Co., New York, 56
Alce americanus, 311
Alces americanus, 311, 336, 337, 338, 364, 403, 404;
A. runnymedensis, 363, 364
Alden, W. C., 110, 306, 340
Alden and Leighton, 12, 142
Alexander Co., Illinois, 140
Allegan Co., Michigan, 83
Allegany Co., Maryland, 189, 204, 220;
New York, 60, 226, 236
Alleghany Co., Virginia, 114
Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, 69, 150, 168
Allen, F. R., 37, 122, 194
Allen, G. M., 266, 292
Allen, J. A., 24, 230, 240, 246, 248, 251, 261, 264, 269, 270, 271, 402
Allen Co., Indiana, 95, 174
Alligator, 122;
A. mississippiensis, 363, 375, 381, 382;
A. sp. indet., 350
Alma, Michigan, 85
Almero Farm, Florida, 37, 122, 194, 375
Alton, Illinois, 12, 14, 33, 102, 187, 219, 254, 259, 279, 336, 337
Aluco pratincola, 382
Amanda, Ohio, 71
Amaranth, Ontario, 130
Amboy, Ohio, 137, 150, 329
Ameiurus nebulosus, 311
American Museum Natural History, 51, 56, 58, 79, 97, 101, 107, 139,
140, 160, 163, 197, 198, 201, 263
Amherst College, 58
Ami, H. M., 22, 45, 287
Amiatus calvus, 336, 382
Amiurus atrarius, 311
Amphicyon, 2
Amphiuma means, 382
Amyda sp. indet., 353
Anancus, 2, 14, 15
Anaptogonia hiatidens, 312
Anderson, Indiana, 93
Anderson, Netta C., 103, 104, 105, 109, 110, 176, 177, 240, 337
Andrews, E. B., 169
Andrews Island, Maine, 23
Anita, Arizona, 15
Annan, R., 53
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 228, 237, 275, 331
Anodonta, species, 303
Anomodon snyderi, 34, 218, 219, 343
Ansonia, Ohio, 74
Antilocapra, 337;
A. americana, 9, 343.
Aphelops, 9, 15;
A. longipes, 211, 375, 376, 377;
A. malacorhinus, 211;
A. sp. indet., 8, 9, 380
Appalachian Mountains, 351
Appomattox formation, 14
Arcadia, Florida, 39, 124, 160, 163, 198, 208, 233, 264, 380, 381
Arcadia marls, Florida, 15
Archer, Florida, 37, 195, 206, 211, 224, 232, 375
Arctodus pristinus, 363
Arctomys monax, 310, 311
Arctotherium, 315;
A. haplodon, 312, 313, 321
Ardea herodias, 382;
A. sellardsi, 382;
A. sp. indet., 382
Arden, New York, 50
Ardley, E., 18
Arkona Lake, 88
Armadillos, 5
Artediellus atlanticus, 287
Arvicola riparius, 310
Ashland, Illinois, 141
Ashley, F. W., 167
Ashley, Indiana, 95
Ashley River, South Carolina, 11, 15, 35, 118, 192, 242, 363
Asia, connection with, 3
Asphalt beds, California, 15, 33
Ashtabula Co., Ohio, 137, 150
Atractosteus lapidosus, 375
Attica, Indiana, 92;
Michigan, 276, 331;
New York, 61
Atwater, C., 72, 75
Atwood, Illinois, 177
Atwood, W. W., 7
Auchenia, 9, 195;
A. major, 224;
A. minima, 38, 158, 224;
A. minor, 224
Auglaize Co., Ohio, 227
Augusta Co., Virginia, 190, 221
Aurora, Illinois, 109;
Indiana, 91
Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, 46
Bagg, R. M., 106, 107, 110, 268
Bailey, T. L., 42, 394
Baird, S. F., 320, 321
Baker, F. C., 103, 104, 176, 230, 303, 333, 334
Baker, P. L., 154
Balænoptera, sp. indet., 19, 159
Balmville, New York, 52
Baltimore Co., Maryland, 112
Bancroft, Michigan, 86
Bannister, H. M., 109, 279
Barada, Michigan, 83
Barbour, E. H., 152
Bartholomew Co., Indiana, 172, 251
Barton, B. S., 63, 69, 114, 119, 128, 155, 168, 223
Bartow, Florida, 180
Bertram, J., 128
Bartsch, P., 383
Bassariscus astutus, 314
Batavia, Illinois, 110, 240, 269;
New York, 61
Bath Co., Virginia, 114
Bay Co., Michigan, 84
Bear, 209, 268, 395
Beaucoup, Illinois, 101
Beaufort, South Carolina, 15, 35, 118, 155, 191, 363, 366
Beaufort Co., South Carolina, 35, 118, 155, 191
Beaver, 43, 56, 268, 280, 285, 334, 337
Beaverdam, Pennsylvania, 133, 323
Beaver Lake, Indiana, 96, 252, 334
Beaver River, Pennsylvania, 355
Bechdolt, A. F., 112
Bedford, Pennsylvania, 69
Bedford Co., Pennsylvania, 69
Beecher, C. E., 60
Beecher, Illinois, 107, 241
Beede, J. W., 217
Beetles in Port Kennedy Cave, 317
Belding, Michigan, 215, 331
Bell, R., 130, 166, 235
Bellevue, Michigan, 81
Beluga catodon, 18;
B. vermontana, 19, 20
Belvidere, New York, 60
Benedict, Maryland, 220, 347
Bensley, B. A., 256
Berea, New York, 53
Bering Sea, 3
Berkeley Co., South Carolina, 119, 162, 367
Berkeley River, South Carolina, 156
Berks Co., Pennsylvania, 69
Berrien Co., Michigan, 82, 137, 171, 275
Berry, E. W., 188, 383, 385
Berwick, Pennsylvania, 69, 324
Beverly, Ohio, 169, 327
Bexar Co., Texas, 14
Bic, Quebec, 21
Bigbone Cave, Tennessee, 41
Bigbone Lick, Kentucky, 43, 128, 146, 160, 181, 202, 209, 234, 243,
255, 265, 270, 401
Biggin Swamp, South Carolina, 119, 156, 162, 367
Big Twin Creek, Kentucky, 161
Biloxi formation, 384, 385
Bison, 24, 109, 175, 188, 237, 337;
B. alleni, 256;
B. americanus, 256, 257, 310;
B. antiquus, 14, 34, 257, 258, 260, 265, 403;
B. appalachicolus, 249;
B. bison, 249, 257, 266, 267, 268, 270, 292, 295, 298, 304,310, 403,
404;
B., extinct species in North America, 256;
B. latifrons, 14, 68, 159, 160, 184, 197, 199, 233, 248, 256, 257,
259, 260, 261, 263, 264, 265, 268, 269, 328, 363, 364, 379, 384,
391, 392, 393, 404;
B. occidentalis, 14, 259, 265;
B. regius, 15;
B. sp. indet., 32, 38, 41, 122, 157, 158, 160, 187, 200, 204, 228,
257, 258, 259, 262, 263, 264, 312, 313, 321, 334, 339, 342, 343,
347, 352, 353, 359, 363, 370, 371, 374, 376, 378, 379, 381, 382,
385, 398, 406;
B. sylvestris, 32, 257
Black spruce, 85
Black Warrior River, Alabama, 385
Blackwelder, W., 111
Bladen Co., North Carolina, 190
Blainville, H. M., 88, 90
Blair Co., Pennsylvania, 31, 69, 185, 203, 214, 227, 321
Blanchard, C. A., 177
Blanco fauna, 2
Blanco formation, 1, 15
Blarina, 316;
B. brevicauda, 350;
B. brevicauda peninsulæ, 382;
B. simplicidens, 312;
B. sp. indet., 322, 353
Blatchley, W. S., 99, 100, 107, 174, 239
Bloomfield, Illinois, 106
Bloomington moraine, Illinois, 107, 110, 138, 238, 335
Bluelick Springs, Kentucky, 44, 128, 182, 234, 243, 255, 271, 405
Bluemounds, Wisconsin, 111, 219, 270, 341
Bluff formation in Mississippi, 387
Bodine, D., 92, 99, 173
Bogue Chitto, Alabama, 124, 164, 200, 385
Bolivar Co., Mississippi, 124
Bond Co., Illinois, 187
Bondville, Illinois, 253
Bone Valley formation, 10, 378
Bone Valley phosphates, 15
Boone Co., Indiana, 277, 334;
Kentucky, 128, 146, 160, 181, 202, 209, 234, 243, 255, 265, 270, 400,
401, 402
Boonville, New York, 236
Boötherium, 14, 96;
B. bombifrons, 255, 322, 403;
B. cavifrons, 254, 391;
B. sargenti, 83, 331;
B. sp. indet., 252
Borden, W. W., 89, 91
Borophagus, 2
Bos, 41, 175, 262;
B. bombifrons, 255;
B. pallasii, 255;
B. sp. indet., 312
Bovidæ, 312
Bovina, Mississippi, 125
Bowers, Indiana, 92
Bowling Township, Rock Island Co., Illinois, 104
Boyd, C. H., 23
Brachylagus browni, 9
Brachyprotoma putorius, 322
Bradley, F. H., 60, 96, 106, 108, 252
Brevard Co., Florida, 159, 196
Brevoort, J. C., 49
Brewster, Florida, 197, 211
Bridgeton formation, New Jersey, 15, 299, 301
Briggs, C., 78, 168
Briggs and Foster, 147, 168
Brighton, Ohio, 74
Brimley, H. H., 115, 116, 117, 145
Bringhurst, Indiana, 152
Bristol, Connecticut, 48;
Tennessee, 209, 394
Britton, N. L., 47
Broadhead, G. C., 268
Brooke Co., West Virginia, 254
Brookfield, Pennsylvania, 133
Brookville, Indiana, 90, 172;
Pennsylvania, 324
Brooklyn Institute, New York, 52
Brookton, New York, 57
Broome Co., New York, 57
Brown, B., 12, 38, 44, 97, 159
Brown, S., 223, 406
Brown Co., Ohio, 257
Brownhelm Township, Lorain County, Ohio, 79
Brunswick, Georgia, 11, 15, 20, 36, 120, 193, 243, 261, 280
Brunswick Canal, Georgia, 36, 157, 193, 370
Bryant, W. L., 131
Buchanan, Michigan, 82, 171, 331
Buckley, E. R., 343
Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, 237, 246, 267
Bucyrus, Ohio, 78
Buffalo, 102, 111, 219, 229, 240
(See Bison bison)
Buffalo, New York, 63, 131
Bullville, New York, 53
Bureau Co., Illinois, 105
Burlington Co., New Jersey, 64, 227, 245
Burlington Heights, Ontario, 166, 167, 235, 285
Bush, N. D., 80
Butler Co., Ohio, 71, 135
Byron, Illinois, 105
Bystra, H. G., 158
Cairo, Illinois, 140
Calhoun Co., Illinois, 175
Caloosahatchee River, Florida, 15, 40, 163, 380, 384
Calvenia, Florida, 198, 380
Calvert Co., Maryland, 189, 220, 259
Calvin, S., 11
Cambridge City, Indiana, 238
Cambridge, Illinois, 104
Camden, Indiana, 238;
New Jersey, 184
Camden Co., New Jersey, 184, 301
Camelidæ, 5, 224, 312;
in Florida, 224;
in Pennsylvania, 224;
in Tennessee, 225
Camelops, 14, 15, 377;
C. sp. indet., 43, 225, 363, 364, 382, 395, 399
Camels, 7, 11
Camelus, 14, 15
Campbell, M. R., 322, 354
Campbell Co., Kentucky, 182
Canastota, New York, 272
Canidæ, 312
Canimartes, 2
Canis, 15;
C. armbrusteri, 350;
C. dirus, 204, 312, 314;
C. floridanus, 365;
C. indianensis, 312, 314;
C. latrans, 9, 334, 337, 342, 343;
C. lupus, 310;
C. lycaon, 310;
C. mississippiensis, 341, 342, 343;
C. nubilus, 9, 337, 342, 343;
C. occidentalis, 341, 343, 365;
C. primævus, 32;
C. priscolatrans, 312, 322;
C. riviveronis, 382;
C. sp. indet., 9, 321, 350, 363, 366, fig. 19, 382;
C. virginianus, 310
Cannon, G. H., 86
Cannonsburg, Michigan, 83
Canton, Ohio, 80, 170
Cape Breton Island, 289;
mastodons in, 46
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 15, 266
Capelin, 23
Cape May, 304
Cape May formation, 66, 299, 301
Caranx, 383;
C. hippos, 382;
C. sp. indet., 382
Carcharodon sp. indet., 370
Caretta caretta, 382, 383
Carey, Ohio, 78
Cariacus virginianus, 231
Caribou, 112, 244, 344
Carleton Co., Ontario, 17
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, caves near, 320
Carmichaels formation, 322
Carroll Co., Indiana, 152, 277
Carteret Co., North Carolina, 117, 145, 179
Case, E. C., 87, 250
Caseilla, Mississippi, 124
Cass Co., Illinois, 141;
Indiana, 97, 278
Castor, 128;
C. canadensis, 295, 299, 310, 311, 312, 339, 348, 363, 395;
C. fiber, 310, 311, 312, 353;
C. sp. indet., 8, 350
Castoridæ, 312
Castoroides, 14, 81, 94, 128, 169, 327, 400;
in eastern North America, 272;
in Georgia, 280;
in Illinois, 278;
in Indiana, 276;
in Michigan, 275;
in Mississippi, 280;
in New York, 272;
in Ohio, 273;
in Pennsylvania, 272;
in South Carolina, 279;
in Tennessee, 280
Castoroides ohioensis, 43, 70, 72, 175, 227, 237, 238, 295, 299, 310,
329, 337, 339, 363, 370, 392, 393, 395
Catawba, Ohio, 74
Cathartes aura, 382;
C. aura septentrionalis, 382
Caton, J. D., 229
Cattaraugus Co., New York, 62, 226
Cave deposits, 14
Cavetown, Maryland, 14, 189, 220, 231, 348
Caviidæ, 5
Cedar, red, 72
Celina moraine, 326
Center Lisle, New York, 57
Cervalces, 13, 14, 107, 241, 283, 284, 336;
C. borealis, 226;
C. roosevelti, 338, 339;
C. scotti, 207, 306, 403, 404;
C. sp. indet., 229, 321, 352
Cervidæ, 225, 234, 312
Cervus americanus, 207;
C. canadensis, 235; 247, 295, 299, 304, 310, 311, 337, 338, 342, 347,
363, 364, 395, 403, 404;
in Florida, 243;
in Georgia, 243;
in Illinois, 239, 240;
in Maryland, 242;
in Michigan, 237;
in New Jersey, 237;
in North Carolina, 242;
in Ontario, 235, 284, 285;
in Pennsylvania, 237;
in South Carolina, 242;
in Vermont, 235;
in Wisconsin, 241;
C. sp. indet., 8, 370, 398;
C. tarandus, 247;
C. virginianus, 230, 233, 247, 310, 311, 391;
C. whitneyi, 343.
Cetaceans in eastern North America, 17;
in Florida, 20;
in Georgia, 20;
in New Brunswick, 19;
in North Carolina, 20;
in Ontario, 17;
in South Carolina, 20;
in Vermont, 19;
Pleistocene, 17
Chadd’s Ford, Pennsylvania, 133
Chætodipterus faber, 381
Chalfants, Ohio, 215, 328
Chalmers, R., 289
Chamberlin and Salisbury, 7, 341, 389, 392
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 69, 168, 324
Champaign Co., Illinois, 33, 106, 152, 253, 268;
Ohio, 74, 249
Champlain Lake, Vermont, 235
Champlain Sea, 22, 285, 291
Champlain stage, 286
Chapman, E. J., 45
Charles Co., Maryland, 188, 220
Charleston, South Carolina, 11, 20, 29, 35, 118, 155, 162, 192, 231,
242, 260, 279, 363;
Illinois, 279;
Indiana, 91
Charleston Co., South Carolina, 118, 155, 162, 192, 205, 221, 231, 242,
260, 279
Charleston Museum, South Carolina, 30, 35, 162, 192, 232, 260
Charlotte, Vermont, 20
Charlotte Co., Florida, 263;
New Brunswick, 19
Charlotte moraine, 81, 83, 137, 330
Chasmaporthetes, 15;
C. ossifragus, 9
Chatham Co., Georgia, 120, 157, 194, 262
Chattanooga, Tennessee, 43
Chautauqua, New York, 63
Chautauqua Co., New York, 236, 267
Chelonia couperi, 370;
C. mydas, 382, 383
Chelydra laticarinata, 382;
C. sculpta, 382;
C. serpentina, 310, 311, 347
Chemung Co., New York, 58, 149, 167
Cheney, T. A., 63
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, 189, 220, 259, 347, 348
Cheshire, Connecticut, 47
Chester, Illinois, 101, 175;
New York, 50;
Pennsylvania, 133
Chicago, Illinois, 337;
Ohio, 136
Chicago Heights, Illinois, 153
Chillicothe, Illinois, 153
Chittenden Co., Vermont, 20, 167
Chlamytherium, 15, 159;
C. septentrionale, 38,39, 40, 376, 379, 381, 382
Chowan formation, 29, 356
Christian Co., Illinois, 175
Christina, Florida, 380
Cristivomer namaycush, 112, 344
Church, Michigan, 80
Cincinnati, Ohio, 71, 169, 185
Circleville, Ohio, 75, 170
Cistudo clausa, 310, 311
Citellus tuitus, 9
Citra, Florida, 121, 158
Citrus Co., Florida, 158, 196, 225
City Point, Virginia, 113
Claiborne Co., Mississippi, 125
Clapp, F. G., 290, 322
Clark, W., 401
Clark, W. B., 345, 351, 355
Clark and Miller, 15, 29, 113
Clark Co., Indiana, 91;
Kentucky, 255;
Ohio 74, 136
Clarke, J. M., 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 107,
226, 266
Claverack, New York, 55
Claypole, E. W., 32, 71
Clayton, Michigan, 81
Clear Spring, Maryland, 113, 349
Clemmys insculpta, 312, 322;
C. percrassa, 312
Cleveland, Ohio, 79, 136, 170
Climate of Don beds, Ontario, 282;
of Scarboro beds, Ontario, 283
Clinton Co., Ohio, 214, 273
Clubfoot and Harlowe Canal, 117, 179
Clyde, New York, 272
Coastal Plain, Atlantic, 13, 351;
in Alabama, 384;
in Florida, 372;
in Georgia, 368;
in North Carolina, 29, 355;
in South Carolina, 361
Coeymans, New York, 56
Cohansey sands, 300
Coharie formation, 356
Cohoes, New York, 56;
pot-holes, 296
Colbert Co., Alabama, 40
Coldenham, New York, 52
Coleman, A. P., 46, 147, 166, 167, 226, 244, 281, 283
Coleraine, Massachusetts, 47
Coles Co., Illinois, 279
Collett, J., 73, 92, 96, 106, 171, 172, 173, 17 228, 276, 277
Coluber acuminatus, 312, 314;
C. sp. indet., 314
Colubridæ, 312
Columbia, Tennessee, 181, 395, 399
Columbia Co., Florida, 121;
New York, 55;
Pennsylvania, 69
Columbiana Co., Ohio, 70, 135, 186, 203, 215, 325
Columbus, Ohio, 186, 214, 330
Columbus Grove, Ohio, 77
Conard fissure, Arkansas, 12, 14
Conewango, New York, 62
Connecticut, geology of, 292;
mastodons in, 47;
Rangifer in, 244
Connecticut River, 294
Connersville, Indiana, 173
Conrad, T. A., 64, 117, 190, 191, 359
Cook, C. C., 266
Cook, G. H., 65, 66, 67, 68
Cook Co., Illinois, 110, 153, 177, 230, 240
Coon Valley, Wisconsin, 259
Cooper River, South Carolina, 119, 156, 162, 363
Cooper, Smith, and DeKay, 202
Cooper, W., 36, 44, 146, 181, 243, 255. 270, 401, 402
Coosa River, Alabama, 385
Coosaw River, South Carolina, 35
Cope and Wortman, 218, 228, 258
Cope, E. D., 9, 11, 31, 43, 63, 64, 69, 154, 166 184, 185, 190, 203,
213, 217, 218, 220, 221, 228, 237, 242, 256, 258, 267, 301, 312,
316, 317, 318, 353, 354, 377
Copeland, M., 24
Copenhagen, New York, 56
Copley, O. N., 78
Coquina, Florida, 15
Core Creek, North Carolina, 358
Cornwall, Ontario, 18
Corriganville, Maryland, 14, 189, 204, 220, 349
Cortland Co., New York, 149
Cottle, T., 147, 148
Cottus uncinatus, 287
Couper, J. H., 36, 157, 261, 262, 369, 370
Covington, Indiana, 92;
Virginia, 114;
West Virginia, 354
Cox, E. T., 100, 172, 175
Crawford Co., Ohio, 78;
Pennsylvania, 150, 168;
Wisconsin, 111
Cricetidæ, 312
Crocodile, 207
Crocodylus sp. indet., 350, 352, 370
Croom, H. B., 117, 231, 359
Crotalus adamanteus, 382;
C. horridus, 348;
C. sp. indet., 314, 353
Crown Point, Indiana, 140
Cryptobranchus sp. indet., 322, 353
Cryptotis floridana, 382
Crystal Hill Cave, Pennsylvania, 213, 237
Cuba, New York, 226, 236
Cumberland Co., Maine, 24
Currituck Co., North Carolina, 29
Curry, J. C., 64
Cushing, H. P., 136
Cuvier, G., 69, 71, 119, 181
Cuyahoga, Ohio, 136
Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 79, 170
Cyclopterus lumpus, 23, 287
Cystophora cristata, 26;
C. proboscidea, 26
Dachnowski, A., 76
Dade Co., Florida, 384
Dall, W. H., 10, 38, 121, 195, 199, 224, 232, 360, 361, 380, 384
Dall and Harris, 361
Dallas Co., Alabama, 124, 164, 200
Dalton, Indiana, 94
Dana, J. D., 163, 244
Dandridge, Tennessee, 127, 209, 223, 395
Dane Co., Wisconsin, 111, 219
Danglade, E., 138
Danville, Indiana, 92
Darke Co., Ohio, 73, 136, 170, 274
Darlington, South Carolina, 193, 232, 366
Darlington Co., South Carolina, 119, 193, 232
Darton, N. H., 260
Dasyatis hastata, 363;
D. sp. indet., 370
Dasypodidæ, 5
Dasypus sp. indet., 38, 39, 378, 382
Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania, 185
Davenport Academy Sciences, 149
Davidson Co., Tennessee, 43, 127, 201, 225, 395, 396
Davis, C. A., 85, 111
Davis, J., 100
Dawson, J. W., 17, 18, 19, 22, 45, 46, 281, 288
Daxon, A., 104
Dayton, Ohio, 72, 135
Daytona, Florida, 20, 122, 158
Deal, New Jersey, 227, 237
Dearborn Co., Indiana, 91
Decatur Co., Indiana, 92
Decker mastodon, 81, 275
Defiance moraine, 88, 330
Deer, 43, 81, 103, 109, 117, 127, 187, 204, 225, 226, 237, 337, 358,
393, 399
Deirochelys floridana, 379
DeKalb Co., Indiana, 95
DeKay, J. E., 29, 49, 59, 61, 62, 131, 235, 245
DeKay, Van Rensselaer, and Cooper, 65
De Land, Florida, 378
Delaware Co., Indiana, 174;
Pennsylvania, 133
Delphinapterus leucas, 17, 18, 19, 20, 284, 288;
D. sp. indet., 289;
D. vermontanus, 17, 18, 20, 284, 288
Delphinid sp. indet., 381
Denham, Indiana, 96
Dennis, D. W., 252
Dennison, Virginia, 190
De Soto Co., Florida, 39, 124, 160, 198, 208, 233, 264
Deussen, A., 15
Dickeson, M. W., 40, 125, 264, 389
Dicotyles fossilis, 221;
D. lenis, 219, 222, 341, 342;
D. nasutus, 213, 216, 221;
D. pennsylvanicus, 213, 214, 310;
D. torquatus, 220, 221, 341
Didelphis virginiana, 363, 382
Dinobastis, 14
Diodon sp. indet., 381
Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, 15;
mollusks, of, 351;
in Virginia, 360
Disputanta, Virginia, 352
District of Columbia, 16;
Equidæ in, 188;
geology of, 344, 348;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 178
Dixon, S., 318
Don formation, Ontario, 167, 226, 256, 281
Don River, Ontario, 167
Dorr, Michigan, 83
Dover, Wisconsin, 110, 340
Drayton, J., 119
Drennon Springs, Kentucky, 129
Driftless area, Wisconsin, 259, 341
Dryer, C. R., 95, 174
Drymarchon corais couperi, 382
Dubois Co., Indiana, 88
Dubuque, Iowa, 342
Duchouquet Township, Auglaize Co., Ohio, 76
Dudley, J., 55
Dufferin Co., Ontario, 130
Duke, A., 130
Dumbbell Harbor, Grinnell Land, 21, 244, 248
Duncan Falls, Ohio, 135, 327
Dunn Co., Wisconsin, 111, 230, 247
Dunnellon, Florida, 15, 38, 122, 158, 162, 196, 207, 211, 223, 225,
263;
formation, 10
Dunnville, Ontario, 46
DuPage Co., Illinois, 109, 177, 279
Duplin Co., North Carolina, 115, 179, 357
Durham Cave, Pennsylvania, 237, 311
Dutchess Co., New York, 55
Duval Co. Florida, 122, 157, 232, 262, 374
Dwight, W. B., 55
Eager, S. W., 52, 53, 54, 55
Earle, C. J., 159, 197, 233, 379
Earlham College, Indiana, 94, 139, 229, 238, 252, 277
East Coldenham, New York, 53
East Lynn, Illinois, 107
East Saginaw, Michigan, 171, 331
East St. Louis, Illinois, 101
Eaton Co., Michigan, 81, 137, 171
Eaton moraine, 326
Eaton Rapids, Michigan, 137, 331
Eau Claire, Michigan, 82
Eau Gallie, Florida, 159, 196, 380
Eddings Island, South Carolina, 35
Edgar Co., Illinois, 106
Edgecombe Co., North Carolina, 117
Edisto River, South Carolina, 363
Edom, Virginia, 114
Edwards, J. J., 172
Edwards, T., 167
Elephant, 374, 401
Elephantidæ, 5, 312
Elephants, 5, 7, 11, 16
Elephas, 14;
E. americanus, 69, 131, 144, 168, 178;
E. columbi, 11, 38, 122, 146, 163, 164, 166, 172, 174, 180, 181, 194,
196, 197, 199, 200, 233, 235, 262, 263, 264, 293, 295, 299, 302,
305, 322, 323, 329, 334, 347, 348, 357, 363, 366, 370, 371, 374,
375, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382, 384, 392, 393, 403;
in Florida, 157;
in Georgia, 157;
in Illinois, 152;
in Indiana, 151;
in Kentucky, 160;
in Maryland, 154;
in Michigan, 151, 331;
in New Jersey, 149;
in New York, 149;
in North Carolina, 155;
in Ohio, 150;
in Ontario, 147, 284;
in Pennsylvania, 150;
in South Carolina, 155;
in Vermont, 148;
in West Virginia, 155
Elephas jacksoni, 161, 168, 169, 327
Elephas imperator, 11, 14, 15, 124, 157, 162, 165, 180, 200, 283, 363,
364, 367, 376, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 393;
in Alabama, 164;
in Florida, 145, 162;
in South Carolina, 162
Elephas primigenius, 36, 59, 98, 100, 135, 151, 154, 165, 166, 167,
169, 172, 181, 182, 247, 251, 259, 261, 277, 283, 284, 295, 299,
302, 304, 306, 322, 323, 324, 327, 328, 334, 340, 347, 348, 353,
358, 379, 391, 395, 396, 403;
in Kentucky, 146;
in Illinois, 140;
in Indiana, 138;
in Maryland, 144;
in Michigan, 137, 331;
in New York, 131;
in New Jersey, 132;
in Not America, 130;
in North Carolina, 145;
in Ohio, 134, 329;
in Ontario, 130, 284, 285;
in Pennsylvania, 133;
in Tennessee, 146;
in Wisconsin, 143
Elephas sp. indet., 166, 354, 358, 384, 395, 399;
in District of Columbia, 178;
in Florida, 179;
in Illinois, 175;
in Indiana, 171;
in Kentucky, 181;
in Maryland, 178;
in Michigan, 171, 331;
in Mississippi, 180;
in New York, 167;
in North Carolina, 179;
in Ohio, 168;
in Ontario, 166;
in Pennsylvania, 168;
in Tennessee, 181;
in Ungava, 166;
in Vermont, 167;
in Virginia, 178;
in West Virginia, 179;
in Wisconsin, 178
Elgin Co., Ontario, 45
Elizabeth, Illinois, 269
Elizabethtown, North Carolina, 190, 357
Elk, 81, 102, 108, 109, 117, 226, 228, 229, 235, 237
(See Cervus canadensis)
Ellenton, Florida, 379
Ellenville, New York, 54
Ellis, H., 88
Ellis, R. W., 91
Elmira, New York, 58, 149
Elrod and Benedict, 98, 174, 229, 239
Elroy, Tennessee, 41, 395, 397
Elsie, Michigan, 84
Emerson, B. K., 290
Eminence, Kentucky, 182
Emmons, E., 116, 118, 149, 167, 190, 191, 226, 235, 360
Emydidæ, 312
Englewood moraine, 326
Englishtown, New Jersey, 65, 305
Eptesicus fuscus, 310
Equality, Illinois, 175
Equidæ, 5, 312;
in Alabama, 200;
in District of Columbia, 188;
in Eastern North America, 183;
in Florida, 194;
in Georgia, 193;
in Illinois, 187;
in Indiana, 186;
in Kentucky, 202;
in Maryland, 188;
in Massachusetts, 183;
in Mississippi, 200;
in New Jersey, 184;
in New York, 183;
in North Carolina, 190;
in Ohio, 185;
in Pennsylvania, 184;
in South Carolina, 191;
in Tennessee, 201;
in Virginia, 189;
in West Virginia, 190
Equus, 9, 14, 15, 372;
E. americanus, 186, 193, 200, 391;
E. caballus, 190;
E. complicatus, 32, 33, 43, 68, 159, 160, 184, 185, 186, 187, 189,
191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 204,
208, 217, 228, 233, 256, 257, 263, 265, 283, 302, 308, 312, 313,
328, 330, 348, 352, 353, 359, 363, 366, 370, 379, 380, 382, 392,
393, 395, 403, 404, 406;
E. curvidens, 193, 202;
E. excelsus, 8;
E. fraternus, 38, 158, 160, 184, 185, 191, 192, 193, 196, 198, 199,
201, 264, 302, 312, 313, 362;
E. giganteus, 9, 183, 189, 348;
E. idahoensis, 8;
E. leidyi, 43, 124, 127, 158, 159, 165, 188, 189, 191, 192, 194, 195,
196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 222, 224, 225, 233, 263, 283, 313,
348, 357, 360, 362, 363, 370, 371, 376, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382,
384, 385, 392, 393, 394, 395, 399;
E. littoralis, 159, 193, 195, 197, 199, 201, 232, 233, 263, 364, 370,
376, 379, 380, 381, 382, 395, 396;
E. major, 68, 183, 187, 192, 198;
E. niobrarensis, 190, 354;
E. occidentalis, 9;
E. pectinatus, 185, 187, 312, 313;
E. princeps, 199;
E. scotti, 194;
E. sp. indet., 9, 41, 158, 196, 202, 292, 295, 298, 301, 305, 310,
322, 339, 350, 352, 354, 375, 376, 399;
E. tau, 193, 199
Equus beds, 378
Equus zone, 11
Ereptodon priscus, 41, 392, 393
Erethizon dorsatum, 310, 311, 312, 313, 316, 348, 398;
E. sp. indet., 321
Erethizontidæ, 312
Erie basin, 296
Erie, New York, 63;
Pennsylvania, 70, 324
Erie Co., New York, 131;
Ohio, 78;
Pennsylvania, 70, 133, 168
Eschatius, 14
Essex Co., New Jersey, 66;
Ontario, 45
Etchegoin-Tulare, 15
Euelephas jacksoni, 147
Euchœrus macrops, 223
Eutænia sirtalis, 311
Evanston, Illinois, 177, 230
Evansville, Indiana, 32, 186, 203, 228, 257, 334, 405
Everglades, Florida, 163
Evolution of Pleistocene vertebrates, 5
Extinct bisons in Alabama, 264;
in Florida, 262;
in Georgia, 261;
in Illinois, 259;
in Indiana, 257;
in Kentucky, 265;
in Maryland, 259;
in Mississippi, 264;
in Ohio, 257;
in Ontario, 256;
in Pennsylvania, 256;
in South Carolina, 260;
in Virginia, 259;
in Wisconsin, 259
Extinction of Pleistocene vertebrates, 6
Fairchild, H. L., 47, 49, 56, 58, 131, 147, 281, 285, 290, 291, 294,
297, 298
Fairmount, Illinois, 106;
Indiana, 139, 277
Fairmount Township, Grant Co., Indiana, 93
Falconer, H., 165
Farancia abacura, 382
Farmington, Connecticut, 48;
New York, 236
Farr, M. S., 132
Fauquier Co., Virginia, 178
Fayette Co., Illinois, 187;
Indiana, 173;
Kentucky, 129, 210;
Ohio, 74
Fayetteville, Tennessee, 128
Felidæ, 5, 312
Felis, 2, 14;
F. atrox, 265, 391;
F. canadensis, 310;
F. couguar, 337, 348;
F. eyra, 312, 314;
F. inexpectata, 312, 316;
F. veronis, 382;
F. sp. indet., 321, 376
Fellsmere, Florida, 122, 159, 381
Fenneman, N. M., 71, 135, 169, 328
Fenton, Michigan, 86
Ferguson, W. L., 126
Fiber zibethicus, 311
Fielden, H. W., 244, 248
Fielden and De Rance, 21, 244, 248
Field Natural History Museum, 118
Fincastle, Ohio, 257, 328
Fisher, G. J., 245
Fisher, R. L., 126
Fish House, New Jersey, 15, 184
Fish House beds, New Jersey, 301, 302
Fite, C. F., 98, 278
Flora in Alabama, 385;
Don beds, Ontario, 282;
Port Kennedy cave, Pennsylvania, 317;
Scarboro beds, Ontario, 283;
Vero, Florida, 383
Florida, 37;
Camelidæ in, 224;
Cervus canadensis in, 243;
cetaceans in, 20;
Elephas columbi in, 157;
Elephas imperator in, 145, 162;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 179;
Equidæ in, 194;
extinct bisons in, 262;
geology of, 372;
mastodons in, 121;
Odocoileus in, 232;
rhinoceroses in, 211;
Tagassuidæ in, 222;
Tapiridæ in, 206;
Xenarthra in, 37
Floyd Co., Indiana, 89
Foote, E. A., 81
Foresman, Indiana, 239
Fort Jefferson, Ohio, 73, 170
Fort McArthur, Ohio, 76
Fort Wayne, Indiana, 95
Fort Wayne moraine, 250, 276
Fort White, Florida, 121, 374
Forshey, C. G., 41, 391
Foshay, P. M., 290
Fossil Lake, Oregon, 1, 10, 11, 15
Fossil plants, 56
Foster, J. W., 78, 101, 102, 106, 117, 119, 135, 168, 169, 179, 273,
391
Fountain City, Indiana, 238
Fountain Co., Indiana, 92
Fowlerville, New York, 60
Francisville, Indiana, 140
Franklin Co., Indiana, 90, 172;
Massachusetts, 47;
Ohio, 75, 186, 214;
Pennsylvania, 69, 168
Frankstown, Pennsylvania, 31, 69, 185, 203, 214, 227, 321
Freehold, New Jersey, 65, 304; New York, 55
Frontenac Co., Ontario, 235
Fry, A., 97
Fuller, M. L., 25, 290, 292, 295
Fuller and Clapp, 71, 258
Fulton, Indiana, 97
Fulton Co., Illinois, 176;
Indiana, 97, 140
Gadsden Co., Florida, 121, 374
Gainesville, New York, 212
Galena, Illinois, 34, 178, 218, 269, 336, 337
Galeocerdo sp. indet., 370, 381
Galera macrodon, 220
Galesburg, Illinois, 176
Galien, Michigan, 83
Gallatin Co., Illinois, 100, 175, 278
Gallinago sp. indet., 314
Galva, Illinois, 142
Galveston Bay, Texas, 15
Gardiner clays, Long Island, New York, 14, 290
Gardiner, Maine, 23, 24, 25
Gasterosteus aculeatus, 287
Gay Head, Massachusetts, 14, 25, 26, 183
Geauga Co., Ohio, 170
Genesee Co., Michigan, 86;
New York, 61
Geneseo, New York, 60
Geology of Pleistocene epoch, 281
Geomys bursarius, 339, 343
Georgetown, District of Columbia, 188
Georgia, 15, 36;
Castoroides in, 280;
Cervus canadensis in, 243;
cetaceans in, 20;
Elephas columbi in, 157;
Equidæ in, 193;
extinct bisons in, 261;
geology of, 368;
mastodons in, 120;
Tapiridæ in, 206;
Xenarthra in, 36
Germantown, Ohio, 71, 274
Germantown moraine, 326
Giant beaver, 7, 13, 334
Gibbes, R. W., 120, 179, 193, 194
Gibson Co., Indiana, 89, 90, 216, 334
Gidley, J. W., 20, 97, 120, 178, 189, 192, 193, 204, 206, 219, 220,
221, 250, 262, 280, 349, 350, 370
Gilbert, G. K., 11, 56, 76, 77
Gillmor, J. A., 78
Gilmore, C. W., 80, 81
Gilpin, J. B., 19
Girard, Pennsylvania, 168
Glencoe, Illinois, 110
Glengarry Co., Ontario, 18
Glenn, L. C., 394
Globicephala bæreckeii, 20, 378
Gloucester, New Jersey, 184
Gloucester Co., New Jersey, 63
Glynn Co., Georgia, 36, 120, 193, 243, 261, 280
Glyptodon, 14, 15, 39;
G. petaliferus, 39, 381;
G. rivipacis, 40, 381;
G. sp. indet., 364
Glyptodons, 5
Glyptotherium, 2, 4, 15
Goat Island, New York, 62
Goldsboro, North Carolina, 115, 359
Goldthwait, J. W., 288, 290
Godman, J. D., 50, 53, 66, 155
Gomphotherium, 2, 14, 15, 376, 393;
G. floridanum, 15, 37, 120, 121, 122, 123, 195, 196, 375, 376, 380;
G. rugosidens, 118, 120, 370;
G. sp. indet., 380
Goose Creek, South Carolina, 363
Gopherus polyphemus, 382;
G. præcedens, 383
Gordon, R., 52, 53
Gosport, Indiana, 172
Graculus idahoensis, 8
Graham, J. G., 52, 53
Grand Isle, Vermont, 235
Grand Ledge, Michigan, 171, 331
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 250
Grand River, Michigan, 137
Grand River moraine, 137
Grant and Burchard, 341
Grant Co., Indiana, 93, 139, 277;
Wisconsin, 111
Grant, U. S., Prof., 177
Granville, Ohio, 75
Gratiot, Michigan, 85
Grasses, 72
Gray, A., 67
Grayson, Nebraska, 1, 11, 15
Graysville, Pennsylvania, 133, 322
Green, H. A., 60
Greenbrier Co., West Virginia, 34, 221
Greencastle, Indiana, 91
Green Co., Pennsylvania, 133, 150
Greendell, New Jersey, 68, 306
Greene, G. K., 129
Greene Co., Illinois, 187;
New York, 55, 56, 168, 226;
Pennsylvania, 322
Greenfield, Indiana, 277
Greenland, 244, 248
Green Oak, Michigan, 81
Greensburg, Indiana, 92
Green Township, Summit Co., Ohio, 80
Greenville, New York, 56, 168, 191, 226, 359;
Ohio, 73, 274
Grinnell Land, musk-oxen in, 248;
Pinnipedia in, 21;
Rangifer in, 244
Grison macrodon, 220, 347
Ground hog, 337
Grove City, Florida, 263
Grovertown, Indiana, 278
Grundy Co., Illinois, 108
Guernsey, J. A., 59
Guilford, Indiana, 91
Gulo luscus, 312, 316, 350
Habersham, J. E., 36, 120, 194, 262
Hackettstown, New Jersey, 67, 306
Hager, A. D., 19
Haldimand Co., Ontario, 46
Hale Co., Alabama, 200, 264
Halifax Co., Virginia, 190
Hall, J., 56, 59, 60, 62, 66, 168, 226, 236, 272, 280, 297
Hamblen Co., Tennessee, 201, 209, 223
Hamilton, Ontario, 147, 166, 235, 285
Hamilton Co., Indiana, 173;
Ohio, 71, 135, 169, 185;
Tennessee, 43, 201, 209
Hammond formation, Alabama, 385
Hamptonburg, New York, 53
Hancock Co., Illinois, 103, 335;
Indiana, 277
Hardee Co., Florida, 38, 160, 198
Hardin Co., Ohio, 76
Harlan, R., 36, 41, 43, 44, 117, 120, 129, 156, 162, 178, 179, 188,
191, 255, 358
Harlanus, 261
Harlowe, North Carolina, 117, 179
Harper, Illinois, 105;
Ohio, 75
Harris, G. D., 386, 389
Harrison Co., Indiana, 258;
Kentucky, 129
Harrisville, Indiana, 228, 238, 334
Harrisonville, Kentucky, 128;
New Jersey, 63
Hartford, Indiana, 91
Hartford Co., Connecticut, 48
Hartman’s Cave, Pennsylvania, 185, 213, 227, 237, 246, 272, 308
Hartnagel, C. A., 132, 212
Hartsdale, New York, 50
Hartt, C. F., 57
Hartwell moraine, 90, 274
Harvard University, 60
Harvey’s, Pennsylvania, 133, 322
Hatcher, J. B., 37, 254
Hawkins Co., Tennessee, 127, 201, 222, 394
Hay, O. P., 32, 88, 90, 156
Hayden, F. V., 101
Hayden, H. H., 154
Hayes, S., 71, 185
Haymond, R., 90, 172
Hays, I., 54, 209
Hebron, Indiana, 99, 252, 334
Hidden, W. S., 28
Heidelberg University, Ohio, 123
Heilprin, A., 317, 384
Henderson, Kentucky, 44, 234, 405
Henderson Co., Illinois, 152;
Kentucky, 234
Hendricks Co., Indiana, 92
Hendry, F. H., 40
Hennessy, J. C., 164
Henry Co., Illinois, 104, 142, 154;
Indiana, 94;
Kentucky, 129
Herkimer Co., New York, 236
Hernando, Florida, 196, 225
Herodias egretta, 382
Hesperomys leucopus, 310, 312
Heyner’s Bridge, Georgia, 120
Hickory, Pennsylvania, 70, 323
Hicks, L. E., 75
Highgate, Ontario, 45
Higley, W. K., 110, 230
Hildreth, S. P., 70, 75, 80, 170, 231, 273
Hilgard, E. W., 125, 254, 387, 391
Hill, C. C., 70
Hillsboro Co., Florida, 38, 123, 159, 197, 208, 379
Hillsboro River, Florida, 38, 379
Hillsdale Co., Michigan, 80
Hindostan, Indiana, 89
Hinds Co., Mississippi, 124
Hinsdale, New York, 62, 226
Hipparion, 2, 9, 15, 191, 376, 377, 393;
H. ingenuum, 196, 199, 375, 381;
H. minus, 197, 380;
H. plicatile, 37, 121, 196, 375, 376;
H. sp. indet., 121, 195, 196, 376, 380;
H. venustum, 363
Hippopotamus, 261
Hippotherium ingenuum, 195, 196;
H. plicatile, 196;
H. princeps, 198, 199;
H. relictum, 9
Hitchcock, Edward, 19, 47, 148, 167
Hitchcock, Edward jr., 19, 58
Hodgson, W. B., 36, 120, 194
Holder, Florida, 158
Holland, W. J., 31, 69, 95, 203, 214, 227, 321
Holley, New York, 62
Hollick, A., 48, 345
Holmes, F. S., 35, 118, 155, 192, 231, 232, 242, 361, 363, 364
Holmes, J. A., 361
Holmes Co., Ohio, 32
Holomeniscus, 9
Homer, Illinois, 268;
New York, 149
Homo sapiens, 379
Honeyman, D., 19
Hooded seal, 26, 293
Hoopeston, Illinois, 106
Hope, New Jersey, 68, 306
Hoplophoridæ, 5
Horr, Ella, 47
Horse, 117, 122, 127, 261, 295, 324, 327, 333, 334, 358, 367, 374, 378,
385, 405
(See Equus)
Horses, 7, 11, 13, 16, 66, 93, 159, 263, 336, 362
(See Equidæ)
Hot Springs, Virginia, 114
Howell, Michigan, 81
Huard, V. A., 21
Hubbard, Bela, 82
Hubbard, O. P., 48
Hudson River, 294, 296
Human remains, 381, 390
Hunt, C. A., 135
Hunt, J. G., 59
Hunter, T. W., 44, 128, 182, 243, 271, 405
Hurd, A., 104, 176
Huron Co., Ohio, 31, 136, 257
Hyænidæ, 5
Hyænognathus, 15
Hydrochœrus, 14, 15;
H. æsopi, 363;
H. pinckneyi, 363, 364, 365, fig. 18;
H. robustus, 382
Idaho, 15
Idaho formation, 8, 15, 377, 378
Ilingoceros, 15
Illinoian drift, 12, 328, 339, 340;
in Illinois, 335;
in Indiana, 333;
on Long Island, 295;
in New England, 290;
in Ohio, 324, 325, 326
Illinoian ice-sheet, 332
Illinoian stage, 2, 7, 12, 14, 393;
in Illinois, 335;
in Indiana, 333;
in New England, 290;
in Ohio, 324, 325, 326;
on Long Island, 295;
in Kentucky, 400, 402
Illinois, 14, 33;
Bison bison in, 268;
Castoroides in, 278;
Cervus canadensis in, 239;
Elephas columbi in, 152;
Elephas primigenius in, 140;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 175;
Equidæ in, 187;
extinct bisons in, 259;
geology of, 334;
mastodons in, 100;
musk-oxen in, 253;
Odocoileus in, 229;
Rangifer in, 246;
Tagassuidæ in, 218;
Xenarthra in, 33
Illiopolis, Illinois, 102
Indian Creek Township, Pulaski Co., Indiana, 97
Indiana, 14, 32;
Bison bison in, 268;
Castoroides in, 276;
Cervus canadensis in, 238;
Elephas columbi in, 151;
Elephas primigenius in, 138;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 171;
Equidæ in, 186;
extinct bisons in, 257;
geology of, 331;
mastodons in, 88;
musk-oxen in, 251;
Odocoileus in, 228;
Tagassuidæ in, 216;
Tapiridæ in, 203;
Xenarthra in, 32
Indianapolis, Indiana, 92
Inland Waterway Canal, Florida, 37, 122, 157, 158;
North Carolina, 117, 145
Insects in Scarboro beds, Ontario, 283;
in Port Kennedy Cave, Pennsylvania, 317
Interglacial deposits, 283
Inwood, New York, 49
Ionia Co., Michigan, 215
Iowa, 2, 15
Iowan drift, 343
Iowan loess, 336
Iowan stage, 14, 283
Irondequoit River, 131
Iroquois beach, 285
Iroquois Co., Illinois, 106
Ischyrhiza mira, 363
Ischyrosmilus sp. indet., 8
Istiophorus robustus, 363
Isobases in glaciated region, 291
Isurus sp. indet., 381
Ithaca, New York, 57
Ivanhoe, Virginia, 14, 34, 190, 204, 221, 231, 260
Jabiru weillsi, 382
Jackson, J. B. S., 67
Jackson, Mississippi, 124
Jackson Co., Florida, 121, 374;
Indiana, 89;
Michigan, 151;
Ohio, 147, 168
Jackson Township, Miami Co., Indiana, 98;
Wood Co., Ohio, 78;
York Co., Pennsylvania, 69, 324
Jacksonburg, Indiana, 94
Jacksonville, North Carolina, 116, 358
Jaquet River, New Brunswick, 289
Jamaica, New York, 49
Jameco gravels, 14
James Bay, Canada, 166
Jamestown, New York, 63, 236, 267;
Indiana, 277
Jasper County, Indiana, 96, 174, 239, 268
Jay County, Indiana, 95, 238
Jefferson Co., Indiana, 138;
Kentucky, 129;
Mississippi, 125;
Tennessee, 127, 209, 223
Jefferson, T., 34, 161, 255
Jeffries Reef, New Hampshire, 25
Jelly, S., 130
Jersey, Ohio, 136
Jerseyan drift, 14
Jo Daviess Co., Illinois, 34, 178, 218, 269
Johns Island, South Carolina, 192, 363
Johnson, F., 86
Johnston, W. A., 22, 287, 288
Jones, A. C., 114
Jones, L., 79
Jones and Orahood, 92
Jones Co., North Carolina, 116
Juliette, Florida, 121
Kalamazoo moraine, 330
Kamms, Ohio, 136
Kane Co., Illinois, 109, 110, 240, 269
Kankakee Lake, Indiana, 278;
Kankakee Marsh, Indiana, 96, 97, 100
Kansan drift, 12, 339, 340, 344;
in Illinois, 335;
in New England, 290;
in New Jersey, 300;
in Ohio, 324
Kansan stage, 2, 7, 8, 14, 302, 307, 323, 355
Katz, F. J., 290
Keenes Station, New York, 183
Kemp, J. E., 142
Kendall Co., Illinois, 109, 143, 229, 240, 269
Kennebec Co., Maine, 23
Kent Co., Michigan, 83
Kenton Co., Kentucky, 128
Kent Scientific Museum, Michigan, 83, 250
Kentucky, 43;
Bison bison in, 270;
Cervus canadensis in, 243;
Elephas columbi in, 160;
Elephas primigenius in, 146;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 181;
Equidæ in, 202;
extinct bisons in, 265;
geology of, 400;
mastodons in, 128;
musk-oxen in, 255;
Odocoileus in, 234;
Rangifer in, 247;
Tapiridæ in, 209;
Xenarthra in, 43
Kewanee, Illinois, 142
Kimmswick, Missouri, 12, 14
Kings Co., New York, 49
Kingsford, Florida, 159, 196, 379
Kingsport, Tennessee, 394
Kingston, Ontario, 235
Kirsch, A. M., 100
Kishacoquillas Station, Pennsylvania, 69
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 27, 29, 360
Klippart, J. H., 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 79, 186, 214
Klipstein, L. F., 119
Knapp, G. N., 300
Knopf, A., 7
Knowlton, S. D., 124
Knox Co., Illinois, 104;
Indiana, 90, 258;
Maine, 23
Knoxville, Ohio, 227;
Tennessee, 127, 395
Kosciusko Co., Indiana, 278
Kost, J., 275
Kouts, Indiana, 100, 239
Kümmel, H. B., 28, 300
Labelle, Florida, 40, 163, 199, 264
La Brea, California, 15
Lafayette formation, 14, 16, 345, 347, 356, 386, 391
Lagomys palatina, 312
Lagrange, Indiana, 99
Lagrange Co., Indiana, 99
Lagrange moraine, 99
Lake Algonquin, 87, 171
Lake Bonneville, 11
Lake-border moraines in Michigan, 83, 330
Lake Champlain, 20, 22, 291
Lake Chicago, 333
Lake Co., Indiana, 99, 140, 174, 239
Lake George, New York, 132
Lake Iroquois, 131
Lake Lahontan, Nevada, 15
Lake Lundy, 87
Lake Maumee, 78, 81, 86, 87, 88, 171, 276, 326, 333
Lake Rouge, 87
Lake Saginaw, 276
Lake Warren, 79, 84, 87, 326, 329
Lake Wayne, 87
Lake Whittlesey, 136
Laketon, Indiana, 98, 218
Lambe, L. M., 17, 22, 147
Lamna sp. indet., 370
Lanark Co., Ontario, 17
Lane, A. C., 81, 82, 83, 86, 137, 171
Lane’s Creek, Maryland, 112, 349
Langford, G., 107, 108, 109, 229, 240, 241, 269, 337
Lansing moraine, 171
Lapeer Co., Michigan, 276
Lapham, I. A., 83
Larix laricina, 85
Larus vero, 382;
L. sp. indet., 382
LaSalle Co., Illinois, 229
Lathrop, S. P., 105
Lavaca Bay, Texas, 15
Lawrence Co., Indiana, 217
Lawrenceburg, Indiana, 91
Lawson, P. V., 340
Lea, I., 303
Lead region, Illinois, 240;
Wisconsin, 230, 342
Le Baron, J. F., 163
Le Conte, J. L., 218, 278
Leda clays, 14, 287, 288, 289
Ledoux, A. R., 28, 31
Lee, C. A., 52
Leech, A. F., 86
Lee Co., Florida, 40, 163, 199, 383;
Illinois, 153;
South Carolina, 119, 367
Leidy, J., 26, 29, 32, 34, 35, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 68, 116, 117, 118,
119, 125, 133, 144, 155, 157, 160, 164, 168, 184, 185, 186, 187,
191, 192, 193, 195, 196, 203, 204, 206, 207, 208, 209, 211, 213,
216, 221, 223, 224, 227, 228, 232, 233, 237, 242, 245, 246, 249,
254, 256, 257, 260, 263, 264, 265, 267, 268, 269, 272, 278, 279,
309, 359, 361, 362, 363, 364, 369, 375, 380, 391
Leidy and Lucas, 375
Leighton, M. M., 142, 339
Lemont, Illinois, 230
Lenawee Co., Michigan, 80, 227, 237, 275
Lepisosteus osseus, 363, 366;
L. platystomus, 382
Lepomis sp. indet., 336
Leporidæ, 312
Leptochœrus, 14
Lepus americanus, 350, 395;
L. benjamini, 9;
L. sp. indet., 321, 350;
L. sylvaticus, 310, 311, 312, 343
Leroy, New York, 61
Leverett, F., 12, 13, 88, 89, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 104, 105, 110,
134, 139, 140, 142, 143, 152, 169, 174, 175, 177, 230, 249, 250,
251, 253, 258, 274, 278, 283, 292, 307, 324, 327, 330, 331, 333,
334, 335, 355, 400, 402
Leverett and Taylor, 81, 82, 83, 84, 87, 171, 278, 284
Levy Co., Florida, 37, 121, 195, 211, 224, 375
Lewis Co., New York, 56
Lewis and Kümmel, 67, 300
Lewis and Wright, 307
Lewiston, New York, 132
Liberty Township, Putnam Co., Ohio, 77
Licking Co., Ohio, 75, 136
Lima moraine, 326
Lincke, F. A., 32
Lincoln Co., Ontario, 46, 147, 166;
Tennessee, 128
Lindemuth, A. C., 136, 170
Lindgren, 7
Line, I. E., 60
Linton, E., 70, 133, 135
Lisbon, Ohio, 70, 215, 328
Litchfield, Connecticut, 48
Little Charles Apopka Creek, Florida, 163
Little River, Florida, 121
Little Salt Creek, Ohio, 168
Livingston Co., Kentucky, 129;
Michigan, 81;
New York, 60, 236
Lockwood, S., 65, 66
Lodi, New York, 58
Loess, 14;
in Mississippi, 389, 390;
in Tennessee, 394;
in Wisconsin, 341
Logan Co., Ohio, 75
Logan, W. E., 22, 62, 147, 167, 284, 288
Logansport, Indiana, 278
London, Ontario, 45
Lone Pine, Pennsylvania, 133, 323
Lone Rock, Wisconsin, 111
Long Branch, New Jersey, 12, 15, 26, 28, 31, 65, 304, 306
Long Island, New York, 14, 295, 296, 298;
Ungava, 166
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, 43, 201, 209, 395, 396
Loomis, F. B., 58, 118, 119
Loramie moraine, 326
Los Angeles, California, 15
Losantville, Indiana, 94
Louisiana, 386
Louisville, Kentucky, 129
Lowell, Indiana, 99
Lucas, F. A., 52, 112, 144, 154, 166, 212, 345
Lucas Co., Ohio, 77, 78
Ludlow, Kentucky, 128
Lull, R. S., 48, 54, 74
Lump-sucker, 23
Lutra canadensis, 382;
L. rhoadsii, 312, 314
Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, 68, 184, 248, 256, 308
Lyell, C., 24, 25, 26, 36, 56, 60, 62, 67, 71, 120, 125, 169, 193, 270,
328, 370, 371, 390, 401
Lynx calcaratus, 312, 316;
L. canadensis, 310;
L. ruffus, 314, 363, 364;
L. ruffus floridanus, 382;
L. sp. indet., 350
Macedon, New York, 58
Mace’s Bay, New Brunswick, 19
Machairodontinæ, 5
Machairodus floridanus, 38, 224;
M. gracilis, 312
Mackinaw trout, 112
Macomb Co., Michigan, 86, 171
Macon Co., Illinois, 102, 229, 239, 269
Macrochelys floridana, 381
MacCurdy, H. M., 85
Macy, Indiana, 97, 278
Madison, J., 113, 114
Madison, Indiana, 138;
Wisconsin, 111
Madison Co., Illinois, 33, 102, 187, 219, 254, 259, 270, 279;
Indiana, 93, 277;
New York, 272
Mahan, West Virginia, 254
Mahoning Co., Ohio, 249
Maine, 14;
Pinnipedia in, 23
Mallotus villosus, 23, 287, 288
Mammoth Ravine, Natchez, Mississippi, 390
Mammut, 14, 15, 45, 327
Mammut americanum, 11, 43, 60, 68, 75, 112, 113, 117, 118, 121, 122,
123, 126, 128, 156, 160, 162, 165, 189, 193, 200, 232, 253, 256,
260, 262, 265, 283, 295, 298, 304, 312, 321, 327, 328, 337, 338,
339, 342, 343, 347, 350, 352, 353, 354, 357, 358, 360, 363, 366,
370, 371, 374, 375, 376, 378, 379, 381, 382, 384, 385, 392, 393,
395, 396, 401, 403
Mammut americanum in Alabama, 124;
Cape Breton Island, 46;
Connecticut, 47;
Florida, 121;
Georgia, 120;
Illinois, 100;
Indiana, 88, 334;
Kentucky, 128;
Maryland, 112;
Massachusetts, 47;
Michigan, 80;
Mississippi, 124;
New Jersey, 63, 301, 304;
New York, 48, 296;
North Carolina, 115;
Ohio, 45, 73, 329;
Ontario, 45, 284;
Pennsylvania, 68, 323, 324;
South Carolina, 118;
Tennessee, 127;
Virginia, 113;
West Virginia, 115;
Wisconsin, 110
Mammut progenium, 45, 71, 107, 116, 118, 123, 126, 359, 360, 363, 364,
380
Manasquan, New Jersey, 304
Manatee, Florida, 379
Manatee Co., Florida, 145, 159, 164, 197, 222, 233, 263, 379
Manatee River, Florida, 164
Manatus antiquus, 375
Manchester, Michigan, 250, 331
Manigault, G. E., 35
Manito, Illinois, 103, 253
Mannetto gravels, 15
Mannington Township, Salem Co., New Jersey, 63
Manse, G. C., 184
Mansfield, W. C., 383
Mantanzas, Florida, 158
Maple, H. B., 77
Maple Park, Illinois, 110
Marburg, Ontario, 45
Marcy, Ohio, 230
Marianna, Florida, 121, 374
Marine fossils in Ontario, 286, 291
Marine mollusks, 16, 357;
in North Carolina, 358, 360;
Portland, Maine, 24;
South Carolina, 362;
in Talbot, 351;
at Vero, Florida, 383
Marion Co., Florida, 38, 121, 122, 158, 162, 196, 207, 224, 225, 233,
262, 263, 378;
Illinois, 102;
Indiana, 92
Marlboro, New Jersey, 65
Marmota, 397, 398;
M. arizonæ, 9;
M. monax, 310, 311, 339, 343, 348, 350, 353, 395
Marsh, O. C., 11, 34, 54, 56, 214, 259, 338
Marshall Hall, Maryland, 188, 348
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, 15, 26, 183
Martin, C. C., 143
Martin, D. S., 49
Martin Co., Indiana, 89, 172
Maryland, 16;
Cervus canadensis in, 242;
Elephas columbi in, 154;
Elephas primigenius in, 144;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 178;
Equidæ in, 188;
extinct bisons in, 259;
geology of, 344;
mastodons in, 112;
Odocoileus in, 230;
Tapiridæ in, 204;
Tagassuidæ in, 260
Mason Co., Illinois, 103, 253;
West Virginia, 190
Massillon, Ohio, 80
Massachusetts, 14, 25;
Bison bison in, 266;
Equidæ in, 183;
mastodons in, 47;
Pinnipedia in, 25
Mastodon, 36, 43, 111, 184, 208, 219, 225, 226, 233, 240, 265, 269,
274, 289, 308, 312, 323, 344, 349, 354, 355, 362, 399
(See Mammut)
Mastodon floridanus, 121, 195;
M. giganteus, 48, 118, 120, 261, 390, 391;
M. maximus, 54, 119;
M. mirificus, 8;
M. obscurus, 118
Mastodons, 16, 45, 48, 294, 306, 331, 390;
in Alabama, 124;
in Cape Breton Island, 46;
in Connecticut, 47;
in Florida, 121;
in Georgia, 120;
in Illinois, 100;
in Indiana, 88;
in Kentucky, 128;
in Michigan, 80;
in North Carolina, 115;
in New Jersey, 63;
in New York, 48, 296;
in Maryland, 112;
in Massachusetts, 47;
in Mississippi, 124;
in Ohio, 70;
in Ontario, 45;
in Pennsylvania, 68;
in South Carolina, 118;
in Tennessee, 127;
in Virginia, 113;
in West Virginia, 115;
in Wisconsin, 110
(see Mammut)
Mather, C., 53, 55, 66
Mather, K. F., 7
Mather, W. W., 147, 168
Mathers, M. F., 172
Matson, G. C., 372, 384, 385
Matson and Clapp, 15
Matthew, G. F., 21
Matthew, G. W., 289
Matthew, W. D., 92, 97, 224, 377
Maury Co., Tennessee, 181
Maxwell, J. B., 67
Maysville, North Carolina, 116, 358
McAdams, W., 12, 34, 102, 175, 187, 246, 254, 259, 270, 279, 338
McCallie, S. W., 127, 394, 396
McCaslin, D. S., 95, 238
McGee, W. J., 14, 16, 125, 180, 356, 368, 389, 391
McKay, C. L., 83
McKinney, C. B., 92
McQuiston, R., 84
Meadville, Pennsylvania, 168
Medina Co., Ohio, 79
Megalonyx, 2, 4, 11, 14, 15, 31, 32, 33, 42, 128, 175, 187, 217, 233,
265, 280, 313, 333, 334, 391, 398, 400, 405;
M. dissimilis, 34, 41, 352, 353, 391, 392, 393;
M. jeffersonii, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 125,
204, 228, 234, 257, 269, 336, 339, 343, 353, 354, 363, 366, 367,
381, 382, 385, 390, 391, 392, 393, 395, 399, 403, 405;
M. laqueatus, 42, 44;
M. loxodon, 31, 312, 313;
M. scalper, 31, 312;
M. sp. indet., 38, 40, 321;
M. tortulus, 31, 312;
M. wheatleyi, 31, 312
Megalonyx zone, 11
Megaptera, boöps, 17, 19, 284, 288;
M. longimana, 17
Megatheriidæ, 5, 312
Megatherium, 9, 12, 14, 15, 35, 36, 37, 66, 150, 157, 172, 232, 243,
261, 304, 367, 372, 380, 392;
M. mirabile, 28, 31, 37, 38, 362, 363, 369, 370, 371, 375;
M. sp. indet., 121
Meleagridæ, 312
Meleagris altus, 312;
M. gallopavo, 310, 311;
M. superbus, 312;
M. sylvestris, 310, 311;
M. sp. indet., 321
Memphis, Tennessee, 43, 128, 280, 395, 400
Menomonie, Wisconsin, 111, 230, 247, 343
Menomonie formation, Wisconsin, 344
Mephitis fossidens, 312;
M. leptops, 312;
M. mephitica, 310, 311;
M. obtusa, 312;
M. orthostica, 312;
M. putida, 310, 311, 312, 314;
M. sp. indet., 321
Mercer, H. C., 42, 43, 209, 223, 256, 309, 316, 317, 318, 319, 396,
397, 398, 399
Mercer Co., Kentucky, 202;
New Jersey, 64, 132, 246, 267, 304
Mergus serrator, 336
Merriam, C. H., 56, 183, 184, 236
Merriam, J. C., 15
Metaxytherium floridanum, 379
Metis, Quebec, 19
Miami Co., Indiana, 97, 98, 278;
Ohio, 74
Miami River, Florida, 384
Michigan, Castoroides in, 275;
Cervus canadensis in, 237;
Elephas columbi in, 151;
Elephas primigenius in, 137;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 171;
geology of, 330;
mastodons in, 80;
musk-oxen in, 250;
Odocoileus in, 227;
Tagassuidæ in, 215
Mickleborough, J., 52
Microtus chrotorrhinus, 350;
M. dideltus, 312;
M. diluvianus, 312;
M. involutus, 312;
M. pennsylvanicus, 310, 348, 395;
M. sp. indet., 343;
M. speothen, 312
Middle River, Cape Breton Island, 46
Middlesex Co., Ontario, 45, 235
Middleton, W. G., 258
Middletown, New Jersey, 149
Mifflin Co., Pennsylvania, 69, 213
Milan, Illinois, 104
Miller, A. M., 210, 223, 405
Miller, B. L., 178, 351, 355, 356
Miller, G. S., 5, 314
Miller, J. W., 115
Millersburg, Ohio, 32
Millport, Ohio, 135
Mills, W. C., 70, 74, 80, 135, 215, 273
Milroy, Pennsylvania, 213, 324
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 143, 340
Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin, 241
Milwaukee Public Museum, 110, 111, 241
Minoa, New York, 131
Miocene, 10
Missinaibi River, Ontario, 46
Mississinawa moraine, 95, 96, 330
Mississippi, 40;
Castoroides in, 280;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 180;
Equidæ in, 200;
extinct bisons in, 264;
geology of, 385;
mastodons in, 124;
musk-oxen in, 254;
Odocoileus in, 233;
Tapiridæ in, 208;
Xenarthra in, 40
Mississippi River, 386
Missouri, 14
Mitchell, E., 117, 179, 358
Mitchell, Illinois, 270
Mitchellville, Maryland, 188, 348
Mitchill, S. L., 36, 50, 66, 69, 89, 113, 125, 149, 154, 184, 245, 401
Mitchill, Smith, and Cooper, 28
Mixon’s bone-bed, 121, 195, 224
Mock, M. G., 91, 93, 173, 174
Mohawk River, 296, 298
Mollusca in Hartman’s Cave, 310;
in loess at Natchez, 390, 392
Mollusks, Pleistocene, 52, 82, 94, 106, 107
Monday’s Landing, Kentucky, 202, 405
Monmouth Co., New Jersey, 28, 31, 65, 149, 184, 213, 227, 237, 304
Monodon monoceros, 19, 289
Monongalia Co., West Virginia, 115
Monrovia, Indiana, 152
Monroe, New York, 50
Monroe Co., Michigan, 87;
Mississippi, 234;
New York, 59, 131, 212;
Pennsylvania, 185, 213, 227, 237, 246, 272
Montauk drift, 290
Montcalm, Michigan, 82
Montgomery, New York, 52, 53
Montgomery Co., Indiana, 92, 173;
Ohio, 71, 72, 135, 274;
Pennsylvania, 31, 69, 185, 203, 213, 256
Montreal, Quebec, 17, 18, 22;
geology of, 288
Montville, Ohio, 170
Moore, J., 72, 94, 258, 274, 276, 277
Moorland, Michigan, 83, 250, 331
Moose, 229
(See Alces)
Moose River, Ontario, 46
Moose River, interglacial beds, 283
Moraines in Illinois, 332
Morgan Co., Indiana, 152
Morgantown, West Virginia, 115
Morotherium leptonyx, 8
Morpeth, Ontario, 45
Morrisania, New York, 49
Morris, Illinois, 108
Morrow Co., Ohio, 75
Mosses, 72
Mossy Creek, Tennessee, 127, 395, 396
Mott’s Corners, New York, 57
Moultrie Co., Illinois, 268
Mount, H. D., 113
Mount Gilead, Ohio, 75
Mount Healthy, Ohio, 135
Mount Hermon, New Jersey, 306
Mount Holly, Vermont, 148
Mulberry, Florida, 211, 380
Mullica Hill, New Jersey, 64, 301
Muncie, Indiana, 93, 174
Muskegon Co., Michigan, 83, 250
Muskingum Co., Ohio, 70, 134, 169, 273
Musk-ox, 308, 355
Musk-oxen, 13, 248;
in Grinnell Land, 248;
in Illinois, 253;
in Indiana, 251;
in Kentucky, 255;
in Michigan, 250;
in Mississippi, 254;
in New Jersey, 248;
in Ohio, 249;
in West Virginia, 254
Musk-rat, 337
Mustela diluviana, 312, 314;
M. noveboracensis, 310;
M. vison, 350
Mustelidæ, 312
Mycteria americana, 382
Myer, W. E., 225, 399
Myliobatis sp. indet., 381
Mylodon, 2, 4, 11, 14, 15, 36, 38, 122, 157, 209, 217, 264, 265, 333,
372;
M. harlani, 31, 37, 39, 41, 43, 44, 158, 225, 312, 313, 363, 370,
371, 375, 382, 384, 391, 392, 393, 395, 399, 403;
M. renidens, 43;
M. sp. indet., 43, 395, 397;
M. sulcidens, 43
Mylohyus, 14;
M. exortivus, 220, 348, 350;
M. nasutus, 213, 215, 216, 217, 220, 221, 223, 306, 312, 313, 328,
348, 353, 395;
M. obtusidens, 220, 348;
M. pennsylvanicus, 213, 214, 215, 220, 310, 312, 321, 350;
M. setiger, 201, 223, 394, 395;
M. tetragonus, 213, 312, 313;
M. sp. indet., 9, 382
Myotis sp. indet., 312, 313, 350;
M. subulatus, 310, 398
Myxophagus spelæus, 353
Napæozapus sp. indet., 350
Naperville, Illinois, 109, 279
Nash Co., North Carolina, 117
Nashport, Ohio, 70, 169, 273, 327
Nashville, Tennessee, 43, 127, 201, 225, 395, 399
Nassau Co., Florida, 180, 194;
New York, 49
Natchez, Mississippi, 14, 40, 125, 180, 200, 208, 233, 254 264, 280,
386, 389
Natchez formation, 385, 392
National Institute, Washington, 36
Natrix sp. indet., 314
Navesink Hills, New Jersey, 66, 184, 305
Neals, Florida, 121, 195, 206, 232
Neave Township, Darke Co., Ohio, 73
Nebraska, 15
Nebraskan drift, 2, 7, 8, 10;
on Long Island, New York, 295;
in New England, 290
Nebraskan stage, 15, 368, 378, 380;
in Florida, 374;
in North Carolina, 359, 361;
in Pennsylvania, 323
Needham, J. G., 110
Neelytown, New York, 53
Nelson, W. A., 127, 128
Neofiber alleni, 382
Neotoma, 397, 398;
N. cinerea, 9;
N. floridana, 310, 311, 353, 382;
N. magister, 310, 348, 398;
N. pennsylvanica, 311, 395;
N. sp. indet., 350
Nepean Township, Carleton Co., Ontario, 17
Neuberts Springs, Tennessee, 127
Neuse River, North Carolina, 12, 16, 117, 179, 191, 231, 242, 358
New Albany, Indiana, 89
New Antrim, New York, 50
New Berlin, Ohio, 136
New Bern, Alabama, 200, 264, 385
Newbern, North Carolina, 12, 20, 116, 179, 191, 231, 242, 358
Newberry, J. S., 79, 170
Newberry, Florida, 195;
formation, 372
Newberry Lake, 298
Newberry Terrace, Florida, 375
New Britain, Connecticut, 48
New Brunswick, cetaceans in, 19;
geology of, 289;
Pinnipedia in, 21
Newburgh, New York, 51
New Dorp, New York, 48
New England, geology of, 290;
post-Wisconsin uplift, 290
New Hampshire, 25;
glaciation of, 290;
Pinnipedia in, 25
New Hanover Co., North Carolina, 155
New Harmony, Indiana, 88
New Haven, Connecticut, 244
New Haven Co., Connecticut, 47, 244
New Holland, Ohio, 74
New Hudson, New York, 236
New Jersey, 13, 14, 15, 26, 31
New Jerseyan drift, 15
New Jersey, Bison bison in, 267;
Cervus canadensis in, 237;
Elephas columbi in, 149;
Elephas primigenius in, 132;
Equidæ in, 184;
geology of, 299;
mastodons in, 63;
musk-oxen in, 248;
Odocoileus in, 226;
Rangifer in, 245;
Tagassuidæ in, 213;
Xenarthra in, 31
New Knoxville, Ohio, 274
New Madison, Ohio, 73
New Milford, Illinois, 105
New Paris, Ohio, 72
New River, Virginia, 353
New Salisbury, Ohio, 203, 328
Newport, Kentucky, 182
Newton Co., Indiana, 96, 239, 252
New Windsor, New York, 51
New York, 14;
Bison bison in, 266, 267;
Cervus canadensis in, 235;
Castoroides in, 272;
Elephas columbi in, 149;
Elephas primigenius in, 131;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 167;
Equidæ in, 183;
geology of, 294;
mastodons in, 48;
Odocoileus in, 226;
Rangifer in, 245;
Tagassuidæ in, 212
New York City, 50
New York Co., New York, 183
New York State Museum, 50
Niagara, New York, 62
Niagara Co., New York, 62, 132
Niagara Falls, interglacial beds, 283, 285
Niantic, Illinois, 102, 229, 239, 269
Nicholas Co., Kentucky, 44, 128, 182, 234, 243, 271
Nipissing Co., Ontario, 266
Niver, Roe, 31
Noble Co., Indiana, 95
Noblesville, Indiana, 173
Norfolk Co., Ontario, 45
North Bay, Ontario, 266
North Carolina, 15, 29;
Cervus canadensis in, 242;
cetaceans in, 20;
Elephas columbi in, 155;
Elephas primigenius in, 145;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 179;
Equidæ in 190;
geology of, 355;
mastodons in, 115;
Odocoileus in, 231;
Pinnipedia in, 29
North Fairfield, Ohio, 31, 257
North Liberty, Indiana, 139
North Manchester, Indiana, 98
North Plainfield, New Jersey, 133, 306
Norton, A. H., 23, 24
Norton, S., 23
Notre Dame, Indiana, 100
Notre Dame University, Indiana, 100
Nova Scotia, geology of, 289;
Pinnipedia in, 21
Nunda, New York, 60
Oak Park, Illinois, 177
Oberlin College, Ohio, 79, 123
Ocala, Florida, 15, 38, 158, 196, 207, 224, 233, 262, 378
Ocean Grove, New Jersey, 28
Ochotona, 316;
O. palatina, 312;
O. princeps, 350
Ochotonidæ, 312
Odobenus virginianus, 26;
O. rosmarus, 25, 26, 28, 30, 363
Odocoileus, 9, 226, 265;
O. dolichopsis, 228, 258, 334;
O. lævicornis, 312, 316;
O. osceola, 233, 375, 376, 381, 382;
O. sellardsiæ, 232, 233, 382;
O. sp. indet., 38, 41, 122, 158, 195, 196, 232, 233, 252, 262, 263,
350, 374, 378, 379, 395, 398;
O. virginianus, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 238, 295,
299, 301, 306, 310, 311, 312, 313, 321, 338, 342, 347, 348, 353,
354, 363, 392, 395, 396, 403, 404;
O. whitneyi, 230
Odocoileus in Florida, 232;
in Illinois, 229;
in Indiana, 228;
in Kentucky, 234;
in Maryland, 230;
in Michigan, 227;
in Mississippi, 233;
in New Jersey, 226;
in New York, 226;
in North Carolina, 231;
in Ohio, 227;
in Ontario, 226;
in Pennsylvania, 227;
in Virginia, 231;
in West Virginia, 231;
in Wisconsin, 230
Ogden, H. B., 161
Ogle Co., Illinois, 105, 177
Ohio, 14, 31;
Ohio City, 77;
Ohio Co., West Virginia, 179;
Ohio River, 333, 355, 400
Ohio, Castoroides in, 273;
Elephas columbi in, 150;
Elephas primigenius in, 134;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 168;
Equidæ in, 185;
extinct bisons in, 257;
geology of, 324;
mastodons in, 70;
musk-oxen in, 249;
Odocoileus in, 227;
Tagassuidæ in, 214;
Tapiridæ in, 203;
Xenarthra in, 31
Okefenokee formation, 15, 368, 369
Old Fort, Ohio, 78
Old Fort Fisher, North Carolina, 359
Olive Township, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, 100
Olivet, Michigan, 82
Olor paloregonus, 8
Ondatra sp. indet., 321;
O. zibethica, 311, 348, 363
Oneida Co., New York, 236
Onondaga Co., New York, 131, 266
Onslow Co., North Carolina, 116
Ontario, 14, 22;
Bison bison in, 266;
Cervus canadensis in, 235;
cetaceans in, 17;
Elephas columbi in, 147;
Elephas primigenius in, 130;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 166;
extinct bisons in, 256;
geology of, 281;
mastodons in, 45;
Odocoileus in, 226;
Pinnipedia in, 23;
Rangifer in, 244;
vertebrate fossils in, 284
Ontario Co., New York, 58, 236
Orange Co., Florida, 196, 378;
Indiana, 89;
New York, 50, 226, 298
Orange sand in Mississippi, 387, 388, 389
“Oregon Desert,” Oregon, 15
Orizaba, Mississippi, 200, 393
Orleans, Indiana, 89;
Massachusetts, 266
Orleans Co., New York, 62
Ortmann, A. E., 303
Orton, E., 72, 274
Orycterocetus quadratidens, 370
Oryzomys palustris, 382
Osborn, H. F., 11, 52, 183
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 270
Osmerus mordax, 287
Osmotherium spelæum, 312
Ossining, New York, 245
Otisville, New York, 54
Ottawa, Canada, fossil vertebrates at, 287
Ottawa, Illinois, 229
Ottawa East, Ontario, 17
Ottawa Co., Quebec, 22
Ottawa River, 291
Ottawa Township, Putnam Co., Ohio, 77
Otter Creek, Indiana, 138
Overpeck, Ohio, 329
Ovis mamillaris, 70, 273
Ovibos moschatus, 21, 244, 248, 249, 252, 304, 334
Ovis sp. indet., 337, 338, fig. 13
Owen, D. D., 182, 216, 234
Owen, R., 24, 25, 120
Owen Co., Indiana, 172;
Kentucky, 161
Owosso, Michigan, 276, 331
Owosso moraine, 85
Oxford Neck, Maryland, 144, 154, 230, 242
Paarmann, J. A., 104
Pablo Beach, Florida, 232, 262, 374
Packard, A. S., 23, 24
Pains Creek, Florida, 123
Pakenham, Ontario, 17
Palestine, Ohio, 136
Palm Beach, Florida, 123, 160, 200, 264
Palm Beach Co., Florida, 123, 200, 264, 384
Palma Sola, Florida, 145, 159, 197, 222, 233, 263
Palmer, W., 189, 220, 259
Palmetto, Florida, 164, 197, 233, 263, 379
Palos Park, Illinois, 240
Pamlico Co., North Carolina, 179, 231, 242
Pamlico formation, 356, 360
Panton, J. H., 45, 130
Parahippus, 9, 15;
P. sp. indet., 195, 196, 376
Parke Co., Indiana, 90, 173
Parkersburg, West Virginia, 115
Parker’s Landing, West Virginia, 349
Paterson, H. T., 145
Patriot, Indiana, 91
Pattison, W. D., 96
Pawpaw, Illinois, 153
Peabody, C., 189
Peace Creek, Florida, 11, 15, 124, 163, 199, 264, 380
Peace River, Florida, 164
Peale, C. W., 51, 54
Peale, R., 51, 53, 54
Peccaries, 5, 7, 13, 212, 330, 334
(See Tagassuidæ)
Peccary, 111, 209, 223, 354, 395, 401
Peet, C. E., 291, 300
Pekin, Illinois, 176
Pelycictis lobulatus, 312
Pemberton, New Jersey, 64, 227
Pender Co., North Carolina, 115, 357
Penhallow, D. P., 282, 283
Pennsylvania, 31;
Bison bison in, 267;
Camelidæ in, 224;
Castoroides in, 272;
Cervus canadensis in, 237;
Elephas columbi in, 150;
Elephas primigenius in, 133;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 168;
Equidæ in, 184;
extinct bisons in, 256;
geology of, 306;
mastodons in, 68;
musk-oxen in, 248;
Odocoileus in, 227;
Rangifer in, 246;
Tapiridæ in, 203;
Xenarthra in, 31
Penn Township, Jay Co., Indiana, 95
Pennville, Indiana, 238
Penny’s Slough, Illinois, 142
Penobscot Bay, 23
Pensacola formation, Alabama, 385;
Florida, 372, 373
Pensacola terrace, Florida, 375
Pensauken, New Jersey, 65
Pensauken formation, 14, 299, 301, 302, 304
Peoria, Illinois, 13, 176
Peoria Co., Illinois, 153, 176
Peorian deposits in Ohio, 325, 326
Peorian loess, 340
Peorian soil in Indiana, 93
Peorian stage, 2, 13, 283, 335
Pepin Co., Wisconsin, 178
Perinton, New York, 59, 131
Perkins, G. H., 17, 19, 20, 244, 289
Perkinsville, New York, 59
Peromyscus leucopus, 310, 312, 350, 353
Perry Co., Ohio, 215
Perthshire, Mississippi, 124
Peru, Indiana, 98
Pesotum, Illinois, 106
Petersburg, Michigan, 87
Peterson, O. A., 34, 113, 185, 190, 231, 353
Petite Anse, Louisiana, 14, 389
Pewaukee, Wisconsin, 241
Phinney, A. J., 93, 94, 238
Phoca barbata, 21, 244, 248;
P. grœnlandica, 18, 21, 22, 23, 287, 288, 289;
P. hispida, 21, 244, 248;
P. vitulina, 22, 287, 289
Phosphate, 10
Physeter antiquus, 20;
P. vetus, 20, 363, 370
Piatt Co., Illinois, 177
Picea canadensis, 49;
P. mariana, 85
Pickaway Co., Ohio, 75, 170
Pickaway Plains, Ohio, 75
Pickering, C. E., 72
Piedmont Plateau, 351
Piers, H., 46
Pigeon Creek, Indiana, 32, 33
Pike, New York, 61
Pike Co., Ohio, 70, 134
Pinckney, C. C., 205, 365
Pinckneyville, Mississippi, 126
Pinellas Co., Florida, 159, 378
Pinnipedia, 21;
in Grinnell Land, 21;
in Maine, 23;
in Massachusetts, 25;
in New Brunswick, 21;
in New Hampshire, 25;
in New Jersey, 26;
in North Carolina, 29;
in Nova Scotia, 21;
in Ontario, 23;
in Quebec, 21;
in South Carolina, 29;
in Virginia, 28
Pitt Co., North Carolina, 117, 191
Pittbridge, Texas, 15
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 69, 150, 168, 323
Pittsfield Township, Lorain Co., Ohio, 79
Pittsford, New York, 59, 131, 212
Pittston, Pennsylvania, 68, 184, 248, 256, 308
Platygonus, 2, 14, 15;
P. compressus, 34, 59, 212, 214, 215, 218, 219, 221, 295, 298, 328,
331, 342, 343, 406;
P. cumberlandensis, 219, 220, 339, 348, 350;
P. intermedius, 220, 221, 350;
P. sp. indet., 354;
P. tetragonus, 221, 348;
P. vetus, 213, 217, 220, 324, 348, 350
Platypeltis ferox, 379
Pleas, E., 94
Pleasant Township, Wabash Co., Indiana, 174
Pleistocene, divisions of, 4;
earliest, 7;
limits, 1, 7;
extinction of species, 6;
submergence, 16;
terraces, 13;
uplifts, 3;
evolution of vertebrates, 5
Pleistocene geology, 281, 406;
of Alabama, 384;
Cape Breton Island, 289;
of District of Columbia, 344;
of Florida, 372;
of Georgia, 368;
of Illinois, 334;
of Indiana, 331;
of Kentucky, 400;
of Maryland, 344;
of Michigan, 330;
of Mississippi, 385;
of New Brunswick, 289;
of New England, 290;
of New Jersey, 299;
of New York, 294;
of North Carolina, 355;
of Nova Scotia, 289;
of Ohio, 324;
of Ontario, 281;
of Pennsylvania, 306;
of Quebec, 288;
of South Carolina, 361;
of Tennessee, 393;
of Virginia, 351;
of West Virginia, 354;
of Wisconsin, 340
Pliauchenia, 2, 15
Pliocene, 1, 10, 15, 37
Pliohippus, 2, 9, 15
Plummer, J. T., 80, 94, 173
Plymouth, Michigan, 87;
North Carolina, 191, 360
Pohlig, H., 99
Point Pleasant, West Virginia, 190
Polk Co., Florida, 123, 159, 180, 196, 197, 211, 379
Ponto, M. W., 99
Pony Hollow, New York, 57
Porpoises, 16
Porter Co., Indiana, 99, 100, 239, 252
Port Hickey formation, Alabama, 385
Port Hudson clays, 126, 180;
formation, 384, 385;
group, 387, 388, 389
Port Kennedy, Pennsylvania, 12, 15, 31, 69, 185, 203, 213, 256, 311
Port Kennedy Cave, plants and insects of, 317
Portland, Maine, 24, 25
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 25
Portway, New York, 59
Posey Co., Indiana, 88
Potholes at Cohoes, New York, 296
Poughkeepsie, New York, 55
Preble Co., Ohio, 72, 274
Pre-Wisconsin drift in New England, 292
Prince George Co., Maryland, 178, 188;
Virginia, 113
Princeton, Indiana, 89
Princeton University, New Jersey, 64, 132
Procamelus, 8, 9, 15, 121, 376, 377, 378;
P. coconinensis, 9;
P. longurio, 9;
P. major, 9, 121, 224, 375;
P. medius, 224, 225;
P. minimus, 9, 158, 196, 225, 375, 378;
P. minor, 224, 225, 375, 376, 380;
P. sp. indet., 8, 37, 225, 376
Procyon lotor, 310, 311, 353, 363, 382, 395;
P. priscus, 34, 218, 219, 337, 343
Protohippus, 2, 8, 15;
P. sp. indet., 8
Provincial Museum, Halifax, 46
Pseudemys cælata, 375, 379;
P. extincta, 379;
P. floridanus persimilis, 382;
P. sp. indet., 363
Public Museum, Milwaukee, 97, 143
Pugh, G. T., 361, 363, 367
Pulaski, Indiana, 96, 140
Pusheta Township, Auglaize Co., Ohio, 76
Putnam, F. W., 47, 246, 248
Putnam Co., Indiana, 91, 173;
Ohio, 77
Putorius ermineus, 310
Quebec, 14, 18;
cetaceans in, 18;
geology of, 288;
Pinnipedia in, 21
Queen Anne Co., Maryland, 154, 347
Queensbury, New York, 132
Queens Co., New York, 49
Querquedula floridana, 382
Rabbit, 14
Racine Co., Wisconsin, 110
Racket River, New York, 235, 245
Rafinesque, C. S., 129
Raisin River, Michigan, 250
Rana catesbiana, 322;
R. sp. indet., 312
Randolph Co., Illinois, 101, 175;
Indiana, 94, 139, 228, 238, 252, 277, 334
Rangifer, 227, 283, 337;
in Connecticut, 244;
in eastern North America, 244;
in Illinois, 246;
in New Jersey, 245;
in New York, 245;
in Ontario, 244;
in Pennsylvania, 246;
in Vermont, 244;
in Wisconsin, 247
Rangifer caribou, 244, 245, 246, 292, 295, 299, 304, 310, 311, 403;
R. grœnlandica, 246;
R. muscatinensis, 247, 339;
R. tarandus, 21, 244, 245, 248
Ranidæ, 312
Read, M. C., 170
Reading, Pennsylvania, 69, 324
Recent formation, 345
Red Bridge, New York, 55
Redfield, W. C., 299
Reedsville, Pennsylvania, 69, 324
Reindeer, 285, 293
(See Rangifer)
Renicks, West Virginia, 221
Rensselaer, Indiana, 239
Rhinoceros, 8, 121, 211;
R. longipes, 211;
R. proterus, 195, 211
Rhinoceroses, 10, 211
Rhinocerotidæ, 5, 211
Rhoads, S. N., 21, 26, 63, 64, 65, 246, 249, 256
Rhode Island, Pleistocene of, 290
Rice, F. P., 47
Rich Grove Township, Pulaski Co., Indiana, 97
Richland Center, Wisconsin, 111
Richland Co., South Carolina, 193;
Wisconsin, 111
Richmond, Indiana, 94, 252, 276, 334;
Vermont, 167
Richmond Co., New York, 48
Ridge, H. L., 43
Ridgewood, New York, 49
Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, 237, 246, 249, 267
Riggs, E. S., 97, 109, 229, 240, 269, 337
Rimouski Co., Quebec, 19, 21
Ringgold, Washington, 15
Riverdale, Michigan, 85
Riverhead, New York, 49
Rivière du Loup, Quebec, 18
Roann, Indiana, 229, 334
Roberts, H., 150
Robertson, J. D., 122, 207
Robinson, M., 100
Rochelle, Illinois, 177
Rochester, Indiana, 140;
New York, 59, 212
Rockcastle Co., Kentucky, 223, 406
Rockingham Co., Virginia, 114
Rock Island, Illinois, 176
Rock Island Co., Illinois, 104, 176
Rockland Co., New York, 50
Rockport, New Jersey, 67
Rocky Mount, North Carolina, 117, 360
Rogers, H. E., 69
Rogersville, Pennsylvania, 150, 322;
Tennessee, 127, 201, 222, 394, 395
Ross Co., Ohio, 169
Rossville, Illinois, 107
Roundhead, Ohio, 75
Royal Center, Indiana, 97
Royerton, Indiana, 94
Rural Township, Rock Island Co., Illinois, 104
Russell, I. C., 386
Russell and Leverett, 88, 237
Rutgers College, 55, 63
Rutherford, Pennsylvania, 185
Rutland, Vermont, 148
Saber-tooth tigers, 5, 13, 315
Sable Island, Nova Scotia, 21
Safely, R., 56
Saginaw Co., Michigan, 84, 171
St. Augustine, Florida, 15
St. Catharines, Ontario, 46, 147, 166
St. Clair, Tennessee, 127
St. Clair Co., Illinois, 101
St. Clements, Maryland, 112, 347
St. Elmo formation, Alabama, 385
St. Francisville, Illinois, 259
St. Helena Island, South Carolina, 118
St. John Co., Florida, 37, 122, 158, 194, 375
St. Johns, Indiana, 174; Ohio, 76
St. Joseph Co., Indiana, 100, 139
St. Lawrence Co., New York, 235, 245
St. Lawrence River, 288, 291
St. Lucie Co., Florida, 38, 122, 159, 163, 199, 208, 222, 225, 263, 381
St. Marks River, Florida, 157
St. Mary’s City, Maryland, 112, 347
St. Mary’s Co., Maryland, 112
St. Mary’s River, Florida, 180, 194
St. Petersburg, Florida, 159, 378
St. Thomas, Ontario, 45
Salamonie moraine, 95
Salem Co., New Jersey, 63, 226
Saline, Michigan, 88
Salisbury, R. D., 67, 300
Salisbury and Knapp, 66, 299, 303
Salisbury Mills, New York, 51
Saltar, J. C., 64
Salt Creek, Columbiana Co., Ohio, 186, 327
Salt Creek Township, Ohio, 75
Saltville, Maryland, 259
Saltville, Smyth Co., Virginia, 34, 113, 145, 190, 231, 352
Sandoval, Illinois, 102
Sandusky, Ohio, 78
Sanford, S., 372, 384
Sangamon Co., Illinois, 176
Sangamon River, 14
Sangamon stage, 2, 12, 14, 32, 93, 283, 328, 329, 330, 349, 351, 396,
404;
deposits, 325, 326, 333, 340
Sangamona, 13, 14, 231, 348, 395, 396
San Pablo Beach, Florida, 122
Santee Canal, South Carolina, 162
Sarasota, Florida, 159, 379
Sarasota Bay, Florida, 38, 198
Sarasota Co., Florida, 38, 159, 198
Satilla formation, 15, 368, 369
Savage, T. E., 141
Savannah, Georgia, 11, 15, 36, 120, 157, 194, 262, 371
Savannah River, 368
Saxicava sands, 288
Sayles, Ira, 395
Scalops, 312;
S. aquaticus, 310;
S. sp. indet., 314
Scalopus aquaticus, 310;
S. aquaticus australis, 382;
S. sp. indet., 312, 313
Scanlan collection, 205
Scarboro beds, Ontario, 281, 283
Scarboro formation, 226
Scarboro Heights, Ontario, 283
Schooley’s Mountain, New Jersey, 67, 306
Schuchert, C., 48
Schultz, A., 220, 348
Sciuridæ, 312
Sciuropterus alpinus, 350
Sciurus calycinus, 312;
S. carolinensis, 310, 311, 348;
S. hudsonicus, 348, 350;
S. panolius, 353;
S. sp. indet., 321;
S. tenuidens, 348
Scolopax sp. indet., 314
Scotchtown, New York, 54
Scott Co., Kentucky, 210
Scottsburg, New York, 60
Scudder, S. H., 283
Sellards, E. H., 10, 20, 38, 39, 40, 121, 122, 123, 157, 158, 160, 162,
163, 180, 194, 195, 196, 206, 207, 211, 222, 224, 225, 232, 233,
263, 372, 374, 376, 381, 384
Selma, Ohio, 136
Seneca, Ohio, 78
Seneca Castle, New York, 58, 236
Seneca Co., New York, 58
Seneca Lake, New York, 58, 167
Shadeville, Ohio, 75
Shaler, N. S., 26, 182, 243, 270, 271, 290, 360, 361, 402
Shark River, New Jersey, 213, 306
Sharon, Connecticut, 48
Shattuck, G. B., 15, 29, 112, 344, 347
Shatzer, C. G., 74
Shawangunk mastodon, 54
Shawangunk, New York, 54
Shaw, E. W., 89, 188
Shaw, J., 105
Shaw and Munn, 307, 323, 354, 355
Shaw and Savage, 141
Shaw mastodon, 71
Shawneetown, Illinois, 100, 278
Sheep, 169, 273
Shelby Co., Tennessee, 43, 128, 280
Shelbyville moraine, 335
Sheldon, Pearl, 57, 58
Shelburne, Ontario, 130
Shepard, C. N., 119
Sheridan formation, 11
Shetrone, H. C., 74
Shiawassee Co., Michigan, 86, 276
Shimek, B., 11, 126, 392
Shoals, Indiana, 89, 172
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 47
Sidney moraine, 326
Sigmodon hispidus, 382;
S. sp. indet., 382
Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, 111, 342
Siren lacertina, 382
Skidaway Island, Georgia, 36, 120, 157, 194, 262, 370, 371
Skunk, 14
(See Mephitis)
Sloan, E., 30, 361, 368
Smilodon, 14;
S. floridanus, 158, 196;
S. mercerii, 312
Smilodontopsis, 14;
S. gracilis, 314;
S. mercerii, 312, 314;
S. mooreheadi, 348
Smith, B., 272
Smith, E. A., 384, 386
Smith, H. P., 257
Smith, L. H., 235
Smith, R. A., 87
Smith, W. H., 82, 171
Smithland, Kentucky, 129
Smith’s Falls, Ontario, 17, 289
Smyth Co., Virginia, 113, 145, 190, 231, 259
Sonora, Ohio, 73
Soricidæ, 312
Sources of Pleistocene vertebrates, 4
South America, connection with, 3
South Bloomfield, Ohio, 75, 170
South Carolina, 29, 35;
Alces in, 363, 364;
Castoroides in, 279;
Cervus canadensis in, 242;
cetaceans in, 20;
Elephas columbi in, 155;
Elephas imperator in, 162;
Equidæ in, 191;
extinct bisons in, 260;
geology of, 361;
Hydrochœrus in, 365;
mastodons in, 118;
Odocoileus in, 231;
Pinnipedia in, 29;
Tagassuidæ in, 221;
Tapiridæ in, 204;
Xenarthra in, 35
Southport, North Carolina, 15
Sparksville, Indiana, 89
Spencer, J. W., 283, 284, 285, 292, 368
Spencer Co., Indiana, 33
Spilogale putorius, 322, 353
Springfield Township, Lucas Co., Ohio, 77, 329
Stafford, New York, 61
Stahl, J. P., 137
Staley, Illinois, 152
Stamping Ground, Kentucky, 210
Stansfield, J., 17, 288
Stanton, Michigan, 82
Stark Co., Ohio, 80, 136, 150, 170
Starke Co., Indiana, 278
Staten Island, New York, 49
Stauffer, C. R., 186
Staunton, Virginia, 190
Steele’s Corners, New York, 236
Stegomastodon, 2, 14;
S. mirificus, 377
Stephenson, L. W., 15, 29, 180, 194, 207, 352, 355, 356, 359, 361, 368,
369
Sterling, E., 78, 170
Sterling, Illinois, 105
Steuben Co., Indiana, 95;
New York, 59
Steubenville, Ohio, 254, 355
Stevenson, J. J., 69, 70
Stewartstown, West Virginia, 115, 355
Stockholm, Wisconsin, 178
Stokes Ferry, Florida, 180, 194, 374
Stone, G. N., 25
Stone River, South Carolina, 363
Stormont Co., Ontario, 18
Stose, G. W., 140, 349
Stose and Swartz, 346
Strathroy, Ontario, 235
Stronghurst, Illinois, 152
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, 185, 213, 227, 237, 246, 272
Suffolk Co., New York, 49
Sullivan, Illinois, 268
Sullivan Co., New York, 55;
Tennessee, 209
Sulphur Springs, Florida, 123
Summitville, Indiana, 277
Sumter Co., Florida, 158
Sumterville, Florida, 158
Sunderland formation, 116, 118, 299, 345, 346, 351, 356
Sus americanus, 261
Susquehanna River, 296
Sussex Co., New Jersey, 68
Swartzell, J., 214
Swartzell, M., 69, 214
Swedesboro, New Jersey, 184, 301
Switzerland Co., Indiana, 138
Sycium cloacinum, 312
Sylvilagus floridanus, 310, 311, 312, 313, 337, 343, 348, 353, 363;
S. palustris, 382;
S. sp. indet., 38, 378, 382
Symbos, 14;
S. cavifrons, 96, 104, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 331,
334, 339, 354, 392, 393, 403, 404;
S. promptus, 254;
S. sp. indet., 68, 184, 248
Synaptomys borealis, 350;
S. sp. indet., 350
Syracuse, New York, 266
Tagassu lenis, 217, 218, 219, 220, 222, 342, 343, 347, 348, 363, 379,
382;
T. sp. indet., 222, 363;
T. tetragonus, 220, 221, 312;
T. torquatus, 220
Tagassuidæ, 5, 312;
in Florida, 222;
in Illinois, 218;
in Indiana, 216;
in Maryland, 220;
in Michigan, 215;
in New Jersey, 213;
in New York, 212;
in Ohio, 214;
in South Carolina, 221;
in Tennessee, 222;
in Virginia, 221;
in West Virginia, 221;
in Wisconsin, 219
Talbot Co., Maryland, 144, 230, 242
Talbot formation, 16, 29, 299, 345, 346, 351
Talbot stage, 188
Tallahatchie Co., Mississippi, 124
Talpidæ, 312
Tamarack, 85
Tamias lævidens, 353;
T. striatus, 287, 310, 395
Tampa Bay, Florida, 123, 159, 208, 263, 379
Tampico, Indiana, 89
Tapir, 187, 209, 223, 228, 232, 328, 395, 396
Tapiridæ, 5, 203, 312;
in Florida, 206;
in Georgia, 206;
in Indiana, 203;
in Kentucky, 209;
in Mississippi, 208;
in Ohio, 203;
in Pennsylvania, 203;
in South Carolina, 204;
in Tennessee, 209;
in Virginia, 204
Tapirs, 13, 333, 334
Tapirus, 9, 14, 15;
T. americanus, 203, 204, 206, 207, 208, 209, 391;
T. haysii, 32, 43, 203, 204, 205, 207, 208, 209, 210, 217, 257, 312,
313, 350, 353, 363, 370, 372, 375, 382, 391, 392, 393, 395, 397,
403, 404, 405, 406;
T. sp. indet., 37, 204, 321, 363, 376, 378, 379, 395;
T. tennesseæ, 209, 395;
T. terrestris, 195, 203, 206, 376, 381, 392;
T. veroensis, 204, 205, 208, 382
Tarboro, North Carolina, 117, 360
Tarr, R. S., 57
Taurotragus, 14;
T. americanus, 12, 337, 339, 350
Taxidea americana, 312;
T. robusta, 9;
T. sp. indet., 350;
T. taxus, 312
Taylor, A. E., 90
Taylor, F. B., 130, 291, 330, 331
Tazewell Co., Illinois, 176
Teleoceras, 8, 9, 15, 211, 376;
T. fossiger, 8, 37, 211;
T. proterus, 121, 375, 377, 380;
T. sp. indet., 380
Teleopternus orientalis, 224, 312, 313
Tennessee, 41;
Camelidæ in, 225;
Castoroides in, 280;
Elephas primigenius in, 146;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 181;
Equidæ in, 201;
geology of, 393;
mastodons in, 127;
Tagassuidæ in, 222;
Tapiridæ in, 209;
Xenarthra in, 41
Tephrocyon, 15
Terraces, Allegheny River, 355;
Coastal Plain, Florida, 372;
Coastal Plain, North Carolina, 356;
Monongahela River, 354;
Pleistocene, 13
Terrapene antipex, 122, 158, 375, 382;
T. canaliculata, 371;
T. carolina, 310, 311;
T. eurypygia, 312, 347;
T. formosa, 378;
T. innoxia, 382;
T. putnami, 197, 379;
T. sp. indet., 353
Terre Coupée, Michigan, 83
Terre Haute, Indiana, 151
Testudo crassiscutata, 197, 363, 379, 381;
T. distans, 378;
T. hayi, 380;
T. incisa, 378;
T. luciæ, 383;
T. munda, 395;
T. obtusa, 381, 384;
T. ocalana, 378, 379;
T. sellardsi, 382;
T. sp. indet., 40
Tetracaulodon, 99
Tétreauville, Quebec, 22
Texas, 11, 13
Thamnophis sirtalis, 311
Thinobadistes segnis, 37, 375
Third Lake, New York, 236
Thompson, W. H., 173
Thompson, Z., 148
Thousand Creek fauna, 8
Thousand Creek, Nevada, 15
Three Oaks, Michigan, 137, 331
Throg’s Neck, New York, 183, 295, 296
Thuja occidentalis, 67
Tilton, J. L., 155
Tioga Co., Pennsylvania, 133
Tippah Co., Mississippi, 200
Tipton Co., Indiana, 152
Tomistoma americanum, 380
Tompkins Co., New York, 57
Toronto, Ontario, 14, 46, 130, 167, 226, 244, 256;
fossil vertebrates of, 284;
geology of, 281
Toronto formation, 281
Tourner’s, Florida, 160, 380
Townsend, G., 81
Towson, Maryland, 112, 348
Toxaspis anguillulatus, 312
Trachemys bisornata, 384;
T. euglypha, 379, 381;
T. jarmani, 379;
T. nuchocarinata, 374, 382;
T. sculpta, 379, 383, 384;
T. sp. indet., 197
Tragocerus, 8
Trees in Don beds, Toronto, Ontario, 282;
at Savannah, Georgia, 371
Trempealeau Co., Wisconsin, 241
Trenton, New Jersey, 64, 132, 237, 246;
fossil mammals at, 304;
geology of, 304;
gravels, 14, 65
Trichechus antiquus, 363, 381;
T. manatus, 376;
T. virginianus, 29
Trichiurus lepturus, 363, 366
Trim Creek, Illinois, 108
Troost, G., 125, 127, 389
Troy, New York, 183;
Ohio, 74
Trucifelis, 14;
T. floridanus, 15, 378, 382
Trumbull Co., Ohio, 80, 249
Tryonville, Pennsylvania, 150, 323
Tsala Apopka formation, Florida, 372, 373;
terrace, Florida, 375
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, 68, 324
Tuomey, M., 119, 120, 232, 361, 366
Turner, G., 119
Turner, G. B., 143
Turner’s, Florida, 380
Tuscumbia, Alabama, 40, 385
Twells, H., 64
Twin Creek, Ohio, 72, 274
Tyler, L. G., 113
Udden, J. A., 104, 176, 187
Ulrich, E. O., 169
Ulster Co., New York, 54
Uncia inexpectata, 312
Underwood, L., 266
Ungava, Canada, Elephas sp. indet., in, 166
Unio, species, 303
Union City, Indiana, 277;
moraine, 139, 152, 229
Union Co., New Jersey, 133
Union Grove, Illinois, 240
Unionidæ in Don beds, Ontario, 282;
in Fish House beds, New Jersey, 303
United States National Museum, 80, 163, 164, 188, 264
University of Michigan, 87;
University of Rochester, 58, 60
Upper Marlboro, Maryland, 178
Urbana, Illinois, 33, 106, 336;
Ohio, 74, 249
Urocyon cinereoargenteus, 299, 310, 311, 312, 314, 337;
U. latidentatus, 312, 314
Ursidæ, 312
Ursus americanus, 78, 125, 226, 283, 311, 312, 321, 339, 348, 350, 363,
364, 391, 392, 403;
U. amplidens, 217, 353, 391, 392, 393;
U. floridanus, 382, 395;
U. procerus, 329;
U. sp. indet., 41, 376, 398;
U. vitabilis, 350
Utica, Michigan, 86
Valparaiso, Indiana, 100;
moraine, 82, 83, 107, 108, 177, 330
VanBuren Co., Tennessee, 41
Vanderburg Co., Indiana, 32, 171, 186, 203, 228, 257, 276, 334
Van Horn, F., 151
Van Rensselaer, J., 55, 60, 66, 133
Van Wert Co., Ohio, 77
Veatch, A. C., 15, 33, 368, 389
Venice, Michigan, 86
Vermillion Co., Illinois. 106;
Indiana, 173
Vermont, Cervus canadensis in, 235;
cetaceans in, 19;
Elephas columbi in, 148;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 167;
geology of, 291;
Rangifer in, 244
Vernon Co., Wisconsin, 259
Vero, Florida, 10, 11, 15, 38, 122, 163, 199, 208, 222, 225, 263, 373,
381, 382;
marls, 15
Verona, New Jersey, 66
Versailles, Ohio, 136
Vertebrates, number of Pleistocene species, 4;
sources of Pleistocene, 4
Vespertilio fuscus, 310;
V. grandis, 350;
V. gryphus, 398;
V. sp. indet., 310, 312, 313, 350, 353;
V. subulatus, 310
Vespertilionidæ, 312
Vevay, Indiana, 91, 138
Vicksburg, Mississippi, 124
Victoria Co., Cape Breton Island, 46
Victoria Museum, Ottawa, 45
Vienna, New Jersey, 67
Vigo Co., Indiana, 138, 151, 172
Vincennes, Indiana, 88, 90, 258, 334
Vincentown, New Jersey, 227, 245
Virginia, 15, 28, 34;
Elephas primigenius in, 145;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 178;
Equidæ in, 189;
extinct bisons in, 259;
geology of, 351;
mastodons in, 113;
Odocoileus in, 231;
Pinnipedia in, 28;
Tagassuidæ in, 221;
Tapiridæ in, 204;
Xenarthra in, 34
Virginia deer, 32, 227, 229, 242, 257
Volk, E., 237, 248, 267
Volusia Co., Florida, 20, 122, 158, 378
Vulpes fulvus, 299;
V. palmaria, 282;
V. sp. indet., 350;
V. virginiana, 311
Wabash College, Indiana, 99
Wabash Co., Indiana, 98, 218, 229, 239, 334
Wabash deposits, 13
Wade, Florida, 195, 262
Wagner, G., 111
Wailesboro, Indiana, 172, 251, 334
Wailles, B. C. L., 41, 125, 180, 391
Wakulla Co., Florida, 157, 179, 374
Wakulla Springs, Florida, 179, 374
Walker, J. E., 92
Walker, S. T., 233
Walker River, Nevada, 15
Wallkill, New York, 54
Walnut, Illinois, 105
Walrus, 7, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 289, 293, 306, 352, 360
Wando clays, South Carolina, 360
Wando River, South Carolina, 35, 192, 362, 363
Wapakoneta, Ohio, 76, 275
Ward, F. H., 149
Ward, H. A., 147, 166
Ward, H. L., 60, 97
Warder, R. B., 91
Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, 121, 138, 149, 158, 212
Warren, C. K., 137
Warren, J. C., 48, 50, 54, 67, 68, 83, 109, 134, 148, 165
Warren Co. New Jersey, 67;
New York, 132;
Mississippi, 124
Warren mastodon, 51
Warrenton, Virginia, 178
Warsaw, Illinois, 103
Washington Co., Illinois, 101;
Maine, 23;
Maryland, 112, 189;
Ohio, 169;
Pennsylvania, 70, 133, 323;
Virginia, 113, 189;
Vermont, 244
Washington, D. C., 178, 348
Washington Township, Auglaize Co., Ohio, 76
Washtenaw Co., Michigan, 88, 227, 228, 237, 250, 275
Waterloo, Indiana, 95
Waukesha, Wisconsin, 110, 340
Waukesha Co., Wisconsin, 110, 241
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 241
Wauzeka, Wisconsin, 111
Waverly, Ohio, 134, 327
Waychoff, A. J., 133, 150
Wayland, New York, 59
Wayne Co., Indiana, 94, 138, 173, 238, 252, 276;
Michigan, 87;
New York, 58, 131, 272;
North Carolina, 115
Webster, Indiana, 138
Weidman, S., 111, 230, 241, 247, 343
Wellsburg, New York, 167
Welland Port, Ontario, 46
Welsh, J., 78
Wentworth Co., Ontario, 147, 166, 234
Westchester Co., New York, 50, 245
Westfield, New York, 63
West Sonora, Ohio, 73, 274
West Virginia, 34;
Elephas columbi in, 155;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 179;
Equidæ in, 190;
geology of, 354;
mastodons in, 115;
musk-oxen in, 254;
Odocoileus in, 231;
Tagassuidæ in, 221;
Xenarthra in, 34
Whales, 16
Wheatley, C. M., 31, 69, 185, 203, 256, 312, 317, 318, 319
Wheaton, Illinois, 177
Wheeler, F., 153
Wheeling, West Virginia, 179
White, I. C., 68, 115
White Beach, Florida, 38, 379
Whiteaves, J. F., 17, 147
Whitehall, Wisconsin, 241
Whitesburg, Tennessee, 14, 201, 209, 223, 395
Whiteside Co., Illinois, 105, 240
Whitewillow, Illinois, 109, 229, 240, 269, 337
Whitfield, R. P., 49, 50, 303
Whitney, J. D., 111, 178, 219, 230, 240, 341, 342
Whittlesey, C., 77, 78, 79, 109, 169, 183, 186, 203
Wicomico formation, 16, 118, 299, 345, 346, 351, 356;
terrace, 112
Wiedmer, J., 103, 253
Wilbur, C. D., 109
Willcockson, Arkansas, 12
Wilder, B. G., 57
Wilkinson Co., Mississippi, 126
Will Co., Illinois, 107, 241
Willcox, J., 38, 198, 199, 263
Williams, E. D., 155
Williams, E. H., 307
Williams, Indiana, 217, 334
Williams Township, Bay Co., Michigan, 84
Williamsburg, Virginia, 113, 352
Williamson, C. W., 76, 227, 274
Williamson, New York, 131
Williamson Co., Tennessee, 127
Williamstown, Ontario, 18
Williston, S. W., 11
Williston, Florida, 37, 121, 195, 211, 224
Wills Creek, Allegany Co., Maryland, 349
Wilmington, North Carolina, 357;
Ohio, 214, 273
Wilson, R., 162
Wilson Co., North Carolina, 117, 359
Winchell, A., 80, 81, 86, 87, 130, 151, 171
Winchell, N. H., 77, 78, 178
Winchester, Indiana, 139;
Kentucky, 255
Windfall, Indiana, 152
Windsor, Indiana, 139
Winnebago Co., Illinois, 105;
Wisconsin, 270
Wirt Co., West Virginia, 155
Wisconsin, 2, 14;
Bison bison in, 270;
Cervus canadensis in, 241;
Elephas primigenius in, 143;
Elephas sp. indet. in, 178;
extinct bisons in, 259;
mastodons in, 110;
Odocoileus in, 230;
Rangifer in, 247;
Tagassuidæ in, 219;
depression, 291;
drift, 281, 292, 295, 324, 326, 328, 329, 330, 331, 335, 340;
geology of, 340;
ice-sheet, 298; 307, 332, 355;
moraine, 300, 307, 326;
stage, 12, 14, 32, 33, 283, 286, 300, 316, 322, 334, 367, 403;
uplift, 291
Wissler, C., 304
Wistar, C., 35, 181, 401
Withlacoochee River, 122, 158
Wolbrandt, C. H., 100
Wolf, 111, 219, 270, 302
Wood, N. A., 81, 82, 83, 88, 275, 276
Wood Co., Ohio, 78;
West Virginia, 115, 231
Woodbury, New Jersey, 301;
Vermont, 244
Woodhull, Illinois, 154
Woodstock, Ohio, 74
Woodstown, New Jersey, 226
Woodville, Mississippi, 126;
Wisconsin, 344
Woodworth, J. B., 26, 183, 245, 290, 291, 292
Woolman, L., 351, 360
Woolman, S., 302
Woolper Creek, Kentucky, 265
Woolworth, S., 149
Worcester, Massachusetts, 47
Worthen, A. H., 101, 102, 103, 108, 175, 176, 229, 239, 269, 279
Worthington Co., Maryland, 220
Wright, G. F., 115, 274, 283, 307
Wyandotte, Michigan, 87
Wyandot, Ohio, 78
Wylie, T. A., 172
Wyman, Jeffries, 40, 43, 111, 219, 230, 270, 280, 400
Wyoming Co., New York, 61, 212;
Pennsylvania, 68
Wythe Co., Virginia, 34, 114, 190, 204, 221, 231, 260, 353
Wurtsboro, New York, 55
Xenarthra, 31;
in Alabama, 40;
in Florida, 37;
in Georgia, 36;
in Illinois, 33;
in Indiana, 32;
in Kentucky, 43;
in Mississippi, 40;
in New Jersey, 31;
in Ohio, 31;
in Pennsylvania, 31;
in South Carolina, 35;
in Tennessee, 41;
in Virginia, 34;
in West Virginia, 34
Yakima Co., Washington, 15
Yale University, 54, 60, 74, 279
Yarmouth deposits, 2;
in Illinois, 336;
in New England, 290;
in Ohio, 325
Yarmouth stage, 12, 14, 187, 290, 325, 336
Yarnallton, Kentucky, 210, 405
Yazoo Co., Mississippi, 126
Yonge’s Island, South Carolina, 363
York Co., Ontario, 46, 130, 167, 244, 256;
Pennsylvania, 69;
Virginia, 113
York River, Virginia, 352
Yorkville, Illinois, 109
Young, C., 73
Young Island, South Carolina, 366
Youngstown, Ohio, 249
Ypsilanti, Michigan, 88
Zamenis acuminatus, 312, 314
Zanesville, Ohio, 134, 273, 327
Zapodidæ, 312
Zapus hudsonius, 312
Zirkel’s Cave, Tennessee, 209, 223, 395, 396
Zolfo, Florida, 38, 160, 380
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Several maps were moved to be consistently before their explanation.
2. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
3. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed.
4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
5. Superscripts are denoted by a caret before a single superscript
character or a series of superscripted characters enclosed in
curly braces, e.g. M^r. or M^{ister}.
6. Subscripts are denoted by an underscore before a series of
subscripted characters enclosed in curly braces, e.g. H_{2}O.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Pleistocene of North America - and its vertebrated animals from the states east of the - Mississippi River and from the Canadian provinces east of - longitude 95°" ***
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