The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-08-24
9sIDl9ceuauenna.
FROM THE NATIONAL 1NrELLIcExcEn

1t is known to most of our readers that va .
rious opinions have been long entertained by
| the natl,ralists of our country respecting the
character of the Mammoth. the bones OF
which have been found in different parts of
the Union. The following letter from DR.
Barton one OF the most enlightened and dill :
gent cultivators Unnatural science of the pre-
sent times. to Mr.. Jefferson, which we are en-
| abled to present to our readers, cannot fail
| to awaken aud reward curiosity.
Letter from DR.. BENJAMIN Smith Barton
% Mr. J(6erson, dafed Blue Ridge, vi
c'ntfy cf Paris, "a. July Is. 1910.
Dear Sir,
AS you take much interest in the
knowledge OF every thing relative to the A
merican Mammoth, and other similar ami
mails, am persuaded that you will be glad
to learn, that have recently received from
81. Fetersburgh in Russia, some line large
drawings OF the great Asiatic Mommotn,
| whose skeleton, together with some portions
OF the skin and muscular parts, has lately
been discovered, in a state of excellent pre-
Servatlon, under vast masses ice, near the
mouth OF the river Lena. in latitude .
North. For this, to me inestimable, present
am indebted to the kindness of Mr.. Ii
| iesius. all eminent naturalist, by whom the
drawings were made, and who has, at The
same time, favored me with some impor
tant manuscript observations concerning the
animal.
need not tell you, that this Asiatic Nam
moth is specifically distinct from the great
Mammoth of North America; that whose
bones nave been discovered in so many parts
or our continent. and that OF which Mr..
reaie mas mounted the skeleton, in his mu
scum. lhe two animals are specifically
uislihCt, though am very far from thinking
them Senericaiiy SO. But the Asiatic Nam
moth has, at some former period, been ma
1--WE OF America, as well as of Asia, and of
Europe. The grinding teeth, the incisors
lor tusks,) and other bones of This animal,
nave been discovered i'm several different
parts of the u. S &C. as in Pennsylvania in
.he river Susquehanna, branch of which
nave elsewhere shown, receives it's name of
| NhemunS from the nciSors of one of these
huge ANIMALS. Similar remains have been
discovered In the county of Wythe, in this
STATE In the same muriatic lick along with
the remains of the other Mammoth. or what
"ill Call, for the present, the Ohio Nam
inoth IN South Carolina in digging the San
tee Canal III Kentucky, and doubtless, in
many olher places, some of which / could
mention. l had long suspected. and even
asserted, that the Mammoth of the Chemunp
was the same as that OF Siberia and this
matter Is now put beyond all doubt by the
drawings and Information Communicated to
me by Mi. rileslus
At least one species of elephant, therefore.
! (ior 1t is by all naturalisls allowed. that the.
A'iatic Mammoth was a Legitimate species OF
E'ephas,) mas been native DO II of the old
and or the new world am inclined. how
ever, to think, that the species has never
Deen so Common IN America as IN ASA. from
whence, therefore l venture to conjecture
that the STOCK originally proceeded Its too
| soon, however, IN the more Cautious and So
Der discussions OF natural history, to press
forward such coDJeCtures as these. We
nave Just begun the stud" of the naturalhis
tory OF our country. Future researches and
discoveries may reader il at least HIGHLY
PROBABLE, that the Aslatic MOmmoth. as we
Nc Call II, was once as Common in North
america, as III any part Of the old world
Kermit me to add, that am daily mt il,
possession of facts which prove, that our
continent and Asia have had, and iii con
Unue 70 nave, IN common, many species of
ANIMALS and vegetables, i'll all essential points
the same
Mr. Iilesius's drawings are of great i'm
Portance to me: and they came, unasked and
| even unlocked for, almos, at Lhe very TIM,
mat was busily occupied In superinteud
ing drawing OF the skeleton i'm the muse
um' ana IN putting together my materials
lne run OF many years research, Concerning
the ONO animal. The TWO animals, it is
true, are very different frorn each other ::
out they nave, nevertheless, great and in
teresting aihnltiGs to each other The Atm
ties are such. that cannot Consent to cousi~
der the American animal as any thing but
a sfectes Of E[efhaHt / know, indeed. that
Mr.. Cuvieris no7O of opinion, that the Ohio
bones besPea& an animal jeenericaHL differ
ent from the elephant. But although this
naturalist authority is deservedly high, and
OF great weight, am disposed to adhere to
my own opinion, and TO consider the OHIO
Mammoth as belonging to the same genus,
OF fanny, as the two three still existing
species OF elphant, and as the great ex
tlrcI Mammoth of the North If Asa and OF
Europe the eiephas primigenus oi Blumeu
Oach or, as we in America, may name IT.
To distinguish 1t from the Ohio elephant, the
q" Cbemung Mammoth"
Although IN the general form Of the mo-.
lates, or grinders, there is much greater.
ahhlty be wceD the Asiauc Mammoth and
the existing Asiatic elephant, than there
Is between either Of these lat err animals and
tue ONO Mammoth, YET there arc seperol
other Characters in which the resemblance
! IS much closer between the Ohio animal and
the extinct Asatlc Mammoth, than between
4 nj 49,