Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-25
MISCELL ANEOUS.

IA
On the Uranium of the Mdstodon exhibiting
from kentucky.
To THE EpIToRs THE COURIER L. ENQUIRER.
Gentlemen-One of the most interesting objects
of attraction in city, is the collection of fos-
sill bones of the Mastodon, Commonly called the
Msmmoth) and other extinct animals, now exhib-
ting at the corner of Pearl St and Broadway.
This collection is extraordinary, by the great
number Of bones of which it consists, as by the
excellent preservation in which they found.
The Lyccum of Natural History has made valua-
BILE report upon them, which has been published in
part, and will shortly appear entire IN Sin1an's
Journal To that report, will take the liberty to
superadd some reflections more in detail upon one
of the pieces of the collection, which, from the
now light it throws upon subject hitherto enveop-
cd in mystery, and deemed of the greatest de-
siderata in Zoology, will be estimated not only by
our naturalists here, but particularly by those of
Europe, one of the most important discoveries
or made in this department of knowledge. / mean
the head OF tho Mastodon or Mammoth, which, in
all the eShumations of this animal that have here
totore been made, has always by some unaccoun-
table fatality, been found wanting decayed into
fragments, until this accidental discovery in Ken
lucky OF the entire Uranium of the animal. BY
which important fact, shall at last be enabled
to accomplish the wish much desired by Culver,
the great fsther of Fossil Zoology, of aiming
the precise position which this quondam native and
king of our forests, ought to occupy in the NOM
enclature of animals. The gap will now DO filed
up, and no shall know with accuracy to what
family and species he belongs what were his habits
his character and pcculiarities For by the fixed
relations Of compatibility which constue the gov
erning principles and laws of the animal orCaniza-
ton, (and to the discovery of which the world is as
much indebted TO the immortal Culver as to Ken
Ter and Newton for those of tina heavenly bodies
we are enabled, from examination of the bonY
structure, to arrive at the nature of the ANIMAL with
as much exactitude az by the demonstre ton of q
mathematical theorem.
1t may be we'll lima gined therefore with what thrill
ling interest the of this discovery will be re.
ceised in the Museums and Schools of Paris, where
| the subject has excited much discussion among
| the savans Of that Capital.
| insthe year 16l9 two members of the Lyceum
of Natural History of this city, consisting of the
thon President, DR.. Mitchill, and Dr. T. S. Towns
end, had tic good fortune TO discover tho remains
Of SHELTON of one of these animals at Chester,
| near Goshen, Orange county, in this state. They
were brought to the city and deposited in the cab
| met OF the Lyceum, where they are. Besides
| the enormous tusks and other bones, all of which
lay Embedded upon mass of blue clay, las was the
case with those now exhibiting from Kentucky
about Sin feet below the green sward of tho bog
| meadow in which the discovery was made, there
was found near the roots of the tusks thin plate
o. 0one OF circular shape, evidently belonging to
| the heaa, but every other vestige Of the Uranium
had disappeared. The writer of this (who was
| one of the abovenamed members of the Lyccum
who made the discovery in 1879 taking this plate
| OF bone for u guide, skctchcd an outline of the
supposed sDdpe OF thedcad OF the animal, which
outline then deemed quite conjectura and spccula-
ttUe, is now demonstrated to have been almost the
identical and true sha of tho long lost Uranium
| OF the Mastodon. This is, of wedge-shape for
nation quite and totally unlike the conical head
| OF the Elephant to which the Mammoth or Mas
tocon had always been supposed, from the similar
lty OF other bones TO bear a much closer rcsem-
bianee than is found to be the fact Tbis
sketch, therefore, the original of which may be
found IN the archievcs of The Lyceum, and an on
craving Of which inserted in Mitchills edition
OF Cuver's Theory of the Earth, published at the
time IN this city, was the first CLEAN of light thrown
upon this subject, now no longer enigma, but
unrayelled of all it's porplexities. In that same
sketch Will also be the teeth of tho upper Jaw
placed apparently upon, and sitting in, the root Of
the tuskS.= This. at the time, was also thought
somewhat gratuitous.
Now this curious phenomenon is also explained
oy the crantum from Kentucky, for in the Chester
hastodon the sockets or alveolar processes of the
tusEs (for the tusks nothing more than the Gus
pidatl or eye-teeth lengthened,) forming cylindri
cal shell enveioplng the roots of the tusks were
entirely decaycd, that the or fanps Of the
upper teeth actually had the appearance of being
inserted into tho roots of the tusks By inspect
ing the kentucky head will be perceived that the
tangs OF the upper teeth do, in reality run into the
sockets OF the tuBks in such manner as to bo in a
measure blended with incorporated with their
substance.
The plate OF bone which forms tho fat superior
surface of the head Of this extraordinary animal
700, 90 10 ho" beeu by Ln0 kentucky specimen, the
Jorehead, or os fronts, and its union prosterorlv
with the parietal bones, and occiput almost at =
right angle strikingly reminds one of the head of
the or to which head it is certainly more onala
gous than any other animal we are acouain
ted with, known extinct. This fact recalls TO
mind an ingenious observation made at the time b,,
Mr. MtchiI, deduced from the great length and
curvature the tusks and from the mamneolar for
NATION OF the teeth $50 distinctive REGULARITY Of
the NastodoD, as contrastcd with the Elephant e.
rnly) that the Mastodon essentially bro,,si10
animal like the OK, and that the tusk perforn,od
IN respect to the branches Of trees and Lushes the
junction ofarms while the conical and LARGE nro-
lectng processes Of the teeth were particularly
intended to nasticate food Of this descrintior,
therein differing vastly from the slightly furroved
surface OF the teeth Of the Elephant and which
were undoubtedly constructed mainly for gro,1jy-
iUeTous purposes.
1t may he proper here to note that the con;c,l |
processes OF the teeth which form so remorLsbio |
a peculiarly of the Msstodon, was the circ1r, |
stance which puzzled nafuralists in placing il along
side the Elephant, and induced Cuvier at once 70 |
Put TINS animal into new genus by itself leavinT
the experiment TO be justified by future researches
9 az II now has been by this Kentucky craniun. Re
low Inc forehead, and Immediately above and he
tween the bfurcaton of the tuska arc tbo to-
openings or nostrils, upon which without donbt ,as
inserted the proboseis or trunk. These onen;nrs
GO deep and backward, and at right angles sirnos,
20 the frontal plate, and considerin1 fbo s",,,,