Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-04-01
u. WHITHAORE,
Publisher and Proprietor,
THE DARWINIAN THEORY.
The Skeleton of q Wan With q Tail
Found by a Farmer of Frinee Ed
g vEa psft LELAND

The Skeleton of q Wan With a Tail
Found by a Farmer of Erinee Ed
ward island, a
oharlottetOwn prince Edw. ISL 0bserver.I
| am q farmer residing on the
Nesbitt road, East Point, and en-
gagged like most Of my neighbors,
in procuring mussel or marsh mud
during the winter months. At the
southern end Of my land is a creek,
about which lies considerable
tract Of marshy land. For the last
two or three years myself and sons
have used the deposit in this marsh
as a manure, and finding it answer
exceedingly well in one position,
have made pits of very considerable
depth. Being convinced that the
lower mud was the best, and our
anticipations Of being troubled by
the rise of water in the hole proving
pnfounded, we have used the small
pit for the past two winters. Bear
ing this in mind, it must not be a
matter Of surprise that the pit is
now excessively deep. The sub
stance is a kind of heavy, black
peat, somewhat similar, / fancy, to
that found in Lennox Island and in
the vicinity of Big Shibboo, in the
neighboring province. One day,
in the latter part of last month,
myself my son William, and q man
in my employ one Alfred McAlduf,
were engaged in procuring manure
from the pit. The two latter were
| in the hole, loading the sleigh, while
| remained above, / was about to
light my pipe. when I suddenly
heard loud EXPLANATIONS from my
son, followed by a similar demonstra-
tion from his companion.
Iapproached, and to my infinite
surprise beheld, projecting from the
mud, the cerebellum of a human
skull. Gradually, and with the
greatest care, we proceeded to free
the remains from the superincum
bent earth, and at length had the
satisfaction to disclose an entire
skeleton of full-grown human
being. The skeleton, speaking gen.
orally, was much the same as that
of a large male specimen of the
present Indian race. The skull,
however, was very much flattened
on the top, and the jaw bones very
large and thick. The lower arm
bones were much longer than the
usual standard. The legs, on the
contrary, were short in a very no.
ticeable degree. Behind the figure
and in a position directly continu.
GUS from the back of the spine
we're nineteen small articulated
bones. There cannot be the slight.
est room for doubt that these mem.
bers represent the osseous frame
work Of tail. Of the great mum.
Der of persons who have been tc
nv house to view this most inte.
resting specimen of a departed
race, not one has failed, in the
most explicit words, to indorse my
own first formed opinion. 1t was
argued by ouro own minister that i
was quite possible that the bones
: though undoubtedly the bones o
: a tail, might be merely those o
one taken from some animal, an(
3 might have been used by the MAJ
b as weapon, offensive or defensive
But the position clearly invalidate
this argument. The hands wer
folded in front Of the body, ant
. therefore could not have been hold
ing the tail, which, as it appeared
: to make a direct junction with tn
backbone, could not have main
tained that situation without som
support. Add to this the undoubt
ed similarity of the bones, and tn
conclusion that the articulation
we're continuous from the end 9
the tail to the neck is inevitable.
/ The skeleton may be seen at m
: house, where ] shall feel it a pleas
t. ure as well as a duty TO give allth
. information | can to those VIII
wish to inspect it. 1t has been II
q ported that a glass flask, which ha
1t probably eHptained some cordial {
fermentedEBeverage, was discovere
i by the remains. This, however,
M lo mistake. M sunh hottlp ",