FOSSIL ELEPHANT. FOSSIL WHALE. These, together with numerous cones of and its greatest circumference, 12 inches. black spruce and white pine, in a good The circumference has diminished very state of preservation, were embedded in a much since the tusk was taken from the thick vegetable mucilage, nearly resem- muck bed, on account of shrinkage in drybling clay in color, but which, when cut in ing, and several longitudinal cracks have cakes and taken in the hand, would shake been formed in it, extending through its and tremble like a mass of jelly. A cake whole length, and it was found necessary of this mucilage, when dried, was much to wind it with wire to prevent it from lighter than cork, and was diminished to splitting to pieces. about one-eighth of its original bulk. The These are believed to be the only fossil mucilage was undoubtedly produced by the remains ever found in New England, which solution of leaves and wood, which had have been, with certainty, ascertained to steeped for ages in that basin of cold water, belong to an Elephant. Remains of Elefrom which there was not a sufficient flow phants have been found in several of the to carry it off. The billets of wood, when southern and western states, and very retaken out from the bottom of the muck, cently some fine specimens have been dug appeared plump and fresh, as if they had up in Ohio. been recently pealed, but were very soft, and in drying, they lost full five-sixths of their bulk. I have prefixed to this account the specific name of the Mammoth, or fossil Elephant of Europe, but have little doubt that ours is a distinct species, and, I am happy in knowing that one of our best comparative anatomists is now investigating this In making the excavation for the railroad, through the muck-bed above described, in the latter part of the summer of 1848, the workmen found, at the bottom of very subject. the bed, resting upon gravel, which separated it from the rock below, a huge tooth, the place of which is indicated on the map and Cut by 1. The depth of the muck at that place was 11 feet. Soon afterwards, one of the tusks was found, at 2, about 80 feet from the place of the tooth, above mentioned, which was a grinder. Subsequently the other tusk, and several of the bones of the animal were found near the same place. These bones and teeth were submitted to FOSSIL WHALE. Beluga vermontana.-THOMPSON. valueless by the want of an accurate knowlAs many rare fossils are rendered nearly edge of their localities, and of the circumstances in which they were found, I have undoubtedly the most interesting of the deemed the above mentioned fossil, which is the inspection of Prof. Agassiz, of Cam- organic remains yet found in Vermont, of bridge University, who pronounced them sufficient importance to justify a minute to be the remains of an extinct species of history of its discovery and position, and Elephant. The Directors of the Rutland the introduction of a small map of the localand Burlington Rail Road, to whom they ity. The discovery of this fossil took place belong, design to have them placed in the in August, 1849. While widening an exMuseum of the University of Vermont, for preservation, and for the illustration of our fossil geology. The form of the cut through the rocks and the muck, and the position of the fossils, may be seen in the accompanying section. 321 1. Grinder. 2. Tusks. cavation for the Rutland and Burlington Rail Way, in the township of Charlotte, the workmen struck upon a quantity of bones, which were embedded in the clay at the depth of about eight feet below the natural surface of the ground. Some of the Irishmen remarked that they were the bones of a dead horse buried there; but little notice, however, was taken of them, till the overseers observed something peculiar in the 3. Original dividing ridge. form of several of the bones, and were, 4. Present division of water. thereby, induced to examine them more The grinder is in an excellent state of carefully. It was soon found that the preservation, and weighed 8 pounds, and bones discovered, belonged to the anterior the length of its grinding surface is about portion of the skeleton of some unknown 8 inches. The tusks are somewhat decayed, animal, the head of which had already been and one of them badly broken. The chord, broken into fragments, by the workmen, drawn in a straight line from the base to and many of the fragments carried away the point, of the most perfect tusk, meas with the earth, which had been removed. ures 60 inches, and the longest perpen- On carefully removing more of the clay, a dicular, let fall from that to the inner number of vertebræ were found, extending curve, of the tusk, measures 19 inches. in a line obliquely into the bank, and, apThe length of the tusk, measured along the parently arranged in the order in which curve on the outer surface, is 80 inches, they existed in the living animal. These FOSSIL WHALE. vertebræ were taken out, and, together with the sternum, fragments of the head, ribs, &c., were forwarded to Burlington, and, by the kindness of Messrs. Jackson & Boardman, engineers on the railroad, were placed in my hands. BONES DESCRIBED. figures in that work, it was found to resemble the living rather than the extinct types, and that the osteology of the head was very like that of the Beluga leucas, or small northern White Whale.* Having collected together all the bones By a careful examination of these bones, and fragments of the Fossil, within my I found that they belonged to some animal, reach, I proceeded with them to Cambridge, with whose skeleton I was not acquainted, Mass., and submitted them to the inspection and that there were wanting, in order to of Prof. Agassiz, who confirmed the opinion complete the skeleton, the greater part of I had formed respecting them, and, for two the head, all of the teeth, a considerable days, very kindly lent me his aid, and his number of vertebræ and ribs, and the bones great skill and knowledge of the subject, in of the limbs. I was at first in some doubt, their collocation and arrangement. Havwhether the animal belonged to the whale ing, all together, more than four-fifths of family or to the saurian; but this doubt the bones of the skeleton, he was able, from was soon removed, by a careful examination | the number, position and size of these, to of the caudal vertebræ. These were found determine the number, position and size of to have their articulating surfaces convex, those, which were missing, and thus to deand rounded in such a manner as to allow termine the size and form of the whole of a very extensive vertical motion of the animal. tail, but of a very limited lateral motion. This arrangement plainly indicated that the movements of the animal in the water, were effected by means of a horizontal caudal fin, and that it, therefore, belonged to the family of Cetacea, or Whales. The manner in which these caudal vertebræ move upon each other may be seen in the cut, where Fig. 1 represents the 13th, 14th and 15th vertebræ of the tail,-a, as they appear viewed from above-b, as seen laterally*. The head of the skeleton, as already remarked, was broken into a great number of pieces, and only a portion of the fragments recovered; but enough to determine its entire length and general form. Fig. 2 represents the head, as reconstructed out of the fragments, viewed from above; and fig. 3, a side view, with the lower jaw dropped a little below its true place. The entire length of the head is 21.2 inches. The maxillary bone on the left side is mostly wanting, but on the right side, it is entire, After having carefully removed from the so far as to embrace the alveolar margin, bones, I had received, the adhesive clay, in which is 6.85 inches in length, and perfoorder to prevent their crumbling by expo- rated for 8 teeth. The corresponding alvesure to the air, and secure their preserva-olar margin of the lower jaw measures 5.5 tion, I saturated them with a thin solution inches, and is perforated for 7 teeth. Hence of animal glue, and then proceeded to it appears that there were 16 teeth in the Charlotte in order to recover, if possible, upper jaw and 14 in the lower, making 30 the bones, which were missing. By spend- in the whole. ing several days in the search, I succeeded The teeth are all of one kind, being coniin obtaining most of the anterior portion of cal, with flat or rounded crowns, much the head, nine of the teeth, and thirteen worn, but, in their substance, very dense additional vertebræ, together with the bones and firm. They are from one to two inches of one forearm, several chevron bones, and in length, with a diameter of half an inch. portions of ribs. From the portions of the Fig. 4 represents their different forms and head, which I obtained, and the fragments sizes. Only nine of the teeth were recovpreviously received, I was able to recon-ered, and none of those were in their places struct so much of the upper and anterior when found; but, that they were in their portion of the head, as to exhibit distinctly places, up to the time the bones were first its spiracles, or blow-holes, showing un- discovered, is evident, from the fact, that, equivocally that it belonged to the Whale while every other cavity in the bones was family. My next object was to ascertain, filled with clay, the alveoli were all empty. if possible, whether it was a living, or an Of the vertebræ, 41 were secured, of extinct, species of this family. Being which four were cervical, eleven dorsal, without specimens for comparison, my only ten lumbar, and sixteen caudal. Three reliance for aid was Cuvier's great work on cervical vertebræ, the first, fifth and sixth, Fossil Bones. By a comparison of the are evidently missing, which, with the four Fossil Whale with the descriptions and The fractions after the number of the figure, when introduced in the accompanying cuts, denote the linear proportion of the cut to the object, which it represents. obtained, make seven, the usual number. These vertebræ are all free, not being soldered together, as in the common dolphin, Cuvier's Osse. Foss., Vol. V, page 299 and Plate XXII, fig. 5 and 6,-Paris edition, 1825. FOSSIL WHALE. LOCALITY. and some other cetacians. sents the third cervical vertebra. The second and twelfth dorsal vertebræ I was able to obtain the following measare missing, the whole number being thir-urements of the head, which admit of direct teen. Fig. 6, represents the seventh dor- comparison with a part of the measuresal vertebra-a, as seen from behind-b, ments, given by Cuvier, of the head of as seen laterally. Beluga leucas: Fig. 5 repre-scapula is 7 inches; the length of the humerus 5, and of the fore-arm 4 inches. The lumbar vertebræ amount to twelve, of which the sixth and twelfth are missing. Fig. 7, represents the seventh lumbar vertebra. B. vermontana. B. leucas. Length of the head, from the occipital condyles to the 21.2 inch. These vertebræ all have the same" of one side of the lower jaw, 16.5" general form, but the lateral winged pro-" of the symphysis, The eleventh and seventeenth caudal vertebræ are missing, and perhaps a nineteenth and twentieth, making the, probable, whole number, twenty. Fig. 8, represents the fourth caudal vertebra. The form of those nearer the extremity of the tail may be seen in fig. 1. From these statements, it will be seen, that the whole number of vertebræ in the skeleton was 52, eleven of which are missing. Two of the missing vertebræ were known to have been taken away, after the bones were discovered. Articulating surfaces, at the meeting of the caudal vertebræ, indicate five chevron bones, of which the fourth only is wanting. Fig. 9, represents the second chevron bone. 8.2" 3.1" 20.9 inch. 16.5" 7.8 26 3.1 46 Between these measurements, it will be seen that there is a very close agreement; but they disagree in their dental formulæ, as expressed below: B. vermontana. Dental Formula,=30: They also differ in the relative width of the maxillary and intermaxillary bones, as developed on the upper side of the snout, and also in the outlines of the head. Since the above measurements and comparisons were made, I have had an opportunity to examine the bones of three heads of B. leucas, in the Hunterian Museum, in London, and an entire skeleton of the animal in the collection of Prof. Agassiz, at Cambridge, Mass. On account of the absence of Prof. Agassiz, when I visited CamThe total length of the vertebral column, bridge, a minute comparison of my fossil due allowance being made for the eleven bones, with the corresponding bones of his missing vertebræ, and 17 inches for the skeleton, was not gone into, but a sufficient aggregate thickness of the 51 intervertebral number of bones was compared, to leave cartilages, is one hundred and thirty-seven little doubt that they belong to different inches. Of this length, the cervical ver-species of the same genus. I have, theretebræ make 10 inches, the dorsal 40, the fore, described my Beluga under the specific lumbar 48, and the caudal 39. The lum-name of vermontana, which I gave it, probar vertebræ are largest, having an average visionally, in my first account of the fossil*. length of abont 4 inches, with a diameter of 3 inches. The total length of the animal, including the head and caudal fin, must have been about 168 inches, or 14 feet. LOCALITY.--In order to prevent any doubt, hereafter, in regard to the precise place in which these fossil bones were found, I have here introduced a little map of the township Fig. 10, is the hyoid bone, and Fig 11, of Charlotte, on which I have marked the the sternum, both of which are large and locality by a black. The township is six strong, in proportion to the size of the miles square, and bounded on the west by skeleton. The former measures 8.5 inches Lake Champlain. The single lines dein a right line, from point to point, and the note the principal roads passing through latter is 15 inches long, from 34 to 7 wide, the township. The railroad passes through and on an average about one inch thick. it, from north to south, nearly parallel to The ribs are considerably decayed and the lake shore, and at an average distance broken. The longest entire rib measures of 1 mile from it. The distance between just 24 inches along the curve. Fig. 12, the two roads, which cross the railroad, one represents the anterior rib, on one side. It on the north and the other on the south is very strong, consisting of two portions, side of the locality, is about 80 rods; the of nearly equal length, of solid bone. distance to the locality, from the north Fig. 13, represents the scapula, the road, being perhaps 25 rods, and from the humerus and the bones of the fore-arm of south road, 55 rods. The northern road the left fin, in their connexion. The crosses the railway on a bridge, over the scapula and the ulna of the right side were re-excavation, elevated about 16 feet above covered, but all the other bones of the paddles are wanting. The height of the *Silliman's Journal of Science, Vol. IX, p. 256. MAP OF CHARLOTTE. the track the southern road crosses on a level with the track. The accompanying cut exhibits a section along the east side of the excavation, in which the bones were found. The surface of the ground slopes to the south, and, to the depth of four feet, consists principally of sand, showing no signs of stratification. Next, below this, is a mixture of sand and clay, finely and regularly stratified, for a depth of 2 feet, below which is a vast bed of fine blue clay, in which were observed no signs of stratification, and which appears MAP OF CHARLOTTE. FOSSIL WHALE. to have been, previous to the deposit of the stratified sand and clay above it, an extensive quagmire. A D SECTION. B A and C denote the points where the two roads, above mentioned, cross the railroad; A the northern road, and C the southern, and the line A C the distance between the c roads. From C to B, the railroad track is on the level of the natural surface of the earth; and from B to A at the bottom of the excavation in the clay bed. D indicates the point in the line of the road, where the fossil bones were found. The fossil bones were embedded in this was nearly on a level with the railway, clay, at an average depth below its surface of while the posterior parts extended obliquely nearly two feet. The head of the skeleton into the bank, towards the southeast. In was towards the northwest, was lowest, and the blue clay, with the bones, were found |