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 Perry Hay

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.