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

In Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, the writer examined teeth and bones of two mastodons which had been found in Auglaize County, but the exact localities were not known.

30. See page [75].

31. Ohio City, Van Wert County.—In 1848 (Amer. Jour. Sci., ser. 2, vol. V, p. 215), Whittlesey stated that a mastodon tooth had been found at this place, and further, that it had been mentioned by Charles Lyell. It was found in alluvium and rested on a blue marl. The locality is in the vicinity of the Lima moraine.

32. Columbus Grove, Putnam County.—In 1913, Mr. H. B. Maple, of this town, sent to the U. S. National Museum for identification a lower left first molar, found in gravel 3 miles north of the town, near the border of ancient Lake Maumee.

33. Liberty Township, Putnam County.—In 1874, Professor N. H. Winchell (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. II, pt. 1, p. 392) told of the finding of large bones, supposed to belong to a mastodon, just southeast of the center of section 6, in draining the Medary marsh, in the township named (Tp. 2 N., R. 7 E.) The bones were in a sandy loam along the north side of the Leipsic ridge, a part of the Defiance moraine. Another was found in section 8 of the same township. The remains consisted of two teeth, bones of the posterior extremities, and a fragment of a tusk. The limb-bone was removed 23 feet from the tusk. These remains lay at a depth of about 3 feet from the surface. Other large bones, mastodon or elephant, were found in section 7, Ottawa Township (Tp. 1 N., R. 7 E.). This was evidently on the south side of the ridge mentioned, but yet probably north of Blanchard River.

34. Springfield Township, Lucas County.—In 1873 (Geol. Surv. Ohio, vol. I, pt. 1, p. 556), Dr. G. K. Gilbert wrote that Dr. J. B. Trembley, of Toledo, had informed him that a tooth of a mastodon had been obtained from a marsh in Springfield, Lucas County. It is probable that Gilbert meant Springfield Township. He could not ascertain the exact locality, but he remarked that all the marshes of that township date from the formation of the lowest and most recent of the raised beaches and that it was almost certain that the tooth is not less recent than they. Springfield Township is nearly in the center of this county.

In 1886 (Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci., vol. IV, p. 309), Dr. E. Sterling, of Cleveland, wrote that about 15 years previously a mastodon skeleton had been found in a cranberry swamp in Lucas County; but no more exact location was given. A large ditch was being made where the muck of the bog was about 8 feet deep and rested on a layer of “hard pan.” The skeleton was badly decayed. What proof the writer had that the remains belonged to the mastodon is not stated.

35. Jackson Township, Wood County.—From a clipping taken from the Toledo Blade of January 15, 1919, with 2 illustrations, it is learned that Mr. John Welsh, of the township named, while digging a trench on his farm, unearthed a tooth of a mastodon. The pictures show that it was a considerably worn, lower right hindermost molar. Jackson Township (Tp. 3 N., R. 9 E.) is in the southwestern corner of the county. From Mr. Welsh the writer learns that the locality is 3.5 miles northeast of Deshler and in section 17. The tooth was buried at a depth of 4 feet. The locality is well within the area covered by old Lake Maumee.

36. Carey, Wyandot County.—In April, 1911, Mr. O. N. Copley, Cary, sent to the Smithsonian Institution a much-worn lower left first true molar, found at Cary, in muck, at a depth of 3 feet. With it was found also a canine tooth of a bear, apparently Ursus americanus. These were buried near the Defiance moraine.

37. Old Fort, Seneca County.—At Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, the writer was told of a mastodon which had been found at Old Fort, and was in the possession of Mr. J. A. Gillmor, of Fremont, Ohio. Upon inquiry Mr. Gillmor stated that the tooth, of which he sent a sketch, had been found in 1909 in a low and marshy piece of tiled ground which lies east of Sandusky River, opposite Old Fort. The tooth was very superficially buried, for it was turned up by the plow. Mr. Gillmor stated that in constructing the Nickel Plate Railroad, not far from where the tooth was found, some large bones had been discovered. The locality is north of Defiance moraine and on the old bed of Lake Maumee.