The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-04-23

, 90 Internal receptacle Of refuge for their
tliving young. II is evident, moreover,
tina. the ilydrarchos did not masticate its
food, bu, gorged it entire, although, says
Dr.. Koch, il was provided with palate
bones which might have been used simply
to crush its food. lis greatly elongated
snout was armed with fifty or more spear
shaped i~ncisors whose fangs were deeply
inserted in s~pear-shaped sockets. The
pivocation is in the extreme anterior ones,
and only marked by a groove the spear
shaped crown of these teeth is divided INFO
more or less minor spear-shaped fronts,
which increase or diminish in number &C.
cording 10 the situation the tooth occupies
in the rumus ; the central one of them is
the largest, and those nearest the gum are
the smallest. These crowns are covered
by a thick coating Of enamel, which had a
rough surface, and are marked by small
scale-like elevations which are narrow,
lauce,>shaped, and elongated, with their
points upwards" "All the iucisors are
so set in the rumus and maxillia, that their
extremities have an inclination backward
towards the palate, like the shark, and
,ha; the victim caught could easily enter
the mouth, bu! could not possibly escape"
The canine teeth correspond with the in
cisors IN this position, while they are from
six 10 eight inches long.
That the creature was an oir-breathing
reptile, Is conc|usively inferred from the
nasal cavity, in which the poslerior vents
are al he back parl Of the mouth, enabling
i, 10 respire. deeply aud freely. 1t is not
improbable that, like the Pleisiosaurus this
s,upendous serpent was a coasting rather
han a deep ocean reptile, as indeed are
all known marine creatures OF a kindred
form. Not only its necessity OF breathing,
but the p,odigious size and muscularity
OF is c%ervical vertebrm, indicate its habit
ct rearing i,seltabove the WATER and when
we also examine the peculiar structure
and marvellous strength of its massive lum-
bar vertebra, which may be regarded as
the axis Of its muscular power, we feel
authorized 10 conclude that it could erect
nearly ,wo>thirds Of its entire length from
this basis, in a majestic curve above the
surface OF the tide-olen, doubtless, in
tranquil seasons, a glowing mirror of its
gorgeous form and stately movements
Its eyes, 100, which were from six 10 eight
inches ia diameter, were so prominently
situated on the forehead as TO secure j, a
vas, circle of vision, and render it a vivid
object Of terror; and when Job says of his
leyialhan that " his eyes are like The eye
lids Of the morning." the force and beauty
OF the poetic hyperbole are as appropriate
TO the eyes Of the Hydrurchos as 10 those
OF any ANNA, not purely imaginary, of
which we can torn an idea.
Upon the general osseous structure Of
this mighty being, we will quote the de-
scription given by DR. Koch -" The
propelling motion of the animal was, like
that OF all the serpent tribe, dependent up
on the action of its powerful vertebre, and
The strong muscles and ligaments acting in
harmony with them. The strong and
lengthy tail, was more PARTICULAR. used
as u rudder 10 direct its course, as well as
tor The purpose Of propelling. The trans.
verse processes, which are very large in
the whole spinal column. are more es-
pecially so in the caudal or tail vertebre,
the canal for The spinal marrow is very
much compressed aud fiat. and the spinous
processes have a great inclination back :
ward, probably enhancing lis spring
ing or eJaculative power.] The dorsal
ard lumbar vertebre are greatly elongated,
measuring each from fourteen 10 eighteen
inches in length, and having a circumfer>
encs Of from twenty.lour to thirty inches.
Their construction differs from those of
any animal with which | am acquainted
as each body of these vertebre is compos-
ed OF five sections. In the center, we OBJ.
serve the main body 10 which all the pro-
cesses are atsched, and which measures
from five 10 seven inches in length 10
both exlremi'ies of this is u pelvis. The
section is anglelozed, measuring from
three to four inches in length. aud 10 the
extremiIies Of these again we find q pelvis
The whole is angleiozed and ossifed TO,
setaer in an adult, but will seperate in
younger animals, as have had an oppor
tunlty Of observing personally. iDr.
Koch found several imperfect skeletons OF
younger specimens Of this ereature.] The
cerV'cle, or neck, and the ~coxyxal, or tail
vertebIe, have powerful processes, but
their bodies have not the addrIonal divis-
ion. described above, as found in The dor
sal and lumbar vertebre. The ribs are
OF a very peculiar shape and form /; so
much so that know OF no animal to which
might compare them. The greater
nu Der are small and remarkably slender
on their superior e%xlremilies, until we ar.
rive within Two thirds of The length toward
the Inferior extremities. where they begin
10 increase in thickness most rapidly, so
that near the lower parls, where thew are
fiattened, they have three or four times
the circumference Tint lheu hnun nm ~