The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-07

every hard surface at the bottom Of the sea
y at all moderate depths, would doubtless b
3 overgrown with some one or other of the nj
melous family Of BrachiOpoda (Trilobite.
&C. which we know TO have been abur
dant. A few Of the Conchiiera (Pectens
&c.,) with. their bivalve shells, might ais
be seen fitting about in the water, movin
by Jerks produced by the sudden shutting o
theif valves, but All infinite number and va
nety OF other animals, swimming with muci
greater freedom and elegance, and Of "a
greater size. then crowded the ocean, risin.
and sinking at pleasure. and with great "a
cllity. Some Of these were Of formidable
dimensions, exhibiting a strange spear-like
tail projecting downwards, and terminating
above in more or less powerful and sack.
like body. moving with infinite rapidity in
every direction; while others. short and al
most globular, were perhaps less active. and
sought their food in the little bays 4 inlets. :
There is a sketch in the history Of the
second epoch, wild and budding as ST.
Anthonyis dream by Teniers, vet fierce as a
group OF handful by Salvador Rosa,
- If We wish to pass in review the various
groups most characteristic Of this singular
period, concerning whose natural history We
have so many and such distinct facts record
ed, We must imagine wide tract of open
sea, into which a quantity Of fine sediment
OF calcareOus mud was in some way car
rled and deposited. From the distant land
whence this mud was washed came also oc
OCCASIONALLY trunks Of trees conveyed by ma
rine or river currents. Attached 10 them.
and also occasionally fastened 10 sea-weeds
or other floating bodies, would appear in
large elusters-(ike the lunches Of barna-
cles sometimes suspended from ships hot
tom)--the singular pentacrintes. their long
stony column fringed thickly with branches
Of articulated stone, with stony coat of mail
surrounding the pouch or stomach. and a
similar but more delicate defence covering
the extensile PROPOSES With innumera-
BILE arms widely extended in a complicated
fringe, this strange mass Of living stone ex
banded itself, and drew within It's cold EN-
brace the floating bodies ON which i, fed.
One might fancy that some marine Briareus.
looking ON the strife and Carnage Of this great
rePtilian period. whose horror. might well
have had the tabled effect attributed to the
snakes Of Medusa's head, had suddenly be-
come petrihed, retaining however It's vital
powers, and, with its complicated skeleton,
continued to perform its Office by cleansing
the SEA OF an accumulation OF decaying ami
NAL matter
g But while the Pentacrinite was thus the
floating scavenger of that period, the bottom
Of the sea, although moi covered with encri-
mites and corais, was well provided with otk-
er animals performing the same part in ma
ture. The great beds of Gryphea-the oys-
tiers OF their day-are sufficient proof Of
this, and the Terebratuls and Spiriiers tell
the same tale. Among the invertebrate ami
mails, however, the -anmonite and the be-
lemnte We're undoubtedly the most remark
able, and, al least in certain distr 5 OF the
sea, were enormously abundant Some oi
them being enclosed in shells, some enclos-
ing shells, and some perhaps not provided
with any solid framework. swan about. OF
dwelt at various depths. and by their oarni
vOrOus and voraclo,s habits greatly tended iC
Keep down the eXubeIance of the lower
forms OF life.
The neighbOrhOOd of the shore, and thu
shallow banks during this period were PEG
Piled BY multtudes Of fishes Of moderate size
living chiefly on the crabs, HOLSTERS, and she'll
fish. CT on the encrinital animals: and, for
the purpose Of crushing The shells oil such
creatures, these fishes were provided with a
pavement Of hard rough enamelled teeth fix-
ed on the palate The whole body also and
the head were covered with plates of bone
also coated with enamel, and serving as
defence against the attack of the larger am
monites and belemnites. Farther out al SCI
were tribes of sharks OF different species. al
prsdacious and carnivOOus, and many o
them of the most gigantic proportions. y,
fishes like those now common on The coast:
of England then existed on the earth.
There were also numerous othe. am
mails belonging 10 those remarkable groups
which have attempted to describe in som,
detail Imagine then one of these mon
stro,ls animals. Plesiosaurus, some sixtsel
or twenty feet long. with a small wedge
shaped crocodilian head. long arched ser
pent-like neck. short compact body, pro
vided with four large and powerful paddles
; almost developed into hands; an animal no
covered with brilliant scales. but with
; black Shiny skin. Imagine 70, momen
this creature slowly emerging from the mud
dy banks, and half walking, half creepin
along, making its way towards the neare>
water Arrived at the water, We can under
stand from its structure that il was likely 4
: exhibit greater energy. Unlike the croco
D die tribe. however. in all its propositions,
: must have been equally dissimilar in habit
E Perhaps, instead Of concealing itself in mn
e or among PUSHES. it would swim at oac
b boldly and directly to the attack. Its eno'
q nous neck stretched out to its full length
and its tail acting as a rudder, the powerful
: and frequent strokes Of its four large paddle
!, would at once give it an impulse, sending
e through the water at very rapid rat'
l. When within reach Of its prey, We may a
e most fancy that we see it drawing back i
, long neck as it depressed its body in III
+ water, until the strength Of the muscular al
e paratus with which this neck was provide,
and the great additional impetus given by ii
g rapid advance Of the animal, would combir
to produce stroke from the pointed hea
which few living animals could resist. II
d fishes, including perhaps even the sharks, Il
s larger cuttle-fish, and innumerable inhab