The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-10-16
NO. 12

| qu.inrrd.
But fierce and destructive rs this creature 70.
his cumpa nion, tn. ichthy Oseurus, 10 much more
| 50. This vas an air breathing reptile, upwards
of thirty feet long l. was covered, like the whale,
with a smo,thr naked skin. thickIy folded under
| he belly for the purpos" OF protection. Tho
| form OF the head. well as that Of the jaws and
| teeth, was like the crocodile. Its eyes wns very
| large being eighteen inches, across. md adapted
70 nlI IighIs night and day, deep and sho'iow va
| tr, were all thu same, and tho open cir and dceS
ocean were alike transparent 10 l.. II moved with
! d ffiruy ou land. hut swain win ease and swift
- III" water, whilst ITS large a1d Vrriicai t"i!
mad" II . strange mixture Of 'hc ssh, rfP'i'c' G"a
wtnlr.
But whilst lo"k,ng upon the sea, we must No,
forget the animals That are around lhr IanC:
| for there are monsters on land as strange nod
fearful rs any that inha6 the deep. Indeed, MIS-
seems to be- the age "i monsters; +; ard ihrr" ats
around US reptiles as terrible as the famous d.a.
| gnn of fable, no was slain by cur nozzle >.
G~nrgr.
Fmst and FOREMOST amongs: these is a lurg" We.
g"rnbIe.eniing reptile, called the iguanodom. The
b'des Of Two If the largest elephants would nos
make up that enormous carcase. The legs arc
ten feet high from the feet TO the point OF tho
sh"u'd,r. 1t il between sixty and seventy lCel
long, and per parenthcsis-ihe specimen rCs.
rorrd at the Crystal palace, Sydrnhsm, is sutii.
r"ntIy nrge to admit Of twenty gentlemen dining
in the inside ot il. But there oiher creatures
ass"cinted nth it, scarcely inferior in size, and
more rugged in their form. The mrgal"snurus,
or gr' at saur"ld, is amongst the most rcnnrkH.
bic nf thu group; but there are others which Rrs
@: I.sS size. though OF mnre monstrous shapes
The l"bvrnhodnn, frog like reptile, was per.
haps the ugly and grotrsqne creature thai
that ever breathrd; bot the pteroduciylus was. Of
all creatures, the most singular.
Sm retaining the old cost in our maginaiIGn
may behold the prerodacty!us sitting on tha
ground standing like a swan, "sh the long
neck resting upon The back to support with ease
the heavy head. which is like ihn, Of The croct-
die Approach il, and it will rise into Tho air
aud fv like n bird, or cling against the cT like
hnt. Whilst you which il. it will perhaps leave
the ro'k and taking TO the sea, commence fish.
ing. You will thus PERCEIVE TIM: this creature
possesses in the OrganlZarion Of one ANIMAL tho
head "f the crncndile, the neck Of The swan, ihs
wings of IN" bat. Il rude resemblance 10 the haBd
OF a nau, md legs and feet which enabled It TO
swim and walk. Ia oil points Of bony structure.
from The teeth to The extremity OF the nails il wa.
a reptile, covered with scnly armor, and having
ru" rrplian heart and circulating organs.--
But it was at III" same time provided in ver~
admirable way with The means OF flying Its wings.
when not in use, were folded back like ,hpso % -
bird, and it could suspend itself with claws ~.
tach"d TO III" fingers from The branches a tree.
It's usual position, " hen not in motion, or suspend.
ed, Standing its hind feet. with lis neck SC!
up and curved back ward. lest The weigh, Of tho
enormous head should disturb the equilibrium Of
III" animal. With the hug" monsters already drI.
cIted crawling over III" land, and tens Of thous.
ands of those fvrng reptiles towering ronnd the
rocks darkrning the air with their wings. En-.
land must have heen strange p!nce in the .irnss
Of the iguan"don.
II sill thus be how much may b. Learn.
fr'm fc" homes 4 poor woI kZan, in breaking
n sfon" in TiIgate quarry. England, oand The oo!i.
Of an iguan"dom mbrddtd in a. lie sold !. Tor n
pot Of b. u man Of science, y hn soon pcrcriy.
I'd that it could not have belonged 80 any known
animal. On further scnsch bring mad", other
bones discovered. and the hole structure 81
the animal then known. Near it were fnund
the bones Of oIh"r creatures who had lived along
with il; "nd gradually, as tho light enters dark
room III" whole country thus came back 20 III
pe"pl d with i's former inhabitants and wo hav"
only To pu"s over the picture with the poet nnd
artist, and We live for while in thrsr old times
OLD that il TO the morning 0f tho world.
But rho whole now gon". Death has swept
hem into his garner, and nothing bu h,ir bcrca
remain 10 tell the story Of their lie.