Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-03-26
WHOLE NUMBER lY8.

WHOLE NUMBER. l8.
SON. In Australia, these two classes,
the gigantic birds and kangaroos, lived
together az members Of the same fauna,
and the kangaroos still remains. Aus
|tralia is the land described in the
,7',urnal Of Commerce, in it's issue Of
Nov. 19, 1853, as the land of contrQ,ie,
-" where the north is the hot. wind,
and the south the cool; where tho
swans are black, and the eagles white;
where certain quadrupeds have. the
bills, feet and spurs Of aquatic birds
where the kangaroo has five claws on
his paws, three talons on his hind legs
like bird, and yet hops on his TAIL"
and where our river fishes inhabit the
waters Of the ocean, and viee versa.''
This report of DR.. Hitchcock shows
us that New England was once this
land of contraries, for its inhabitants
were the animals now found in Aus
tralia. The description Of the kanga-
roo referred to, corresponds precisely
with certain tracks found in this book
|-fve-clawed paws Of the front feet,
the three talons Of the hind foot, with
the mark Of the tail found upon the
stone, all indicate similar animal
These tracks, with those Of the large
birds, make the resemblance quite
complete; so that we cannot say that
New England was once inhabited by
animals fitted to walk upon an untin-
ished continent, but that Australia is \
land inferior at the present day. in its
progress OF development, to all the
rest of the world. ly he. siae-f; 10
This Connecticut bird, as has been
calculated, must have been ol2 feet
high, and have weighed from 500 to
800 pounds; for its foot was 18 inches
long, and covered an area of 13 inch
|es, and its stride varied from 80 to so
inches.
y - 80
!! The "ornithoid lizards or batrackians''
from group of animals never before
described, being intermediate between
birds and lizards or batracians. The
largest species is distinguished from
the largest bird chiefly by the presence
OF a long, slender tail, which often was
turned from side to side as the animal
waddled along.
The most remarkable of all these
tracks is that of a supposed frog, whose
largest foot measures 20 by Ii inches,
covering an area of about one and .
half square feet. Its front feet are less
than half the size Of the hind feet; the
hind feet are wcbbed, and terminated
with pellets instead of claws, and the
mark of tail is sometimes visible up
on the specimens. Such a frog was
truly immense, and might appropriate
" be styled the father of croakers.
The description of Several species Of
tracks formed in the historic period,
presents one interesting addition to
this subject. Among these are the
tracks of man; and the conclusion i,
certainly fair, that had he existed when
the other animals left their footmarks
upon stone, his would be found among
them. This conclusion il not new, but
. corresponds with the whole testimony
Of geology, which can point to 10 AMI
NAL created later than man. 7aa
There are several conclusions at
which the author arrives. First, tho
tracks were made while yet the rocks
containing them were in a plastic slate,
; and have since been hardened by heat
and chemical agency. Second, the
tracks were made on tho shores of An
estuary, or lake, or river, where ami
mails resorted for food, as they now do.
This estuary extended from New
Haven, CT, to the South line Of Yer
mont, along the Cunuecticut river,
, varying in width from to 80 miles.
Third, the climate was tropical.
Fourth, an interesting moral conclu~
sion we give in the authors language.
; "We see, in the preceding details, how
the highest actions of ours, even the
most unnoticea decisions of our wills,
; may make an impression on the globe,
which will endure, and may be read a.
Hong as the earth exists Ia..i