The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-05-18


ed in the hardened mud we're complete.
The sheep hAc gone down into the hollow
shortly after the retreat of the waters, and
while 1t was yet soft and the dog, either
acting upon his own judgment, or on that
Of the shepherd, had driven them back.
A little farther on found the prints of
shoea foot Of small size. They passed
onwards across the hollow, the steps get
ting deeper and deeper as they went, until
near the middle, where there were few
irregular steps, shorter, deeper and more
broken than any of the others and then
the marks of the small shoes altogether
disappeared, and a small naked loot of
corresponding size took their place, and
formed long line to the opposite bank.
In this case as in the other, the details of
the incident were clelr. Some urchin, in
venturing across when the mud was yet
soft and deep, after wading nearly half
the way shod, had deemed it more pru-
dent to wade the rest of it barefoot than
to bemire his stockings. In each case the
incident was recorded in peculiar charac-
ters and to read such characters Alright,
when inscribed upon the rocks, forms part
of the proper work of the ichnologist. His
key, so far at least as mere incident is
concerned, is the key of circumstautial
evidence; and very curious events, as |
have said events which one would scarce
expect to find recorded in the strata of
ancient systems-does it at times serve to
unlock.
In some remote and misty age, lost in
the deep obscurity Of the unreckoned
eternity that hath passed, but which we
have learned to designate as the Triassic
period, a strangely formed reptile, unlike
anything which now exists, passed slowly
across the ripple-marked sands of lake
or estuary. 1t more resembled frog or
toad than any animal with which we are
now acquainted; but to the batrachian
pecuiarities it added certain crocodilian
features, and in size nearly rivaled one of
our small Highland oxen. The prints it
made very much resembled those of
human hand but as in the frog, the
hinder paws were fully thrice the fore
ones and there was a gigantic massive
ness in the fingers and thumb, which those
Of the human hand never possess. On
ward the creature went, slowly and de-
liberately, on some unknown errand,
prompted by its instincts and as the
margin of the sea or lake, lately deserted
by the water, possessed the necessary
Elasticity it retained every impression
sharply. The wind was blowing strongly
at the time, and the heavens were dark
with gathering shower On came the
rain; the drops were heavy and large
and beaten aslant by the wind, they pene-
trated the sand, not perpendicularly. as
they would have done had they fallen du-
ring calm, but at considerable angle.
But such was the weight of the reptile,
that. though the rain drops sank deeply
into the sand on every side, they made
but comparatively faint impressions in its
footprints, where the compressive effect of
its tread rendered the resisting mass more
firm. We have here, in single slab,'
says DR.. Buckland, in referring, in his
address to the Geological Society for lS4O
to these very footprints, and their adiuncts
I'VE have here, in single slab, COM
bination of proofs as to meteoric, hydros-
tatic, and locomotive phenomena, which
occurred at time incidentally remote, in
the atmosphere, the water, and the move
ments of the animals, from which we infer
with the certainty of cumulative circum.
strntial evidence, the direction of the wind
the depth and course of the water, and
the quarter towards which animals were
passing. The latter it indicated by the
direction Of the footsteps which form the
track /; the size and curvature of the rip.
ple-marks on the sand, now converted into
sandstone, show the depth and direction
of the current while the oblique impress
sions of the rain-drops register the point
from which the wind was blowing at or
about the time when the animals were
passing"