The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-09-23

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Dr.. Albert Koch, the ssihsnt naturalist.
delivered the first Of . series Of thrss -
lures on subjects connected with geology
and natural history, in the entertainmenS
ball Of the Museum last evening. ~.
The lecture embodied descriptions Of taS
largest and most remarkable extinct creq
lures. commencing with the great Saurians
which remind one strongly Of the fableo
dragons ofolden times. Among others, be
spoke of the Ptertactilus. or flying no,'s-
tar, and the Plessiossaurus with it's long
arched neck But the largest and most rs.
markable specimen yet found is the Zeug-
lodon, now on exhibition ut the Museum
Many facts concerning this monster have
already appeared ia this paper, but the, lee,
turer gave particulars which were not men,
toned in his former lecture. The head Of
the animal is small compared with the 9th,
or parts Of the body, from which and other
circumstances he would deduce that -,
could move very rapidly. The expanse Of
the chest indicates that Il must have had
immense size. The tail was Of great length,
and It is probable that Il was the animals
means of locomotion as well as weapon
Of defense. The feet were very small, and
bore q remarkable resemblance to those Of
=
the seal.
The lecturer gave an interesting descrip-
tion Of the Estuary, with its islands, where
the, Zeuglodon and its contemporaries
lived, as far as this ancient bay can be
described from it's rocks and other deposits.
These geological investigations have been
most Spccessful in Alabama, the ZeulodoH
having been discovered in Washington
county, Alabama. The lecturer then pass
ed to other fossil remains found in the
Estuary, among the most interesting of
which was the I4aborynthator. The skull
Of this creature resembles that Of q frog,
whiIs its fee: were not unlike the human
hand, from which it was first called the
''hand animal" It must, however, hetN
been much longer than the domestic *. Go
ing up hihger to the diluvian species, we find
specimens Of MAmmalia. the most remarkx-
ble Of which was the Mastodon. Its size
exceeded considerably that of the elephant,
aid it was much more powerfully formed.
They inhabit what is now known as the
United States and extended rs far south
ward as Beunos Ayres. AZ
Tne Mammoths were next referred to- -
They exceed in size even the Msstodon.
This animal possessed enormous tusks. II
was an aquarian animal, and its tusky
were used, as the speaker expresssdaik lika
harrow, to plough up the bottom of rivsfs
for animals upnn which it fed. The tusks
were also used as an anchor when the ami
NAL was inclined to rest The Missourium,
huge animal, specimen Of whose
remains are now in the British Musem,.
was larger species. IT was gifted with
hugetusks, which, the speaker believed were
used to make its road through cane bushes
and swamps, and also as defensive weap-
ons. Its teeth were larger than the Masto>
dons, but were similarly formed.
Another remarkable animal was found il
the bogs Of Ireland. 1t was known as the
Irish Elk, and resembled the moose. The
speaker alluded to many other species Of
this genus, and some interesting particu.
lars of their manner of living.