The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-26

IL is n curious fact that i'm Europe also, in
these same lower formations, there have been
found the jaws and teeth of similar mammals,
bearing all the characteristics OF insectverous
ahlmRis. Ihus we discover that all animals
before thls Jlme were tnsect-eating animals.
l will not say anything about the remains in
North America in o fossil condition, nor speak
OF their antiquity. Most remains o ex LInot ami
mails are those in the most bulky FORM and the
larger animals in this way are onstautly
bpI3Iiught bIilg 10 70 our notice. For many suppose and
DelleVe mat the animals of antiquity we're of
gigantic size compared with those of the present
Time. This arises from 1.-The circumstance
that the large homes are less liable to destruc-
tion than those of smaller animals The re-
mains OF animals are not preserved upon the
surface of the country in which they live butare
usually preserved in the bottoms Of rivers and
lakes, and not uncommonly in marshes where
the bulky animals sink into the thick mire,
ana are thereby preserved in the mud Most
remains, however, are found in the bottom of
rivers. The carcaSses of animals find their way
10 I me large streams accidentally, and are car
IIeu down Dy the currents, until after decom-
position, when the structure of bone sinks
uoWn INTO the mud. II is there covered by sand
ana mlre, ana is thus preserved. These con-
ditions and circumstances are the most favor
aDle 10 preserve the hard parts of animals, de-
priVing them from coming into contact with
the atmosphere and moisture, for while lying
lmbedded in the bottom of q river or sands of q
delta, they are entirely preserved from atmo-
spherlc acIlon. The water does not appear 10
destroy or decomp pose the structure of bOne
although no doubt IL has some deleterious effect
upon II. But the water, too, has property and
quality of preservation, by changing the char
acter of the fossil remains; and they become
petrlned-that is, turned into stone; Tor the
water having quantity OF minerals in solution,
such as carbonate of lime, fills up the pores OF
the remains and the places OF the soft sub
stances decayed, with slleX and lime, and con-
sequently the bone becomes harder and more
indestructible.
Thus it is that the prevailing impression has
been received, that the animals of antiquity
were of greater size than those of our own time;
because the only remains of extinct Species
which are invariably large, are witnessed bS us.
When, If we were to study the science, we should
learn that. since the remains of the smaller
animals, being, light are not carried down by
the streams, but are left to atmospheric action,
and consequently decay, we would have suf-
hcient reason as TO why we never behold the
remains of the smaller species OF animals of
past ages.
No less than nine species of the rhinoceros
have been found in North America, and nearly
all having the characteristics OF the Indian rhi-
noceros.
than sixteen different extinct species have been
brought to light, of all the various sizes, and
some even of dwarfish proportions and SYM
metry of structure. Several species of ex-
tincL oxen of mammoth size have been un-
earthed in America, equalling the huge OK OF
India.
discoveries OF nam mails are those OF the NAM
moth of the genus pro6osctdtd the name of q
family of mammal which has the nose pro-
longed into prehensile trunk or proboscs, as
the elephant and the mastcdon. The latter
species, called mammoth because of its gigantic
size has been found in many places in North
America; for example, the Ohio mastodon,
which is considered the most remarkable.
Fossil remains of an enormous mammal of
the genus edcntdte, that is, without teeth, called
the cezatherium, have been found in the Afissis-
sippi valley. The name is one given by CuVier,
and the animal was one of the largest Of the now
extinct mammals. 1t was of the family OfSlOthS,
trees, seeking the leaves for its nourishment.
1t has been estimated from the remains Of the
must, when standing on its posteriors, have
reached the height of seventeen feet.