The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-20
LECTURES LAST NIGHT.
THE ACE Of DRsGoHs.
DIR. Bsynies.'s Lerfmre nj the Cooper


The ffth OF the Cooper Institute series OF lee
turcs was delivered last night by DR.. j. +. Boyn-
ton Before the appearance OF the Doctor 1t was
announced that his last Sundays lecture wond be
in substance repeated tonight Monday WIN be the
last of the present series but under the provisions OF
the trust deed arrangements had been made for
ond SERIES Next Saturday Dr. Boynton will give a
matinee for ladies ana children exclusively, to
which the tickets for this course will be available.
The doors wn open at one P. NJ. and close at two,
or earlier If the hall is hlled In the evening Of
that day a lecture or exhibition being in
substance a reproduction OF the Paris Exposition
viii be gwen 10 which no tickets would be required.
Gier lectures announced for the I'd OF January
with promise OF others on succeeding Saturdays.
Dr. Boynton On his appearance was received by
the audience as an old friend and with applause.
Referring back his previous lectures, he said they
had arrived NJ what were called secondary for
nations They had seen the primitive and transit
tonal rocks, which lay under the Others, protecting
them from the central beat. They had found the
traces OF hfe in the Surian and Devonian systems
and they had also seen the carbOnaceous system.
These secondary rocks were sedementary and had
been DEPOSITED ON top OF the carDonaceOus system
ano we're, therefore, subsequent 10 it, Before this
they had found but animals living in the waters fish
among the vertibrates, but With gills crustacea
moisks and radiata. Now they have arrived at the
period wien reptiles appeared vertbrates. intended
10 live OF the surface. and so had lungs. These
however, were cold blooded though breathing air.
few words should be first said as to the mineral
red sandstones Of which our houses were built be-
longed Ia TINS period. though neither TO the very
New York belonged to later period of art. It was
period OF very great volcanic disturb
IN nsD great
masses OF clay, the washings Of rivers had accumu
lated and ultimately been solidined by the infltra-
ton OF salts OF iron and sometimes OF lime. Now,
first they came upon the tracks of animals. In set
ting the sand and clay were often separated, the
Clay beng carried farther, as more thoroughly dis
solved by light cement. The matter for these de-
positions came down in the overflow Of rivers on
their flood bottoms Creatures walking on this fine,
tough, mlcaceous mud left their tracks upon 1t.
There were preserved such tracks where ten steps
mad been taken oy the creature to the inch. Again,
there were bird like tracks, were in one instance
the track was twenty-five inches long and
All these a were mprnteS on t the cay
and preserved by its hardening. These forma-
Ions were many thousand ieer IN tnca r,
these tracks varied greatly Some Of these creatures
were frogke in FORM but as large in size as an OK.
Other reptians were as large as two elephants. In
deed some Of the thigh bones discovered were so
large that If divided In four eight they would bs
been created a trial what weight could be placed
on bones without crushing them. Though OF course
the Creator made no mere experiments.
When coming from the realm OF nshes to that of
true reptiles they found, as in the natural history OF
class was that Of the bairaichansetoads, frogs
NEVIS sirens and salamanders. Sometimes now
washed Out Of the great limestone foundations Of
Central New 0rk. and were picked up far from their
native naultatiOn with DOtn glllS ana lungs. Iney
were all Matched from eggs, as was the chicken, but
unlike the chicken, did not come forth perfect, but
tadpoe state; their womb was the water me
lowest, living existence has to come from an egg.
The germs were indistnguisnabe by the microscope.
IL HAD been thought by some that vegetable and
animal germs might be distinguished by the presence
or absence OF starch but starch had been found in
some animal germs. II was difficult In view OF this
for the microscopic to draw the line of division
Batrnctrians are the most interesting class OF
animals. A series OF Investigations were now being
conducted concerning them, Dy supporting
by others as opposing the Darwinian theory. II
be established The facts OF the Almighty could |
moi contradict him. There was peculiar oppor- |
not developed at once, but portions at q time. They
had al an early stage a tan like alligator aud i
rlls some species retained these TO the end: in |
others they were absorbed as the new organs were
developed. These were developed in different order
IN different species-sometimes the fore legs first,
sometimes the hind. In the frogs and toads they
commenced in tadpoe state, then the feet were
put out two al a Tune the tall and glls were alb
assumed, the hind feet were webbed for |
swimming the elbows were spread out so as
from their leaps. he was changed from herblvor-
Gus TO a cainiyorous animal. Man passed In ms
as concerned the nervous system; but he went be-
you'd until ultimately he had brain weighing thir
verucal position, with the powers which enabled
linn 10 seek Inventions 10 free himself rom the ties
q instinct and investigate the laws Of his being
II was strange about the hatrachlans that some
times the reproductive organs became perfect and
they produced offspring while In the embryonic
ttate. The question was, would these offspring re-
main in the embryonic state or so on to |
Perice,IIop II the former, i went snoc far
bu he believed that nature sought TO restore TO per
fc Ion. lie had not heard OF the transmission OF |
wooden legs. The resi- or the lecture illusira-
tee with dIoramlc pictures and diagrams, the room |
be ne darhcncd. II was necessary 70 keep before |
Tie mind the chart Of the series OF 66-OoO feet. "a |
diagram OF the geologic series was here presented
TIE FIRST four volumes they had now read through |
AM had come 10 the pernan, the Tnassic ami the
Tr.fn pxyl Hin Tor
aLd Post Tertiary. The Oblitic named from its |
aggregation Of little pellets OF lime the Tnassc |
lis locality in Europe. Vegetation, which had |
commenced IN the siiurlan region, came
the period o. the great coal beds. Lenife kind Of
secondary coal had been found In the nassic iorma-
lions oi New Jersey ard had grown with these
enormous reptiles. In the carbonherous age began
the existence OF creatures Of the protean type l4e
lecturer here spoke at length Of the extraofdi
nary volcanic forces OF that PERIOD explaining how
the basaltic rocks which compose the palisades and
appear in many parts OF the world were formed
by the intrusion OF molten matter forced 10
IRON beneath and penetrating between rocks
already formed, ana then cooling ua a.s
force had upheavcd the edges OF great
neids OF the secondary formations ana wrinklcd
item. ard this wrnkling SIN going on, ~ had
teen seen In the quarrics ~ Connecticut another
eject Of thsse molten rocks wa toe change IN the
pont oi contact. Fossilnerous limestone had been
eauccd MO me marble wtH OIL trace % the fossils
removed. Sandstone had Deen melted into quartz.
mean, the great centre Of volcanic action, was the
ilace the hnast marbles and TIE CREATES scuptnis
30 Nesu.nske earthquakes h9i some kooi.
me ,asskilS we're The upper series OF the pcvonan
Tor the carOUlaceous formations we SHOULD nave 20
10 to Uiaer atCs TO Jersey amt connecticut for she
ibas-ir; 10 Europe los tue ltrihl. iic series vac
nov here complete. Above MI was thai Post Tertiary
In winch ,ods SIX days wee done IN when
man and tis servant ANIMALS wrrc created. ~ The
groups OF animals were represented IN successive
formations hut by different speeches: but III sucycs-
ri, e formations, new types were aided. The nau-
Iins. earl, type came 10 ITS greatest buk ~ tis
secondary age and then d'><itJ bat came down
to the present. the xnlnonite died IN TINS aye
The rain drops had lett their marks
these stones. ~ he had seen them ofl the
mud ~ Newark showing the direction Of the WIND.
A tornado had written Its mark IN broken trees and
animals killed b. their fan. Cracks rom The drying
Of The mud were preserved. lie pointed out on