, 1870-09-10
a GIGANTIC BONE
4 Portion of n Hugo H1Rstodon Exhumed
Near Anrafn-DimrnsloDs OF thc Bone
The Entire Auia,at Fnlly
Fifteen Feet High.

Az has been noticed " our news columns, there
Was found near Aurusa, In this State. not
long since, gigantic bone, supposed to belong to
the skeleton ot some of the extinct auluals It
was discovered while digging a well In low,
siourhy place, and vas imbcdded In the Garth
about seven fee1 from the surface. 4 gentleman
eo1nectcd with the Academy Of Sciences hos 70
Ssnsiy sslts, Aurora ie. ne rurose Of nquirtng
species Of ,Aassodon called X. Giean,tas. A.
and e, the lctt hau,tr,.s, the bon:
elbow Of man. II measures In length fof,y-gour
inches, In lateral iametcr NJ either end one loot
and IN tue narrow part At the centre six inches.
secns to be nothing strange or CURIOUS III the BONG
Of the mastolcn having been found, fo1 during
the last ten years there have been large number
country, and from single bone 50 small that
experts could only by tlint Of much study make
ont to what species 1t belonged, TO whole skele-
from Elk inches to ten feet fyoM the surface and
always n situation that made it certain they hal
ntrn Kept moist. usually io marsh; they hive
earth, and upon the mafly clnE, aud usually the
several pieces Of q single skeleton Have been
ruch scattered. they have been found to be IN
1.xsy bone TO fraS,le, cruEbltns mass, ready 10
fail 10 nieces on being touched. In none Of these
particulars does the AnEora specimen show Us any
veal nnyth1nR new regarding this gigantic beast,
long ages ago c1termtnate1 But, ii is SIZE. il fnr
eXccctis nythlnE heretofore known,and Indicates
an animal OF such monster dimensions that It
EtQggers the imagination 10 conceive Of It.
Were not the individuals who took the measure
ments Of this bone. gentlemen OF matnted juaS-
ment and care, VIC should be strongly Inclined 10
doubt The correctness Of their ngures. II the d.
menelcns given are accurate, the specimen is
Eearly tour Inches longer than any otder similar
bone as yet d!kcorcreti, aud, when. fitted to the
living body Of It's owner. must have formed mart
Ct an animal little less than fifteen feet high The
value Of The trophy slay be understood wnen We
!~;a,s1s !; a,"t 1sse tses high that being
tcs's mounted Skeleton il Hos-
ton, while the Cchoes nassodon, IN Albany,
specimens in our own Academy OF Sciences The
tailtet measures eight feet and nine inches; both
of these. however, It ts quite generally conceded.
were somewhat younger than adult animals The
the way, have been secured by the academy.
and Will room BE- deposited permanently IN tta
e01!cct!on-are little less in size
tran the Warren nastodon; a few ZONES recently
;.Un, ara considerably larger 1asa thesc, % but raj
lar sLott OF the dimensions OF the Aurora specl-
men. Let those who have leen freqnensers OF
thr mnstum on Wabash avenue. and who have
s'een amazed a. the proportions Of the larger
skeletons Of the horse and OF. imagine m,lG
they tan,-tncrc8sed in Size until hts vertical
measurement shall be slx feet greater, and then
aon0et that race OF the brute creation, which
Fcclonel among its number even though but few
whole land. Snch they undoubtedly did. for they
arc being exhumed fsom awAtnps and wet pisces
all over the country, and might, without doubt,
1t found tn the dry earth too. were II not for the
ure md uryness through the ages. they have long
uGo gone bkck to the dust tney came if0M.