New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-09
Ancient Life Of America.


from the Chronicle.
Ancient Life Of America.
Professor j. V. Hayden, furnishes the
following interesting particulars OF Won
derful discovery to the New York World:
The barren, treeless plains of the far
West are at this time invested with singu-
lar and profound interest to the man Ct
science. .
of the extinct inhabitants that roamed over
those now arid plains thousands of years
400. have been brought to light by the
vsr;ons exploring expeditions We regard
With a sort of reverertiai awe the ancient
remains dug up from the ruins OF Rome and
the Holv Land, and view with sort OF vague
wonder the remarkable cities among the
luxurient forests OF Central America, yet
these wonderful inhabitants OF Colorado,
wyoming o, and Dakota were dead and buried
untold ages before the people who conceived
these rains had an existence. We bestow
the highest honors of Literature on the his
torian of our own time, as Motley. Bancroft
and Others and yet the period OF human
history is but a day compared with the in
Vulnerable ages of the past with winch the
geological historian has to deal.
II is the province Of the geOlOgist to re-
with the accent inhabitants; to cover the
surface with the original seas, lakes, noun
tains and forests. This is what Lyell so
antly calls the charm of discovery, and
with a true enthusiasm he quotes the beau
tiful sentiment of the historian Medium:
ale who calls what has vanished back
again into being enjoys bliss like that OF
creating" -
One Of the most remarkable results of the
United States geological survey, under my
charge during the past season, was the dis
coyery by Professor Cope, in the dad
lands" of Colorado, of one of those wonder
full eraveyards of a long past period. dis
tinct from that OF Wyoming, and contain
ing the osseous remains of a great popula-
ii N of beasts of totally different species
and even orders from those of the latter age
and region. They resemble more nearly
those of the White river of Nebraska. but
MANY have been obtained by Professor Cope
not known here or elsewhere. So far, be
has proven the existence of more than 100
species, some represented by thousands of
individuals OF these at least seventy are
new to science. They range from the size
of the mole to nearly that of the elephant;
sixteen species only are reptiles
Many forms OF lnsecIvorOus animals re-
lated to the mole, and of very small size.
haved been procured. The delicacy and
minuteness of these fossils is surprising.
Gnawing animals, or rodents; lett nume1-
GUS remains of eighteen species, some not
larger than the domestic mouse. Some
were the predecessors of the rabbits, others
of squirrels and others of mice.
OfelOven- footed quadrupeds great many
species have been found. Some were near
ly intermediate between the deer and hog
in structure. Like the latter, they had no
horns. They were about as large as a sheep.
Others were about the size OF gray squirrels,
being the smallest of this class of animals
ever discovered. Several species of horses
were living during the same period, as is
proven by the bones and teeth which have
been discovered.
Their relative, the rhinoceros, abounded
in Colorado in former days, no less than
seven species having been procured By Pro
fessOr Cope. One OF the specimens is a per
feet skull, with teeth complete, and covered
with the moss-like capitalization seen in
the moss agate. But the most remarkable
monsters of the past whose existence has
been disclosed by the present survey are
series of horned species related to the rhi
noceros, but possessing some features in
which, according to Professor Cope they
resemble the elephant. They stood high on
the legs and had short feet, but possessed
Gaseous horns in pairs on different parts of
the head. One of the largest species
had huge horn over each eye, while
nose, and more than foot in length, resem-
bling on the back part of the head the OK,
etc. A third one, of larger size than the
last, had rudimental horns on the nose.
Still another was about as large as the
elephant. Its cheek bones were enormous
ly expanded and its horns were fiat A fifth
species had triangular horns turned out
ward. The first mentioned species has been
named by Professor Cope miobasiieus
ophryas,' and the others have been placed
IN new genus. 1t is claimed by Professor
Cope that their structure disprOves entirely
the statement OF a recent writer, that the
presence of horns in pairs is an indication
OF relationship to the Illuminating animals
loxen, ETC., for these beasts are quite near
the rhinOceros.
Carnivorous species we're not rare in this
ancient family. and served as now to check
the too rapid increase. Of the fourteen
species known there were tiger cats, dogs,
hyA nOdOns and tomarctos, a new genus
found by. Professor Cope. This resembles
a dog and was as large as the black bear,
but was much more carnivOrOus in its pro-
pensitles; hyBnodOns were as large and
had as many flesh teeth, while some of the
cats had remarkably long canine or eve
teeth. In new species, the size of the
panther, these teeth greatly resembled those
of a shark.
The reptiles embrace turtles, lizards and
SNAKES, the last two orders discovered for
the first time in this formation in America
All OF these curious, extinct forms of life
will be carefully described for the seventh
annual report of the geological survey of
me territories under the Department of
the Interior. and in the uuarto series fnll
illustrations will be made of ali the new
| species. Professor Cope has already Oh
famed from the ancient sea and lake de-
| posIts OF Kansas, Colorado, Wyominp and
luaho ABOUT 800 species of vertebrate ami
hals, OF which he has made known to sci.
e9ee Ior the first time about 900. The history
OF the succession of life on this Continent.
| as well as that of other regions of the
earth, Will be made much clearer bv these
| important discoveries, and the vast humber
oi missing LINKS in the mysterious chain of
NE which are thus supplied throws flood
OF light on the theory of evolution which ia
| now attracting the favorable attention of
the pest scientific minds in all parts of the
worlo. These discoveries have a special in
.erest also with reference to the history of
'ne origin OF the human species.
| me ABOVE account presents to the reader
oniy mere glimpse Of the valuable resnIts
VI the past seasons labOrs, and we bona IN
recur to them again very soon. '0 ~
AL Assassfn's WelcOme-The HumS-. or
| Sing Sing.
| Inc following letter mas been writtan 70
| tlo kenDer of ho Tc~.l