New-York tribune., 1874-01-02

sands of turtles were imbedded. and are preserved
to the present time with surprising perfection, their
harder portions being as complete when the ami
mails were swimming about in the tertiary waters
hundreds of thousands of years ago. They vary in
size from an inch two across the back three OF
fonr feet Associated with the remains of turtles
are those Of number of rumnants, all belong gng TO
extinct genera and possessing peculiar characters
which ally them to the deer and the hog. Indeed.
DR.. Leidy calls them ruminstng hogs. Like the
domestic species they were provided with cutting
teeth and CANNES, but the grinding teeth are
structed after the pattern as those of all living
runinants The feet of these animals were pro-
vided with four toes, and none of them possessed
horns or antlers They appear to have existed IN
immense numbers, and to have lived In great herds
like the bison of the West. Remains of more than
seven hundred individuals of one species have been
already studied and described by DR.. Leidy. Their
enemies were numerous; among them were wolves
hyanodons, and saber-toOthed tigers
In the Summer of 1857. while the writer was
attached to the Exploring Expedition under the
command Of Lieut.. Warren he discovered on the
Nobrara River another of these remarkable grave
yards, in which was entombed fauna closely allied
to- yet entirely distinct from that on White River,
and plainly intermediate between that Of the latter
and of the present period Several species OF extinct
camels, and great variety Of the horse family
characterized this fauna. One of the horses was
about the size of the common domestic animal, while
another allied form, about the size of Newfound-
land dog provided with three hoofs to each foot
though the lateral hOofs were rudimental Dr. Leidy
has already identified twenty-seyen species OF the
IamIy which are thus known to have lived on
this continent prior to the advent of man-abOut
three times as many as are now found living
throughout the world. Among the carnivOres there
were several species of foxes and wolves five varie-
ties of the cat family and three species of hyena
Some of the skulls of the tgerlke animals exhibited
the marks of terrible conflicts with the hyenas.
Among the rodents were porcupinc, small beaver,
rabbit, mouse, &c.
The pachyderms. or thlck-sknned animals, were
very numerous and are of the greatest interest,
from the fact that none of them are living on the
continent at the present time. Five species of rhi
nOceros are found a mastOdOn, an elephant, aud
numerous forms allied to the domestic hog, varying
in size from that of the African hippOpOtamus down
to that of the domestic cat From the discovery Of
this group of extinct animals we may draw the
inference that Nebraska and Dakota were the
homes of race closely allied to those inhabiting
Asia and Africa at the preset; time. From their
mate during that period was considerably warmer
than it ia now. The inference il also drawn that
America, instead of being rs it is usually called,
the New World" is really older than the Eastern
Hemisphere.
The discoveries in Kansas and Wyoming are still
more wonderful. During the past Summer Prof.
Cope has occupied considerable time under the
auspices of the Survey in exploring of these
rf,Iv yarda nf lonU DpriOd from
which he has taken the osseous remains of more
than 100 species, more nearly resembling those of
White and Niobrara Rivers, but most of them spe-
officially distinct. At least 20 species are new to
science ranging from the size of the mole nearly to
that of the elephant; 16 species only are reptiles.
Many forms of the insectivorous animals related
TO the MOLE and of very small size, have been pro-
cured. The deIcacy and minuteness of these los
sIs is surprising. GDawng animals, OF rodents left
numerous remains of IS species, some not larger
than the domestic mouse. Some were the predeces-
sors of the rabbits others of squirrels and Others OF
MICE OF cloven-foOted quadropeds great many
species have been found. Some were nearly inter-
mediate between the deer and the hog in structure.
Like the latter they had no horns. They were
about as large as sheep Others were about the size
d gray SQUIRRELS being the smallest OF this class OF an
as yer discovered Several species OF horses were
living during the same period their bones and teeth
are found in abundance. The rhinOceros abounded IN
Colorado in former days. no less than seven species
having been procured by Prof. Cope. One of the
,pecimens is perfect skull, with teeth complete,
and covered with the mosslike 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 rhinoceros, but possessing some features in
which, according to Prof. Cope, they resemble the
elephant They stood high on the legs and had
short feet but possessed Osseous horns IN pairs ON
different parts of the head. One of the largest
,pecies had huge horn over each eye, while
another had one on each side of the nose and more
han foot in length resembling. on the back part
IF the head the OK etc. third one, OF larger size
han the hast, had rudimental horns on the nose
still another was about large as the elephant Its
,heek-bones were enormously expanded, ana It's
horns were fiat fifth species had triangular horns
turned outward. Carnivorous species were not rare
in this ancient world, and served then as now to
check the too rapid increase Of the IA species OF
,arnivores known, there were tiger-cats and dogs
a. large as the black bear, but probably much more
,arnivorous in their propensties. while some OF the
,ats had remarkable canine or eye teeth. In O new
species, the size of panther. these teeth greatly
resemble those Of a shark. There were also many
REPTILES, such as turtles, lizards, snakes, DC.
The fossil plants which have been collected by the
Survey and are now in process OF elaboration Dy
prof iesouereux and DR.. Newberry will teach an
eousllv instructive lesson in regard to the ancient
history Of our Great West. We now know that
those broad treeess plains were once covered with
dense forests resembling in their luxuriance those
of the central or southern portions of OUT continent
at the present tim@ Groves Of palms waved
broad leaves over tho ground. some of which had
spread of 10 feet. At the present time the
true fan palms are found only within the
tropics. ManylEof our native ornamental trees
L. l;.,aal docnaadanka Of fhA