The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-01-24
OLD AMERICA.

[Dr. F. V. Hayden, chief of the Yellow
Stone Expedition of 1873, furnishes the
New York Tribune, a paper in which a
brief history of the survey is given. The
animal and vegetable life which existed On
this continent countless ages before the
appearance of man are thus described by
the Doctor.
High up in some of these lake sediments
thousands of turtles were imbedded, and
are preserved to the present time with sur
prising perfection, their haider portions
being as complete as when the animals
were swimming about in the tertiary wat
ers, hundreds of thousands of years ago.
They vary in size from an inch or two
across the back to three or four feet
Associated with the remains of turtles are
those OF a number of ruminants, all be.
longing to extinct genera, and possessing
peculiar characters which ally them to the
deer and the hog. Indeed, DR.. Leidy calls
them Illuminating hogs. Like the domestic
species they were provided with cutting
teeth, and CANNES, but the grinding teeth
are constructed after the same pattern as
those of all living ruminants. The feet
of these animals were provided 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 indi-
viduals of one species have been already
studied and described by DR.. Leidy. Their
enemies were numerous; among them were
wolves, bynnodons, 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 Niobrara river another
of these remarkable graveyards, in which
was entcmbed 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. Sew
eral species of extinct camels, and a 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 a Newfoundland dog, was provided with
three hoofs to each foot, though the lat
eral hoofs were rudimental. DR.. Leidy
has already identified twenty seven species
of the horse family which are thus known
to have lived on this continent prior to the
advent of man-about three times as mary
as are now found living throughout the
world. Among the carnivores there were
several species of foxes and wolves, five
varieties of the cat family, and three spe-
cies of hyena. Some of the skulls of the
tiger-like animals exhibited the marks of
terrible conflicts with the hyenas. Among
the rodents were porcupine, small beaver
rabbit, mouse, &c.
The pachyderms, or thick skinned ami
mails, 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 rhinoceros
are found; mastodon, an elephant, and
numerous forms allied to the domestic hog
varying in size from that of the African
hippopotamus down to that of the domes
tic rat. From the discovery of this group
of extinct animals we may draw the infer
erence that Nebraska and Dakota were the
homes of a race closely allied to those in
habiting Asia and Africa at the present
time. From their characteristics we are
led to believe that the climate during that
period was considerably warmer than it is
now. The inference is also drawn that
America, instead Of being as 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 consider
able time under the auspices of the Survey
in exploring another of these wonderful
graveyards of a long past period, from
which he has taken the osseous remains of
more than 100 species, more nearly resem-
bling those of White and Niobrara rivers,
but most of them specifically distinct. At
least 70 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 procured. The delicacy and
minuteness of these fossils is surprising
Gus remains of IS species, some not larger
than the domestic mouse. Some were the
predecessors of the rabbits, others of SOUR
rels, and others of mice. Of cloven footed
quadrupeds a great many species have
been found Some were nearly interme-
diate 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 of gray squir-
rels. being the smallest of this class of ami
mails ever discovered Several species of
horses were living during the same period;
their bones and teeth are found in album
dance The rhinoceros abounded in Colo
RADIO in former days, no less than seven
species having been procured by Prof. Cope.
One of the specimens is perfect skull, with
teeth complete, and covered with the moss
like crystallization seen in the moss agate.
But the most remarkable monsters of the
past whose existence has been disclosed by
the present survey are a series of horned
species related to the rhinoceros, but
possessing some features in which, accord
ing to Prof Cope, they resemble the ele-
plant. 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 species had huge horn
over each eye, while another had one on
each side of the nose and more than a foot