The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-02
Frogs Bigger Than Oxen-Other Won.

In q recent lecture in Boston, on the
geological eras, Prof. Sanborn Tenney
spoke of the climate and life of the car
boniferous age. The climate was warm,
for the reason that at that time the Arctic
sea was in temperature sixty degrees
Fahrenheit, even in winter, if there was
any winter at that time. The highestlife
then was reptilian, and not of the highest
grade. No birds built their nests in
those ancient forests, and man found no
shelter there.
The name "triassic" came from Ger.
many, and has no special significance;
triassic rock is found on this continent, in
Nova Scotia, Virginia and New Jersey.
1t is red sandstone, its color coming from
the iron in its composition. In the Con-
nccticut valley it is 5000 to 5000 feet in
thickness, and it crops ont in the great
Rocky Mountain belt and Sierra Nevada
Mountains Triassic rocks are used for
building purposes. The Portland quarry
of red sandstone is triassic, and brown
sltuC lIUlio VI vi tHdl hlhtt
of rock. In North Carolina there are ex-
traordinary coal beds in triassic rock. On
the TANKS of the Nevadas are jurassic and
triassic combined as slate rock, disturbed
and broken, and also veins of gold bearing
quartz. In 1S49, when there was such q
rush to the gold-fields, gold was found
spread broad cast over that section of the
country. Tue life of the triassic age was
included in two great groups, gymnos-
perms and acrosgens. In England and on
the continent of Europe the triassic rock
contains fossiliated remains of marine ami
mails In the United States, especially in
the Connecticut valley, the stone contains
fossils of land and aquatic mot seal ami
mails. In the same valley are found also
those remarkable tracks OF animals of a race
long since extinct. A large number, pos
sibIy 10000, of these tracks have been
fouad in sandstone, proving that 200 or
300 different kinds of animals then eX-
listed that do not now. Tracks were found
in Hadley thatw made by animals allied
to the frog, and they must have been as
large as oxen. Some of these tracks un.
mistakably indicate a kind of frog, but
having short tail, and he must have been
bigger than an OK. His voice must have
been deep and mellow-7imes. Other
tracks belonged to birds twelve or fourteen
feet in height. Biologists were divided
in opinion as to the animals, whether they
were reptiles or birds. The weight OF
opinion was in favor of the former. There
were great numbers Of these animals, and
they existed through a long period Of
time Diagrams of rocks were exhibited
showing the imprint of animal feet How
the imprints were secured and preserved
was easily explained. When the tide was
out, the bird or reptile left the impress Of
its feet in the compact but yielding sand
The sun dried the impress, and when the
tide came in film of sand filled into the
cavity, and thus preserved the mold
Thus the existence of those animals was
made known millions of years atterward
A diagram was shown, giving the impress
of rain drops upon Portland sand stone
in the early ages. The highest animal
life was the mammalia. A view of jaw
| was shown which gave evidence of the
first mammal on this planet.
The jurassic rock was so-called from thu
Jura Mountains, which was composed o
that rock. In Europe some of thu
jurassic- called rock might be triassic
Life in the jurassic age was exceedingly
abundant, and high as regarded reptiles
In this period were found most remarka
BILE mollusks. In the juraSsic and crcta
ceous periods they reached their highes
development and exhibited forms wonder
full in variety and beauty. Immense cut
tie fish then existed of which most excel
lenlly preserved specimens had beef
found. II was known that when the cut
tie fish was pursued, it emitted an ink,
| substance that cloudCd the water and ena
bled it to escape. This ink-bag had heel
found imbcdded in rock and preserved in
tact, Just as it was 10000 times 1000
years ago. In this period were verte
bratcs, fishes and reptiles. The disp!a
of the latter was most wonderful. Their
were three types, the ichthyossuruS
pterodac1yl and megalossaurus. The frs
were from ten to forty feet in length
swimming with paddles instead of fins
with eyes ten inches in diameter, jaws 81
feet in length, and very long necks III
second type were capable Of walking
flying or crawling, and lived upon III
land. The third class was of immcns
size, often forty feet in length, inter
mediate between the monitor and crocC
dilc-Hdrt1rd (Conn.) Times.