The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-10-25
Professor Cope's Discoveries.
THE CROCODILE IN oLpEN DAYS.

THE CROCODILE IN OLDEN DAYS.
Professor E. D. Cope, OF our city, is one
of the most eminent men OF the world in the
studies of Zo0logy-not only among the
living animals, but among the bones OF
former creatures which are stored up in the
rocks-petIi6ed and preserved for many
millions OF years. Every summer he is out
| wandering thousands OF miles over our con-
tinent, and when be ceases to dig and cX-
plore the mysteries Of the rocks, be hires, at
| large expense, parties to search IN his
absence, and during the winter he studies,
| most unremittinglv, the bones which the
railroads and the express companies bring
| to bis home at Twenty-frst and Pine
streets.
| His tours this summer extended to San
| Francisco, and before the California Acade-
nv OF Sciences he gave an account Of two
animals, the most wonderful that have ever
| been found by any one on this or any
| other continent. We call them crocodles,
because that term gives US an idea or the
lizard, or Saurian family. But instead OF
having four limbs nearly equal in length,
the posterior two were enormously large, so
that Professor Cope calls them aquatic kau-
uaroos. He named he smaller OF the two
Eaaaarasdurus. The dimensions OF this
beast NAV be imagined from few items.
Its neck was nine feet in diameter. The
back bones, the vertebrn, not including the
ribs. measure four feet eight inches across
from side to side. Certainly be could not
have been weak in the back. We were
never more astonished in view OF animal
remains than when in Professor Cope's
house we beheld the .te'nur OF the beast.
The bone extending from the hip to the
next lower Joint was six feet In length ana
very thick! What legl Indeed, the full
Length! of the leg and foot must have been
twenty feet. The animal could have waded
in the water forty feet-deep, with his
head out, looking around over the surface
for his prey. After careful measurement
OF the bones, Professor Cope's conclusion
is that this aquatic kangaroo must haYe
been seyenty-tWo feet long.
The other animal described before the
California Academy was much larger and OF
the same general shape. His posterior
limbs must have been forty feet losg. His
backbone are six feet across. The entire
animal must have been more than a hum
l1red feet long such dimensions are un-
precedented among all animals, whether
living or dead. Professor Cope named him
n1npkicoRLiaS. 90 His teeth show him to be
carniyorous, for they are like cutting
shears to divide his prey. which must nave
been herbivorous animals, probably larger
than himself, for the rule Is that the car
niYora are smaller than the herbivora, as
we see when comparing the lion or The
tiger with the elephant.
Both these animals had great black tails,
geyeral feet in diameter-as seen by the
bones-and, like the kangaroo, they could
stand very firmly on a tripod formed by the
tail and the two posterior limbs. 1t is well
that such animals are out OF the way, for II
one should walk from the Delaware up
through Chestnut street he could LOOK IN
AZ the mansard windows and smash in the
roofs. Every dog has his day. 1t is hap
nv provision that the days of these huge
monsters were long past and gone before
the reign OF man Commenced. The. lords
OF creation.in those times were widely dill:
ferent from noW.e 81 ~ ift ft!ss. :,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. are favored above oil
other cities ia the world 10 having among