Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-07-03

plains. Some of the shells were open.
others were closed, and all were of
such size that did they contain the
mollusk itself, five or six of them
would yield meal for whole party.
Some of them measured 30 inches
across. At the foot of some of the bluffs,
portions OF monsters were discovered.
the remainder oftheir vertebral columns
being buried in the limestone to I'M
known depths. Here paddle protrud-
ed, there a jaw armed with tremendous
teeth. The reptiles found in Kansas,
numbering over 80 species, vary in
length from 10 to 200 feet. On thi.
ancient ocean the ancestor of the sea
serpent of to day disported itself. Its
shape was such as to enable it to reach
upward and exhibited a long tapering
neck and shaped head. Aspecimen
of an immense snake-like species (the
Clidastes) has recently been found
at Canon City. 1t had evidently died
while lying on its back. The flippers
or paddles were found at some dis
lance from the body. The tape-meas-
ure laid along the vertebr;e indicated
length of % feet. The tail alone
measured "a feet, and evidently tapered
down to delicate point. The rows
of terrible teeth were vises for holding
prey, but as they Were of no use for
cutting it up, it must have been swal-
lowed whole. The only sound that
the snake could utter was hiss. That
it had forked tongue is proved by
the lack of room in the mouth for a
larger one. A turtle was found with
she'll 20 feet in width and 80 feet in
length. Prof. Cope has named this
gigantic tortoise ProtosteGa gigas, the
first or generic term referring proba-
bly, to the peculiar condition of its
seemingly undeveloped ribs and con-
tiguous parts. which are like those of
an ordinary turtle Just Matched. Here
is the most gigantic of all turtles in ma
turity. having the undeveloped struct-
ure of the immature state.
One of the largest reptiles of this
The lower jaw was discovered project
ing from a chalk cliff. and. on remov-
ing the earth, a long projecting muzzle
was discerned. This resembles the
head of the blunt-nosed sturgeon of the
present waters. The Herotdctyi uDl6ro-
sus. the veritable flying reptile OF
dragon of that remote era, was also I'M
earthed. The specimen was found at
the base of a bluE 1t measured twenty
nine feet from finger to finger, and
when alive must have been one of the !
most terrible of the inhabitants of the !
ancient world. 1t derived its powers of
flight. not by membrane stretched
over four elongated fingers. with a
thumb, like the bats,
nor by a wing without distinct /
fingers, as in birds. but by a wing |
sustained principally on very
elongated toe, while the other members |
possessed their normal shortness, and I
were armed with claws. With this re-
conformation were associated |
a long neck and beak. 1t could fly in
the air, remain on the wing a long
time, and suspend itself to trees and
rocks by its short toes. Another Won
der discovered was the HesperOnis. a
large water-bird seven feet in height,
and having knife-like teeth. The teeth
were set in grooves. the wings were
and useless, while the legs
were like those of duck. A study of
its skeleton shows it to have been close
y related to the ostrich. Another
wonder was ilying-bird, the ich-
.hyornis, having still more reptilian
Its teeth, like the ALI
gators, were in distinct sockets. and,
stranger yet, its vertebre is bi-concave
"a peculiarly only found in the
fishes and few reptiles.
One of the most gigantic reptiles dis
covered was the Amphicrelias. The
high-bOne was so heavy tina: the find
RS were forced to harness mule to it
o drag it out of the hole. 1t measured
'yer eleven feet in length. A section
If the vertebre, from the dOrsal por-
ion, was heavy lift for four men. and
When placed upon the Ground In the