Sharp County record., 1881-04-28
eossil Remains in New Jersey.

'N rho State was the roaming ground
IN 4 different periods of creatures OF won
- :, ,;.fuI make up and form. Within a
years, geologically speaking, the
!, ,pIese ersey forests resounded with tnS ynn sllrlm
ooP,ting of gigantic elephants. A warren
) a'c cnnty farmer in draining an old swamp
81, md the remains of number OF those
,lgghaqge ereatures-an adult and several
a. 1no. Some of them were found up
vo, ht in the soil, while Others were
lic5S,t and twisted, showing that they
( All probably ventured into the bog IN
psDS,rch of food, and had been enguliiGd
de 4, the treacherouS marsh, and, unable
I'M, extricate themselves, had crowded
ether, thus fastening their fate by
-, dinp to the weight, and were slowly
aa G ctomhed alive. Even the food they
ols q eaten was found hardened where
most capacious stomach had been, show
30, tbe vegetation they lived upon.
nef H1ne of the most wonderful animals
Il a5l ind on the ancient shores of our neigh
Su0f,rinc State is known as the Liodon, a
mn2ld animal of gigantic proportions;
Genofessor Cope, who has unearthed
Feus,n Of them, says the Liodon must
)ny. we been abundant, and Its length
ouserlld not have been far from eighty
On ,e feet; certainly not less. Its phys
was rendered peculiar by a long,
bly r,iecting muzzle, reminding one OF
efors II of the blunt -nosed sturgeon OF our
.st; but the resemblance was de-
fo, Dyed BY the correspondingiiy massive
> wy ID of the branches of the lower jaw.
s., ough clumsy in appearance, such an
,o+-- o@r an9ement must have been effective
Il & a ram, and dangerous to his enc
tor- es in case of collision. Professor
;ra ,g' pe once found the wreck of an
n9 ,o,n. itividual, of this species strewn
'''1' ,und sunny knoll beside a bluff and
comic snout pointing to the heavens
Lsce ~, med a fitting monument The L'0-
'VN, . dqspel0r was probably the longest
e.1Itknown reptiles, and probably equal
IN the great finner-wales of modern
guasans. The circumstances attending
puIls discovery of one of these will always
AeI a pleasant recollection to the Protes-
tos.. A part of the face, with teeth, was
IN Of served projecting from the side OF a
JV Eff by companion i'll exploration,
,utenant James H. Whitten, U. 5.
idly 4, and they at once proceeded to fol
trlyy up the indication with knives and
eler ,ks. Soon the lower jaws were un-
. Tvered, with their gli3tening teeth,
It ,nl then the vertebrG and ribs Their
se7 Tight was at its height when the bones
eruthe pelvis and part of the hind limb
0 re. re laid bare for they had never been
had On before in the species, and scarcely
Forsthe order. While lying on the bot
agor n OF the cretaceous sea the carcass
land been drawn hither and thither by
h. sharks and other rapaciOus animals,
ma Ir d the parts of the skeleton were
nT nj placed and gathered into a small
y V'I Ia. The massive tail stretched away
Al 4 Il, - the bluff, aud, after much labori-
Il, .us excavation, a portion of it was left
VI. more perseverng explorers.
- MY IN Other monstrous creatures having the
y , !, m of snakes, and allied to the boa of
! , 'I' ip' dav, were found in the swamps and
tn lllow water near HarriSonville. In
Tn1, waters of Burlington County fish
'Ie u. ght have been seen, related to the
CeN; mon, but thirty feet long and having
inoOa .th larger and more ferocious than
Phib3se of the tiger. Over HornerstOwn
md, ID Mount Holly veritable dragons
er dared with bat-like wings, thirty feet
yOmrross. Indeed, they were the bats of
'. UT eventful era Shark River-so
Fhmed from the numbers of large fossil
.p marks teeth that are e&humed there
prearmed with monster man eaters more
Trln 100 feet in length
n Erro even enumerate other creatures
al0tt make up the stony history of Jer
g, thl1 would require volumes, but perhaps
y Of, above few examples will serve to
I'd s@w her claim to be up with the age in
over toric remains.-N. Y. Sun.