Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-08
ANIMALS AND THEIR wars,
Remarkable Extinct Specimen Dis.
covered I'm the south.

AMI ~ AASe
A Remarkable Extinct Specimen Dis
covered I'm the South.
COMPARATIVE ANATOMY WITH INTERESTING INCI-
DENTs-MARvELoUs STRENGTH OF SOME OF THE
RARE SPECIMENS INTELLIGENTLY DISCUSSED.
From the New York World
Among the most remarkable Of all extinct
animals yet discovered may be named the
Zuglodon. This ancient archaeological crea-
ture was once an inhabitant of the vast lag
that once existed near the mouth of the Mis-
slssipt river. He was found in the great lime
stone beds In the state of Aabs ma, where in
solid rock he reposed entombed for at least
thousand centuries. His great body passed
into gases and ashes. and the mould which was
made by his skeleton flied with carbonate of
lime and became solid. So the celebrated Dr.
MOCK, the great German paleontologist found
this immense reptile OF nondescrlrt. He was
not snake. not a fish, not an alligator, but yet
ne had parts that resembled all these creatures.
HIS FOSSIL remains (Once on exhibition I'm st.
Louis. but finally destroyed in the Chicago fire..
which were facsimiles of his BONES measured 105
ieet from his nose to the end of his tail. There
Is no living or extinct animal that had q head
anything like him. 1t was ten feet long, the
lar to those of the Narwal whale The circum-
ference of his body at the thickest part could
not have been less than "a feet. He was pro-
Vlded with an excuse for scapula or shoulder
blade; to this was added tumerus upper bone
OF the ARM and small radius and ulna (the
two lower bones Of the ARM and two or three
phaianges similar to the bones of the human
hand. This appendage could not have been of
much use in propelling the monster. That work
was undoubtedly done by his vast eel-ike TAIL
winch OlIitn s1yfU foot m 9th Aa
B@hter. this fellow could certainly have van
0uished all Corners. He could have chewed the
largest alligator with as much ease as a sea bass
would swallow mOss-bunker.
he nastOdOn or missourium was a huge ele-
phant without trunk. at least not such a snOut
as the elephants we have in this age. He was q
grass-eater and lived in the vast praires which
reach from Western New York directly west to
the foothills of the Rocky mountains We find
MS bones in good state Of preservation only a
ilttie way beneath the surface, showing that he
is OF recent origin as compared with those
gigantic fossils which are all stone These ami
mas have filed their places in nature. and when
Their surroundings were no longer suitable to
their existence they became extinct. So it will
be in the fight of centuries animals that live
now Viii pass away.
STRENGTH AND AGILITY.
1t would be useless to speculate upon the
vast number of fishes and reptiles of the seas
no method by which it's denizens can be petri-
fed or fossilized; but that there have been more
fishes that have become extinct than there have
been Of animals there can be no question
The peculiar construction OF some Quadrupeds
presents number of problems which as yet our
greatest comparative anatOmiStS have not been
able to give any solution
We know of no living thing that will compare
with the common flea in strength and agility
A yt4pnfb n in nnfh
Jump distance of twenty inches. This is 800
times its length. If we should require six
foot man to jump 800 times his length he would
have to land 1920 feet from where he left the
ground.
Cur common gray rabbit is one of the best
jumpers we have. 1t is very easy to measure
the strides of this nimble little fellow in a slight
fail OF snow. When he is pushed by a swift dog
his jumps on level ground are about nine feet
clear. In proportion to length horse to Jump
as far rs rabbit would have to clear Ga feet at
a jump. There is 10 quadruped that has such
powerful muscles in his quarters as the rabbit,
and none excel him i'll the muscles of his loin
and back.
The horse on the contrary. cannot jump more
than u feet. Longfellow jumped this distance
In all his great races. No doubt the great Miss
Woodford can and does jump 26 and q feet in
her best races Goldsmith Maid stepped with
her hind feet II feet when she was going at
2.15 gate.
II Is hdlu IfidU flNlilp DutC!lHlan, trOtter
uncer the saddle OF the Oden time, stepped 90
feet. Ii Mr.. Bonner should measure the stride
of Maud s., he would find it not less than 20
feet.
The gated horse, next to the galloping gait,
Will be found to be the PAGER. His reach is 20
feet when going his best. man, taking his
size, outjumFs horse 1t is well known too.
that man is superior in strength, endurance.
and agility to the horse AS traveller man
holds the first place in the ranks of all animals
that move over the surface of the earth.
Ground mole eXcefs all other animals in
strength, jaw. and shoulder. His business is to
cut roots and dig. He is put together with ref
erence to the very kind OF business we find hir,
engaged ill., If human beings were organized
and adapted to their occupations as well as ami
mails are to theirs. we would have more success
lui people in the world than We now have.
battle between male mOles generally ends with
the death or both animals but such fights are
very trifi!ng compared with flea fight These
insects strew the ground with each others limbs
An examination by the microscope of flea after
battle shows what these diminutive creatures
are capable of doing.
No theory with which we are acquainted ac-
counts for the force we find in different animals.
But it is shown that size is not the measure of
the quality of force.
In referring to animals Of peculiar anatomical
construction the "'pOssum' is one of the most
wonderful. He is of the marsupal genus
I. e., with a false belly or pouch. wherein to
suckle the young and also place of safety for
them. The period of CESSATION of the 'possum
is not known. For the reason that it is claimed
that the young ones are vOded directly into the
pouch. where they remain, and literally grow
on the teats of the mother. We were informed
by natura lst who made a dissection of a
female 'possum that he found young ones about
two inches long fastened firmly on the teats; SO
attached were they that dissection had to be
made to get them off. The young ones are only
weaned when there Is no longer room enough
tor them in the pouch. They then make their
way outside, but in case of alarm or an emer-
gency the little ones crawl inside of the pouch,
and are at once carried off by the mother
Meat, Bread, and Oil.
A Paris correspondent of the Kansas CITY