Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-09-10

the Mioeene time bones of the Meso-
hippus appear. Then the horse was as
large as a sheep-equalling In size the
pigmy elephant fits feet were still
divided as it had three toes and the
splnt of another in each forefoot, and
three toes behind. Following this came
other forms, as the Anchitherium; then
the Hipparion, as large as donkey;
and finally the Pliohippus, with single
toe on each foot, is found-the direct
ancestor of our great horse of to-day.
in the feet of which. If one carefully
examines, are to be found rudimentary
splint bones that are the representa-
tives of the toes that were fully devel-
oped in the ancient forms. In Yale
College very complete set of these
strange horses. from the pigmy form
of long ago to the horse of to-day, can
be seen. the result of the researches in
the far West of Professor Marsh.
"a few months ago a pigmy whale
was washed ashore on the New jersey
coast, and was sent to the National
Museum. In appearance it resembled
the enormous tinback, but instead of
being sixty or eighty feet in length.
and weighing several tons, it measured
only nine feet in length. and was ac-
companied by baby pigmy that was
little over a foot long. The pigmv
whales properly belong in the Pacific
Ocean, and are often seen on the Cali
fornian coast; but this specimen prob
ably strayed around the Horn, and with
perhaps a few companions was wan
dering about the Atlantic or, as some
one suggested waiting for the canal
through the isthmus for a short cut
home.
Among the birds there is a pigmy
quail-a delicate little creature, so
small that the ancient Chinese used it
to warm their hands in cold weather,
carrying bird in each closed palm.
Among the quadrupeds the pigmy deer
is perhaps the most interesting. and
when seen it seems a perfect antelope
in miniature. 1t is the Cephalopterus
pygmeus, and is confined to South
Africa-a most delicate and fragile lit
tie creature, being hardly over twelve
inches in ength. The head is long
and pointed, the ears short, and the
horns like toy ones, and very delicate
and slender. being less than two
inches in height, highly polished, and
jet black
"Quite as much of a p'gmy is the
Sultana antelope. found in the billy re-
gions of Abyssinia. Its height at the
shoulder is only fourteen inches: the
horns are extremely thin and about
four inches long. The young of these
midgets of the hoofed tribe are beauti-
full little creatures, those of the ante
lope being about eight inches long
when born, and with their soft-colored
fur. delicate pipe-stem-like limbs. large
and expressive eyes. they are, perhaps.
the most attractive OF any of the minute
animals. 1 have" continued the artist,
NEARLY all these interesting creatures
in my collection, and when placed to-
gether they present a striking and in
teresting appearance, telling story of
the curious notifications to which the
various forms of life are subject am
going to make model of each one for
private museum, and they are to be
placed in contrast with the giants.
Thus the pigmy whale will be placed
beside the right whale. the small ele-
plant next to the giant-mammoth, and
SO on in this way the great extremes of
life are shown at glance. IN Y
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