Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-31

chipped out Of volcanic glass by human beinga
The great abundance Of these weapons sug-
gests that they must have been shot at the
game, both winged and otherwise. which in
former times frequented the lake. No such
things are found in the soil in the surrounding
region Therefore the query offers itself: How
long ago did man inhabit that part Of the coun-
try! Was he contemporary with these
ancient birds and with the numerous extinct
mammals whose remains are discovered about
the waters edge?
STRANGE COLLECTION OF CREATURES
1t was strange collection Of creatures that
once gathered about this small lake in Oregon,
as the bones they have left behind them show.
There were herds Of horses. which resembled
zebras and guaggas, though whether they were
striped or otherwise colored nobody can tell.
-Four species OF camels there were some as big
as the largest which exist today, while the
smallest were about the size Of Virginia deer.
BILE to know. In those times the whole OF this
country, from New Jersey to Florida and as
far west rs California was overrun with camels.
ihe further back one gets in their history by
digging for their fossils, the smaller they seem
to have been, just as was the case with the horse,
which was no bigger than fox originally.
The bone yard, as the shores of Fossil lake
are locally called, was originally discovered by
cattlemen who were looking up stock which had
wandered into this uninviting region. Their
dueutlOn was exclted Dy the multltuue OF skele-
tons which were distributed around, and they
carried off many Of the best specimens. Sub
sequent explorations by Prof. Condor Of the
University Of Oregon and Prof. Cope have pro-
duced remains OF several varieties lamas. MANI
moths. giant slOths as big as oxen, ard ever SO
many other astonishing curiosites.
THE GIANT sLoTHs.
This great sloth, like the megathe,ium, which
was as big as two elephants, and others of its
nd Inn ,bar al Co. \
inward, club-foot fashion, this structure being
designed to aid it in cIinging to the branches
OF trees, on the foliage of which it fed, pulling
them up by the roots when it was desirable.
When its species lived in the Oregon desert
that section of the country was presumably a
tropical garden. abloom in the neighborhood
OF the lake at all events with a luxuriant veg
citation Besides the beasts mentioned, the
bone deposits show that there existed on the
spot many extinct dogs, offers, beavers, pocket
gophers and meadow mice OF birds there
were, in addition to the flamingoes, berons,
looms, divers gulls, terms, swans, cormorants,
peilcans, ducks, geese mud hens, snipe. grouse,
owls, eagles and crows In all fifty-one species
OF birds were identified by their fossil emains
and OF these sixteen never had been heard of
before. Two-thirds Of the species are now ex-
tinct.
Prof. Cope describes the scene in this region
OF FOSSILS as most impressive, owing to its wild
desoiatlon. As far as the eye can reach is the
the same sage-brush desert, the same waterless
death barren. Many a man has entered it,
never to escape from its fatal drought,
especially during the first days of the overland
emigration to Oregon. The Wagontire noun
tain, whose long and gloomy mass forms the
northeastern horizon, owes its name to the dis
astrous fate OF an emigrdnt train. Coming
from the east they reached the mountain with
parched mouths and eyes aching from the heat
and dust, expecting to find water for them
selves and animals. But there is no water
there. So the horses lay down and died, and
bones and the iron tires Of tile wagon wheels.
Many experienced hunters have been lost in
this desert, 80 easy is it to miss the few small
springs that are found at remote intervals in
this desolation of $50 miles in diameter east
and west and north and south. RENE BAcHE.