The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-04
GIANT CATS OF LONG AGO:
MONSTER fELlNEs LIVED M AMERICA
MIHE REMOTE PAST.

In enc Ancient stens Age 400. 900 Years
Age There Were Cats IS ZIG ~ Lions
IN this coantry, says scisnri.t--
Also Dogs ~ large a. Bears.
There used to be cats In North
America 10000 years ago. said paieon-
tologist. "Great carnivorous feline crea-
lures Of the tribe roamed over this caun-
try then In enormous numbers. They
are all extinct, and have left only their
bones behind to tell the story Of how they
lived and what they fed upon. One often
reads Of the art by which the naturalist
| Is able TO restore the skeleton OF an ani-
NAL from single bone, and in fact good
many mistakes have been made through
lovercon6dence on the part Of learned
gentlemen in reconstructing fossils by
theory from insufficient material. But
there is no possibility OF mistaking the
testimony afforded by the teeth. They
tell all about the manner Of existence led
by their former owner, giving accurately
the habits, diet and approximate age Of
the beast
"Thus it is very fortunate that teeth
last longer than any other objects In
nature. At this day are found in a per-
feet state Of preservation the molars and
incisors which were used TO chew with by
the mighty reptiles Of millions OF years
ago. 1t Is from his dentition that science
declares man to be carnivorons only by
habit, and not by nature. spoke OF that
the other day to young man in search
Of information, who replied impoiitely:
So Is a hem When asked him what he
meant by that he said that the dentition
OF hen would certainly not indicate that
It was carnivorous by nature, and yet It
evidently was 50, judging from its addic-
ton to worms and preference for flesh in
general. However, as was going 70 re-
mark, the piercing and cutting, teeth Of
! some OF these cats OF long ago are the
most perfectly adapted instruments for
cutting purposes that ever we're seen, be-
ing unequalled by any manufactured tools
for such uses.
g For example, there was the gompho-
dus, which was as big as the largest
panther and had two teeth in its upper
jaw resembling daggers, each five inches
In length. As weapons for penetrating
flesh they are unrivalled among carnfvor-
GUS animals, recent or extinct. They are
rather like the teeth Of some huge flesh
eating dinosaurs, the terrible reptiles OF
the mesozoic epoch, which had cutting
teeth that nothing could resist. Doubt
less this creature was inconceivabsy blood
thirsty. Quite as fierce, however, and
even more formidable by reason Of its
greater size, was the contemporary
pogonodon, which was as large as the
biggest jaguar. There We're two species
Of this animal which held the field in
Oregon during the period speak or
against all rivals. 1t was undoubtedly
great destroyer Of life among the herbiv-
orous beasts
" Our knowledge Of one OF these spe-
cies is due to a very fortunate chance.
Some years ago an exploring party WINS 4
sent into the John Day River Valley In
Oregon for the purpose Of looking for
fossils. That Is famous region for inch.
treasures, water having cut big slices out
Of hills, which were formed originally by
Fdetritus deposited during myriads Of
years. 1t happened that the attention of
one member OF the expedition was at
I'tracted by something that looked like
skull, half projecting from the summit OF
the pinnacle Of q crag. II was, in fact
q skull and the shining OF the great teeth
was what caught his eye. He climbed up
the cliff, and fetched it down with much
difficulty and danger to life and limb. II
was tie cranium of once formidable
Ipogonodon.
During this same epoch, thers were
numerous other species Of cats, all OF
them since extinct, which varied in size
all the way from that OF a household
pussy Of to- day to the huge sabre toothed
tiger. Not few Of them were astonish-
| ingly fierce and correspondingly destruc-
tive. The teeth they have. le9 Ls.ki,aaai
tell the story 80 q lrssa!s they lived, de-
49, - so q as well as words could do it,
their extreme feAbcity. They attained the
climax OF their type in the sabre toothed
tigers, bigger than either the lion or the
| tiger OF to-day, which had CANNES foot |
in length and shaped like curved knives
with saw-Hke edges. They roamed the
continent in the time OF the gigantic
sloths, such as the megatheria, and doubt
less did much to exterminate the latter
helpless and collaborating beasts. They |
were plentiful in Texas, where the re-
mains OF good many, have been dug up.
"It is interesting to consider the fact |
that these sabre toothed tigers-like the
cave bears, which were twice as heavy as
grizzlies and probably quite as ferocious
were contemporary with human beings |
on the earth, and the latter were obliged |
to fight them. Their bones are found in
considerable numbers in the caves OF |
Southern France, which were the resi-
dences of primeval men and women in the |
ancient stone age, 100000 years. and more
ago.
aDuring the period when the wonder
full cats were so plentiful in North Amer
lea there were numerous dogs and dog
like beasts also, all Of which have since |
become extinct. The biggest species was
as large as a good-s.zed bear. In that |
part Of the country which is now called |
Colorado and Dakota there were several |
kinds OF dog-like animals about the size
OF foxes, which were nocturnal in their |
habits, having very large eyes with which |
to see in the night time They had great /
ears also and short, sharp noses. All |
these things can be told from their skulls |
Washington Star.
A Fad Mixture.
The colonization 81 A certain newly fipdued |