New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-03
DRAGONS OF THE PRIME.

EXTINCT MONSTERS. Popular Account Of some one
Ct the Larger Forms Of Ancient Anim Wl, LiIni s
lions by j. Smit and others
Not before II was needed the writer Of this very
Interesting has undertaken popular ana al the
same time trustworthy account Of the larger forms
of ancient animal life. The olcf value of the WORK
consists III the that it represents and Is abreast VIII
modern discovery. and this means great DEAL IN
aseuuch as the idea commonly entertainer Oh inc
subjects here treated have been derived from infoT-
nation and Illustrations belonging to the crude III
fancy of the archaeological science. large per
ceutare OF the specuaons and Of that time nave
been completely upset by later and fuller knowledge
and nerbaps no man of science has done more TO cX
rand and rcvoluonizc this science than Professor
Marsh, of Yale The study OF American mesozoic
forms OF the greatest service to the soieHuIc
world at large and paleontolosy has made advances
of late years through these researches WHICH H'Ne
,hrown omen almost n new world for exploration.
II Is the great reptian age which he's been chehy
exploited, the aga when, as Tennyson pu'S H.
mons,rous eft" the lord OF the earth oeiore
ouadrupeds csme and, Of course long before the aP
pearance Of There Is however deopN H'ei
csting and perpexing question ovcd and that is carly
mans knowledge or conjectures about the extinct
monsters of the mcsozoc period. Where ana how d'u
our remote ancestors deIfye the IDEAS aOout sum
creatures which they certainly entertained "he'c io
example, did they get thor nottohs cohcer"'C
dracO
there really were monstrous forms bearing at least
some resemblance to the tabled dragon but II j. not
credible that any such forms survived long enough
to be seen by and the latter then Khe" no''i"e
of either geology paleontoogy. ana cond hafu 'e
obtained any information or Suggestions from FOSSIL VI
o,sr remains The author Of this book does not ap
ncar 10 us very happy in his attempt to solve me
.,oh,em lie appears to think that coincidence is tho
on,v EXPLANATION available; but the improbabihty OF
such a solution is strongly against lis accep'ap'itS,
II * Of course possible that stray specimens OF me
creo reptiles OF the mesozoic age really survived anu
were seen nv carly man, who preserved the uauu'h
NJ them orally practice always followed by plmiuVe
nsonles and as much experience demonstrates caPaoie
OF handing down almost anything Such changes
a. subsequently took place from the real 10 ule
fabulous misht easily have been grated on during 'he
nrocess Of transmission. This seems 10 us iai iN'
likely than that dull-vied prognatnous ioreoea'S
should have been capable evolving dragons from her
,raided imagnation Whoever will examine Mr. smits
Illustrations 10 this volume, moreover Will al ONE
,arccive that there are striking resembances between
IN. mythical dragons and the actual reptiles OF 'ne
ruesozoio age and that no great or radical cnaecS Va
structure were required to evolve the one out o INC
other. $500
But In truth, the whole subject abounds IN per
,Je.it,es For example, why should heroiVorous
roa,,ros ne most Of these reptiles werc. have been
h,lt ON so colossal scale Why should body from
thirty TO sixty feet long and stout IN pfoPouo" oe
needed by an animal that fed only upon 'egeciuon
In the case of the carnivorous dinosaurs II Is easy l"
understand the meaning Of their bulk ana immense
strength Everything. however, in hose Jays was
nm q colossal scale. and when the turn OF the quFu-
,,neds came they too-as Instance the mastodon ana
.be acknowledgement in gigantic forms NO douot
II was very good thing for feeble man tna' Ne u'a
not make his appearance When THESE monsters io
the earth and held sway over It, The monsters 'Hei
so,vos had hard time enough contending with one
pfr,al %
would have made but a mouhfM for the hesh'ea'eiS'
pr, there can never cease 10 lie deep interest IN ne
study Of those strange times. ana even le ui'lei'
nublic can lind it in work so careiuiy s'"piiic"
as the present one -
M- Hutchinson is justified in expressing some sur
prise that the work Of popularzng this ne" hho"'ue
has not been taken up before. He says: III 'Ie
for and Wild West host Of strange reptiles ana qua
runeds have been uneariAed from their rocky sepui
chres, often Of Incredibly huge proporuohS' anu l"
MANY cases more weird and strange thah 'he i"'-
oeination could conceive and yet the puoh' nave
never heard Of these discoveries, by the size Oh WIN"
the now well known lost creations oil OTe'le''
auckland or Conybeare sink into the shade FOR
once we beg leave to suggest the hungry pr'SShah'
seeking COPY has failed TO see good thihe' p'
scrpiions OF some OF Marshs monsters anu III" 'N
were found, might one would iAlnK' nave pl"N"u a.
tracive 10 q public ever on the LOOKOUT ior SoWe'HIs
n.w- Happily It occurred 10 Mr.. Hutchinson 10 no
The work Of exploiting the extinct monsters himself
and with the sbe assistance Of Mr. sili As an IL
illustrator he has produced book wAick should nave
n wide popularity. The range over which 'Ae au'Aor
travels Is extensive, and he brings MS r@hcr' n''o
contact with large number Of the gigantic ana oth
terrifying shapes which peOpled the old world lAe
,rno~tonce Of the bearing o. the facts OF palp0nOios
upon the doctrines Of evolution Is, Of course very
great. and al this point much valuable ana iThti''
suggestion and inference will be found Altogether
the task has been accomplished win great deai oi
care and horoughness, and II can hardly ia 10 ac'
complI,h the authors praiscwONhy object OF poln-
,,,,1,ng scientific knowledge Of q kEd which has OF
late wears been quite curOsy neglected save by men
OF science themselves