New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-28
FOSSIL BIRD-TRACKS.
RECENT FINDS NEAR THE FOOT OF
MOUNT TOM AND SOME ACCOUNT OF
PRESIDENT HITCHCOCKS IN
vESTIGATIONS OF A HALF
CENTURY AGO.

CENTURY AGO.
From The Springfield Republican.
The recent discovery of fossil bird-tracks in a
sandstone ledge at the foot Of Mount Tom recalls
ago when the late Dresden; HtGheock OF
in Franklin and Hampshire counties.
The red sandst3ne strata border the Connectcut
chusetts and far south as Middetown. where
the river turns eastward. and the sandstone area
eastward at an angle of twenty to thirty degrees
and cut by frequent assures and faults. Wher
at Dibbe's Crossing in the southern part OF Hol-
yoke 1t will be noticed that they preserve approx
maely the same angle which would indicate that
the thickness Of the strata between five thousand
and ten thousand feet The whole series of sand;
parts beautifully nssile The earlier and lower for
quarries at East Longmeadow are not finely
Eliminated but the later strata such as are enco1h,
bridge, at Mttineague, and at Delaneys quarry, at
Holyoke. are almost as fissile as slate. II these
Of amination ali kinds Of O Shore marks are found
n in prints and sSn D sppF
large area OF sandstone gives a magnificent exam
pie Of this shoal water deposit 1t Is In such strata
that we may hope to find bird-tracks
We may easily imagine the circumstances under
rs period here s'f in 'G this region shallow
land sea- connected 10y narrow Quiet WIN Inc
ready ribbed with TPPle marks and the sun dried lea
many ages, when we find huge birdlike reptiles
saunterng along the shore IN search OF 1000
them forever that race of reptiles Passed ra @~aS
ana 'h bsn sUR o. of e Of
About sixty years ago number OF re and in
,5e xcnr Of at Lp
found south Of Amherst and also at moTe tSan atty
species and his magnificent collections are now II, IN
the possession of Amherst College Inese mhchs
Some have Ave toes and some only iyd three free
toes the hind feet. Some had iore ana NINA
and
fashion Others whose fore feet were much smaller
than the hind feet walked a bnp fore feef
sonaliy have in mind slab in the iehn9IsSSai
track the impression made as the animal rested on
its launches and the small prints eft as IL p
nsd aGrf racks With the trail Of dragging tall as
the reptile swerved in It's course the tai served as
and 5ud ddsb T. that is generally that the
animals were long-legged and sh9rt-taiIedi ,r.cls
north nth Of Hooke John Cotton to whom 6s !hS
credit Of the discovery Is due ana ma ma" secured
few slabs bearing threetoed Impressions anoH bS S
nches SQUARE containing some cases eight or
ten three oed tracks ranging from Inren TO de-
ernne the stride Of the reptiles as we mao mo
means OF stripping of large areas OF .ne nf
Instances we noted what appeared TO be
the Impressions Of dragging tail on, .ne T1 Far
he largest tracks the surface 6nt OWNS nn 10
peculiar erosion i W ons &c Of Sandstone are
conpae' organir remains are scarce in sandstone;
hui in this ledge noticed me trhceS This coai
ne same strata that bear the tracks; me ~, fomr
onnears In thin venike segregations OF ap0ut iv.
hpPea. 10 iongth Altogether. we await Win inter
men 1e aSrnrt inVestigation Of this ledge 1870, =.
| rhara is doubt as TO whether tnest IAN. -
,Ln.e ~ birds or reptiles This is mol so sraHee
| as 1t may AZ nrst appear D0pS og he nuzzcd "a
5c,de whether 10 call them reptihan DlIus ~ "a, -,
! Iike reptes These two classes were P'o"f ,,bnse
IN, f,iiIv separated from each other ~ -
newly discovered tracks there Is n rSRuaI a. en-
Zion I'm the number OF joints to the Toes. az bIes
hiyds and the track Of bird exactly r sseimD,ed
these tridactyl tracks. But II mas Ieeh ~ INA
Nv Marsh and Cope that many requires OF .'e ~ ,be
| Trias neriod had but three functl2hal zoe birds
rI.a on the other hand. Dana has shown NV,
S1rd whose stride Is four feet and the ens n -,
| whose tracks is eighteen inches mus NJ, utb =
n,ngIess as its size Is far beyond the Hil. 1919
which flight is possible But the ooup'S ~ nv The
~ these reptiles have been cleared UP ~ ~, ~
discovery by Marsh OF nearly perIecl skcl,' ~.
| Th;a skeleton resembles that 81 kanRal.oS a. !.
c,nselv "a that OF any animal OF inc preScn, sc
1 IL walked. however, on It's nina iee'' 'N'
| honninR ns does the kangaroo. - -,.-u .h.
| Harotnfore all tracks have been founo aIohs -.
arcient shore line OF the inland sea OF VI, ia
Trias period, namely, at turner's ans. -, ron
| lev and at Mddletown. But IatsH a. Uolvok,
tian tracks have been found skrtins me no'gSn,
rangA across the valley. This would indlcd,e .na
hsre at one time was the boundary OF .hoal $3.50
| rbtch in high tide swept inland as far az ,SI.
| Geld From this we may lnrer TO" S""''" WV
| inland sea really was. ,A,, tho neriod q,
sandstone deposit came before and continued al.s
| tbe Jura-T rias period. when these tfa.ks a.
| fnr,oed This accounts for the lack OF rachs a
| TIE Fast Iongmeadow quarres Whete t1e 90, ~
| where the sandstone was laid after these teP''e'
| baH esed