Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24

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Mr.. William H. Ballou writes in the
Century Magazine of Strange Crea-
lures of the Past" basing his descr1p-
tons with the accompanying illustra-
tons on the researches of the late
Prof. Edward Drinker Cope OF Ph1la-
delphia. He gave many years to the
study of the fossil or petrified skele-
tons OF the gigantic saurians, or ilz-
ard-like reptiles found in various peas
of the Rocky Mountains and other re-
gions Of the United States. These IN
cluded the largest and most terrible
animals that have ever inhabited the
earth, few of them being less than 20
feet in length, and many of them
reaching 80, often with correspond
ing height and weight of tons.
The finback lizard was one OF the
terrible monsters of the Permian era
found in Texas. The skeletons SO 1ar
found range from three to ten feet IN
length. 1t bears the name Of Dimet-
rodon incisivus (Cope). The long back
spines are often found in masses in the
rocks, adhering together like sticks.
In related genus, Naosaurus claviger,
these spines had branches, giving them
the appearance Of the yard-arms OF
ships, from which may have been ex-
tended membranes enabling these an
finals to sail along the surface OF the
water. Owing to the great number
of spines, it may be assumed that this
animal never rolled on the ground like
a horse. The finbacks and spinebacks
were flesh eaters. Their teeth were
formidable, being finely serrate ming
led with huge comic tusks. Large spines
sprang from the vertebrae, and were
often as long as forty inches and FORM
ed an elevated fin for defence against
some enemy not yet known. The limbs
were not long enough, nor the claws
sufficiently acute, for tree-climbing.
The dimetrodons were both water and
land animals, being able to walk on
four legs.
These lizards were remote ancestors
Of the saurians, called dinosaurs,
which inhabited the earth from the
carboniferous period in the Paleozoic
realm, through the entire mezozoic
realm, or many millions of years. In
the latter portion of this era these rep
tiles reached their time of glory; they
grew in vast numbers and to gigantic
proportions. Some vent in herds;
food was most plentiful; conditions
and climate were most propitious. The
forests and jungles contained those
which walked on four legs; the plains
and fields those that ran or leaped on
two hind legs and tail; the lakes those
that waded, and swimmers which new
er ventured on shore; the ocean those
that swan with great speed and fed
like ducks or sharks.
According to geological reckoning,
the dinosaurs were amongst the high
est types of life on earth several mil
lion years ago; they left only occa-
sional tracks in the rocks, and now
and then a petri1ed skeleton. These
bones, when examined, show how the
animal must have moved about, either
in water or land or in air; the teeth
and jaws indicate what he ate, wheth-
er Of flesh, fish or vegetation; his
limbs suggest whether he walked,
leaped, waded or swan. 1t is interest
ing to note the diversity of powers
which these dinosaurs possessed, in
Guiding every function given to diverse
animals, even that of flight, illustrated
in the related group Of pterosaurs;
they were also often endowed with
baaks and claws like birds, but with
out the functions of flight. In general
some Of them resembled kangaroos,
while others suggested the rhinocer-
os and still others correspondent to
our notions Of mythical sea-serpents.
Some of them leaped about on land,
some lived near the ocean, certain va
rieties waded only in lakes, some in
habited the forests, and some were
amphibious. Certain types walked on
two hind limbs, balanced by the tail,
and others moved squarely on four
feet.
About $50 species of extinct sau-
rians have been discovered on this
continent, but it is now known that
they, at one time or another, Inhabited
nearly the whole globe.
One can imagine the singular ap-
pearance Of troops Of giant saurians
perhaps standing motionless, or
marching or wading slowly along the
waters edge, ready for plunge at
passing fishes or swimming reptiles.
In the active pursuit Of land prey they
ran like ostriches or leaped like kan
garoos. 1t is believed that only one
group of them belonged to types which
are necessarily marine animals, while
many Of them were representatives Of
the types which at the present day
pertain only to fresh water. Six of the
Dinosauria were terrestrial, and the
structural adaptations necessary for
swimming were wanting.
Eight were crocodiles in form OF