Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-09

made an important discovery. At the sug-
gestion of Prof. Wyman he devoted SIX
months to the study of the two little oone'
and their relationship to the remains oi
other extinct monsters; then ne uescrlotn
them accurately in a published account
naming the animal from which they came
the Eosaurus, the Dawn of Lizards the
first reptilan remains to be found IN lhe
coal measures of America. The discovery or
the Eosaurus came as strong ahrnatlNe e'i
dence showing conclusively the relationship !
between two widely different classes OF ami
NAL life. At the instance OF Sir CharleS
I.yell, the eminent English geologist, young
Marsh's paper was read before the august
Geological society OF London, and Its author
was voted a fellow. 1t was translated into
German and the young scientist was asked
to accept the honor of a membership in the
Geological society of Berlin. In America
Yale college was prompt with Its appre-
citation of the value of the discovery and al
though young Marsh was then just grad
uated from the Sheffield Scientific school he
was offered a seat in the university faculty
as professor of paleontology
Discovers N Bird with Teeth.
With such unusual recognition as this,
Prof Marsh began a scientific career In
which he was destined to accomplish more
than any OtDer one Hdu, perhaps, III eSNaD-
fishing the theory of evolution by actual
discoveries Darwin had built magniti>
cent hypothesis; Huxley had been its great
oxpounder and now came Marsh and other
brilliant young scientists, to whom whole
universe had been suddenly laid bare by
great idea. and by adding link after link
to the chain of extinct life, helped TO make
tGe theory of development scientific
truth, capable of actual objective demon
stration. AS a single instance, opponents
of evolution had cited the wide break be-
tween the two classes of birds and reptiles,
declaring that doctrine could not bridge it
over. In their definition of birds the zoolo-
gists of the time made toothlessness car
dina characteristics; no birds familiar TO
science possessed any teeth. But Prof.
Marsh, exploring our own Rocky Mountain
region found the remains of a strange
swimming bird with two well developed
rows of teeth. little later he discovered
other reptile-like birds and bird-like rep
tiles showing some of the actual steps by
whiCh the sauran of a million years ago
became in the slow progress OF the ages the
teathered and toothless bird of today
my first great ambition" Prof. Marsh
once told me, was TO shoot as we'll as old
Colonel Jewett," a famous hunter of west
ern New York and great friend OF his
Il was not satsned until coulu DFlhs
down a squirrel from the top crotch of
big hickory where l could see only tip OF
a red nose and one eye.'
His rowing outdoor life made him keen
observer and gave him the rugged vitality
to withstand any degree OF hardship.
If / had known what my future career
was TO be-" ne said, II could not have
mapped out my boyhood better
on with Buffalo BiII.
1t was this sturdy young scholar who led
the first great scientific expedition into the
! Rocky mountains in the year 1870. Buffalo
Bill-Colonel w. f. Cody-wes the guide
chosen to lead the expedition into the alkali
plains. hitherto untrodden by the feet or
white men The Indians menaced them con-
stantly, burning the dry grass around their
camps and watching them jealousy from
every hill top. They suffered the want OF
water and they burned under the blazlns
western sun, but for Ave months they
scanned the colored cliffs and collected hun
dreds OF new ana wonderful fossils, the mere
description and classification of which was
almost a llfe's work.
| The scientific value OF this expedition and
! those Of many succeeding years cannot be
oyerestimated. Prof. Marsh unearthed the
| remains OF over 1000 vertebrate animals
| new to science. most OF which he has named