Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-05-09
Ancient Monsters.

monsters.
The plesiosarus was a strange ma
rine monster. To the head of a lizard
it united the teeth of crocodile,
long neck like that of serpent, the
ribs of chameleon and the paddles
of a whale. 1t was carnivorous and
over % feet in length.
Passing over strange forms OF rep
tile life, too numerous to mention, we
must turn our attention to the dino
saurs-those veritable dragons of the
past. The announcement by Baron
Cuvier that there was a period when
our planet was inhabited by reptiles
of appalling magnitude, with many of
the features of modern quadrupeds,
was of so novel and startling charac-
ter as to require even the prestige OF
his name to obtain for it any degree
of credence.
They comprised the largest terrestrial
and semi-aquatic reptiles that ever
lived. They all possessed four limbs
but the front limbs and hands were
often remarkably small in comparison
with their hind limbs. Many Of them
wore a defensive armor ofbony plates,
some had spineS, others horns; some
were vegetable feeders, others carniv-
orous.
The brontosaurus, or Thunder Liz
ard" so named on account Of its size
by the late Prof. o. c. Marsh, of Amer
lea (who discovered this and scores of
other new beasts, measured nearly
60 feet in length. Professor Marsh
calculated that its live weight was
about twenty tons 1t will give the
reader some idea Of the size Of this CO.
lossal monster when we say that IN
walking Cor making tracks, to use
colloquial e1pression) every track
Of the hind feet was one square yard
in extent. Professor Marsh obtained
casts of the brain cavity, which was
but small, and therefore the beast was
certainly stupid one. 1t was prob
ably amphlbious and vegetarian IN
in diet.
But larger still was the great atlan-
tosaurus, a close relation. Untortu'
nately not much of his skeleton Is
known, but this much we know-tnat
a thigh bone measured 6 feet inches,
The creature that owned it may have
attained length gilmore than 50 feet
and must certainly have rather close
" resembled the brontosaurus. The
dinosaurs spread over a large part oil
the world, becoming very numerous
and powerful.
Another famous member Of this or
der was the megalosaurus, carnlvor'
Gus type. Its large limb bones con-
tained cavities, or were otherwise
lighteued, in order to give the crea'
ture the power of rapid movement
With a length of perhaps 30 feet, ca
able of free and rapid movement OIL
land, with powerful hind limbs, short
head, with long, pointed teeth anc
formidable claws to its feet, the meg
alosaur must have been without a RI
val among carnivorous reptiles in Eu'
rasia at least. 1t probably walked OF
its hind legs. The late Professor Hux
ley was much impressed with the bird
like character of some parts Of th'
skeleton.
The triassic sandstone Of the Con
necticut Valley in North America ha'
long been famous for its fossil foot
prints, especially the so-called "bird
:. tracks" generally supposed to have
! been made by birds. A careful in
vestigation convinced Professor Marsi
that they were made not by birds, bu
by reptiles, in spite of their apparent
ly bird-like character. The hind fee
, of some dinosaurs showed a marvel
Gus likeness to those Of ostriches, a
in the case of the iguanodon.
That the iguanodon-a great her
bivorous dinosaur-walked habitual
ly on its bird-like hind legs is unmls
takably proved by the great track
!, found in the Weald Of Sussex. Il
1898 no fewer than 25 specimens o
this great beast were brought to igh
from the colliery of Bernissart, in Bel
GUM, discovery quite unique OF 1t
kind. Every bone of the creature
skeleton has now. been cast in Plaste
of paris, SO that duplicates can besuP
piled to museums. This dinosaur ha'
= a most remarkable dagger-like thumb
, so big and so pointed in shape that a
one time, when discovered by itself i
England, it was considered to be tn
iguanodon's horn.