The sun., 1901-04-28
YALE'S HUGE DINOSAUR.
A PREHISTORIC ANIMAL SET UP IN
THE PEABODY HUSEUM.

THE PEABODY nUSEUM.
Il IL Nearly Thirty F.st Long. Was Found in
wyoming. and IL the Finer Of the Only Two
Specimens Known Of the Claossarus Va
risty -Dimcultiss Of Mounting It..
New HAVEN, April 27--The huge dino
saur, on the restoration OF which the entire
geological department Of Yale University
has been at work for more than year.
was placed in position this week in the
Peabody Museum Of Yale. 1t is magnifi-
cent specimen Of this prehistoric animal.
The name Of the beast is made up Of
two Greek words deinos. meaning terrible.
and sduros, meaning lizard. or the many
strange forms Of animal life the dinosaur
was perhaps the most wonderful not only
in size but also in variety, The animal.
80 the geologsts say hourished in the
Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and some.
II Ia said. In the Triasic age. In variety
they ranged from animals two feet In
length which closely resembled In many
ways modern specimens OF bird life to
the largest terrestrial and semi.aquatic
reptiles that ever lived. Some of the speci-
mems unearthed resemble in general
way tho crocodile while others show in
their bony structure. which they have
left behind them, Q remarkable resem-
blsnoe TO the modern ostrich. II was only
quite recently that the foot tracks found on
the shore Of the Connecticut River. which
for years puzzled scientists. we're figured
out TO have been made by this same animal
Yale's dinosaur is OF the variety named
claosaurus. IL was discovered by j. r.
Hatcher, now Of the Carnegie Museum Of
Pittsburg. and a party Of friends in the
summer Of 1891 while exploring for the late
Prof o. F. Marsh OF Yale In Converse
county. Wyoming. II proved a most fortu-
nate find, for not only was the specimen in
excellent condition with all It's parts intact.
but 1t was also an entirely new variety.
There is but one other such creature In the
museums OF the world, and that Ia In Br,Is-
sells. Belgium. Mr.. Hatcher was so careful
In arranging Its removal that no part Of the
animal was injured In transportation.
The task Of mounting it was not an easy
one. Parts OF the animal we're so firmly
embedded In the sandstone rock that II was
impossible TO dig them out without in
juring the specimen. As much as possible
was removed and this mixed with mortar,
making a solid background OF stone on
which the restored animal stands out in bold
| relief. In reality II is enCased in the same
sandstonein in which II was found, in which II
| died thousands of years ago.
| The entire length of the Yale animal ia
20 feet inches. The height of the head
| above the base is 10 feet inches. The
height Of the shoulders above the base IL 10
feet, the length of the tail IL IL feet inches
| and the length of the hind limbs feet S
| inches II is mounted in a position Of mo-
! ton with one hind foot lifted bit from
| the ground while the front limbs, which
| are considerably smaller than the hind
/ limbs, are in the air showing that the crea-
| ture was in the habit Of propelling itself
| by means Of the hind limbs.
In this respect dinosaurs vary, some
using both sets OF limbs for this purpose.
| The ClaOsaurus's fore limbs are adapted
| for walking and support rather than for
| the purpose of prehension. As il often the
case with the small forelimb of dinosaurs.
three fingers Of the hand of this specimen
! were used The first was rudimentary
one. the second and third OF equal length,
while the fourth was shorter and the fifth
entirely wanting.
The hind limb has three digits. all well
developed and massive. These limb bones
instead of being hollow are solid. which
tends TO confirm the idea that the cIaosau-
rus was fond OF the water The whole
backbone OF this creature, consisting OF
ninety NcrteOrR, Is complete
lhe difference between the claosaurus
and other dlnosaurus Is mainly In the shape
Of the head The skull Of this cIaosaurus
Is long ana narrow ana ms specimen must
have possessed an exceedingly small brain.
In the case OF the anchisaurus. the dino
saur which Is sald 10 have frequented
connecticut, tht skull dlners IN many
ways from mat OF the specimen IN TIE Pea
body Museum. II Is larger ana OF much
more delicate structure. resembling IN shape
the New Zealand reptile called the spheno-