The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17

land of almost perpetual snow, but millions
Of years ago, when the parieasaurus wal
lowed about the country, the climate was
mild, like that of Lower California. Great
creatures Of the wilderness in the Triassic
and Jurassic periods died and left their
bones there, just as they died on the West
ern plains of this country. 1t is not pos
sible to say just how many dollars Prof.
Amalitzky's fossil is worth, in a momentary
sense it is practically priceless. There is
not a scientific museum in the world that
would not pay any price for so rare a
treasure.
If any price was to be placed on Prof.
AmalitZky's fossil, it could not be fixed at
a penny less than S100, 900.
The finding of this ancient creature has
already stimulated the ambition Of many
American palaeontologists. 1t is well
known that in many parts of the West,
where the heat. land upheavals, or the &C
uon OF water in past ages have conduced
10 the preservation of fossils, there must
De many scientific treasures to be had for
the digging. 1t may not be altogether prob
able that at least one perfect specimen of
the genuine parieasaurus lies buried await
ing the jealous spade Of the scientific
searcher. But until such a one accom-
pllshes the task of discovery, Prof. Amalitz-
KY VIII hold the palm for having unearthed
the most Interesting skeleton of a unique
creature from the misty past that living
man has ever set eyes upon.
In the Western and Northwestern portion
or America there are such vast regions
that have been scarcely explored as vet
that the future may witness many discov-
cries fuily equal in value and interest to
the one here described. Much Of their value
and interest will lie I'm revelations of the
physical history of the world. such as are
found In geological formations and fossil
remains. Many chapters of that history
remain hidden, and il is reasonable TO sun
pose that what northwestern Russia has
revealed of a most remote age may yet be
ampliied by what Northwestern America
has to reveal.
EXISTED N AMERICA.
That the parieasaurus existed in America
is an established fact, although no remains
of the creature have been discovered here.
The evidence has been found in New Eng
land, where the monster tracks. indelibly
impressed upon the rocks, told years ago
something of the story now presented more
fully by the skeleton reptile in ST. Peters
burg. 1t may not be impossible there are
fossil remains right here in the East which
are to be uncovered, to assist with Prof.
AmalitZky's discovery i'm giving to men of
science broader limpses Of the prehistoric
past than the work of palaeontOlogy has
yet gwen. Ii IS reasonable 10 suppose that
if the parieasaurus wandered over New
England some of his kind must have lived
and died in that region.
The nearest approach which has been
found in this country to the parieasaurus
is the nauosaurus, which is somewhat sim
liar in its anatomy to Professor Amalitz-
ky's creature. but unlike il in the peculiar
attributes which make the latter a scien-
tihc wonder.
The first man Of science who made a
serious study of the parieasaurus was the
late Prof. George Owen, who Namine
fragments of a fossil brought from South
Africa in 1876. Prof. Owen wrote a PAM
Inlet known TO mast palaeontologists. in
which he traced the strange animal-snake
back to a remote period, but told very little
about its acQual structure and peculiarities.
Later Prof. II. G.. Seeley unearthed an al
most complete skeleton Of a small pariea-
saurus near Cape Colony This fossil is in
the British museum.
The consensus OF scientific opinion upon
the habits and environments of this 10.O00.-
o00-year-oid missing link goes TO prove
that IL was carnivorOus and doubtless a
cannibal. devOuring it's. own kind. but sub
listing for the most part upon mollusks
and the strange shellish and still stranger
reptiles of its day. Doubtless the pariea-
saurus was king among the thousands OF
smaller animals. reptiles and fish which
swarmed the earth in the far away Trias-
sic period: living on both land and water.
IL must have ruled these element by sheer
force of natural versatility. But whatever
its power when IL was a living. breathing
creature, il never commanded half the re-
spect that is now being lavished upon IL.
nor posed before a larger or more appre-
ciative audience than at this moment. Men
OF great eminence in the world intellectual.