The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-15

science; the workmen had smashed in part
of the reptiles head, but all the bones are
safe. numbered and classified, allowing the
head to be reconstructed in its entirety"
Without the head the skeleton measures
twenty feet. This marks the Crosby ichthyo-
saurus as one of the largest found complete,
the next in size being that dug up near
Bauz, of which only the head was recov-
cred. The head of the Bauz specimen is
seven feet long; the reptile to which it be-
longed was therefore probably thirty-two
feet in size.
The report of the academy's expert cor
tinues: The head was large ending in a
long pointed snout. much like crocodile's.
except that the orbit was, of course, larger,
while the nostrils are placed close to the
eyes as in the whale. The nostrils are mere
Sits in the skin and bone"
The scientist thinks he will be able to re-
construct at least one of the eyes with the
aid of much glue, fibre and paint This
ichthyosaurus's eyes were eleven inches in
diameter consisting of a circle of some
twenty overlapping bony plates, surround
ing the pupil.
1.-The circle continues the scientist,
must have acted as a sort of self-adjusting
telescope. and accompanied by the extra
ordinary amount Of light admitted by the
large pupil, enabled the reptile TO discover
his prey at any distances near or far, in
the obscurity of the night. and in the
depths of the sea. Thus, the reptile was
splendidly fitted for vision in air or water,
as well as for speedily altering the focal
distance while pursuing his prey
First Long-necked Ichthyosaurus- The
scientist lays special stress on the fact that
his is the first loEg-necked ichthyosaurus
found. while all other known specimens
have a neck so short that the body was
probably not in the least CONSTRUCTED be-
| hind the head; that of Crosby sported a
neck measuring one-third Of the length of
his body. His neck" says the scientist,
must have resembled the horned cirato-
saurus's, known as the reptilian hyena"
Outline of Figure.-When the skeleton
was laid bare in its entirety the lizard-like
form of the reptile could be plainly dis
cerned. The body was shaped like that of
fish. the four limbs developed into pad
dies and the long, lizard-like tail, vertical
| in position, bespoke activity even after its
10000 or more years of repose'
Wonderful Set of Teeth-The academy
representative. stated. collected the en-
tire bony structure of the powerful head
the original outlines of which, resembling a
crocodile's, had become impressed in the
clay.
The jaws were furnished with a large
series of powerful conical teeth, thirty To
forty in each jaw. They lodged close to-
gether in a continuous groove in which the
divisions for sockets are indicated by YER
| teal ridges on the maxilary bone.
All the teeth found are hollow at the root
sheathing young teeth which were intended
gradually to absorb the base of the older
| ones, and as they grew pressed forward
| and finally displaced them.
The long and slender jaws of the reptile
were formed of numerous thin, bony plates
combining strength with elasticity The
backbone is fish-like, the joints hollow
| making the whole column very flexible
| The academy's man confirms the assump-
| ton that this reptile was a robber of the
| sea, for under the ribs in the place where
the stomach of the animal had been sit
| uated he discovered excrements containing
masses of broken bones and scales of fishes
and other aquatic creatures The skele-
| ton is expected to arrive in st. Petersburg
the end of June. The directing spirits OF
the Imperial Academy think that an en-
| tirely new species of ichthyosaurus has
| been discovered.