The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-10-07


and their relatives, the greatest of
them is estimated the word-at
eighty feet, but the largest yet secured
measures but sixty feet
With the Eocene period there came
into being hosts of new creatures to
take the place of those that had recent.
ly disappeared. and among them some
of the largest marine animals that
have ever lived. In the seas of that
day swan the greatest of sharks, crea.
lures, to judge from their teeth. from
seventy-five to 100 feet long, though
tLeir bodies We're so perishable that
"an estimate" is the best that can be
given. But even If we conservatively
lop off n score or so OF feet from this
estimate 1t still leaves them of goodly
proportions. In company with these
sharks was whaleike animal called
from the shape of the teeth Zeuglodon.
yoke toothed, though first named basi-
losaurus king lizard, from a piece of
its backbone which was supposed to
have belonged to some reptile. Until
recently this animal was not very well
known in spite of the abundance of its
>
but while there are certain points
about its structure that we would like
to have cleared up. we have a pretty
good understanding of its skeleton and
appearance.
Now before proceeding to describe
Zeuglodon let us run over a few of the
characteristics ascribcd TO the sea SER
, pent. Naturally it is always a long
animal and rather slender; the head is
I, usually of moderate size, and is often
reared far out of water; the back is
, adorned with a name or fins, and the
body is sometimes said to be clad with
scales; finally, locomotion is often said
to be by vertical unduations, portions
of the back alternately appearing and
disappearing. TO take the last point
first. 1t may be said that such mode
= of progression is so extraordinary that
: this part of the description is used as
+ an argument against the existence of
, the sea serpent. Snakes swim as they
crawl, by curving the body from sido
: to side, and the sea snakes of the In
, dian Ocean are even less able than
, their fellows of the land to move 9th,
, erwise. since their bodies are COM
! pressed, which enables them to get Il
better hold On the water Fishes, and
, particularly long-bodicd fishes, such as
eels and ribbon fishes swim in Il SINH
lar manner, and so did the great eX-
tinct marine reptiles just mentioned.
+ But Zeuglodon was the one animal
, specially modified for vertical move
ments, and if the sections of his back
4 bone be laid out end to end, it will be
y found that the complete backbone has
Z a very decided upward curve in the
front portion. Moreover, Zeuglodon is
the most slender animal for its size
= with which we are acquainted, and.
while certainly attaining a length of
fifty to seventy feet. was not more thar
six or eight feet in diameter at the
thickest part. and this is far less than
= the chest measure of any whale OF
equal length. And rs there are giants
:, among all sorts of animals, individ'
uals that for some reason far exceed
their fellows, so an occasional Zeuglo
don might have run up 100 feet. and
:, this as Kaa said Of himself, would be
. n very fair length even for q sea ser.
> pent. The head OF this animal was
small in proportion to the body. as
may be seen by glance at the figure
Of the skeleton. and was provided with
: fine set of teeth, well adapted for
y sezing and cutting. 1t will be seen
: that ZeugloGon was just the reverse of
IL the Tom Noddies, who were "all head
J. and no bodies," for by far the greater
e portion of the creature was the tail,
! And one of the most obvious uses for
l. such length and weight of tail would
= be to serve as n counterpoiaa for the
u body. and enable its possess,r to rear
'e the forepart out of the water, and We.
= at the same time swim steadily for
l. ward. Then there is vety peculiar
II modification of the breastbone, which
= taken in connection with the rest o.
u the skeleton. led the late Professor
IL Cope to agree with the writer in believ,
IL ing that the forepart of the body could
ct easily be raised ten 10 twenty feet or
ie of water in order to cake comprehen
u sive view of the surroundings.
III Among the picturesque features of
5 ten ascrlbed to the sea serpent are
ie name, or crest and scales, and there
le were some things about our Zeuglodor
rs that might have suggested these. 4!
is FOR scales, one good authority has writ
IL ten paper to prove that the anima
III was veritable mail-clad monster in
ze cased In cuirass of jointed bones, al
ca though other scientific men decline t.
a, subscribe to this.
III Taken all in all. some such creature
II as Zeuglodon would accord better witt
ne the average description of the sea ser
III pent than any other known TO science
he and if-please note this if-any animals
sc of this kind exist, their appearance,
is- would account for some. of the reports
Oh Of the occurrence of the sea serpent.
u' 1t may be justly urged against ZeuG
ne lodon that none of the Eocene man
On mails are known to have living repre-
Oh sentatives, but, on the other hand, 1t i
ID to be borne In mind that marine ami
mails are less liable to change than til
nc dwellers upon land, and so conserva
'et tive.a naturalist as DR.. Gill wrote tina
III 1t was possible, though far from proL
10 able, that scme relative of Zeuglodo
ne might still be living Weekly
w
rs, Man and Woman.
sse A man will run rs fast as he can I