The Elbert County tribune., 1903-11-19
ln, D. u. 4. 4. =. =. :.


them reaching length of even twenty
five feet. And here we may. perhaps.
spring painful surprise ON the reader
by saying that no animal has actually
been measured having n length of even
100 feet. True. books. and among them
scientific books. say that the great ror-
qual. the longest species OF whale.
sometimes measures 120 feet from nose
TO tail, but no one has ever brought
such monster TO bag. and the largest
that has fallen under n tape line
stretched but eighty-nine feet. As for
those huge reptiles with equally huge
names. brontosaurus. atlantorsauriIs
and their relatives. the greatest of
them is estimated-mark 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
cir bodies were so perishable that
ian estimate is the best that can be
given. But even II 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 n whalelike animal called
from the shape OF the teeth zeuglodon.
yoke toothed, though first named basil
losaurus liking llzardD from 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
bones in parts of the Southern States,
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 n few of the
characteristics ascribed to the sea SER
pent. Naturally it is always n long
animal and rather slender; the head is
usually of moderate size, and is often
reared far out of water; the back is
adorned with n name or fins, and the
body is sometimes said 10 be clad with
scales: finally. locomotion is often said
to be by vertical undulations. portions
of the back alternately appearing and
disappearing. To take the last point
| first, 1t may be said that such n 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 side
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 a
better hold OH the water. Fishes. and
particularly long bodied fishes. such as
cells and ribbon fishes. swim in n simi.
lar manner, and so did the great ex-
tlnct marine reptiles Just mentioned
But Zeuglodon was the one animal
specially modified for vertical move
ments. and II the sections of his back
bone be laid out end to end, il will be
found that the complete backbone has
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 IL length of
fifty to seventy feet, was not more than
six or eight feet in diameter Mt the
thickest part. and this is far less than
the chest measure of any whale of
equal length. And as there are giants
among all sorts of animals, indiyid-
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 a 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
n fine set of teeth. well adapted for
Selling and cutting. 1t will be seen
that Zeuglodon was just the reverse of
the Tom Noodles. who were "all head
and no bodies" for by far the greater
portion of the creature was the tail.
And one of the most obvious uses for
such length and weight of tail would
be to serve as counterpoise for the
body. and enable Its possessor to rear
the forepart out of the water. and yet
at the same time swim steadily for
ward. Then there is very peculiar
modification of the breastbone. which.
taken in connection with the rest of
the skeleton. led the late Professor
Cope to agree with the writer in believ-
Ing that the forepart of the body could
easily be raised ten TO twenty feet out
of water in order to take n comprehen-
sive view of the surroundings.
Taken all In all. some such creature
as Zenglodon would accord better with
the average description of the sea ser
pent than any other known to science.
and if-please note this if-any animals
| of this Kind exist fhni1. npnanrn.,no