The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-02

disappearance of the ichthyosourus, did
not really destroy it in the very early
days of their own existence
Although we do not know anything
about their ancestral tree it is certain
/ that the whale did not begin with
toothless forms like our Greenland whale.
/ Their first representatives appear to have
/ possessed the terrible, almost shark-Iike
/ teeth of certain dolphins, that belong to
/ the most dangerous creatures of the sea
/ today
/ Our killer whale, or Orca, although gen
orally only six yards long. succeeds with
his ferocity and keen teeth in Overcom-
ing the Greenland whale. twenty yards
long. which has absolutely no enemies
beside him except man. Such orcas. as
large once as the Greenland whale is
now. must have been able to slay both
Carcharadon shark and ichthyosaurus.
Added to their size and strength was the
mammal brain that gave its possessOr a
further vast advantage over the weak
organ of fish and reptile.
That the sea people with these giant
sharks and monster dolphns was an I'M
canny home for all unarmored things at
that time is proved by certain small, but
instructive. circumstances.
Besides the ichthyasaurus a whole
horde Of swimming reptiles had begun
to venture into the open ocean in Triassic
and Jurassic periods. Fishing busily with
his long neck. there swan the pIesiosaur-
US "A funny animal of which it has been
said graphically that it resembled a tuv-
tie that suddenly had acquired the neck
of a swan.
But already in the chalk period we find
these pIesiasaurs retiring more and more
into the mouths Of the great ocean rivers.
They were fleeing from something.
Imagine a thin swan-neck in the Jaws of
a giant shark. 1t would snap off like
straw. These long necks. then. first
found good reason for flight 1t didn't
help them. however They disappeared
with the ichthyosaurus.
Then there was the paw saurian.
These paw beasts" scientifically named
teIeosaurians. were crocOdiles, swimming
cheerfully in the open ocean in those (
days.
And for these crocodiles. too. the sea
had become haunted in the Cretaceous .
period They. too crowded to the river
mouths and appeared more and more in .
fresh waters.
They succeeded in their struggle. so that .
they remain 10 this DAY. The reason is +
plain. They We're not paw beasts" for +
nothing. Never had they 50 far adapted
themselves to the life i nthe ocean that .
they had changed their regular toed paws .
for diape-s or fins
So they could escape 10 the land. They +
were able To crawl over sand bars until .
they reached water again.
TIE Holy TELEOsAJ-R.
And thus they We're permitted to last .
through all the changes Of things til
into those wondrous days Of man. when
in Egypt and I,-lia hums1ity's blind crop
ing for supernatural mysteries made those .
ancient comrades Of ichthyosaurus and .
tClo-saurus holy
vi these pictures form one chain
The ichthyosaurus had made himself
comfortable" In many places. "a; least,
he had permitted his weapons Io rust .
and degentrlte. Thea. suddenly. the ocean
teemed with new fierce adversaries- IL
was too late for q readautatiea To the
land too late even for acquiring fresh .
water habits
The very achievement If the i-n-hyo-
=aurls. the magnificent 6n-a7raratus chat
had mad, it So mighty through a1es. lee
came the great obstacle % its continued
existence. $ came the era IN The gres,
drama.
The lion If the JGrass-ee sea van
ishes like a fat stupid d1lo r.rE CON
-re-cd at last by those same laws al ga
;u-al development that had made him So
sFeat.
II human eyes could have seen T. they
vauld have r5heli JEa tu--iaS--7--t ~
TWO periods. shark and whsle. san win
rs today. began their l7riship ~ the
ocean The cro>o5iie went ia-o the rivers
ana passed .ato The heart or the warm
parts u tha earth. EG- i-h-hsossu=ls
and rlesiosaurus passed IS unit
END OF THE PILGRIMAGE
II peaceful Httle corners ~ Gz1ss--s
they sleep or the.r VIA e4-th----s-s -o-
day. the last i-htkyezauriars. 30 longer
reckless swimmers iD she o1laa Of 1rin-
syaI worlds. lur onIy quiet 5rsare-s i1
.h7 great blue ocean OF human thought
As Roy eachaurusat fixed sls.a-a-l-iise
z stone. the old. wonderful sea ~ Jur-
lssic time lives there once EloTa The
clean. orderly Toon0s. tha shining sass
cases. brightly colo-ed paintings II re-
stored prirevaI scenes. AMI outside = n.
windows he holding green sEaaches o.