The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-11-02
BIG CAVE FULL Of
EXTINCT ANIMALS
Expeditions Bring Back
Many Specimens,
TWO CARLOADS OF FOSSILS
Many Neww Genera and Species Dis
covered, Besides Complete Skele-
tons Of Great Sea Serpents.

NEW YORK. Nov. 2.-Three expedi-
lions under Prof. Henry Fairfield Os-
born have returned to the American
Museum of Natural History from the
s-Etocky Mountains.
They brought back TWO carloads Of
skeletons of many animals heretofore
undiscovered, besides complete skeletons
Of monsters OF which there were in the
world S museums previously only trag-
ments
Most remarkable was the discovery OF
cave in New Mexico containing thou
sands OF complete and fragmentary
skeletons OF "a whole menagerie Of eX-
tinct animals
Prof Osborn gives the following ao-
count of the expeditions and their re-
suits;
The mammal expedition into the Fort
BridgaF regiCu, Wyoming, was IN charge
Of Or ". ID. Matthew and Walter
Granger This is a classic locality. Spe-
mains OF the Ereat horned Quadruped
which Inhabited this region in the eOcene
period As result portions OF two
skeletons on uiutltheTium were obtain
ed, also "A nne lower jaw
Net Its Death in Bayou Mud.
lone Of these skeletons was found in
such position that the animal musi
4-A+A ga -ll ~ lie1A AN4 Al4El - q SUI
tenacious mud. but is now an olive
ereen sl-ale.
Not far of along the steep face OF the
bad land cliff this shaIe stratum was
n0tcaed by the cross section OF an old
river channel hIled with hard sandstone.
end We may Imagine that the animal
came down along the firm sand of the
into The trelCheTous mud Of the BAYOU.
There were also found Use skeleton
end two me skulls or hyrachyus,
ri-iuVe running rhinOcerOs. the skull
and part Of the skeleton Of hyopsodus,
either Gu emur or an insectivore- three
skulls OF lsectCioplusl q primitive Rocky
Mountain taplr, six skulls of palaeosy-
OPS, an early type OF UtanCthere, two
-ith part OF a. skeleton, and TWO skulls
o. carnIVores related 10 the dog family.
'DilEent search was made for the fos-
sil horse of the Bridger, bat thus Tar
Only ITagmentarE specimens have been
found, the best being q palate with
complete set Of upper teeth.
Discovery Of PlesiOsaurs.
In charge of the reptilian search was
BaTuum Brown, well known through his
explorations iE Patagonia and in Mon
tana for fossil reptiles III was cs-
Iecially desired 70 obtain a complete
skeleton or one or the great sea reptiles
known ass plesiosaurs.
Continuing The work begun IN 1872
o. search was made in the Fort Pierre
sililes and from Fort Pierre shales near
i.cgemonI, s. D.. re obtained the
greater part OF "a plesiosaa- skeleton. in
GLIDING skull saws and neck complete
about fifteen feet long. one complete
paddle and part Of the pectoral girdle,
with some dCrsal vertebrate, were also
found.
I'm the same locality we obtained an
other pleslosaur specimen having skull,
Jaws one complete paddle and disasso-
ciated vertebrate Two other important
specimens were found in this formation
IA young plesiOsaur having both girdles
and Two Paddles and mOsasaur speCI-
men with skull. jaws, and part Of the
skeleton uuCrushed. This formation
yielded twenty-five boxes of fossils.
In beds near the Judith River iu Mon
eA2a vas discovered the skeleton OF a
large herbINorOus dinOsaur related 10 the
lquauocOuts OF Europe, named tracho-
don including pelFls, VerJebral column
and limb bones.
FissuEe Cave Full Of Mammals.
The party continued down into Ar
kansas. and IN q cTeVasse in cavern OF
the pleistocene age were found ten com
plete and many fragmeuUary skulls OF
rodents and carnivores. about Loo jaws.
thousands OF limb bones and vertebrae.
representing nearly forty species Of
animals.
Materials were brought back Tor the
prepare zion or a section or this remark
able cave which viii show the bones
~ position as they were found. They
include many living species OF animals,
such as bears. WeaS5ls Dumas. deer.
foxes. wolves, beavers and rabbits.
ne species OF these animals were
partly Of living kinds and some kinds
which have disappeared since this re-
uarkable cave collection was deposited.
As proof OF its geological age there
were also found a skeleton Of the extinct
saber-tOOthed tiger. recognizable. al
though very much crushed also the
skeleton OF a musk OK. Remains Of liy-
iIE species on uECcaTlEE were also
found.
The ututatheres which Prof. Osborn
mentions or which the first complete
skeletons were found, were great quad
rupeds with elephautiue bodies. very
small brains, Iour-b0rued skulls. and
pow errul tusks. They lived around the
ancient HriGger Lake Wyo., iu the mid
de eocene times Of 100000 years ago