The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-21
Rare Animal Captured.

Death Valley, Aug. 1s.-One of the
most remarkable animals imaginable has
just been captured here by a party oil
prospectors headed by Death Valley
Scotty. Like the common bat, the crea-
ture appears tG belong TO both beast anc
bird families. but unlike the bat, is OF
immense size and has DILL In some
respects the creature is akin TO the Well
known, but extinct genus dinornthidae
while in other particulars It is mucn ike
the familiar tinoceras of wyoming ana
Utah. Standing erect on its two feet,
both of them equipped with claws about
eight inches long, the creature is much
larger than an ostrich-prObably eleven
feet high 1t does not appear 10 De cap
able of flight. although it is able TO run
with great speed. Despite the biTd-llke
BILL the head partakes in many respects
of that of a crocodile. The Skull Is
long and narrow, with three separate
osseOus elevations like horns, all follow
ing the median line of the head Inc
rearmOst and largest one is supported by
q large crest, ,yhich extends from near
the orbits around the lateral and pos
terror margins of the Uranium and springs
apparently from the parietal bones rms
elevation drooDS forward in an almost
perfect catenary curve and Just escapes
contact with the next one, which mas Two
short turns. or loops. The foremost ele-
walton terminates in soft tissue and is
evidently used as a feeler by the crea-
ture. The canine teeth inside the crea-
lures bill are deeply implanted. long, de-
curved and trenchant. The lower jaw
has a massive process on each side,
backed by heavy molars. The metapodial
bones are long and heavy and their ar
ticular surfaces for the phlanges are al
most flat. The carpal bones form inter-
locking series and the astralagus is ar
ticulated with both the navicular and Gu
bold bones. Thus, il will be seen, the
structure in part is almost identical with
that of the tinOceras- But the struc-
tural analogy ends here. The head and
neck of the creature are covered with
large, glistening, horny scales of brilli-
ant yellow hue. Its wings, although ru-
dimentary, are covered with purple and
green plumes dotted with crimson. Some
of these plumes, when unrolled, are
with soft hair, about four inches in
length and shading gradually from pink
at the top to glossy black at the bottom.
The feet are webbed, indicating an aqua
tic propensity and also indicating that
the creature is quite a bit off its home
range. Its cry is a racuous cultural note,
not at all musical The creature shows
no signs of malevolence. 1t was browsing
peacefully on joshua trees when caught
and now partakes freely of fried bacon,
canned tomatoes, eVapOrated apples and
baled hay. The creature will be incorpo-
rated under the laws of Nevada at once
and the initial offering Of stock will be
at a figure so advantageous that even
the most severely stung eastern investor
need not fear to take a chance or two.
Full particulars of the forthcoming issue
will be given through the medium of the
press.
Oyster Bay. Aug. 19.-There is no such
creature as that reported to have been
found at Death Valley. The president
said: 60? ~ - - % e ~ Get
off the line, scab.''