The San Francisco call., 1908-03-08

tracks; but each time this has been
done it marks period or day of his
habitation; for the sand and slickens
only fill the tracks OF yesterday, with
out erasing them, leaving only new
plain surface for the new tracks which
are to come. If one follows this trail
he will see where a food came in from
the upland and left Its drift along the
shore. Then stop and examine the
trunks OF palm trees. or tangled
mass of ferns; or some of the seaweed
that a tidal wave may have carried
to the uplands. Perhaps some ashes
from a nearby volcano may have fallen
and drifted like snow behind some OBJ
ject, and then one can tell which way
the winds blew on that day.
But II one follows the tale TO It's
conclusion he will be walking along
the shores of some mystic ocean,
watching the cavorting of some un-
known gigantic creature, or listening
to the cry of some strange bird. Per-
haps, IL his eye be quick and keen,
he may observe the assembling of GER
tain infusoria for the purpose of pro-
ducing a new species. II he sees and
feels these things he is then really in
touch with the great author of the
book of nature, and on the threshold
of world which ever deepens, broad
ems and enchants as one advances.
Possibly novice in the art OF deci-
phering nature will say: How am to
know shore line or a prehistoric river
when I see one?" The answer is easy.
With practice one can soon learn to
distinguish marine and fresh water de-
posits, for in the sea deposits one al
ways finds the remains of seaweed,
while the fresh water deposits show
such a marked difference In kind and
degree that even the novice can readily
detect it.
Rules for the Novice
The earth history is divided into
epochs from the time when 1t was a
molten ball up to the present day.
Each epoch possesses its own distin-
gushing characteristic, as shown in
some form of animal or plant life, and
TO him who understands the signs the
book Of nature is an open book. indeed
Thus, the precambrian epoch was
an age prior to the time that water fell
upon the earth. Then the molten ball
was too hot for water to fall upon It.
SO that the only knowledge we have
OF that period are huge dust strata
and possibly some boiling ocean. It Is
popularity believed that previous to this
epoch the earth was but nebula of
fiery mist, till through some agency the
law OF gravity was established and the
mist sought common center, which
produced our earth. The cambrian
epoch followed the precambrfan and
was the commencement OF our land
and seas. During this epoch very little
land was above the surface OF the
ocean. At its close few unstable ISL
ands here and there dotted the face OF
the globe. Infusoria In the form of lit
tie organic cells appeared, also seaweed
and shells.
The cAmbrian period was followed
by the siiurian, which is noted as hav-
ing produced tho trilibite, little sand
crab. Tho devonian epoch. which sue
ceeded, produced fishes. the 1rst crsa-
lures known to have backbone. Fol-
period was noted sor its pfofuse growth
of vegetation and the. huge coal de-
posits of eastern America and Europe.
It is claimed that the frst air breath
ing creatures developed during the lat
ter part of this epoch. This age was
succeeded BY. the triassic and Jurassic
epochs, which have q dividing line
drawn between them and yet are often
ciassed as one. These triassic and
turassic seas were the mother seas of
animal life. Sharks and their kind de-
veloped In the triassic. while all big
reptiles--the first mammal, the mono
treme--left the jurasaic waters to roam
on land. II one observer closely enough
1t will appear ~ if within the Ans and
lcbes of the drst fishes were embryonic
arms. legs and feet. and that during tho
1urassfc age the embryonic feet burst
forth from the membrane which nur-
turcd them and bore their burdens out
Of the mother 1uid to tho land. where
certain embryonic Qualities would fur
ther refine the bodies In which they re-
posed.
Monsters developed, and species null
tipIied- until one becomes lost Ia tho
maze OF numbers and appalled, at the
vastness of some of the products of
the cretaceous age. A variety OF saur-
ians roarned about. Saurs means lizard.
and the lizard generally has q prefix
to his name dcnoting whether he Is
NJ