The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-26

the phaIanges. This bone Is the only
complete relic In the lot. 1t In four
feet long. four inches in diameter and
curved. one end bending almost sharp
~. That IL was lever OF the first
order is shown by one of Its ends be-
ing rounded to artfcuiate In Joint. the
other tapering on to point Whether
per used for propulsion in swimming,
or was . toe bone in p foot. Is mere
conjecture.
The relics were found in Tennessee
and that IL long way from the pres
emit home Of the ocean--but. Was the
ocean always where 1t is? Some
scientists say mot They say that
cons ago the axis Of the world was
changed. and that the present poles
were formerly in the hrst torrid zone.
They prove this, seemingly beyond q
doubt, by the fact that animals OF the
torrid zones have been found frozen
solid In the ice Of both arctic zones.
II 10 commonly known that mammoths
have been found In the glaciers Of
Alaska.
But if this Is true, our friend. the
Dinotherium. must have been far from
home when he died, that Is, II he was
tropical in his inclination. or possibly
the great surges of the sea, when the
axis Of the earth shifted carried him to
the place where his bones were ex-,
humed
whoever and whatever he was re-
mains to be finally decided. but his
tusk proves he was Dinath erfum, and
his bones in the ONCE of the Alabama
Chemical company speak for his once
having had rather CLASSY" identity.
One fact Is certain, and that is lot
OF scientists have had their theories
kicked TO death by his presence In
America, for the best authorities quoted
In the Encyclopedias Britannica say
the only remains Of the family SO far
found have been exhumed In miocene
beds in France. Germany, and Northern
India.
In the encyclopedias the Dinotherium
IL spoken Of as follows:
IAN extinct mammal. fossil remains
Of which occur In the Mioeene, beds OF
France, Germany. Greece. and Northern
India These remains. until lately con-,
sisted exclusively Of teeth and the
bones Of the head.
IAN entire skull. obtained from the
EppIesheim beds OF Hosse Darmstadt,
Germany. In 1886 measured four and
one-half feet in length and three feet In
breadth. and thus indicating an animal
that exceeded the elephant in size. (No
other bones were found but those of
OF the size OF the body.)
'Its upper jaw was destitute OF In
cisor and canine teeth, but possessed
Ave rnolars on each side, with q corres-
ponding number in the jaw beneath.
It most remarkable feature, however,
consisted in the front part OF the lower
jaw being bent downwards and bear
ing two tusklilxe incisors also directed
downward and backward.
Judging from the remains, Profess
sor Owen placed the Dinotherium
among the proboscidean mammals.
"DeBlainville, on the other hand, re-
garded 1t as an aquatic animal. des-
titute Of legs and somewhat resem-
bling the manatees Its reverse tusks
having probably been used to moor the
creature to the banks of the streams
II frequented, or to assist 1t in leav-
Ing the water. The recent discovery
however, of limb bones. decidedly bro
boscidean In type, and supposed to
have belonged to the Dfnotherfuna
the view that these creatures
were more akin to the elephant ana
than the manatee."