The sun., 1910-12-04
OLD MARINE REPTILE ON SHOW
NlrTRNL HISTORi va SET n
mas 4 BIC PLESIOsAGR.
seems Co Have Deen . sort sf Daddy sea
serpent and % In Fine Conaiitiea
Icon Habitat Biru Greup-Ne~s
Received From Arctic ESpioserx.

FATFuC bNpl3dfIs,
several important accessions and new
exhibits at the American Museum OF
Narrral History are announced in the
uameuS museum Journal. 20 bs made
ruD'lc day.
The latest addition to the fossil skeleton
on exhibition " q great marine reptile. he
plesio-aur, II feet long and fest
inches across from tip 10 zip OF he paddles
N belongs 10 a group long since ex-
tinct and ~ very obviously unlike any
living animal The long Hippers and broad
co'npac, body suggest a sea turtle. bui
there th. Tesemblance ends. for th.
creature had no shell. and the long stlf
ueck and sharp teeth haring out from Tho
Jaws are said To be unlike those OF any
turtI.
This skeleton was found in An unusually
complete condition aud the bones were
nus, distorted by crushing. which made II
possible to articulafe the skeleton in it-
true proportion and form and mount 1t in
characteristic pose. Generally skelet ons
as ancient as this specimen are found
fattened m the rock. So TINT while they
form a good bas-relief when he rook is
chiselled AWAY they do not show the real
form of m. animal when alive Accord
ing to " ID Matthew. one Of the curaiors
Of the museum. plesiosaurs were both
numerous and common in the age OF
reptiles. and their remains have been
found in marine formations OF this era ia
all parts Of the world.
In the United States they occur from
California TO New Jersey but the bes'
specimens are from the cretaceous forna
tions OF the great plains. The remains
hsve been mostly fTagmenrary. though
a few more or less complete skelet ons
are preserved in this and other museums
in America Some OF the plesiosaurs
were Of gigantic size, 81 TO 20 feet In
length, hut more commonly they were
from q to Is fee, long
Tho restoration OF the plssiosaur at
the museum was made nv Charles X.
knight under the direction oi tho late
Prof Cope. and is based upon nearly
complete skeleton IN the Cope collection
at the museum. The skull. parts Of the
paddles. a number Of the vertebre and
other minor parts hav" heen restored
In plaster. modelled when necessary
after specimens in the British Museum.
The name plssiosaur or near lizard
given to these animals about a century
ago indicates that they are more like
the modern reptile than are the hsh liz
ards found in the same geologic forma-
tions. II in supposed that the plesiosaurs
were carnivorous animals.
A new habitat bird group, showing
two looms has basn installed at the mu-
se,Im. The group - reproduced from
studies made in 1919 on the shore Of Lake
I'm cog. IN New Hampshire. and has
b-en mounted by Frank VI. Chapman.
the habitat being the work Of y. D. Fig
gins and A. r Butler. Tn. back ground.
portraying part Of the lake and the ever
gr.en covered projections of land. has
b.en painted ny Hobart Nichols.
Recent letters hav. been received al
the museum from the Siefansson-A A nder-
son expedition i n the Arctic regions The
last letter from Stefansson was written
April IS and at a place fifty miles from the
Copper mine The expedition was about
TO start . the remaining s0 miles. but
With only three Eskimo assistants The
country through which u will pass has
manv lakes and rivers unknown TO geoS-
rapherr. Stefansson il supplied with
charts Of the region made by DR. Richard
son in lsI6
The last letter from DR. Anderson VA.
written on August i3. and Announces
thai at last he has received rhe supplies
cent by the museum in 1898 and ls'9
He had not yet heard from Stefansson
who had told him not 10 worry II h. did
..v, hear until Christmas
The museum has recently received
from DIR. F. ID Aller Of Chile q valIiab IL
chronological collect ion Of $50 specimens