The Washington herald., 1911-09-03
Wonderful Fossils
ooRyRTGHT By JAMES, BLvsRsoS

IA lie Bad Lands, In the extreme south
western part OF wyoming, are unus
ually rich in fossil remains Of pre-
historic animab. Ages ago, in what
~ geologsts cal the eocene and mio-
a., Gene periods, these Bad Lands were
1t may be explained, in order tn oive an
idea OF the time when these animals Iived
that the eocene period was one hundred
tnousand and the miocene fifty thousand years
ago. The rivers that flowed into these lakes
oro9ghh with them alluvial deposits which
gradually filed them up. 1t is in the beds Of
these lakes that the skeletons are found of
animals which existed in these early davs.
Sometimes, too, they are found imbedded on
the surface of the cliffs which formed the
Sides SIDES Gl those lakes, and often they are dis
covered IN the rocks Of green sandstone
goody number of scientific expeditiona
have explored that section of the country and
secured valuable specimens. One party, which
mas mas Just returned to the East, brought back
tue remains OF some animals, none of which
had ever before been fully known
When these fossil remains are found. coarss
cotton bands, soaked in starch are wrnnned
about them These bands stiffen and hold
the parts in place.
,, The work of cleaning away from the homes
the stones in which they were found takes
time and patience. The bones themselves
are so brittle that at any but the Gghtest
touch they fall apart. When free from the
ting them together. PN'
Some OF the animals, the remains of which
were found by this expedition, would Ger.
tainly attract curiosity If they lived TODAY
nagerie. - Nie
One Of the animals in the collection h..
been called the uintathericum, because its re-
mains were discovered in the Uinta Noun.
tam, spur of the Rockies. Fifteen skuIIs
was almost complete
1hlS animal with the h;g n,r,o L.. -.---
been discovered outside of our own country
IL was larger than a rhinoeerous and some.
wnat smaller than an elephant. II was ann.
Pieo win three sets of horns. There were
Two small horns on the end of the nose. two
tarther back on the head and two other an
Top OF the head. The latter were the largest
m put perhaps not the strongest as it is thouOht
tnat they were covered with skin.
thd ne TWO horns IN the middle were doubtless
the weapons of attack and defense, for tbey
were long and sharp. The skull measnred
two and half feet across and its diagonal
breadth was three feet. The region in Which
TINS strange creature dwelt was semi.tropicai
Another fossil that was discovered w,. .4h..
3l the patlro felis, the latter part of the name
pslhg gwen to it from a supposed reseT,-
DIanee TO the cat family This specimen was
ON tbs Hsnrv IN "&EndstoGe E at the foot Of cliff
eme tm only skeleton of this animal in the world
an that SCIENTISTS ever found of Il before he,
ing Two broken fragments of jaw.
AooioglstS believe that this animal repre.
sents the beginning of the seal family, and
really marks the commencement of the swim
II'S mn Sb bearmTors. When the great lakes dried
become, took to the seas. VIC"
mere was one animal of which skull has
been been secured, the hunting of which would =
rave Deeen great sport. 1t was the largest
mammal that ever lived in the West, and SaJ
l norm twenty inches long ON the end of ;ts
nose. H '"e Gnu Oh lts
II Is question, however, on what animal
'portsmen could have ridden when thew went
nuniIms hfty thousand years ago The fossil
'pecimens OF horses which have been fonnJ
how that these animals were no bigger 'tu tbnu
'hepherd dogs; They made up for this partly
loweVerl by the number of toes. They had