Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

ground through steady accumulation
of sediment. The mud, with its prints
intact. would become hard stone.
Ages later upheavals and erosion
souvenir OF prehistoric times might
be brought to light by men mining
for coal deep in the earth. Some
such history as this accounts for the
preservation and discovery Of speci-
mems OF dinosaur footprints.
Records Of prehistoric showers are
preserved in the same way. A
heavy shower, or especially a hail
storm. would leave round pits in
fairly hard mud or fine sand. II
reptile tracks on pitted surface are
smooth, unmarked by the round pits.
science says that the tracks were
made after q rain. But IL other tracks
are marked with the round depres-
sions. then the rain obviously fell on
them.
Recognised q Century Ago.
When stones with fossil footprints
were first found in the Connecticut
valley. scientists thought that great
birds must have made the prints. 1t
was evident that the creatures were
three-toed and that they walked on
two legs. But as bones of the dino
saurs were discovered and identified
II became apparent that some OF these
prehistoric reptiles had walked on
their hind legs. and that three-toed
dinosaurs would have made just such
prints.
This year might we'll be regarded
as q centenary of the dinosaurs It
was in 1924 that dinosaur bones were
first recognized as belonging to a dis
tinct prehistoric type of animal. AL
most up to that time such fossil
bones as were found were regarded
as strange natural phenomena. It
was supposed that they were rocks
curiously shaped and resembling
bones, or that they were the bones
OF animals of comparatively modern
times.
Gradually. by piecing together the
have made the dinosaurs seem real.
Bones are fitted together into skele-
tons. Prints preserved In rock like
the footprints, show the quality of
dinosaur hide and the scale plates
of the armored monsters: Foot
tiles stride. their way of walking.
and the quality of skin that covered
their feet.
we know now that some Of the
dinosaurs were as small as chickens.
while other types were veaitaole e.
thirty tons. We know that some were
vegetarians, or as the scientists say,
herbivorous, and that others ate
flesh.
Unsolved Mysteries.
Still there are unsolved mysteries
about the dinosaurs. DR.. Gidley says
that there is a missing chapter in
their family history. No one knows
what kind of creature the original
dinosaur was. Nor can We be sure
into what kind Of creature the dino
saur race was trying to develop.
whether some Of these creatures were
more closely akin to birds or rep.
tiles IL a disputed point. In any case,
It was always supposed that they
must certainly have laid eggs. The
recent discovery of dinosaur eggs
II, 900, 900 years old Is visible evi.
dence on this point. Scientists are
particularly interested to learn that
the eggs have shells containing lime.
Hence they are more like the eggs Of
birds than Of reptiles, because rep
tile. eggs are generally covered with
q kind Of skin.
In the race for existence the rep
tiles Of 80 many million years ago
were handicapped by T. sad lack OF
brains, One kind OF dinosaur. has
been given the uncomplimentary
name Morosaurus. which suggests
kinship with the word moron, and
which does indeed mean stupid liz
ard, Dinosaur heads were altogether
too small In comparison with dino
saur bodies. Bony armor plate,
ferocious teeth, must all have proved
useless when pitted against nature In
some fierce mood or against weapons
Of moro willy creatures. In time: life
saur tribe, and they disappeared. No
creatures in existence today can
claim direct descent from those pre-
historic moUste<Ss