Evening star., 1926-09-19
DINOSAURS RULED
! SUPREME ON ISLE
Reptiles Recently Brought to
Bronx Zoo Trapped by
I: Bent Trees.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. September 1s.-From
The world that once was-a world
over whose unfinished surfaces crawl
ed great scaly monsters. and
whose air was filled with winged
tcrrors well nigh as formidable as
any described in the pages of my
thology-there have come to New
York two ambassadors
AS befits creatures of such ancient
lineage, they arrived here on a de
luxe ocean liner with no less a per-
sonage than a professor of Smith Col
lege to act as their spokesman and,
guide; and although the mayors COM
nnittee for reception OF distinguished
guests overlooked their coming. they
were welcomed by a distinguished
group Of citizens including Raymond
L. Ditmars, authority on reptile life,
and others capable of understanding
and approaching the strange visitors.
They then were housed in quarters
where they are attended by persons
who make study of catering to their
wishes, and who will spare no pains
to keep them in good health.
These creatures, who already have
received thousands of visitors at their
Park, are proclaimed by eminent au.
thorities to be the undisputed mon
srchs of the great lizard family. Their
scientific name is Naranus komodoen-
SIS: the Naranus coming from their
membership in the monitor family of
lizards. known as the Naranidae and
the komodoensis being due to the fact
they were discovered on the Island of
Komodo in Dutch Malaysia. Other
mi h>1y
tors.
100000 Years Old.
The age of the Varanus Komondoen.
sis family is. according to Mr.. Dit.
mars, matter of theoretical conjec-
ture: but it is placed by scientists
among what might be called the IF.
r C." or first family of creation"
II is surmised that these ambassadors
who look disdainfully upon us md
our upstart civilization. can claim a
lineage running hack about ,00O. 900
years.
1t may seem strange that the ex-
lstence OF this extremely ancient
family did not become known to the
scientific world until about - years
ago; that natural histories and books
on reptiles recognized as authorities
contain no reference to 1t.
Even today, Mr. Ditmars. who is
curator of the Bronx 100. said there
are probably no other examples of
this species in captivity in either
Europe or America and there are
prooahly but two mounted speci.
mems In museums-one of these being
on exhibition in England and the
other in America. Furthermore. az
far as can be ascertained, there never
nave been IN the past any specimens
Of this creature exhibited in captiyitv
so that probably this is the first time
any human being has seen this giant
lizard alive aWaN from its native
haunts.
The explanation for the failure of
science 10 learn until recently of this
creature existence is attributed TO
inc fact that the island of Komodo-
the only spot where this ancient
species has been seen-is a small
small island barely 80 miles long hv
IL miles in width. with preciptous
shores on which white men seldom
have Nentured
Island Is Primitive.
Persons who have read much fiction
ABOUT the savage South Seas-and
most persons have read such fiction
should ne able to picture the place.
a volcanic mole on typhoon-
scourged sea. \ place where nature
man ana beast are in the primitive
On TINS small remaining match of
The lost world these creatures must
nave been living for ages: and it took
couple Of New York society folk to
go INTO their lair and drag out the
specimens we now can look upon.
The expedition which fetched these
scalX things was arranged by William
Douglas Burden. whose father. lanes
\ Burden. WAS host to the Prince Of
Wales during the Princes visit to
Long Island
Mr. Burden. j, is said became in
tereStcd in this strange creature
I'M ouSh reading n brochure of the
Frltlsh n Museum. He decided he would
Sot one or more of them and bring
them back 10 New York so he organ.
lied party which consisted Of him
self. Mrs. Burden. who was formerly
Miss katherine c. White. daughter of
former Gov. Horace White. and Prof.
f. r. Dunn of Smith College They
SET OUT upon their journey TO the
other side of the earth
There was a thrill about this eype.
Sltion such as few explorers or hunt
.ers know: for this party was seeking
creature which. according to scien-
tifc conjecture. had prowled the earth
approximately $50. 900 years before the
earliest man.
They were Joined en- route by a
:7oted French big game hunter. named
pe Fosse: and on reaching Dutch Ma
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