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SCULPTURAL FORMS depicting prehistoric monsters which roamed coastal plains of Southern 

 California in Pleistocene times have been erected in Hancock Park beside ancient tarry pits 

 where animals came to drink surface water collected in the pools. Thousands were trapped in 

 the treacherous ooze which has preserved their bones in such perfect state that scientists have 

 been able to recover complete skeletons and reconstruct images of the strange creatures. 

 Carnivores long smce extinct preyed on luckless beasts mired in the viscous asphaltum and 

 often fought to the death over such carrion. The preceding color plate and the view above 

 show one of the most striking of the sculptural reproductions, a conception of the massive and 

 ferocious saber-tooth tiger, Smilodon calHornicus. This group was designed by Joseph Roop, 

 who died before his work was completed. Herman T. Beck of the Los Angeles Museum of 

 History, Science and Art fmished the tiger group and later executed monumental sculptures 

 of the Great Lion (Felis atrox) as well as the Ground Sloths and Great Bear shown on suc- 

 ceeding pages. 



