THE FOSSIL FOOTMARKS OF THE UNITED STATES. 251 



but of smaller size. Next comes a biped animal, a bird, perhaps, 

 with a foot and heel nearly two feet long. Then a host of lesser 

 bipeds, formed on the same general type ; and among them several 

 quadrupeds with disproportioned feet, jet many of them stilted 

 high, while others are crawling along the surface, with sprawling 

 limbs. Next succeeds the huge Polemarch, leading along a tribe 

 of lesser followers, with heels of great length, and armed with 

 spurs. But the greatest wonder comes in the shape of a biped 

 batrachian, with feet 20 inches long. We have heard of the Laby- 

 rinthidon of Europe, — a frog as large as an ox ; but his feet were 

 only 6 or 8 inches long, — a mere pygmy compared with the Oto- 

 zoum of New England. Behind him there trips along, on unequal 

 feet, a group of small lizards and Salamandridce, with trifid or quad- 

 rifid feet. Beyond, half seen amid the darkness, there move along 

 animals so strange that they can hardly be brought within the 

 types of existing organization. Strange, indeed, is this menagerie 

 of remote sandstone days ; and the privilege of gazing upon it, 

 and of bringing into view one lost form after another, has been an 

 ample recompense for my efforts, though they should be rewarded 

 by no other fruit. But I will indulge the hope, that naturalists 

 will not refuse them a name and a place on the register of pre- 

 adamic existence. 



* * 

 * 



In order to bring the most important of these characters 

 under the eye at a glance, I have collected them in the appended 

 table. The numbers are the mean of those given in the detailed 

 descriptions, where there is any variation in the characters. For 

 an easy comparison of species, this table will be convenient. But 

 as it will explain itself, further description is unnecessary. 



