332 



ORGANIC REMAINS. 



GENUS ELEPHA8. 



Pop Mammalia and Elephant. PI. C5, 6g. 27. The remains 

 Hi :.i-.il elephants were found in tin- cave at Kirkdnle, by 

 Burklaiid ; but probably of a different species from that which 

 we have repre-eiiteJ. It is on the confines of tho icy sea 

 that we moat frequently meet with the remains of those stu- 

 pendous animals. Indeed, from the mountains by which Asia 

 is hounded, to the frozen shores of the ocean, all Siberia is 

 filled with immense bones. Pallas tells us, that on the banks, 

 or in the beds of every river in Asiatic Kussia, from Tanais to 

 the promontory of Tchntchis, there are to be found the bones 

 of elephants. An entire elephant was found on the banks of 

 the river Alascia, which flows into th icy sea. It was in an 

 upright posture, nearly entire, with its muscles in complete 

 preservation, and covered by its skin, and to which some long 

 hairs were still attached. So late as the year 17SI9, a Tongoose 

 fisherman, noticed on the borders of the icy sea, near the outlet 

 of the river Lena, in the midst of fragments of ice, a fossil 

 elephant, but so much enveloped, that ho could neither ascer. 

 tain what it was, nor disengage it. Next year it was partially 

 visible ; and towards the end of the following summer the 

 whole side, and one of the tusks were disengaged ; and, on the 

 fifth summer, the animal was thrown upon a sand bank, and he 

 cut oft its tusks, and sold them for fifty rubles. The flesh of the 

 animal was still fresh, and was eaten by the dogs of the Yakoots 

 and wild beasts. Such was its state of preservation, that the 

 pupil of the eye was distinctly visible. The neck was pro- 

 vided with a long mane, and the skin was covered with black 

 hairs, and a reddish wool. The bristles and hair weighed up- 

 wards of thirty pounds. The tusks were more than nine feet 

 long, and the head, independent of them, weighed upwards of 

 four hundred pounds. It was a male animal. The skeleton 

 complete was collected by Mr Adams, and sold to the emperor 

 Alexander for eight thousand rubles. We have represented 

 the lower jaw of this animal at fig. 37. 



GENUS DINOTHERIUM. 



This, the most gigantic of all terrestrial mammalia, forms an in- 

 termediate link between the tapier and mastodon. Thestructures 

 of the molar teeth of this genus are most nearly allied to those 

 of the tapier, with two very large tusks situate at the anterior 

 extremity of the lower jaw, and curved downwards like those 

 of the upper jaw of the walrus, presenting a deviation from 

 those of all other quadrupeds. The only use to which these 

 tusks could have been applied, seems to have been to enable 

 them to rake up from the bottom large aquatic plants ; as it is 

 probable that tlr's was a strictly herbivorous animal, and that it 

 was amphibious, and lived in fresh water lakes. It would be 

 difficult to imagine how a terrestrial animal could sustain its 

 head in walking, with two such enormous tusks ; and it is still 

 more difficult to conceive how the muscles of the lower jaw 

 could support such a weight. But by supposing it an aquatic 

 amphibious animal, we can easily see that this weight would be 

 supported by the density of the medium. Buckland says these 

 tusks " may also have been applied with mechanical advantage 

 to hook on the head of the animal to the bank, with the nos- 

 trils sustained above the water, so as to breathe securely during 

 sleep, whilst the body remained floating, at perfect ease, be- 

 neath the surface. The animal might thus repose moored to 

 the margin of a lake or river, without the least exertion, the 

 weight of the head and body tending to fix and keep the tusks 

 fast anchored in the substance of the bank ; as the weight of 

 the body of a sleeping bird keeps the claws clasped firmly 

 around its perch. 1 ' 



The gigantic Dinotherium (D. giganteum) was the largest 

 quadruped which has been known to exist; measuring the 

 great length of eighteen feet. I'he structure of its shoulder 

 blade^or scapula, which, in form, is very like that of the mole, 

 seems to indicate that the fore leg was adapted to co-operate 

 with its enormous tusk-s, in digging large vegetables from the 

 bottom of lakes. We hare given a representation of the under 

 jaw and tusks of this animal, pi. 65, figs. 85 & 9. 



GENUS RHINOCEROS. 



The number of bones of the rhinoceros, which have been 

 discovered in Germany, Siberia, and other parts of Europe, is 

 very considerable. An entire animal of the fossil species, which 

 differs materially from any of those still existing, still retaining 

 its skin, fat, and muscles, was dug up near the Wilhoui, on the 

 ea-t of Siberia, from under a hill, which is covered with ice the 

 greater part of the year. 



GENUS EQUUS. 



The horse is one of those fossils which belong to the Pliocene 

 periods of formation. 



ORDER IX. RUM1NANTIA. 



We find animals of this order in almost all the newer forma- 

 tions. Oxen and deer are not unfrequent. 



GENUS CERVUS. 



The most remarkable animal of this genus, which has been 

 found in a fossil state, is the e!k of tho Isle of Man, which is 

 al.. common to Ireland. A fine specimen of this gigantic 

 animal is in the royal museum of the college of Edinburgh, almost 



perfo.'t. It was dug up in the pnris.li of Kirk Ualnff, Isle of Man, 

 and secured for the university by the late duke of Atholl. It 

 was found imbedded in loose shell-marl, associated with nil . 

 merous roots and branches of trees. Over the marl WHS a bed 

 of sand; above the sand a stratum of peat, principally com - 

 posed of small branches and decayed leaves ; and on the surface 

 of nil the common alluvial soil of the country. Its size is 

 greatly superior to the existing elk of America and Asia. The 

 following are its dimensions : 



Height to the tip of the first dorsal vertebra, which Is the 



highest point of the trunk, . . . . .01 



Height to the anterior superior angle of the scapula, fi 4 



Length from the first dorsal vertebra, to (he tip of the o< 

 coceygis, ...... .52 



Depth of the thorax, from the tip of the process of the eighth 

 dorsal vertebra to the sternum, at the junction of the 

 eighth rib, . . . . . . .22 



Lateral or horizontal diameter of the thorax at the widest part, 

 that is. at the eleventh rib, . . . . . 2 Oi 



Height to the tip of the right horn, . . . . 7| 



CLASS II. -BIRDS. 



The fossil remains of birds are very limited. In the strata o 

 the secondary series, all that have yet been found are tome 

 scattered bones of a wader, discovered by Mr Mantcll in the 

 fresh water formation of Tilgate forest. Besides these, eight 

 or nine others have been enumerated, belonging to the genera ; 

 falco, (buzzard) owl, quail, woodcock, sea-lark, (Tringa) cur- 

 lew, and pelican. In the new red sandstone of the valley of 

 Connecticut, professor Hitchcock has discovered the impressions 

 of the footsteps of birds, which he refers to at least seven dif- 

 ferent species, all of which appear to have been waders with 

 very long legs, and of various sizes, from that of a snipe to 

 twice the dimensions of an ostrich. In the lacustrine forma- 

 tions of Cournou and Aurergne, some instances have occurred 

 of eggs being preserved. 



So imperfect are all the other fragments of birds, that a more 

 minute detail of them would be quite unsatisfactory. 



CLASS III. REPTILES. 



In the earlier periods of animal existence, reptiles seem to 

 hare been created of dimensions much greater than those which 

 now exist. They were, besides, much more numerous in pro- 

 portion, than at present. 



Several reptiles of the lizard tribe, very much like the large 

 monitors now existing in the torrid zone, are found in the bitu- 

 minous slates of Thuringia, in the midst of innumerable fiol.es 

 of genera now unknown. The Alpine limestone of German} 

 and Lorraine has produced skeletons of a large sea tortoise, 

 whose shells might be from six to eight feet in length. The 

 Ichthyosaurus (discovered by Sir E. Home), of the reptile fa- 

 mily, has a head like the lizard, armed with conical and pointed 

 teeth, enormous eyes, a spine composed of flattened vertebra?, 

 slender ribs, and four limbs, of which the femora and humeri 

 are short and thick. This extraordinary animal, of which four 

 species have been discovered, and of which the largest is twenty 

 feet long, is found imbedded in the oolitic and lias limestones. 

 The Plesiosaurus, pi. 65, fig. 44, discovered by Mr Conybearp, 

 and which belongs to the same formation, is still more gigantic 

 in size. It has similar limbs, but more elongated and flexible. 

 Its shoulder and pelvis are stronger, its vertebrae more assimi- 

 lated to those of lizard'i, but distinguished from all oviparous 

 and viviparous quadrupeds by a slender neck, as long as its 

 body, rising from the trunk like the body of a serpent, and 

 terminated by a very small head. Of this hydra-like monster 

 five species are already known. They were discovered in Eng- 

 land, and have since been found in France and Germany. Still 

 another very remarkable genus of reptiles, found in the oolite 

 and the higher sands, is called the Megalotaurus; for, with the 

 shape of lizards, and particularly of the monitors, of which it 

 has the cutting and indented teeth, it exceeded seventy feet in 

 length. It was discovered in England by Mr Bucklatid, and 

 has since been found in France and Germany. But the most 

 remarkable animal found in the slaty lime-tones is the flying 

 lizard, a reptile with a very short tail, a Jong body, a muzzlo 

 greatly extended, and armed with sharp teeth, supported on 

 high legs, the anterior extremity having one excessively long 

 claw, which is imagined to have given support to a membrane 

 for sustaining it in the air, together with four other toes of 

 ordinary size, terminated by hooked claws. Three species of 

 this extraordinary genus have been found, all of which are very 

 small. The Mosaurus, found in the chalk mountain of St Peter, 

 near Maestricht, is upwards of twenty-five feet in length. Its 

 jaws are armed with very strong teeth, and its pnlate is fur- 

 nished with teeth also. It has more than 130 vertebrae in its 

 spine, one of which we have represented, pi. 65, fig. 19 ; and its 

 tail is high and broad, and must have formed a large vertical 

 oar. Scarcely less remarkable are the organic remains lound 

 by the celebrated Cuvier in the gypsum quarries about Paris. 

 They belong to several families, some of which resemble the 

 tapiers, others the rhinoceros, others the otter, though nearly as 

 large as the wild boar. Besides the pachydermata, the same 

 quarries afford caruivora, several sorts of birds, crocodiles, and 

 tortoises. 



ORDER II. SAURIA. 



The order of Saurian reptiles occupied the most extensive 

 range of organized beings, in those remote ages, during the 



