The Story of the RocJcs 147 



day, like the lion and tiger, are adapted to preying upon 

 swift-footed beasts such as deer or horses. 



In the oil fields of southern California there was recently 

 discovered one of the most remarkable ' ' finds ' ' of bones ever 

 made in America, and the Eancho La Brea beds are now 

 famous the world over. About fifteen feet below the surface 

 of the ground is a layer of oil-bearing rock, from which oil 

 and tar issue and evaporating and oxidizing form beds of 

 asphalt. These tar pools are intermingled with pools of 

 water at many points, and many of them are partly covered 

 with water. In these tar pools animals are occasionally 

 trapped, several species of wild animals having recently come 

 to an untimely end in this manner, while domestic animals 

 are frequently caught and liberated only with great diffi- 

 culty. Professor Merriam of the University of California 

 who has studied these pools more extensively than anyone 

 else, cites the following amusing incident of the efficacy of 

 the tar as a trap for animals. ''A number of workmen were 

 engaged in covering a piece of road with asphalt, and had 

 left their work only partially completed in the latter part 

 of a warm afternoon. A drunken man passing a short time 

 afterward fell by the roadside and remained there to take 

 a nap. By chance he extended himself on some of the partly 

 softened asphalt. Falling asleep quickly he evidently lay 

 for a long time without moving. During this time his body 

 sank part way into the sticky mass. After the sun went down 

 and the atmosphere had cooled, the tar hardened somewhat, 

 and by morning it was practically solid. When the man 

 awoke, he found it impossible to extricate himself. His cries 

 attracted a number of persons, who attempted to free him. 

 Unfortunately the whole side of his body and his head were 

 firmly set in the asphalt, and it was very difficult to give 

 him any assistance. With the aid of an axe and various 

 other tools, they finally succeeded in cutting and prying him 

 out, but not without injuring him somewhat. He was taken 

 to a hospital nearby, where numerous attempts were made 

 to separate the tar from his body. Only after shaving his 

 head and scrubbing him with benzine was it possible to giye 

 him an aspect of respectability. ' ' 6 



The presence of bones in these tar pits has been known for 

 a half-century, but until recently they were generally as- 

 sumed to be the remains of modern animals and but little 

 attention was paid to them. About twenty years ago how- 

 ever they came to the notice of Professor Merriam, and since 

 then have been excavated, and carefully studied and de- 

 scribed. The pits are filled with a heterogeneous collection 



'"Harper's Weekly," Dec. 18, 1909. 



