382 Dr. Deane on the Discovery of Fossil Footmarks. 



light of intelligence dawned upon them until the present day. 

 But when the obvious meaning was once established, when the 

 master-key to unlock the mystery was found, the true discovery 

 became a subject of profound interest. 



In the spring of 1835 there was brought to the village where 

 I reside, a quantity of stratified sandstone for economical uses. 

 One of these slabs was deeply impressed with the feet of two 

 kindred birds walking in parallel lines, which were exceedingly dis- 

 tinct and beautiful. These impressions were generally seen, and for 

 a time attracted much curiosity ; but the novelty soon subsided and 

 they were forgotten, so far as I know, by all but myself. The 

 remarkable phenomena presented by these astonishing indications 

 of ancient existence, induced me to secure the title of the speci- 

 mens ; and the interpretation of this new language was so intel- 

 ligible, that I straightway resolved to communicate my conclu- 

 sions to several distinguished geologists. The acknowledged 

 reputation of Prof. Edward Hitchcock of Amherst College, in- 

 duced me in the first instance to correspond with him. Accord- 

 ingly, on the 7th of March, 1835, I addressed him a letter, from 

 which the following quotations are derived. 



"In slabs of red sandstone, &c. I have observed singular ap- 

 pearances, new to me, although I presume not to yourself.* One 

 of them is distinctly marked with the track of a turkey (as I be- 

 lieve) in relief. There were two of the birds side by side, making 

 strides of about two feet. 



" I was anxious to see the die from which these impressions 

 were struck, and it has now arrived. The tracks, four in number, 

 are perfect, and must have been made when the materials were in 

 a plastic state, and at what period I leave you to tell." 



The intelligent reader who honors me with a perusal of these 

 statements, is requested to notice the unequivocal expression of 

 my opinions ; for so far as they go, they constitute the essential 

 doctrine that the impressions were made by birds, and assert the 

 condition of the rock at the period when the impressions were 

 made. These are fundamental principles, and setting aside the 

 hasty and erroneous opinion of the particular variety, the results 

 of nearly ten years of investigation have not modified them, but 

 they have been confirmed by every subsequent discovery. 



* Prof. H. was at that time geological commissioner to the state of Massachusetts. 



