84 0. C. Marsh— Footprints in the Coal Measures. 



It is hardly necessary at this time to attempt a detailed com- 

 parison of the footprints above described with those already ou 

 record, but the writer hopes to do this later. The present 

 specimens all have well-marked characters, and, being from a 

 single horizon and locality, have a value of their own as throw- 

 ing light on the land vertebrate life, during the deposition 

 of & the true Coal Measures. If, in themselves, they add but 

 little to what is already known, they at least offer encourage- 

 ment to investigators in an interesting field not yet systemati- 

 callv explored. ' The publications of Logan, Lyell, King, Lea, 

 Dawson, and others, have already made known discoveries of 

 importance in this country, and others have been recorded in 

 the Old World. . 



So far as at present known, land vertebrate life began in the 

 Carboniferous age, no footprints or other remains of this kind 

 having been detected below the Subcarboniferous. That such 

 remairs will eventually be found in the Devonian, there can be 

 no reasonable doubt, and perhaps even in the Silurian, if the 

 land surfaces then existing can be explored. 



Tale University Museum, New Haven, Conn., June 12, 1894. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Plate II. 



Figure 1.— Series of footprints of Xanopuscav.dat.us, Marsh: showing, also, 



impression made by the tail. 

 Figure 2.— Series of footprints of Limiwpus vagus, Marsh. 

 Figure 3.— Series of footprints of Dromopus agilis, Marsh; showing trails made 



by the toes. 

 Figure 4.— Two pairs of footprints of Allopus littoralis, Marsh; right side. 

 Figure 4a.— Footprints of same: showing trails made by the toes; left side. 

 Figure 5.— Series of footprints of Baropus lentus, Marsh. 



All the figures are one-twelfth natural size. 



Plate III. 

 Figure 1 . — Outline of left fore arid hind footprints of Kanopus caudatus. 

 Figure 2.— Outline of left fore and hind footprints of Limnopus vagus. 

 Figure 3.— Diagram of left fore and hind footpriuts of Dromopv.s agilis. 

 All the figures are natural size. 



