Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1895 — THE CLUB-TAILED GLYPTODON, THE STANGE ANTEDILUVIAN MONSTER OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE CLUB-TAILED GLYPTODON, THE STANGE ANTEDILUVIAN MONSTER OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

T. World-

Of the many extraodinary looking ikeletons of antediluvian creatures which have been discovered in recent /ears probably the most curious is that of the daedicurus, or club-tailed ' flyptodon. The glyptodon is so lamed on account of its fluted teeth. Chis monstrous animal belonged to die tertiary period and only one skeleton of it has been unearthed. The skeleton is now in the museum it La Plata, Argentine Rebublic, tear which place it was found. According to scientists the animal is akin to the modern armadillo, which is not uncommon mArgentine. The armadillo, however, is a much «mal 1-er ani ina'.- l>ei ue- iiot ovt'f tlir(>(> ieet in length, while this one measures over twelve feet. When alive the body was covered with long bristles, or rather quills, which were as thick as ale pencil! and twelve or fifteen inches long. These quills issued from holes in the hard, long

scales which covered the humped i back cf the monster. In appearance it must have strongly resembled an enbrmous porcupine. The most extraodinary feat- ’ ure is the conformation of the huge I tail, which was six feet in length and , composed almost entirely of bone. ! At its extremity are a number of oval depressed disks, each one of i which formed the base of a long horn. The tail at the base was as big■ around as an ordiary beer barrel and was-encircled by six double bony rings. Hundreds of sharp quills sprang from the bony armor on the base of the tail, being even in greater proportion than upon the body. The rest of the tail was a smooth, hollow sheath of bone becoming flattened towards the extremities and terminating in the terrible horned tip.It would have made a most efficient weapon for a giant, but its offensive use to the animal is somewhat problematical. We can hardly conceive of muscles powerful

enough to swing such a stupendous structure, or even to raise it off the g round, i n Jal 1 pro babli ty -1 he tai I d ragged along the ground, and if so the creature must have presented an ext raord i n ary a ppearan ce.. Auy weapon of offence beyond the p iw--erful jaws would seem to be fluousArmored as the animal was with thick, bony scales and guarded by a veritable cheval-de-frise of sharj quills it is difficult to imagine, what living thing could harm it. The anatomy and conformation of this wonderful skeleton ‘has caused much discussion among geologistand naturalists. The tail especially has bothered the wise men, who have finallymome to th c sorn ewhat doubt• ful conclusion that jt must have been a merely ornamental appendage. The resemblance of the glyptodon to the turtle, especially in its head,legs and rounded back, will be noticed, The tail, however, is all its own, and l is certainly a phenomenal member,

WOODLEY, PRESIDENT CLEVELAND’S HOME NEAR WASHINGTON.