Моби Дик

The Fossil Whale

           Likewise,bywayofpreliminary,Idesiretoremindthereader,thatwhileintheearliergeologicalstratatherearefoundthefossilsofmonstersnowalmostcompletelyextinct;thesubsequentrelicsdiscoveredinwhatarecalledtheTertiaryformationsseemtheconnecting,oratanyrateinterceptedlinks,betweentheantichronicalcreatures,andthosewhoseremoteposterityaresaidtohaveenteredtheArk;alltheFossilWhaleshithertodiscoveredbelongtotheTertiaryperiod,whichisthelastprecedingthesuperficialformations.Andthoughnoneofthempreciselyanswertoanyknownspeciesofthepresenttime,theyareyetsufficientlyakintothemingeneralrespects,tojustifytheirtakingrankasCetaceanfossils.

           Detachedbrokenfossilsofpre-adamitewhales,fragmentsoftheirbonesandskeletons,havewithinthirtyyearspast,atvariousintervals,beenfoundatthebaseoftheAlps,inLombardy,inFrance,inEngland,inScotland,andintheStatesofLouisiana,Mississippi,andAlabama.Amongthemorecuriousofsuchremainsispartofaskull,whichintheyear1779wasdisinterredintheRueDauphineinParis,ashortstreetopeningalmostdirectlyuponthepalaceoftheTuileries;andbonesdisinterredinexcavatingthegreatdocksofAntwerp,inNapoleon’stime.CuvierpronouncedthesefragmentstohavebelongedtosomeutterlyunknownLeviathanicspecies.

           ButbyfarthemostwonderfulofallCetaceanrelicswasthealmostcompletevastskeletonofanextinctmonster,foundintheyear1842,ontheplantationofJudgeCreagh,inAlabama.

Содержание книги
Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 655 из 832