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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.

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