Blue Jay, Vol.9, Issue 1

Jan., Feb., March, 1951 THE BLUE JAY 21 of result from so-called Ch el lean hand- prove of great importance in yielding axes to the finest drills. A curious information and promoting int^est in instance of this flexibility is the only the faunal life of Saskatchewan of the ground point I have which is on Card past B, 1950, Campsite 2, stratified, line Let us try to visualize in brief the left 6, No 2 from the left (Provincial general life forms and environmental Museum exhibit). Apparently the maker conditions of the Saskatchewan, 30 in the process of chipping found that million years ago as revealed by and any further work would ruin the point, in co-ordination with the specimens so he finished it by grinding half the recovered from the Cypress Hills. body. The dominant life form of the area was a large subaquatic mammal called So rationalistic was the Indian at¬ a Titanothere. Ranging in bulk size up titude to his stone industry that when he to that of a modern elephant, this great has acquired the white man’s metal cul¬ beast had blunt horns paired laterally ture he seems to have lost aU knowledge on the forward extremity of its nose of the ancient art in a remarkably short space of time. There is a record of an and in general body form resembled the Indian in the U. S. expressing the same present day Rhinoceras. Its food con¬ superstition as was formeriy current in sisted mostly of soft succulent veget¬ Europe where artifacts when found used ation of marshy origia This animal is to be called “thunderstones”. Yet the represented in the collection of fossils Indians in some parts must have been by several single and double lower stiU using stone points, certainly not mandibles, several horns, numerous much more than a hundred years ago. I individual teeth, a scapula, two femurs, suppose the average Indian of today a radius and ulna, a pelvis and several would regard with contempt a collection ribs and verterbra The most important of stone tools which his not very distant of these finds Is a well preserved skull ancestors had to use and which we so of an immature individual of a primitive industriously collect It seems to me smaller genera of the Titanothere group there is a fine irony in it someplace. In addition two skull portions of Titan- otheres of a more advanced genera were found. M. A. Kittle, ofKeewaten, Ontario is so interested in the welfare of the Of secondary importance but pro¬ BLUE JAYthathe inserted an advertise¬ bably of greater abundance, compared ment in toe “For Sale” column of the to the Titanotheres, were a group of Kenora Miner and News. We have several species of Hyracodonts which received a checking copy. Thanks were small hornless animals, terrestial Mr. Kittie! and fleet of foot. These animals, which are early ancestors of the modem rhin¬ The Golden Age oceras, are represented in the collection by a well preserved skull, several of Mammals individual teeth, numerous lower maih BY BRUCE A. McCORGUODALE dibles and a few skeletal parts. In Museum Assistant, Regina. addition to these the tme primitive CYPRESS HILLS REGION— rhinoceras, Caenopus, is represented 30 MILLION YEARS AGO by upper and lower mandibles. During the summer of 1950 the staff Also in abundance during Oligocene of the Provincial Museum, Regina, times were several members of the deer marie two trips to the Cypress Hills group, represented by species of Hy- region where they conducted extensive pertragulus and Leptomeryx which were exploration and excavations in the local¬ small, swift and delicate animals no ity 12 miles northwest of Eastend, larger than the modern dog. Teeth of Sask., for the purpose of collecting several species of this group were re¬ fossil material of the Oligocene period covered from the deposits by the Museum - age, 30 million years. expeditions. The fossil bearing formation con¬ An extinct g'oup of animals, Entel- sists of a river delta deposit of sand, odonts, related to the pig family and sandstone and conglomerate, which resembling them, some what in habits contains a great abundance of mammal¬ and body form, were also quite prolific ian and reptillian remains, indicating in marshy area. This faunal type is that animal life of the Oligocene age represented in the discoveries by a was very prolific. In addition to the relatively rare find, an incomplete fact that the fossils were very abundant skull and two other individual teeth. they were also in a remarkably excell¬ Rodents, reptiles and small carni¬ ent state of preservation and as a re¬ vores were numerous during Oligocene sult of this the museum expeditions times as evidenced by the recovery of recovered several hundred well preserv¬ several small bones and teeth of these ed specimens, many of which will groups. (Continued on next page) 22 THE BLUE JAY Jan., Feb., March, 1951 Golden Age Will They Be Continued Turtles were abundant as represent¬ Lost Again ? ed by numerous shell fragments. Verts- By J. H. Yerex, Clair brae of fish were also recovered, the largest of which measured 15/8 inches in diameter. I have a modest collection of arti¬ facts picked up around Clair. It pays to advertise, for as soon as folks knew Groups of animals of the Oliogcene I was interested in Indian relics they specimens in the collections of the brought me many excellent specimens Provincial Museum are the Hyaenodont which would otherwise have been left ( wolf like animals,) Hemisalodonts around and eventually lost ( giant bear-like carnivores,) Dinictis ( a small member of the cat family,) and Mesohippus ( a small primitive As is the case with most collectors three-toed horse). I have a few museum pieces that should be preserved for those that follow afto" us. What will become of these pieces? Although there is great variety of Will they be thrown out in the rubbish fossU bones in this deposit, represent¬ after we pass on, or will they be pro¬ ative of many species of animals, they perly taken care of? are in a very disjointed, intermingled state of distribution. Several exped¬ It seems to me collectors should itions in which the National Museum, make some provision for the disposal Royal Ontario Museum ofPalaeontology of their collections. Perhaps something and Saskatchewan Provincial Museum can be worked out so that anyone who of Natiral History, Participated indivi-, wishes to could make provision for a dually, failed to recover any complete reliable museum to pick this material Skeltons or even a portion of one. Many up when the collector passes on. A of the specimens, although well pre¬ form cOuld be provided to be attached served were eroded or fragmenta.ry, to the will requesting that a certain however the mo.st important part of the museum be advised that such and such material as recovered by the Provin¬ had goneto the “Happy Hunting Ground” cial Museum., the jaws, skulls and teeth, and has left it his entire collection of were in a relatively complete condition artifacts, etc. showing little evidence of erosion.

Possibly the most interesting and intriguing feature of the collection of specimens is the immaturity of the an¬ imals w'hen they died, as indicated by the relatively unworn condition of the teeth and incompleteness of the dental Nature Artist series of the jaws. This probably in- icates that living was a severe trial The Provincial Museum is very for¬ for these animals in Oligocene times tunate in having engaged for a few and that carnivores, unsuitable food months, this winter, the services of conditions or epidemics caused these Robert E. Symons, an outstanding artist animals to die while they were relaUve- of wildlife, who hails from the Peace ly young. River Block, near Port St John, B. C. He will return to his ranch there in the Although there is a great wealth of spring. information yet to be obtained from the Cypress Hills deposits, which have Mr. Symons has been painting scenic been explored to a comparatively slight backgrounds for museum wildlife ex¬ degree: the .^ecimens so far recovered hibits. The foliovdngpainting of winter have contributed greatly to knowledge birds of the Canadian Zone, which of faunal life of Saskatchewan 30 mill¬ illustrates Mr. Bards article is an ex¬ ion years ago. Therefore, as this is ample of the type of work he produces. the only fossil bearing deposit of OUgo- He has just completed a curved back¬ ceneage in Canada, the people of Sask¬ ground, some ten or twelve feet in atchewan should recognize in this for¬ length for a group of deer. The paint¬ mation,. a great asset, to the province ing shows a small meadow, surrounded and to the country as a whole, in the by the trees and hills of Qu’Appelle form of an Encyclopedia of Prehistoric Valley — a scene from a secluded spot Natural History. near Craven,