pressious, called Omithichnites, or bird-tracks on stone. One of them was a foot of gigantic dimensions, not less than sixteen inches long, three times larger than its nearest living representative. It was no wonder that, in these early days, even the father of the science hesitated to admit these monsters into his ichnitic family, yet so exact are the laws of comparative anatomy, and so like the rows of impressions made by living feet were these giants, that a relationship to existing groups could be no longer denied.
A few geologists accepted these doctrines immediately after their promulgation; but most of them, as well as the community in general, doubted whether the preservation of foot-marks were possible, and especially whether they could have been made by birds. Some thought the resemblance was fanciful; others that they were the remains of peculiar marine plants. The public mind, which had no scientific appreciation of the subject, saw abundant opportunity for witticism, and did not spare the shaft of ridicule. The American Association of Geologists and Naturalists at length appointed a committee to investigate the subject, including in the list both the friends and opponents of the new views. They visited Prof. Hitchcock in due time, explored the quarries, examined his specimens, and became convinced unanimously that his views were correct. Their report to the Association states that "the evidence entirely favors the views of Prof. Hitchcock, and they regret that a difference had existed, if they did not feel assured it would lead to greater stability of opinion." This committee consisted of H. D. Rogers, E. Emmons, Lardner Vanuxem, Richard C. Taylor, and T. A. Conrad.
The public generally acquiesced in the truth of this report; they ceased to ridicule, and began to believe that a new chapter in the earth's history had been laid bare for perusal; great popular interest was excited in the foot-marks, and at the present day everybody has heard of the wonderful tracks upon stone in the Connecticut River Valley. The name of their principal expounder, who first published an account of them to the world, and waged a seven years' contest with his compeers and the public on this account, has become indelibly associated with them.
The results of Prof. Hitchcock's researches have been published in two large quarto volumes entitled "The Ichnology of New England." Of other publications, the "Ichnographs" of the Connecticut sandstone are worthy of notice as a monument to the memory of Dr. James Deane, whose early interest in the foot-marks never flagged, and who applied himself earnestly to the study of geology, so that his later writings have become invested with the authority of an able and accurate observer.
Amherst College now possesses the unrivalled collection of ichnites collected by Prof. Hitchcock. They occupy a room 100 feet long and 40 feet wide, and are more than 20,000 in number.
