Author: Charles M. Martin

Publisher: Rogers Press

Published: 2008-11

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 1443726109

MONSTERS OF OLD LOS ANGELES The Prehistoric Animals of the La Brat Tar Pits BY CHARLES ML MARTIN Illustrated by Herb Raybum THE VIKING PRESS NEW YORK 1950 To JOHN HERMAN, D. Sc. Whose abundant knowledge and untiring assist ance made this book possible. Charles M. Martin Second printing September 1951 Third printing July 1955 Fourth printing September 1958 Fifth printing October 1961 Copyright 1950 by Charles M. Martin First published by The Viking Press in August 1950 Published on the same day in the Dominion of Canada by The Macmillan Company of Canada Limited Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS Acknowledgments 7 Foreword 9 1. The Sage of the Ages 13 2. Eat to Live 20 3. Primordial Supremacy 29 4. The Stampede 38 5. A New Home 45 6. Life at La Brea 52 7. Ricky Arrives 58 8. Ricky and Racky 67 9. The Rains Come 74 10. The Miracle of Life 81 11. The Greatest Tragedy 88 12. Six-Ton Mother Love 95 13. Thanksgiving Day at La Brea 103 14. The Land of Plenty 110 15. Go West, Young Man 117 Addenda The La Brea Excavations 125 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to make grateful acknowledgment to those scientists who helped me so unselfishly while I was doing the research and writing of this book. To Dr. John Herman, whose encouragement and untiring energy helped so much in gathering the factual material while I was doing the field work, and also at the Los Angeles County Museum. Dr. Herman worked closely with me on the correlating of the prehistoric animals with the forms of similar species which exist today in various parts of the world. He was a bulwark on which to lean for all geographical locations as well, which is far afield from his usual pursuits, in his long and illustrious career as achemist. To Dr. Chester Stock, Senior Curator of Science at the Los Angeles County Museum, who directed much of the more recent exploratory excavation work at La Urea. Dr. Stocks book, Rancho la Brea Science Series No. 11, Paleontology No. 7, furnished much of the factual material To Dr. Hiklcgarde Howard, Curator of Avian Paleontology, for her assistance in ascertaining information regarding the birds and plants of ancient La Brea, Some of the leaves and small seeds were found in the skulls of mice which had been preserved in the tar pits for forty thou sand years, and from such minute evidence Dr. Howard identified many of the farms of plant life of the Pleistocene period. 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To Dr. John A. Comstock, now retired, but who for years was Senior Curator at the Los Angeles County Museum, for his splendid cooperation and many helpful suggestions. To Doctors Merriam, Miller, and Kerr, who have been credited for their discoveries by Dr. Stock in his Science Series. Also my grateful thanks to the directors of the Los Angeles County Museum, and particularly to Dr. James H. Breasted, Jr. The oppor tunity to study the restorations at the Museum was an in valuables aid, My heartiest thanks to Captain George Allan Hancock, who do nated the acreage containing the La Brea Pits to the Comity of Los Angeles in perpetuity for the public, for his many philanthropic services in making the restorations possible. Captain Hancock donated La Brea to the County in 1913, in memory of his late father, Major Henry Hancock. The explorations in Hancock Park were started by Dr. Merriam and his associates of the University of California in 1913. All the pits are plainly marked to give the student ofthe prehistoric animals of La Brea much priceless information. To Herb Rayburn, talented young artist, who accompanied me on my research work to the fields and museums, and who much 1 many sketches of the material in Hancock Park and in the Hancock room in the County Museum. His gifted talent helped clothe many of the skeletal remains with the flesh of reality for this hook. To these, and to the staff members of the Los Angeles County Museum who gave so graciously of their time and knowledge, 1 wish to express my most sincere appreciation. CHAiUJKS M...