SELECT POETRY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 244, 3 October 1872, Page 9

SELECT POETRY.

TO THE PLIOCBNE SKULL.

A GBOLOGICAL ADDftESS.

( By Bret Marte. J ''Speak, O man, less recent! Fragmentary fossil ; Primal pioneer of pliocene formation, Hid in lowest drifts below the earliest stratum Of volcanic-tufa !..^ ... ._. ( ''' "Older than the beasts, v thje o,ldes£ ' pahpo.therium;. . y. - ->'^. «■'''<-'• jji. Older than the trees^thVotdest Oryptbgsnni ; " Older than ihe hills, those infantile eruptions, • ' ' .Of earthV&pide'rmid,! •"' /' Eo -Mio—Plip— whatsoe'er the "cen^" was 1 1r Th&t those kca'nt' sockets r Sllea with'awe and. „ ; wonder,—. /, ,_ y.,,.. il -jlil".' ' -. " Whether.'sHores* Devonian or Sfliurian benches— - • • TellWtliystratige sib'ry ! Jll '% ' •;- „„..:(; . \;.\."c,...A „.•: . '-' .'•-■•'■ , "" * Or has the professor, sljghtly antedated",' ■» Py"Soiue"WiDusan& years thy advent" on 1 ..» „p lanet^ .1 T:. ;: ■: ■ • •-' ' Giving thf ft aft air, that's somewhat belter fitted '~' . T6i\ cold-blooded creatures ? ,_ ! . "Wert.thpu -true ftpectators of .that mighty forest , , ' '; When above thy hea4' fhe, stately Sigillaria J < Seared its, columned trunks in that remote and • distant -_ : >> ' * Carboniferous epoch ? *f Tell us of that scene,— the dim and watery . ■ woodland „ ■ ' '0. • '• < ' ' - Songless, silent, hushed, with never bicd or insect, '' , Veiled .wjth sDreadingirondsi .andspreened with ' tall cfub-in'osses, " , ■ ■ .J " -T'Lycopodiaeea, — -' ' ' ' ' M When Beside thee walkSd the solemn^les.io6aurus,;; ■' "''"'''.'' ' A '[ '" t . ' And arbund.thee crept the : £dstiveichthyosaurus, While from "time to, time .above, thee flew «nd c "circled !'"" - -jf 11 '- " ' : •i ■ 'Cheerful'Pterbdactyls'. ' ■--" - " ' ;> Mell us of jthy food,— those half -marine, re" fecftons, ■ . J v ,' . QdnQi^TMsn i;he shell and Brachipods au'na- , •. turd,— c „!",,-,, ,', % • . f ' Ciittle-feh 'to' which thepieuyre of Victor Hugo -,^;^, :V , 'y ■^eems J ftp,eriwinkl l e. 'h .V,) „'L - " Speak,4hdn<awful ves^ge^of the' Earth's crea-v ... , tion,— „,• „ , 9 , , r ■..■■ „. ' ; I Solftaiyfragnient'of remains organic ! , ., 4 L Tell. the "woriSrous'^secrefe of, thy' past-'eiist-;;ience,p-.--, /( ' .. , „ ' ;,! V J.ui ,-' '.~ " Speak! thou oldest,priniate J." ,., : , „-, " '.".C'i" : '...< » U' j - iJ ' •»>'•' • ' ■>> {j - 1 >,3Even as'l.ga?ed, v a thiillof the-maxilla, -'• ■•' ! . L And a. lateral' rupi^enient of the condyloid'prjO' -• ce"s's," J< '• '•".•" '"' „.,,, : t With postjplioeene sounds- of 'healthy m'ast^ca- • ,tion,. ... . „...<. .'.,. -'.1 _ - „i : • - Orpund the teeth together.,-, j ; ', And, from that imperfect dSntal exhibition.- .: Stained with expressed juices, of the weed Nicotian, .^. *'^ r '"■> <■ J Came these. hollow, accents, .blent with softer > '■•' murmurs 1 ' "^ ' """ li ■ ' . ■ \ '• Of expectoration :%J: %J ' '•" ' ' '' ; - •* Which my name is Bowers, and my crust wa s ' busted "' - '•- " ' • ! ■ Falling down'a shaft in Cilayeras County," .ButTj tats it kindly if yo,u'd send- tho pieces ■ ' ■ " Home, to old Missouri J '.'Y x ,. •h; ■"'u> ; * ■'■'-' '-' r >' >r '^ ''i | ■;