12 The Bird 



plete the work, meanwhile adding our own mite of truth- 

 ful observation to swell the whole, and help prepare the 

 way for this other. For even Darwin's theory of evolu- 

 tion was but the consummation of theories of former 

 years and centuries, — beginning with Thales and Anaxi- 

 mander, in the days of early Grecian civilization: in- 

 deed Aristotle, coming but two hundred years later, is 

 the only name in the history of zoology worthy of a 

 place with that of Darwin. 



From the fragmentary evidence afforded by Archceop- 

 teryx we may conclude that this Bird of Old had a short, 

 blunt, skinny bill of moderate size, furnished with teeth 

 which would enable the owner to feed upon Jurassic 

 berries and fruit, or more probably a carnivorous diet of 

 lizards and insects. Its wings were weak, hinting that 

 it was a flutterer rather than a true flyer, perhaps only 

 scaling like a flying squirrel from the summit of one 

 tree to the base of the next. Even this would give it 

 an immense advantage over its terrestrial and arboreal 

 non-flying enemies. The three free fingers on each wing 

 would allow it to climb easily, to pr}' into crevices for 

 insects, or to draw a berry-laden branch close to its 

 bill. 



Doubtless it frequently walked or ran on all fours, the 

 more probably from its weak-loined condition, — the bones 

 of the thigh-girdle not being fused together as in modern 

 birds. Its tail has alread}^ been mentioned — a long 

 double-feathered appendage, composed of a score of 

 little vertebrae jointed together, — as we will later see 

 the true forerunner of the modern fan-like tails. Its 



