Geological Papers. 



73 



disassociated bones by Marsh and Hatcher, and the other authori- 

 ties who copied after them, were wrong ; and instead of its being a 

 land animal with thick skin, and leaping around like a kangaroo 

 or frog, it is a water animal, and was web-footed, with a skin as 

 thin as ours, covered with minute scales no larger than a snake's. 

 So, as I have said so often before, the most carefully prepared 

 restorations made by our highest scientific authorities fall to pieces 

 when the complete skeleton is found of the animal in its normal 

 position. A man cannot mount a skeleton right when he has every 

 bone lying slightly disassociated before him unless he has seen the 

 animal with bones in position first. The quicker scientists learn 

 this truth the sooner will science teach the truth instead of so much 

 error. 



As I have already, in my paper of last year, described the physical 

 characters of the region, 1 will finish with a few words in regard to 

 my illustrations. The one marked " Cannon Ball hill " shows 

 lying in the grass a great many round concretions that have weath- 

 ered out of the grey sandstone above. These are from four to 



