Geological Papers. 115 



tions send off ripples in semicircular waves toward the rushes that 

 border the land on either shore. Suddenly the water is calm, and 

 a huge head, three feet in length, appears above the water. It is 

 supported on a strong neck and powerful body. The expanded 

 front part of the head forms a duck-bill that is covered with horn 

 with sharp cutting edges, while farther back are magazines con- 

 taining 2000 teeth, arranged like a pair of scissors on each side of 

 the mouth, that shear the swamp vegetation which his clumsy 

 hands draw into his mouth. With hind feet resting on the bottom 

 of the stream, we cannot realize the size or power of this animal, 

 until, weary of feeding, he pushes through the dense foliage, puts 

 his front feet on the land and gently draws himself out of the water. 

 A great reptile indeed ! His front limbs are five feet long, shod with 

 three hoofs and provided with an additional finger or thumb with- 

 out a hoof. His huge hind limbs, eight feet long, elevate his 

 beautifully rounded hind quarters far above the ground. He has 

 three large "toes, covered with massive hoofs, on each foot. His 

 great flattened tail follows. As he rises on his hind feet to shake 

 off the water that falls in cascades, the sun shining through it re- 

 veals the colors of the rainbow. 



There he stands, full twenty feet in height, with his great tail, 

 ten feet long, stretched out behind. He darts his flattened duck- 

 bill in all directions, scenting the air, and, as if satisfied, drops to. 

 the ground and moves gracefully along on all four feet. His flexi- 

 ble skin is covered with scales in diamond-like patterns, arranged 

 in horizontal and longitudinal rows. Octagonal scales fill the dia- 

 mond pattern, while smaller ones, often no larger than a small pin- 

 head, fill the spaces between. These highly colored and glittering 

 scales blend in perfect harmony with the richly colored vegetation.. 

 Hark ! What is that sound that breaks upon the ear like the roar 

 of Niagara? Our duck-bill turns toward the water and by leaps 

 and mighty strides seeks safety from his deadly enemy. Too late! 

 too late! for as he cowers on his front feet and uses his powerful 

 hind limbs as levers to assist him to spring to safety far out in the 

 deep water, a bolt with the roar of thunder strikes him with a 

 shock that makes the earth tremble, and the beautiful reptile re- 

 ceives a mortal wound and falls into the water to almost instantly 

 sink, and a mightier than he strides the shore, giving vent to angry 

 howls that reverberate through the forests. He is in full view for 

 a moment, and proves to be the great tyrant of his time, Tyrano- 

 saurus rex. There he is, standing on his hind feet, thirty-nine 

 feet high, armed with great dagger-like teeth and powerful claw- 



