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like other types of animals, had had their beginning, and in 
the far removed geological time had reached their climax of 
abundance and development, and was slowly, but surely, 
approaching their goal of extinction when reptile life would be 
no more on earth. During the four oldest geological periods, 
viz :—Archeen, Cambrian, Silurian and Devonian, there is no 
proof that reptiles had yet lived on the earth, but their 
appearance was foreshadowed during the last of these periods by 
some of the fishes having reptilian characters. It would seem 
that during the next succeeding period, the carboniferous, low 
forms of reptiles began their existence, and as time went on, 
higher and higher forms were introduced which culminated 
during the Jurassic period in what is known to Geologists as the 
‘* Age of Terrible Reptiles.’ During that period and, in fact, 
the whole of the Mesozoic reptiles appear to have predominated 
to such an extent that they may be looked upon as the masters 
of the world, other vertebrated forms having but a small chance 
in the struggle for existence which then prevailed. So many 
skeletons have been found and of such varied forms in rocks 
belonging to this period as to lead Geologists to believe that 
reptiles filled the places now occupied by whales, birds and 
mammals. Some of these animals as the Ichthyosaurus, 
Plesiosaurus, Plisaurus, were of tremendous size; they were 
provided with swimming paddles and seem to have swarmed in 
every sea. Others were constructed on the same general plan 
as birds and had membraneous wings like bats; thus they were 
adapted for flight, and could soar in the air. While yet another 
kind were made after the plan of mammals ; had four legs, were 
two or three times larger than any elephant and lived on the 
dry land. Among the best known of the flying reptiles is one 
termed the Pterodactylus, so called on account of its long finger 
to which its wings were attached. The largest of these had an 
expanse of wing of more than 20 feet. At least seven orders of 
reptiles and hundreds of genera of species are known to have 
lived during the Mesozoic Period, which have no representative 
existing at the present time, all having become extinct. Of all 
the reptiles living at this period, perhaps the Deinosaurs were 
the most terrible, as well as the most gigantic. One of these 
known as the Megalosaurus was carnivorous and preyed on other 
animals. Its length is said to have been from 30 to 40 feet, and 
its height from 10 to 12 feet. Its teeth were about 34 inches 
long, and were incurved, sabre shape, and serated like a saw, 
thus adapted for cutting flesh. Its head was about four or five 
feet in length, and being savage and lithe as a tiger, it must have 
been amongst the most terrible of deadly animals that ever lived. 
The Iguanodon and Ceteosaurus were even larger than this, but 
were vegetable eaters, and probably docile and peaceful animals. 
