84 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. , 



all the less perfectly adapted. Some would die, 

 because they could not manage to breathe so 

 well, or catch food, or dive so well as their 

 neighbours, and so on. These defects did not 

 necessarily actually kill them before the normal 

 limit of life was attained, but it would tend to 

 make them less productive. Being weaker they 

 could not so readily procure mates and would 

 die without offspring, leaving their more vigorous 

 and less conservative brethren to carry on the 

 race. 



The final result of all these changes was a 

 long whale-like animal with smooth, naked skin, 

 large flukes or blades on its tail, a large fin or 

 fins down the middle of its back, and four big 

 paddles representing four legs. If we dissected 

 one of these paddles we should find it was like 

 a huge thumb and fingerless glove, for inside 

 would be several separate fingers ; this glove 

 moreover would be found to enclose more than 

 the hand ; all the arm would be found inside it. 



If we could trace the history of such a queer 

 beast back by a series of portraits, as some of 

 us are able to do our ancestors, we should find 

 just as many surprises in the fashions of their 

 old times as in ours. If we could get back to 

 the founder of the House we should find some- 

 thing very very different from the last of the 

 line. Thus we should find the body covered 

 with scales, the fingers quite separate, a distinct 

 arm and forearm, and a long and thin tail. 



The name and all particulars of this founder 

 are lost in the mists of Time ; the last of the line 

 has long since followed him to the grave. His 



