FLIGHTLESS BIRDS AND THEIR FATE. 85 



remains we dig up occasionally in the rocks in 

 the form of fossils, and we call them the remains 

 of the ichthyosaurus — which means fish-lizard. 



Later in the world's history, long afttr the 

 ichthyosaurus had passed away, this same set 

 of changes and transformations was re-enacted. 

 Certain members of another house, also of 

 ancient lineage, but of "bluer blood," played and 

 fed, and brought up their children, and died 

 upon the shores of ancient seas, till they grew 

 more and more fond of it, and more and more 

 dependent upon it ; at last, their very existence 

 hung upon it ; they could live nowhere else. 

 Like the sirens of old the sea-mother wooed and 

 wooed and won them for her own. She grew 

 more and more persuasive, her blandishments 

 more and more telling, so that one after another 

 of their family traditions were relinquished — ■ 

 quite unconsciously — and one after another new 

 features were substituted, each one of which 

 bound them to her more and more closely. Ti)l 

 eventually, they forgot they ever lived on land, 

 and with this memory passed away all desire for 

 any life other than that which they now lead. 



The creatures in question, which we know as 

 whales, and porpoises, and dolphins, in external 

 appearance hardly dififer from the old ichthyo- 

 saurus. The founder of their house had four 

 limbs, a body clothed in hair, a long thin tail, 

 and long ears. The hair has now been lost 

 completely; of the four limbs, each with separate 

 fingers, only two remain, corresponding to our 

 aims. The separate fingers have been thrust 

 again into the fingerless glove, the tail has de- 



