Dragons of Sea and Air 



Among the changes that 

 took place in Cretaceous ani- 

 mals were the replacing of the 

 older sharks by those belonging 

 to modern genera, the dying 

 out of the armored or ganoid 

 fishes, and the multiplication of 

 fishes similar to those that ex- 

 ist to-day. Fierce predatory 

 fishes, distantly related to the 

 modern barracouda,* abounded, 

 one — aptly named Protospliy- 

 rciena^ penetrans — having its 

 nose formed by a shai-p, pro- 

 jecting bone, something like 

 the sword of a swordfish, and 

 although much shorter, appar- 

 ently equally penetrating. A 

 close relative, called fi'om its 

 supposed pernicious habits Pro- 

 tosjyliyrwna perniciosaj had side 



o 





* A rather large and powerful fish of 

 tropical waters, having strong, lancet-like 



teeth. It is abundant in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast 

 of Florida. f (The fish) before sphyraena. 



195 



