INTRODUCTORY AND EXPLANA- 

 TORY 



At the 'present time the interest in the ancient 

 life of this eai^th is greater than ever before, and 

 very considerable sums of money are being ex- 

 pended to dispatch carefully planned expeditions 

 to various parts of the world systematically to 

 gather the fossil i^emains of the animals of the 

 past. That this interest is not merely confined 

 to a few scientific men, but is shared by the gen- 

 eral public, is shown by the numerous articles, 

 including many telegrams, in the columns of the 

 daily papers. The object of this book is to tell 

 some of the interesting facts concerning a few of 

 the better known or more remarkable of these 

 extinct inhabitants of the ancient world ; also, 

 if possible, to ease the strain on these venerable 

 animals, caused by stretching them so often be- 

 yond their due proportions. 



The book is admittedly somewhat on the lines 



