READING RIDDLES OF THE ROCKS 129 



feathers, neither, judging from those we 

 know to-day, would they be clad in fur or 

 hair ; but, such coverings being barred out, 

 there remain a great variety of plates and 

 scales to choose from. Folds and frills, crests 

 and dewlaps, like beauty, are but skin deep, 

 and, being thus superficial, ordinarily leave no 

 trace of their former presence, and in respect 

 to them the reconstructor must trust to his 

 imagination, with the law of probabilities as a 

 check rein to his fancy. This law would tell us 

 that such ornaments must not be so placed as 

 to be in the way, and that while there would be 

 a possibility — one might even say probability 

 — of the great, short-headed, iguana-like 

 Dinosaurs having dewlaps, that there would 

 be no great likelihood of their possessing ruffs 

 such as that of the Australian Chlamydosau- 

 rus (mantled lizard) to flap about their ears. 

 Even Stegosaurus, with his bizarre array of 

 great plates and spines, kept them on his 

 back, out of the way. Such festal ornamen- 

 tation would, however, more likely be found in 

 small, active creatures, the larger beasts con- 

 tenting themselves with plates and folds. 



