2392 CROCODILES, DINOSAURS, AND FLYING DRAGONS 



Carnivorous 

 Group 



having been described under the names of pelorosaurs (Pelorosaurus), atlantosaurs 

 {Atlanta saurus}, brontosaurs (Brontosaurus), and hoplosaurs (Hoplosaurus}; among 



which the atlantosaurs appear 

 to have been the most gigantic. 

 They also occur in India, Argen- 

 tina, and Madagascar. 



The carnivorous 

 dinosaurs, of which 

 the megalosaur ( Me- 

 galosaurus} is the best-known ex- 

 ample, differed from the preceding 

 group in the form of their teeth, 

 which were compressed and sickle 

 shaped, with sharp, cutting, and 

 frequently serrated edges. Their 

 INNER AND OUTER VIEWS OF A TOOTH OF A PELOROSAUR. limb bones also were hollow; while 

 (From the Quart, joum . Gei. Soc., 1893.) their vertebrae were likewise hol- 



low internally, but had no lateral 



cavities; and the pelvis (figured on p. 2359), although of the same general type as 

 in the lizard-footed group, presented important points of distinction. In place of 

 the short feet of the last-named group, the carnivorous dino- 

 saurs had elongated foot bones, terminating in sharp claws; 

 the number of functional toes in the hind-foot varying 

 from four to three. That they habitually walked on the 

 toes of their hind-limbs, and not (as was the case with the 

 lizard-footed group) on the whole foot, is evident from 

 the structure of this part of the skeleton, and from the cir- 

 stance that the fore-limbs were considerably smaller than 

 the hinder pair, it may be inferred that progression was at 

 least frequently accomplished by the aid of the latter alone. 

 The close approximation of the huckle bone of the ank^le 

 to the lower end of the tibia foreshadows the complete 

 amalgamation which takes place between those bones in 

 birds-while in one remarkable Amer- 

 ican form the metatarsal bones of 

 the foot were reduced to three in 

 number, and had nearly the same 

 relationship to one another and to 

 the bones of the ankle as obtains 

 in birds. While the megalosaur at- 



it 



tained a height, when erect, of 



BONES OF THE RIGHT HIND- 

 FOOT OF A CARNIVOROUS 

 DINOSAUR. 



THE LEFT HUCKLE BONE SO me fifteen feet, the little Comp- 

 AND LOWER END OF sognathu of the lithographic lime- 

 TIBIA OF THE MEGALO- 

 stones of Bavaria, did not stand more than two feet; and 



( After Gaudry.) there were other equally diminutive forms, both in England 



