THE CARBONIPEKOUS AGE. 145 



Perhaps tlie most fish-like of the whole are the 

 curious creatures from the coal measures of Saarbruck, 

 first found by Yon Dechen, and which constitute the 

 genus Archegosaurus. Their large heads, short necks, 

 supports for permanent gills, feeble limbs, and long 

 tails for swimming, show that they were aquatic 

 creatures presenting many points of resemblance to 

 the ganoid fishes with which they must have asso- 

 ciated ; still they were higher than these in possessing 

 lungs and true feet, though perhaps better adapted 

 for swimming than even for creeping. 



From these creatures the other coal reptiles diverge, 

 and ascend along two lines of progress, the one lead- 

 ing to gigantic crocodile-like animals provided with 

 powerful jaws and teeth, and probably haunting the 

 margins of the waters and preying on fishes; the 

 other leading to small and delicate lizard-like species, 

 with well-developed limbs, large ribs, and ornate 

 horny scales and spines, living on land and feeding 

 on insects and similar creatures. 



In the first direction we have a considerable num- 

 ber of species found in the Jarrow coal-field in Ireland, 

 and described by Professor Huxley. Some of them 

 were like snakes in their general form, others more 

 like lizards. Still higher stand such animals as 

 Ba'phetes and Eosaurus from the Nova Scotia' coal-field 

 and Anihracosaurus from that of Scotland. The style 

 and habits of these creatures it is easy to understand, 

 however much haggling the comparative anatomists 

 may make over their bones. They were animals of 



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