764 



GEOLOGY 



known, in the later part of the period, but they were small. Arm >i m 

 the crocodiles, the long-snouted teleosaurs persisted, in North 

 America at least, until well into the Cretaceous; but for the most 

 part the order underwent a marked change early in the period, 

 developing into the modern type of crocodiles and gavials. A few 



Fig. 516. 



A Cretaceous dinosaur of the ornithopod division, 

 annectens. (Restored by Marsh.) 



small salamanders, of modern type, are known from the late Cre- 

 taceous. 



The flying reptiles made so distinct an advance in specialization, 

 that Williston regards them as having come to excel all other flying 

 vertebrate animals. Seme attained a wing-spread of perhap- 

 feet. In some of the genera (Fig. 517) the development of the 

 anterior parts was disproportionately great, while the posterior 

 parts were so very small and weak that it is doubtful whether they 

 could stand on their feet alone. The Cretaceous forms were all 

 short-tailed, and for the most part toothless, though the toothed 



