CONTENTS 



IV. RULERS OF THE ANCIENT SEAS 



The Mosasaurs, 49 ; history of the first known Mosasaur, 50 ; 

 jaws of reptiles, 53 ; extinction of Mosasaurs, 55 ; the sea- 

 serpent, 56 ; Zeuglodon, 58 ; its habits, 59 ; Koch's Hydrar- 

 chus, 61 ; bones collected by Mr. Schuchert, 63 ; abundance 

 of sharks, 64 ; the great Carcharodon, 65 ; arrangement of 

 sharks' teeth, 67 ; references, 68. 



V. BIRDS OF OLD 



Earliest birds, 70 ; wings, 71 ; study of young animals, 73 ; 

 the curious Hoactzin, 74 ; first intimation of birds, 76 ; Archae- 

 opteryx, 77 ; birds with teeth, 78 ; cretaceous birds, 79 ; Hes- 

 perornis, 80 ; loss of power of flight, 81 ; covering of Hesper- 

 ornis, 82 ; attitude of Hesperornis, 83 ; curious position of 

 legs, 84 ; toothed birds disappointing, 85 ; early development 

 of birds, 86 ; eggs of early birds, 87 ; references, 88. 



VI. THE DINOSAURS 



Discovery of Dinosaur remains, 90 ; nearest relatives of Dino- 

 saurs,- 91 ; relation of birds to reptiles, 92 ; brain of Dino- 

 saurs, 93 ; parallel between Dinosaurs and Marsupials, 95 ; 

 the great Brontosaurus, 96 ; food of Dinosaurs, 97 ; habits of 

 Diplodocus, 99 ; the strange Australian Moloch, 100 ; com- 

 bats of Triceratops, 101 ; skeleton of Triceratops, 102 ; Thes- 

 pesius and his kin, 104 ; the carnivorous Ceratosaurus, 106 ; 

 Stegosaurus, the plated lizard, 106 ; references, 109. 



VII. READING THE RIDDLES OF THE ROCKS 



Fossils regarded as sports of nature, 111; qualifications of a 

 successful collector, 112; chances of collecting, 114; excava- 

 tion of fossils, 115; strengthening fossils for shipment, 117; 

 great size of some specimens, 118; the preparation of fos- 

 sils, 119; mistakes of anatomists, 120; reconstruction of 

 Triceratops, 121 ; distinguishing characters of bones, 122 ; 



