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. 
