8o 



EXTINCT MONSTERS 



Specimens of extinct animals thus set up, give one a much 

 better idea than when the bones are all lying huddled together 

 on a slab of rock. But it is not always possible to get the 

 bones entirely out of their rocky bed, or matrix. 



FIG. 14. Plesiosaurus macrocephalus. 



It will be remembered that the long and powerful tail of the 

 fish-lizard was its principal organ of propulsion through the 

 water ; and that, consequently, the paddles only played a 

 secondary part. They were small, but amply large enough for 

 the work they had to perform. But our long-necked sea-lizards 

 possessed very short tails. What, then, was the consequence ? 

 Obviously that the paddles had all the more work to do. They 



