242 



Descriptive Zoology. 



Fossil Birds. In rocks in various parts of the world 

 have been found remains of various extinct birds. Some 

 of them were larger than any existing, ten feet in height. 

 One egg has been found, the capacity of which equaled one 

 hundred and fifty hen's eggs. But more interesting than 

 the great size is the peculiar structure of some of these 

 ancient birds. Many of them possessed teeth, and some 



FIG. 147. MEADOW LARK. 



From Grinnell's Our Feathered Friends. 



of these teeth were set in sockets, a feature we did not 

 find till we reached the highest of the reptiles. One fossil, 

 found in Bavaria, had not only teeth, but also a long tail, 

 consisting of many vertebrae, with a pair of feathers 

 extending out on each side from each joint. 



Relations of Birds and Reptiles. Not only do fossil 

 remains show points of structure in common between these 



