5° 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Makcii, 1907 



Despite the enormous size of the skull, which forms 

 a long triangle in shape, the brain was ol the small 



size of dinosaurs in general. Whether this implies 



slow and sluggish habits is not easy to decide. 'J he 



powerful armature of the skull is, however, suggestive 

 of activity both in attack and del. nee, it being difficult 

 to imagine that such structures were not developed for 

 special purposes. 



That Triceratops was an herbivorous reptile is evi- 

 dent from the Structure of its teeth, which differ, how- 

 ever, from those of more ordinary dinosaurs in being 

 implanted in the jaws by means of two distinct roots, 

 therein' foreshadowing the mammalian type, although, 

 ol course, there is no direct relationship between this 

 group of reptiles and mammals. By Professor Marsh 



That the heavy armature ol the head in the Tricera- 

 tops and its allies was developed for purposes of at- 

 tack and defence seems, as already mentioned, almost 

 a certainty. Presuming this to be the case, it has, 

 however, vet to he definitely demonstrated whether it 

 was for the purpose of aiding these reptiles in en- 

 counters with individuals of their own species, or to 

 protect them from the attacks of contemporary carni- 

 vorous dinosaurs, such as the Dryptosaurus (or 

 Laelaps), the Cretaceous representative ol the well- 

 known Megalosaurus of the Oolites. Professor F. A. 

 Lucas, who has paid much attention to the restoration 

 of extinct animals, is in favour of the former alterna- 

 tive, as is evident from the following passage : — 



" So long as Triceratops faced an adversary, he must 



Skeleton of the Horned Dinosaur (Triceratopi promts), from C. W. Qilmore, Prae. V S. Nat. Museum, 1905. 



the food of Triceratops is considered to have been 

 formed by soft, succulent vegetation 



Although no attempt has been made to reproduce it 

 in the restoration of the skeleton, it was believed by 

 Professor Marsh that during life the body was protected 

 to a certain degree by bony armour. This idea is 

 based on the fact that various spines, bosses, and plates 

 of bone have been found in association with the re- 

 mains of these dinosaurs. To assign these fragments 

 of armour (presuming, of course, that they really be- 

 long to the Triceratops) to their proper position on the 

 body has not at present been found practicable, 

 although it was suggested by Professor Marsh that 

 some were probably situated on the back behind the 

 bony curtain of the skull, while smaller ones may have 

 defended the throat. In a restoration of the creature 

 attempted by an American artist the spines arc alto- 

 gether omitted. 



have been practicallv invulnerable, but, as he was the 

 largest animal of his time, it is probable that his com- 

 bats were mainly with those of his own kind, and the 

 subject of dispute some fair female upon whom rival 

 suitors had cast covetous eyes. What a sight it would 

 have been to have seen two of these big brutes in 

 mortal combat as they charged upon each other with 

 all the impetus to be derived from ten tons of infuriate 

 flesh ! We may picture to ourselves horn clashing 

 upon horn, or glancing from each bony shield until 

 some skilful stroke or unlucky slip placed one com- 

 batant at the mercy of his adversary .... 



" A pair of Triceratops horns in the National Museum 

 (at Washington) bears witness to such encounters, for 

 one is broken midway between tip and base; and that 

 it was broken during life is evident from the fact that 

 the stump is healed and rounded over, while the size of 

 the horns shows that their owner reached a ripe old age." 



