July, 1911. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



261 



reptile class, are seen roosting here and there on the 

 rocks and at the water's edge. The birds are 

 characterised by a long tail, consisting of vertebrae, 

 to which the large steering 

 feathers are fastened in a 

 ro\s' on either side. The 

 wing comprises three well- 

 developed fingers, while 

 some real bevelled teeth 

 are still found at the edges 

 of the jaws. Kciiiains and 

 imprints of Arclujcoptcryx 

 ha\'e been unearthed at 

 Solenhof, Germany, in 

 the lithographic slate of 

 the Jura formation. From 

 the middle of the lake is 

 seen to emerge the mighty 

 head of a batrachian. 

 called M d sto do n sa ii r it ,s , 

 which was a member of 

 a famih' common to the 

 coal and trias formations. 

 While the largest amphibia 

 of our da\' hardh' reach 

 o n e - a n d - a - h a 1 f m e t e r s 

 length, these antediluvian 



ancestors of theirs comprised some species, whose 

 skull alone measured one-and-a-half meters in 

 lenijth. 



Another amphibian is the Pai'eiosaurus, 

 about two meters in 

 length, seen half-hidden in 

 the shrub, which can be 

 described as a giant toad 

 endowed with a short, blunt 

 tail, and a head relatively 

 narrower and less flattened 

 than that of present-day 

 toads, the skin showing 

 striking remains of bony 

 armour plates. 



Even a fossil insect, viz.. 



a giant dra. 



;on- 



rds 



■7 



fly of up- 



feet wing 



represented at 



en Park (see 



of 

 expanse, is 

 the Stellinj. 

 Figure 9). 



Elaborate plans have been 

 made for extending this 

 antediluvian "Zoo" by the 

 addition of a number of new 

 specimens belonging to all 

 the known extinct animal 

 taniilies. 



<!»r ■ 





m^^. 



r ^:^^\ 



Figure 9. A collectiuu uf .\iitediluviaii Reptiles, 



