THE REPTILE MONARCHIES. 251 



amazes us; it even awakens our admiration and interest. 

 Down by the sea-shore Mesozoic saurians amuse themselves in 

 the surf. The Ich'-thy-o-saur, with thick and fish-like form 

 and alligator head, pursues the fated fish into the deeper 

 water, guided by a pair of enormous eyes which gather in the 

 feeble light. The swan-like neck and head of the Ple'-si-o- 

 saur rises above the surface, while the short, thick body is 

 propelled beneath by a pair of long, flat, many-fingered and 

 many-jointed paddles. There too, winds the progenitor of the 

 sea-serpent a real sea-serpent, whatever fable may connect 

 itself with the modern ore. This is the Mos'-a-saur, attaining 

 sometimes a length of eighty feet. The body is covered with 

 small, overlapping bony plates. The paddles are five-fingered 

 and resemble those of whales. 



Contemporary with the sea-saurians are those of the estu- 

 ary and the river. Turtles and tortoises sun themselves on 

 the naked slopes. Real lizards scamper over the cliffs, or 

 skulk among the debris of the forest. But most conspicuous 

 of all move the gigantic Deinosaurs. Some swim in the sea; 

 some crawl on the land; some scud among the branches of 

 the trees, and other forms standing erect, walk in reptilian 

 majesty among their humble subjects. 



Here is the Had'-ro-saur, whose province is limited to the 

 Atlantic border. His near relative, the Ig-uan'-o-don, holds 

 some provinces in the Old World. These are vegetable eaters. 

 But here is their traditional enemy the carnivore. Lce'-laps 

 disputes supremacy with the Hadrosaur, as in the Old World, 

 Megalosaur rivals Iguan'odon. Strangest of all, for a rep- 

 tilian modification, the Pter'-o-saur sails over our heads and 

 shadows us with his broad leathery wing. The Pterosaur is a 

 ground disputed between reptiles and birds. In aspect, bird- 

 like, he is, however, essentially a saurian. In structure he is 

 less bird-like than the Deinosaur. 



What a range of adaptations is this ; sea, river, shore, 

 upland, forest, jungle, and atmosphere all populated by fit 

 modifications of a single type of vertebrates ! But we stand 

 still more amazed. Before we make our exit from this 



