EARTH DRAGONS. 187 



The general appearance of this monster can be 

 seen from the accompanying illustration. As we 

 have already remarked, remains of these huge 

 reptiles occur in the British Islands, but com- 

 plete skeletons have been found in Belgium. 

 Indeed, the manner of their discovery surpasses 

 all similar records, inasmuch as no less than 

 twenty-nine were found in one spot during 

 mining operations for coal at Bernissart, in 

 Belgium. Probably they were overwhelmed by 

 some great flood, swept into the river, and their 

 bodies borne down by the stream and deposited 

 at the estuary, where they were slowly covered 

 up in the mud which always collects at this 

 point. 



Among the armoured types were some very 

 formidable creatures, in every way worthy of 

 the name of Dragons. One of the most striking 

 forms is that known as Triceratops, he of the 

 three horns. The head of this beast was five 

 feet long, being longer than in any other known 

 land animal. From the roof of the skull there 

 arose three formidable horns, one above each 

 eye and one on the snout, whilst the bones of the 

 back of the skull were expanded to form an 

 enormous frill overlapping the neck. Like the 

 Iguana, the front of the jaws were toothless and 

 ensheathed in horn, so as to form a sharp cutting 

 beak. That the trunk was heavily armoured 

 with bony plates is probable, though we have no 

 positive evidence on this point as yet. The total 

 length of this brute exceeded twenty-five feet. 

 Whether these weapons were worn by the males 

 only, and whether they were used offensively by 



