OP CREATION. 203 



of the species attained the size of a cormorant, al- 

 though others were not larger than a snipe. The 

 resemblance, however, to the bat tribe, was limited to 

 the form of the body, for the head was totally dif- 

 ferent, the snout being enormously elongated, and the 

 eyes exceedingly large ; while the organs of flight or 

 wings were even more powerful in proportion, and the 

 legs were probably capable of being used in the water, 

 assisting the animal to swim. The neck, also, was 

 long, and like that of a bird. Let us now consider 

 a little more in detail some of the peculiarities of 

 structure of this strange monster. 



In the first place, the skull, far from resembling 

 that of a bat or bird, resembles in its general pro- 

 portions, and even in some points of detail, that 

 of the crocodiles ; and the reptilian analogies are com- 

 pletely preserved in the position and small size of the 

 cranium, and in the enormous prolongation of the 

 snout. The lower jaw is not less reptilian, and is 

 provided, as well as the upper jaw, with a long row 

 of powerful teeth implanted in sockets, and succes~ 

 sively replaced as they were worn and lost. The 

 number of these teeth was about sixty; they are 

 conical like those of the crocodile, but larger com- 

 pared with the size of the jaw. The whole of the 

 proportions of the head indicate a creature of great 

 strength, capable either of darting down upon fishes 

 or preying upon the smaller land animals. 



The neck of the Pterodactyl, although it contains 

 only the usual number of vertebrse (seven), must have 

 been of great length, and well fitted to support and 

 move the powerful head just described ; but an un- 

 usual provision is observable in the neck, assisting 



