FOUND LINKS. I2 / 



of animals once existed, and that they lived at a 

 period when, presumably, the bird-race was under- 

 going its evolution from the reptilian confines, may,, 

 in the eyes of any unprejudiced thinker, serve as 

 clear evidences that the common prigin of birds and 

 reptiles is matter, not of speculation, but of scientific 

 demonstration. 



I have shown, thus, cursorily, the evidences sup- 

 porting the contention that if, standing within the 

 bird-class, we look for reptilian features within its 

 limits, we are not disappointed in our search. But 

 on the reptilian side of things there are also evidences 

 to be found of the community of type from which the 

 birds and reptiles of to-day have sprung. It takes 

 but a slight acquaintance with zoology to discover 

 that the curious lizard, Hatteria (or Sphenodon) , of 

 New Zealand, as befits the curious history of its native 

 country, brings us face to face with characters of 

 abnormal kind, from the reptilian view of matters, at 

 least. For this lizard has ribs which are decidedly 

 those of bird-type, and, moreover, it has the same 

 hollow- ended vertebras seen in the fossil-bird Ichthy- 

 ornis. In other points of its structure as well, Hatteria 

 seems to represent a primitive type of reptile, pre- 

 sumably indicating that stage in the evolution of the 

 two classes wherein certain characters of the bird had 

 already begun to be developed in the common ancestors 

 of these groups. 



The flying reptiles (Pterodactyls) (Fig. 3) of t the 

 Lias, Oolite, and Chalk, teach us that as the pure 



