OF EVOLUTION. 25 



succession of vertebrae, from two sides of which 

 feathers are given off in pairs. 



Is this creature a bird or reptile ? I am free to 

 admit that I am unable to answer this question to 

 my absolute satisfaction, although I would prob- 

 ably say that it is more nearly bird than reptile. 

 But if bird it is manifest that we must very consid- 

 erably modify our conception of what a bird really 

 is. We must modify our notions as to the value of 

 the character afforded by the absence or presence of 

 feathers, and deduct from our definition that part 

 which pertains to the presence of teeth. But that 

 the matter of teeth is of no very great moment is 

 proved by the existence of these structures in a 

 group of remarkable and indisputable birds, which 

 have been discovered during the last few years 

 in our own western territory. These ar, i. 1 ie 

 Odontornithes, of which two members, Ichthy- 

 ornis and Hesperornis, are represented on the 

 diagrams before you. 



That these earliest birds were largely reptilian 

 in character can, with the evidence before us, 



