The Edmonton Beds 39 



The front foot is elegantly proportioned and a 

 strong web stretches across the four fingers. The 

 hind limbs are pillar-like and terminate in three 

 great hoofs with coarse web between the three 

 great toes to assist in swimming, and to prevent 

 sinking deeply into the mud of the bayou when 

 he stopped to feed. The great trunk, projecting 

 half way above the water, and the enormous tail 

 over fifteen feet long. This tail he uses with 

 great effect to hurry him to his pasture ground. 

 It dashes the water into foam as we have already 

 seen. The whole body is covered with a thin 

 skin in which are arranged like mosaic- work 

 small polygonal scales or small tubercles, orna- 

 mented with larger scales arranged in rosettes. 

 The whole in paralell rows glowing pattern 

 blends harmoniously with the reeds and rushes 

 near the shore. See how the patches of foam ris-3 

 high in the air, tinted by the sun's rays so they 

 show the colors of the rainbow. Now he passes 

 us at full speed like a racing yacht and comes to 

 a sudden halt, by planting his powerful hind feet 

 in the muddy bottom. The toes spread out cov- 

 ering a square yard of mud. With his front 

 limbs converted into arms, he draws into his huge 

 mouth, large mouthfuls of the luscious forage to 

 be sheared into shreds by his scissor-like teeth 

 behind, after it has been nipped off by the hard 

 horny duck-bill in front. 



There are three rows of teeth in the cutting 

 surface and magazines below, containing two 



