The Cretaceous Seas 163 



their mouths. They had an aid to swallowing 

 their food, by means of a ball and socket hinge 

 in the center of the lower jaws, just behind the 

 tooth-bearing bones. This enabled them to ex- 

 pand the lower jaws and shortening them so as 

 to force the food down the throat." 



"See Papa," said Maud, "The rising tide has 

 floated the dead saurian towards the shore." We 

 walked to the beach and our united efforts en- 

 abled us to pull him in. He was a magnificent 

 example of the sea life of his day. I doubt if 

 ever a swimmer excelled this one in speed. The 

 four powerful paddles and lithe form, and the 

 long tail in constant vibration, enabled him to 

 cut the water like the prow of a racing yacht. 

 His entire body was covered with small scales 

 like those of a diamond rattler, arranged in beau- 

 tiful colored designs, and highly polished. The 

 scales sparkling in irridescent splendor. "How 

 well poised the head," said Maud. "How large 

 the eyes, protected by sclerotic plates of bone 

 now glazed in death." "Wonderfully beautiful," 

 I answered, "So God creates His creatures, His 

 plants, His crystals. Man's feeble efforts to imi- 

 tate nature how crude and clumsy. 



"I think Maud it would be a good plan to cut 

 off strips of the skin for ropes and sails, and 

 many other useful things. I will make you a 

 hammock of a wide strip." "Very well," she ans- 

 wered, "Let us go to work." While busily en- 

 gaged, we were covered with moving shadows 



