170 The Cretaceous Seas 



surely punish man for needless destruction of the 

 beautiful birds and fur bearing animals, so they 

 can decorate their own persons, wearing the bor- 

 rowed plumage, and silky furs of his creatures. 

 I long ago gave up killing wild animals, and for 

 years could say with Goldsmith, "No herds that 

 roam the valley wide to slaughter I condemn, 

 Moved by the power that pities me, I learn to pity 

 them." However as I like meat I am obliged to 

 qualify the stanza by saying, as is reported Gold- 

 smith's wife had said, "No herd that roves the 

 valley wide to slaughter I condemn. The butcher 

 kills the meat for me, I buy the meat of him." In 

 other words I let my sons do the hunting. My 

 great pleasure as you know dear girl, is to dig 

 with pick and shovel from the rock, the animals 

 of the past, to clean and prepare the crumbling 

 bones, and by the power of the imagination 

 breathe into them new life. And has not God 

 shown us His appreciation of this love we both 

 possess by bringing us back here among His 

 creatures of another day." 



"O ! Papa !" cried Maud. "See the water is cut 

 by the spines of great sharks twenty-five feet 

 long. See some are so near the ship in this 

 transparent water that we can see them perfect- 

 ly." "There," I answered, "is a Portheus they 

 seem to be in pursuit of. That big shark passes im- 

 mediately under the Portheus. He turns on his 

 back, and his huge mouth opens, look at the 

 many rows of wicked looking teeth. How they 



