The Audubon Knights. 



121 



wearing horns, which is a great change of 

 fashion for an ox, and he pointed out so 

 many other facts that people hardly knew 

 what to believe. They were willing enough 

 to believe that birds and animals might go 

 on changing until they are no more like 

 their own relations than a red Indian is 

 like a Broadway dude, but as to man hav- 

 ing descended from a monkey — no — they 

 couldn't believe that. The white man might 

 have been descended from the Bosjeemen 

 of Africa or some such low race, but not 

 from a monkey. Well, Darwin said he didn't 

 believe that the parents of the first man 

 were exactly monkeys or gorillas, but a 

 something half-way between a gorilla and 

 a Hottentot. In fact he said that as all 

 changes were gradual, there must be a 

 missing link or something between, to con- 

 nect the forms of life now on the earth 

 with the forms of life found in the rocks. 

 Well, this " missing link " became a great 

 catch-word and was in everybody's mouth, 

 and somebody remarked that if Darwin 

 was right there must be a great many mis- 

 sing links, and for his part he wouldn't 

 believe in Darwin's theory until he saw the 

 missing links between the reptiles and birds, 

 for as the reptiles lived first and the birds 

 were found a little further on in the book, 



there must have been a lot of intermediate 

 or half and half creatures between them. 



Darwin admitted that that was true, but 

 then, he said, the stone book was so big, 

 and so many of the records had been 

 rubbed out, that one might possibly never 

 be able to read the whole history, but that 

 for all that, if we looked long enough, we 

 should find some of the " missing links " 

 sooner or later, and now, as I set out by 

 telling you, his words have come true. 

 Long ages ago, before this continent rose 

 above the surface of the ocean, when the 

 crests of the Rocky Mountains formed 

 only a reef of islands, the sea that washed 

 them was full of life, and these birds, the 

 divers, and the sailors, with their long- 

 toothed jaws, used to go fishing for a living, 

 and perhaps even for sport in those very 

 waters. There can be no doubt about it, 

 for their bones are found imbedded in the 

 chalk and mud that formed the bottom in 

 those days, but which has since been raised 

 up and covered with vegetation and a fruit- 

 ful soil, and become fit for the support of a 

 great nation. We give here cuts repre- 

 senting side views and upper views of the 

 jaws of Hesperornis and Icthyornis, and will 

 tell more about these birds in our next 

 number. 



THE AUDUBON KNIGHTS. 



"/^^H dear! I just wish I was a king, 



V^ wouldn't I make things spin !" and 

 Alex shut his book with a bang. 



" What's the matter ?" asked mamma, 

 who was sewing near. " Whose head do 

 you wish to cut off?" 



" Nobody's, mamma, but I've been read- 

 ing about earls and lords and knights of 

 long ago, and how they treated the poor 

 people that they had charge of, and I just 

 wished I was a king, and I'd turn the tables 

 on 'em mighty quick and let 'em find out 

 how it felt." 



" That's what Bruce did," put in Jack, 

 who was playing checkers with Seymour. 

 " But I'd rather be a baron myself and be 

 kind to the paupers, and so be a bright 

 and shining example to the rest of them.. 

 Go ahead Sey, it's your move." 



"You a bright and shining example !" 

 almost shouted Seymour, "listen to the 

 conceit of the fellow, will you ? why, you're 

 always the one in scrapes. Hold on ! mind 

 what you're about, will you ?" he added, 

 " it's my turn yet, you have to crown me,, 

 you know." 



