8 Story of a Monster Fish 



dinosaurs lived on land, feeding off the tender 

 foliage of trees; and I remarked, "The animal 

 could use the front limbs as clumsy hands to hold 

 down branches of trees from which to crop the 

 tender foliage, or banners of moss." When I 

 wrote those lines I had but a single specimen to 

 draw my conclusions from, and even this not yet 

 prepared, and I had little knowledge of its habi- 

 tat. 



Now after eight years in the cemeteries of the 

 duck-billed dinosaurs, with the discovery by my 

 party of several new genera, as well as a careful 

 study of their environment: as recorded in the 

 rocks in which they lie buried, and eight months 

 each year in the laboratory cleaning, mending, 

 preparing and mounting them — my vision has 

 broadened; I have indeed been forced by incon- 

 testible evidence to give up my old ideas in regard 

 to their habits and surroundings. In fact Pale- 

 ontology, like all human science — or rather scien- 

 tific theories, for the actual facts of science never 

 change — progresses. Evidence to prove certain 

 views seemed conclusive to the old paleontolo- 

 gist ; but better collections, trained students and 

 further knowledge prove these views inadequate 

 today. Entirely different views are held now, as 

 in the case of the duck-bills, for instance. These 

 lived in the water instead of on land, and conse- 

 quently they had thin skin and strong paddles, 

 or rather webbed feet. 



