Ancient Giants 147 



ten feet of my shelter, and brought up a hundred 

 feet away under the western shore. There he 

 planted his hind feet firmly in the muddy bot- 

 tom, ten feet below. The water continued its 

 sullen flow, murmuring against the pillar-like 

 limbs. The webbed front limbs, he used as arms 

 to bring the rich foliage within reach of his duck- 

 bell to be nipped off, and passed between the 

 scissor-like teeth that sheared the food into 

 shreds, to pass into a cavernous stomach below, 

 and so appease a ravenous appetite. 



I had a fine view of the beautiful creature. 

 Back of the head a frill several inches high 

 reached to the shoulders. The whole body was 

 covered with the most beautiful patterns of 

 scales, or rounded tubercles^ arranged in mosaic 

 work of very pretty rosettes, of scales perhaps 

 an eighth of an inch in diameter with small tub- 

 ercles between. The morning sun reflected in 

 the water every scale and contour of the body, 

 limbs and out stretched tail. And so this creat- 

 ure of other days was before me in flesh and 

 blood and power. Over some parts of the body 

 there were areas of large pavement scales. They 

 were entirely distinct, and did not overlap. 



And his body broad expended 

 With thin skin is covered o'er, 

 Scaled in beauteous patterns blended 

 With the foliage near the shore. 



